I've had many requests to take pictures of my home to share, so this post is devoted to my happy place here in Thailand. Whether it's crazy students, pouring rain, angry dogs, or chaotic traffic--I always have the peace and quiet of my little house to escape to. I feel very fortunate to have found it.
I live at the end of a cul-de-sac which means there is very little noise from cars and mopeds. It's a split level house, meaning I share a wall with my neighbors. They have since moved out, but when they lived there, I never heard them. Not even once. Must be a thick wall.
I'm on the left in the picture. You'll notice that my house is well above street level. This is a huge plus living in the rainiest region of Thailand. I also like the built in bench on my front porch. Directly across the street is a garden area cared for by an elderly lady who lives a few doors down. It allows me to see storms rolling in, which I like.
My front room is pretty much empty except for my shoes and useless bike, which I mainly use as an indoor drying rack for my laundry. I walk everywhere, or catch a songtow if headed downtown. I added the curtains for privacy.
A long hallway extends to the back of the house. There are two bedrooms on off to the left. Like most of Asia, flooring is either tile or wood. Carpet is disgusting. America is slow to realize this.
First door on the left is my bedroom. This is where I spend most of my time. I set up a cardboard box for a desk and I use my bed as a chair. Another box is used as a fan stand. My dresser is made from plastic and my closet is a clothing rack. Furniture is expensive and difficult to get back home. I had the A/C unit installed after moving in. The Peace Corps doesn't have to mean suffering :)
It was important to me to have a real bed, not just a mattress on the floor. I don't like critters crawling atop of me while I sleep.
I turned the second bedroom into a pantry/storage room. Since I don't have a real kitchen, I put my fridge and other kitchen items in here. The top of my fridge makes a great shelf.
My kitchen nook is really just a sink with a small counter top. I recently extended it out with the folding table to keep my butane stove and pans on. If you hear music blasting from my house, it's likely because I'm in this area, cooking or doing laundry.
Around the corner, looking out from the bathroom.
My bathroom. Much roomier than my tiny Japanese bathroom. Complete with TWO towel racks, shelf, sink, and mounted mirror.
No hot water heater on the shower. The cold showers haven't been that bad--not enough to make me buy a water heater anyway. Water pressure is great, which goes a long way. I'm just thankful for not having to take bucket showers using standing water from a trough like many other volunteers.
So that's my house. I'm pretty happy with it. Stop by anytime.
