pgrahmm

Congratulations on your longevity.... Your tedium, blended with perseverance & feigned curiosity have proven a worthy endeavor as time marches enivitively forward...

We are RVing the US into January..... My wife bought a door sized Merry Christmas greetings & some lights....We light them every night.... Our daughters are house sitting.... I'm not sure if they will put up the tree & decorations.... It's our first Christmas that we are not together.... We were at the official Graceland lighting ceremony & that was nice.... We'll be at our US daughter's house for the holidays & they do have inside & outside decorations with a big tree and extended family....

In general, he's right....I have spent a lot of time there & can't think of a good enough reason to return.....

Yeah - I didn't mention my soi dog rescue - a Bangkaew..... We're RVing in US right now & this waif of a cat found us talking to us.... Badly under weight....We gave it 4 days worth of food & love (which it was hungry for) but had to get underway....I told the park owner & offered to buy food + left a post on a local FB animal rescue group.... Hopefully the owner makes good on follow up or the rescue group performs....It stayed under our vehicle & it was hard to watch it watch us leave.... We're 400 miles down the road & I still feel like going back.....It would come, sit & talk to us....

CMU Has a veterinary school which many people use for their pets care.... There are many choices of vets & many different price schedules..... Jai-De medical clinic by Nong Kwai on the canal road is good.... There's a 24/7 Hang Dong Animal Hospital is good but pricey..... We have 11 rescues = sometimes it does cost money.....I spent over 20k on one of ours & would do it again....

We are currently RVing in my home country - USA I'm slowly adjusting to what I'm seeing.... Except for the places we've planned to visit I can't wait to get back.... Side note - I'm amazed at the amount of senior citizens 70+ still out there working that apparently can't afford not to...Their golden years being winnowed away, stolen - sad to see.....

You have our sympathy.....

I define empathy as a heightened compassion toward others.... Using that as a baseline, yes, it can happen several times in a day - or not, depending on situations & observations....

We had some frame work done on the RV.....Shopped hotels = none below $100 per night (plus eating out)....7 days later & $700 less in the budget we pulled out....If you figure in eating out it gets worse....We like Mexican food so went through a locally owned restaurant drive through - $30 later we had basically 2 burritos, chips & salsa.... I've been watching enroute & $70-80 for a room is about as low as it gets... I'm sure there's some for less if we start driving into towns looking for the "older" sections - which might not be in a decent/safe area..... I've spotted multiple people hanging around rooms probably living off the dole & increasing numbers to decrease cost (Calif).... This trip I'm bringing a boatload of family keepsakes & heirlooms (I've been safeguarding in storage) between the 2 vehicles to my daughters in Texas....Due to the amount of people moving from CA to TX there's been a rash of people waking up at hotels & finding their UHaul trucks, cars, &/or trailers (belongings) gone - being preyed on by organized criminals along the route.... I'm doing my best to avoid giving anybody those type of opportunities .... We're self contained when/if we need to be.... Here's some California gas prices I had to pay along the way.... I' m using the Passport America discounts & it's about $20 a night so far with a stocked kitchen & water/AC it's comfortable....Plus offering the security of choice over chance....Most RV parks have some type of security whether patrolled, walled, cctv, etc....

As an aside.... Interesting topic..... We are RVing, currently in the US - now in Deming, New Mexico - starting from the SF bay area... What Jing is alluding to is the "nomadic" lifestyle touted across YTube.... Before coming here I gathered books on BLM/USFS area camping intending to do some boondocking.....However, in looking at some places & people involved I don't want to jeopardize mine, or my wife's safety - it's definitely a fringe group..... Except for a few dry camping nights we've been staying in RV parks.... What I've noticed is there's a lot of normal people paying $400-$500 a month space rent in their RV's....They share a sense of community & seem to be happy life wise.... That's a viable option..... Prices on everything have exploded here.... Identical brands & sizes in stores are 3-4x what we pay in TH....A 10# bag of ice = $11 at a convenience store... These people are getting squeezed from every direction..... We're here October into January....In truth, I made the trip too long & will be happy to get back "home" to the TH.... However, it gives us Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Years with family....

Hip replacement 250k with the latest American titanium appliance available at the time....Price includes a suite at the hospital & hospital services.... 5 or 6 years down the road & all is good....

Teva is my foot's weapon of choice.... Currently holidaying in the US.... Tried a couple of alternate choices I had in the RV = right back to the Teva's.... Went to Tombstone Az. - nice 501 Levi's - Wrangler pearl button shirt - Tony Lama belt/buckle AND my Teva's (with color matching dark socks).... Mostly because the shoes I'd planned to wear came unglued after about 3 steps 😆.... But - I was "right at home" comfortable.....

Cowboy up with the rainbows - drinking highballs....

When everyone suggested you start some intense training, they didn't mean the choo choo.....

At CM the desk is now moved beyond the boarding pass check in for current departing passengers only....A helpful airport employee found 2 officers & they directed me to go to the CM Immigration office - they now only served actively departing passengers at CNX.....

Meanwhile, the wife is silently mourning, isolated by the loss of her life's partner = even though he's "alive"...Because of drink he's eroding daily the intimate, special times, memories....Meanwhile, she cares enough to fight with him hoping to get her husband/lover/hero/inspiration back... He's to stupefied (and stupid) to recognize what he's (irreversibility) costing both of them while killing her dreams day after day .....

She asked for the photo & used a glue stick to attach it to the form....I then was sent to get copies of two items in my passport (not listed as needed)....When I returned to her window the picture was not on the form, no longer attached.....She panicked a little & checked the papers on her desk = nada.....She stood up to check the floor and there it was - - - firmly glued to her tight, little, shapely ass.... My picture looked very happy there ????????????????.....

Seemed to be a likeable guy..... He had a nice, mellow voice......

Good luck on your quest.....

All well and good comments..... There is a series of videos out of EV's running out of battery charge 40-80% before the initially indicated available range displayed on start up....

Yes, I just got one at the immigration office..... They also asked for copies of items not cited in the actual instructions..... I also made the mistake of going to the airport first where, a few years back, they had an open counter = it's now moved behind the the check in screening area for boarding carded travellers..... I further compounded my mistake by going to the in airport Burger King for a bacon WHOPPER.....The 3 ft WHOPPER on the overhead menu turned into a miniscule disappointment, but the fries were ok.... I tottled on down to immigration to get my re entry . Much better then my entree adventure.....

Chiang Mai Removals stores cars.... Including pick up & delivery... There's monthly rates for long turn & they start and check the vehicles regularly.....

A huge pockmark on the Earth's surface.... If you've ever seen a strip mine it's an ugly ugly thing..... Money/greed is going to win this thing... At least it's Nevada, which is already the dumping ground target state for hazardous/toxic waste...Cheap dumping fees & miles & miles of nothingness..... Nevada is a right to work state which doesn't favor worker's rights.....

Bob, You're basing your premise on the behavior of the "at risk" crowd....You won't find many decent people in that crowd/lifestyle.... There's expats everywhere living every normal lifestyle.... Personally, I don't know one bar goer.... However, I know many expats living a normal life, contributing to the wellbeing of their families + representing a goodwill smile, style, and footprints among their neighbors....Just quietly going about their lives.....In a place of their choosing (for the most part).....

I was raised in California with moderate temps.....A half hour drive away was the beach & a 3.5 hour drive away was Lake Tahoe for winter snow & summer water sports....Humidity was never noticable & you could participate in sports & outdoor activities year around.... I enjoy a low humidity climate regardless of temperature & find some days here with high humidity really not fun to be around.... Days like today in The CM area are comfortable - but I find living here in more or less season-less weather monotonous..... We'll be in the US Oct-Jan.... Hopefully we'll get some "winter" in.... Unfortunately, the last month will be in the Houston area & we will be relocating home basing the RV/car there....Meaning, no more easy ducking into snowy/cold weather climates.... While writing this my wife just turned the a/c on....I guess that's her vote....