I Want to be Your Secret Santa!

Beautiful Kanchanaburi

Sweating my little heart out...

Season's greetings from Thailand. I am starting my third week in this remarkable country. 

I spent my first week exploring national parks, caves, and country side of Kanchanaburi. I needed to soak up nature after being in the choked streets of Indian cities! 

Now I am spending December in Bangkok, enrolled in an English teacher training intensive. 

Everyday, I walk through the markets on my way to class. Life is delightful. I am tickled pink to be here.

But! Thats not the reason why I’m staying up late, putting off my homework, to write this. 

Its almost Christmas. Though not religious, Christmas has always been the most special time in my family. We put our plans on hold, fly across the country, and post up together. We drink cocktails, bake grandma’s Christmas cookies, do puzzles, and spend quality time with those we love most. This will be my first Christmas spent away from my family. 

My idea was born out of this nostalgia—and in an attempt to make these 90° streets of Bangkok feel like Christmas! 

I really want to send YOU a Thai Christmas present! 

So here’s what I’m thinking...

Spending the last month in India opened my eyes to our problem of plastic pollution. Like next fucking level opened my eyes. Rivers, sidewalks, botanical gardens, all suffocated with the easiest option: Plastic.

Amazing mango shakes. Not so amazing single use plastic cup, lid, straw, and cup carrier.

When I arrived in Thailand, it felt relativity spotless! But I kept thinking, this trash goes somewhere, its just not thrown in plain sight. 

Throughout Thailand, everything come double bagged. In a city where street food rules supreme, plastic is used in excess! All my meals are “to-go” and most of them are eaten on the sidewalk under the glow of a 7/11 sign (Thailand is kind of obsessed with 7/11s). A water bottle will be placed in a plastic bag and topped with a straw before its sold to you. My second week here, I picked up a Tupperware and a travel cup. It’s the smallest immediate step I could take. 

And now, what I want for Christmas is for you to help me take another small step! 

Sticky rice, cabbage, sausage, and of course spicy sauce!

My plastic saving Tupperware set!

5 Gyres is an NGO that is helping to raise awareness and fight back against our plastic pollution. They tie together ART, SCIENCE, and ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM—three of my most favorite/best things ever!

The Game Plan: 

• Donate $15 to 5 Gyres (or an environmental NGO of your choice).
• Send me a funny, dope-ass-cute-as-can-be picture of you making the donation. 
• Send me your address!

THEN: 

I’ll put together a goody box of fun things from Thailand and send it your way! I think it would really help me feel the holiday cheer! (Also there's just so many things I think y'all would get a kick out of, like vending machines outside 7/11 that sells Christmas themed hats for CATS--great news!)

So, wanna be my secret Santa? 
Sending much love back to America, and my people scattered across the globe. 

(If you aren’t in a position to donate, still send me your address, I’d love to send you a postcard!) 

Be well, do good, treat each other kindly. 

Happy Holidays, my lovelies.

gkorrow@gmail.com 

https://5gyres.kindful.com 

A Thai nation park. Let's keep our world looking like this <3