I love food.

Finally I'm somewhere familiar. For the last five days, I've been wandering (or more often tagging along with others) through unfamiliar parts of Chiang Mai. Though so much of Chiang Mai contains extraordinarily vivid images in my mind, the part of the city that I've been staying in is utterly removed from those memories. Unfortunately, without an inborn sense of direction, I feared returning to the Chiang Mai University area, where I know my way, because I wouldn't be able to get back. However today, five days into my time here, I did it. I grabbed a tuk tuk and met with my friend from three years ago, Kratai, for lunch.

Not only was it nice to find myself in a part of town I knew and with a friend I'd not seen in a long time, but Kratai took me to her favorite restaurant and ordered the food. Perfect. I told her I would eat anything, so she went to town. Green mango salad. Spicy calamari salad. Pork neck with sweet chili sauce. Chicken som tum soup (a clear broth and lemongrass soup). Everything was spicy; everything was delicious. My tastebuds were alive with all the reasons I love this city.

It is true, I'm getting ready to leave this lovely town to head up to the refugee camp, and my eating will quite possibly change dramatically. But the thing is, at the end of the day, I can claim no great hardship, because I get to leave when I choose, and I get to come back to a city like this where a friend can order a feast, and still we both pay less than two and a half dollars. I can only be grateful that in my life I get a choice.