Sit back, and let someone who is retired military with four years as a police office in a big California city, a lifetime gun owner, and gasp even an NRA member tell you some things that really will work. You’re going to be angry, surprised, you might throw things against the wall. But if you’re honest with yourself you’ll see I’m at least mostly right.

Yet, maybe because I tend to be introspective to a fault I found myself still wondering if I’d ever find satisfactory answers to a list of questions I’d made up I based these questions on the grass is greener syndrome and titled them Expectations USA.

There is just so much to list, so many contributors to thank, and a large number of new users for 2011. But you’re wondering, what about our numbers? I’m pleased to say our site traffic has increased 300% in just 2011 alone!

It’s not unfamiliar to my ears to hear new expats or observant tourists compare Thai’s to school age children.

Many times it’s been said that which makes us afraid, or in this case uncomfortable, is the unknown. Not knowing what a reconditioned product really is, how old it’s allowed to be, what’s done to bring it back up to standards, and how it affects our warranty.

Chances are the next spouse/mate addressed these areas precisely. And a few years later, to your horror, you discovered they're not perfect either.

There’s little so sad as watching a man late in his career or of retirement age take an economic beating and return home humbled or perhaps more accurately humiliated.

So when you ask “do you miss Thailand yet?” The answer is “Yes of course.” But I’m not yet finished with Thailand. I left a large piece of myself in Thailand, friends, family, memories and dreams.