When moving to a new city, any husband knows, one of the most important things for a woman is her hair. Lori had to leave behind her beloved Kimi-san in Misawa, who did her hair for 12 years. It was an emotional goodbye for her. Lori did enough research looking for a hair stylist in Thailand that she could have earned a degree. Her tenacious effort produced a wonderful cut with a sweet stylist named Pong at Absolute Hair Studio. She received a very professional cut and style for only about 500 Baht ($15). The next hair test for Lori will involve her getting highlights and lowlights. She will let you know how that turns out but it's always an adventure getting Western-style hair coloring done in a country that isn't accustomed to working with Western hair. She has read (and seen) some horror stories.
As you can tell by our pictures, a good portion of our life revolves around food. It's one of our very favorite parts of traveling. You can't really get to know a culture until you eat what they eat. If you have never experienced Thai food it is a full-on party for your taste buds. Many dishes can, and often do, contain flavors that encompass the combination of sour, sweet, salty, and bitter. Not only are the Thai dishes here fantastic, they are also very, VERY cheap. If you eat from local vendors, most dishes will cost somewhere between 20-50 Baht ($0.60 - $1.60). It is entirely possible to eat a full day's meals, with coffee, for under $5 total PER DAY! Imagine that food budget in any other city in the world. We can't, which is why Thailand was our first destination in early retirement. Unique, flavorful food at truly unbeatable prices is available everywhere in this country.
Meeting new and interesting people and learning about their culture is one of the main reasons that we decided to retire overseas. It not only enriches our lives, but we now have an opportunity to pass on what we learn to those of you who are bitten by the travel bug. Our advice? Get out there! It's an amazing world full of incredible people just waiting to meet you.
~Randy