Corina, Jay, Madison, Tyler and Mike - A revolutionary, highly chaotic, slow moving, 5 wheel vehicle. (Koh Lanta, Thailand)

So the pace here is SLOW. Well, let me cage that a bit. The pace of three of the people on this trip is crawling while the pace of the other two is pretty frantic (although one of them doesn't know how to crawl yet so that may be a factor). This type of travelling is different than any that I have done previously - "What do you mean its not all about me and that the value of my opinion is in a three way tie for third?"

The purpose of this leg of my trip was to kick back and spend some time with my long time friends for a couple of weeks. So far its "mission accomplished" (in the real sense, not the "My name is G double U way"). I met Corina 15 YEARS ago...Heyzeus!. I never get to spend time with them and when I do in Canada its always for a 6 hour flyby for one reason or another. Its a little bit extreme to have to fly to Thailand to have a chance to hang out, but thats the cross that we must all bear.

The conversation is good and each of us is taking time in the hot seat to talk about our (dis and)content, hopes and dreams. Sounds airy and sometimes it is, but its good. Its raw, meaningful but most importantly its without fear. Not that its talk that doesn't include fear, but there is no fear of anything said that will come back to haunt. Right - the paramount definition of friends.

I am being given a crash course in Kidlet Design 101. The jury has always been out for me and the prospect of kids. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that I want them now, its just been good for me to see that the world doesn't end after having them. Its obviously wrought with sacrifice, but it's not the cats laying down with dogs, Jabba frogs vomiting brimstone and killer bees, woman in the oval office sort of apocalyptic scenario that I had always thought that it would be. I'm studying hard and I have a midterm coming up - I've offered a one-time 15 minute babysitting certificate to Mr. and Mrs. Vinh Diesel. I still have the propensity to run protectively behind Madison to catch her when the inevitable slip and crack her head wide on the concrete thing happens (which apparently is a rookie mistake on my part), but I'm getting the hang of deciding what is actually a dire situation and what isn't. I've even held Tyler for more than 30 seconds (one of the only times that I've heard him cry). It is mind bending how much things change with kids in a short period of time. What do you mean that his two front teeth weren't there when you boarded the plane and now they are? I don't get it - they are right there! What, one day they aren't and one day they are? Whatever.

Good times.