I Never Would Have Known

I'm sorry guys; I'm getting sentimental. Here's today's daily dose of sentimentality.

If I'd never come to Thailand, I never would have
eaten mangosteen
or learned that avocados could be a dessert.
I never would have
admired a monarchy, shaken hands with a princess, or fallen in love with the Prince of Bhutan. (The Prince of Bhutan!)
I never would have had a monk ask me to marry him or seen an elephant in the wild.
I never would have learned the word invigilate.
I never would have come to love a dozen countries other than my own or be astounded at how diverse Asia is.
I would have never learned to drive on the left side of the road.
I would have never said, "I go first." "Can!" or "Same, Same."
I would have never ended a sentence with na, or ka, or la.
I would never have come to admire politeness or bargained for a t-shirt. (What you're giving me a five baht discount? Amazing!)
I never would have gotten a 5 dollar massage or grown tired of Thai food (Please just give me a burrito!)
I never would known the value of a wai or the amusement that comes when I get spotted by a little kid. "Forang, forang!" (Yes, that's me!)
I never would have come to know Bangkok better than any city in the US or come to love a country so much as Thailand.