Baby, it's cold outside

Eesh! Sipping my morning cup of Earl Grey tea and listening to Christmas tunes, not REALLY wanting to leave the comfort of my cozy bed for the day. It's chilly out, about -13! No snow. We had a pretty snowfall last Wednesday, it didn't stick though. I've been feeling extra busy as of late, with Christmas coming up very quickly. With that comes report cards, tests, parties, and prepping for my holidays.

In case you didn't know, I'm going to THAILAND for Christmas!!! To work with ELEPHANTS!!!! YEY!!! I fly out Christmas day and return January 2 (as work starts January 3). I'll be out of touch for that time, staying in a remote-ish place south of Bangkok. I'll be housed with the other volunteers (8 of us total), food provided, and hanging with the elephants - walking them, bathing them and swimming with them...some dirty work is to be expected, too. I love elephants and am beyond excited for this opportunity! This weekend I'll be busy getting some last-minute items for the trip: mosquito repellent and a mosquito net, sunscreen, and other outdoor essentials. I already found the gardening/working gloves that are recommended, for picking pineapples, of course. This time of year in Thailand is the cool and dry season: temperatures ranging from 18-30. I can totally handle that.

Breakfast with Hunter a couple weeks ago fell through but I went anyways. I had a book with me, and nothing was stopping me from having french toast! It's a good thing I remembered where the place was located! I had a productive shopping day following, at Dongdaemun market, getting some clothing for Thailand, and other fun things. Monday I went out for dinner with one of my new gal pals. Melissa took me to a great Korean BBQ place.

On Saturday I volunteered for Animal Rescue Korea, standing outside at a booth, selling jello shots, delicious vegan baking, and donation for the shelter. Karen has a cat from the shelter, and is therefore connected to the events they organize. The two of us had a three-hour shift in Itaewon, the foreigner neighbourhood in Seoul. Despite the cold, it was lots of fun. We met some great and generous people. When we finished our shift, one million Won had been raised, and the grand total was 2.5 million Won. Awesome! After that I went out for dinner with some new friends. It was nice.

Time is going so quickly! Bah! Oh! I saw Harry Potter last night! It was opening night here. The theater wasn't even full! Can you believe that?

I apologize for the shortness of this post. I'll write again before I leave for Thailand! In the mean time, stay safe and warm! xo