Merry Christmas everyone! Who you are makes a difference to me because your encouraging comments spur me on to write even more, especially during the overworked and tiresome days. May this season be filled with the company of loved ones, the good cheer of happy times and an overflowing feeling of gratitude for all that [...]

On the morning of the 4th day, I awoke as usual around 5:30AM, but instead of the quiet, dark courtyard I was used to, I found a crowd of villagers happily preparing for Archan Sa-ad’s 60th birthday celebrations. Before I came, I had no idea that I was arriving just in time for this little [...]

Inside my little hut in Wat Pa Don Hiay Soke. After spending the night in a small little hut, sleeping on the hard wooden floor in absolute darkness, I woke up to a small challenge. Paiboon had some errands to run in downtown Udon Thani, and I was to drive him in a 20 year-old [...]

Earlier this year, my friend Paiboon the monk asked me to visit him in Thailand and enroll in a 10 day meditation retreat. The retreat seemed like a real challenge, but what really enticed me was the chance to stay in a Buddhist monastery – how many people get a chance like that? So I [...]

Hi everyone! I’m back from my 18-day stay in Thailand – it’s been a heady mix of staying with monks, simple living, 10 days of silence, lots of meditation and the blaring sights and sounds of Bangkok. I’ve just had my first long hot shower in 18 days, and I’m going to take a short [...]