The Cosmos: Hey Matt, remember that last blog post you wrote, where you said that all the tourists in Chiang Mai, Thailand were a bunch of jerks?

Me: Yes, I remember that.

The Cosmos: Well, guess what? I’m going to fill your vacation with so many friendly, awesome, really cool interesting people from every corner of the globe that you’re going to feel like a big giant stupid jerk for making such a gross generalization.

Me: Well…okay. I guess.

What can I say? I had a wonderful trip. Despite the somewhat melancholy tone of my last post, I had a great time. I met dozens of amazing people; Swedes and Scots and Brits and Poles and Germans and French and Hungarians. I got super drunk and had great conversations. I saw sights. I bathed elephants. It was excellent.

Although breaking into social circles remains something of a mystery to me. I’ve never been very good at it, and it always seems like magic when I manage to crack the ice and a group of strangers actually starts to treat me like a human being, and they go from seeming like standoffish dicks to being really great people. I suppose there’s a trick to it, but damned if I know what it is. It just happens sometimes.

Anyway, I’m not ready to be back. Every time I leave Chiang Mai, it gets a little bit harder. Picture me at the airport, trying not to cry in front of the taxi driver. It’s strange, how a place can get under your skin like this.

Goodbye, Chiang Mai. I’ll be back again.