Leave Taking, Day 10
Day 10: Living with Wildlife
For those of you who kept up with me this entire year, you'll know that I have had many animal room-mates. Rats, mice, lizards, geckos, feral cats, huntsman spiders, cockroaches...the list truly continues. I wake up to mysterious insect bites on my legs and feet every morning. I won't necessarily miss this every day, but I will miss how there's less separation between humans and wildlife here. Just how you can't avoid the weather by getting into a car (nay, you ride your bike or motorcycle through wind, rain, and sun!), you also can't avoid interacting with the great outdoors. Of course, a little separation is ideal, but in Lao, people aren't 'above' the elements. You have to intermingle with it all, whereas in America, things seem overly hygienic and sanitized: the outdoors stays outdoors. Here, I never know what creature I'll wake up with!
For those of you who kept up with me this entire year, you'll know that I have had many animal room-mates. Rats, mice, lizards, geckos, feral cats, huntsman spiders, cockroaches...the list truly continues. I wake up to mysterious insect bites on my legs and feet every morning. I won't necessarily miss this every day, but I will miss how there's less separation between humans and wildlife here. Just how you can't avoid the weather by getting into a car (nay, you ride your bike or motorcycle through wind, rain, and sun!), you also can't avoid interacting with the great outdoors. Of course, a little separation is ideal, but in Lao, people aren't 'above' the elements. You have to intermingle with it all, whereas in America, things seem overly hygienic and sanitized: the outdoors stays outdoors. Here, I never know what creature I'll wake up with!
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