Mowgli: Demands Biscuit Placement.
Rejects bowl as bourgeois container. Insists crumbs be delivered to precise coordinates of his choosing. Vocally enforces compliance. Conducts nightly inspection of pantry with revolutionary fervor.
Akela: Embraces Catio Sanctuary.
Steps into enclosed garden with regal relief. Tests safety of bars with whisker-touch. Declares shadows harmless for now. Prowls pillows in triumph before returning to bar shelf throne.
Poe: Catio Prisoner.
Discovers enclosure thwarting gecko conquest. Launches daily protest patrols along perimeter. Studies lizards with obsessive patience. Files formal complaint against humans. Collapses in window sunbeam, plotting jailbreak.
This Week in Underland:
- Routine Emerges House finds rhythm. Volunteer post awaited. Teaching certificate within reach. Life edges toward normalcy.
- Creative Shifts Portfolio resurrected. Old projects resurface. New lens sharpened by Thailand light. Prints offered to world.
- Expat Errands Simplified Driver Nan joins ranks. Plant store secured. Grab demoted to backup. Geckos spared—for now.
We’re finally starting to find a bit of normalcy in our new life here in Thailand. The house is coming together piece by piece, and we’re beginning to develop a routine that feels like our own. I’m also waiting to hear back about a volunteer position that would help me work toward my teaching certificate. Teaching art feels like such a natural progression for me, and I’m excited at the thought of stepping into a classroom again.
Celia put together a small website recently after the Art Head asked to see a portfolio. It was strange revisiting projects from college and beyond, like tracing the path of my creativity across time. Seeing those older works alongside more recent pieces really highlighted how much my approach to art has shifted and grown over the years.
In quieter moments, I’m on the hunt for a new fantasy series to dive into. Right now, I’m on what must be my millionth listen of the Eragon series. Whenever life is in transition, I gravitate toward familiar worlds, they’ve always been a comfort. I’ve fallen asleep to Eragon more times than I can count. The detailed world-building, the magic system, the sense of adventure, it never gets old. But I do need something new. The last fresh series I read was The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, which was exceptional. So if you have any epic fantasy recommendations, I’d love to hear them.
On the day-to-day side of expat life: we recently found a driver named Nan. She takes us to the plant store and makes sure we don’t get ripped off, which has been a game-changer. It’s much easier (and often cheaper) than relying on Grab all the time. Grab is convenient, but not always practical when you’re running errands across the city. Having Nan with us feels like another small step toward settling into life here.
I’ve also begun selling prints of my photography here in Thailand. Moving has given me a new lens (literally and figuratively), and I’ve been documenting the colors, textures, and small details of everyday life, from market stalls to quiet backstreets to the plants filling our new home. It feels special to share these glimpses of Thailand, not just as snapshots but as pieces of art you can bring into your own space. If you’d like to see or purchase a print, I’ve put together a small shop with some of my favorites. You can find them on my printify shop!
And on the cats’ end (because let’s be honest, that’s probably why you’re really here): Poe is deeply unimpressed with the fact that we’ve officially Poe-proofed the catio. It’s a win for us (and for the geckos she’s been stalking), but she seems to consider it a personal affront. Mowgli, meanwhile, has taken his vocal demands to new heights, insisting that biscuits be placed exactly where he wants them, never in the bowl. And Akela? She seems the most at peace with the new enclosed outdoor space. We think she feels safer with the bars between her and the big, unpredictable world.
Overall, things are leaning toward normal, a strange thought in itself. Some days I still feel like I’m cosplaying someone else’s life, walking through routines that don’t quite feel like mine yet. But I find complete solace with my wife. Every fear, every flicker of doubt, is balanced by the sheer honor of building this wild, beautiful life together.
An Anthology of Justice, Equality, and Resistance.
If this resonated, please give it a share on Bluesky (or anywhere folks still have an attention span longer than a moth after a sleepless night), leave us a comment, or check out our latest anthologies
Poetry Collection, ‘Is this all we get?’
Prose Collection, ‘ Fifth Avenue Pizza’
Discover more from River and Celia Underland
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