10 Things I Love About Living in Paradise

10.  It’s always warm. Or hot. But you definitely never need a sweater. Unless you are truly Thai (our gate guards are bundled up in full jackets every morning) or our kids, who seem to have already fully acclimatized and keep asking to bump up the air conditioner  thermostat (I have it set at 80 degrees, sheesh?!).

9.  Everyone smiles! Even when they have no idea what I am trying to say, there are smiles, great big beautiful smiles.

8.  Beautiful flowers and palm trees. Seriously, our neighborhood is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

7. Geckos! I’ve always loved lizards and now I have several resident lizards in the house and a couple hundred more living on our house outside. They make me smile every time I see them (yes, keep eating those mosquitos!). They also keep my heart healthy by nearly giving me a heart attach every time I turn on a light at night and unexpectedly catch the tail end of one scurrying quickly out of sight.

6. Those crazy addictive chocolate corn rolls they sell at Makro--gluten-free, five packs for less than a buck, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious—yeah, we are going to miss those when we leave!

5. Buddhist temples. They are everywhere! I see new ones every time I drive a new route. They are beautiful, glittery, and no matter how many we see, each one is a little different.

4. Phad Thai. Seriously. 30 baht for the best meal in the world. Yum. (Mai sai kung! Just don't add the shrimp!)

3. The street market behindBig C Extra (just a few blocks away), Thursday-Sunday. Live music + street food + random vendors selling everything from perfume to electronics to shoes + huge bouncy house slide = best family night ever.

2. Buathong waterfall (StickyFalls). So much fun!

1. The opportunity to learn a new language (with a crazy alphabet and five tones), discover a new culture, explore a new city, make new friends. Seriously, this is a chance of a lifetime. And this place really is paradise. We are so lucky to be here.