the one where I volunteered at a distant dog sanctuary and went to a vegetarian restaurant run by a children's home almost every day for two weeks
thinking back on therapeutic times in far-western thailand
Join me for a stroll back to February 2025 on the ‘scrap today, as the memories are dear and somewhat succinct from a sweaty, surreal window in time in far-western Sangkhlaburi, Thailand.
I want to preface this with an extra-honest opening:
The act of reflecting + sharing on these scone archives from this continued, unexpected and rather colorful hiatus has been equal parts therapeutic and tender. Worth and stride. I consistently have notes & outlines, and albums & notions, for both casual missives and larger, thematic pieces, including the travel-cooking-tales and the (increasing!) interview series I’ve mentioned in recent time. Revisiting drafts and inbox checking…what normal, grounding daily stuff.
Thus, I’ll get even more honest and gritty:
My current mental clarity is healing along with my body after the physical shock at the end of March. How do I casually mention a four? or five? night hospital stay in Vietnam? It happened.
I’m lending myself patience for the sub’scrap, and Life. Capital L. I’m not great. I’m okay. And that’s almost great. BTW, I’ve been posting far more regularly to “Notes” here, for those that swing that way. It’s easy. And the people are nice.
I’m….simply in slow motion, inside and out. Improving, day by day.
Lots of time, lots of rest, lots of check-ups, lots of fruit.
So, I’m somehow, gratefully, purposely, still in Da Nang. Vietnam. Overall, fondly. And taking it slowly, inside and out.
To be determined: A life mantra on repeat. Thanks for following along. <3
Rewind. Early February 2025.
Sangkhlaburi Animal Sanctuary.
Upon the pronto planning of this hiatus to SE Asia (yeah, yeah, and break from life as I knew it), I identified that I wanted to spend some time volunteering.
Why? I’d never done such so far from home, knew it was a “thing”, and recognized it would be a healthy activity in my then differently-chaotic inner state. : )
After some early research, I decided upon the Sangkhalburi Animal Sanctuary, a reputable organization located in a small, multicultural city in Western Thailand, nearing the mountainous border with Myanmar. For starters, they had animals in need, a cute logo, great reviews, provided housing, and their Executive Director, Denise - an inspiring, iconic woman who had quite the passionate and relevant life advice on top of running a professional, loving center - wrote me back immediately. Wins!
Sharing My 3(utterly fulfilled) Reasons for Volunteering in Sangkhla:
1. To challenge my inner cat lady and channel that human connection to dogs.
To be around animals. Giving love and attention. Back and forth. Sharing time, and feelings. Helping where I could.
It may go without saying that there was / there is / a whole in my life where two very special cats used to be at my side. They remain in my memories, my soul, and in the world. Far away. It’s another way my days have changed. Something missing. A different heartache, to heal. One day, I will live with creatures I get to know again.
For now, a cat lady signing up to volunteer with dogs in need felt like a good step forward.
All in all:
It felt like every single moment of the two week experience proved more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined. My gratitude goes to both the dogs and the people. These were incredibly cared-for creatures, and caring humans. Nothing was over-crowded. No dog was depressed. No one was mean. It was a close-knit crew who made me feel like a part of something. I was.
I needed that, and I now have new dogs and people in my recovering heart.
(Bonus: I reckon the niece and neph-dogs in Brooklyn will surely notice my changes. Huh, maybe I’ll be ‘allowed’ to hold a leash at some point….)
2. The welcome routine of an earnest, six-days-a-week volunteer role. Cleaning, feeding, socializing, being.
Keeping my hands and mind busy, after the gentler days in Chiang Mai. Getting dirty. Getting muddy. Getting hairy. Smelling like dogs!
Waking up early with the mobile neighborhood announcements and immediate chorus of howls - and being into it.
Scoopin’ poop with an appropriately thematic brown gel manicure. I kid you not. I came prepared.
Joining a (professional!) crew for an adventurous medical visit by long boat to an off-shore monastery, out past the famous ‘sunken temple’. Taking a crash course and prepping syringes & taking records at a pop-up, no-cost, vital multi-day spray + neuter camp, again, at another remote village monastery. And picking up way more bits of Thai than I had ever imagined.
3. The comfort + convenience of visiting a vegetarian restaurant down the street from the Sanctuary, nearly every single day. Some days, twice!
This was admittedly and gloriously not much of a choice that I openly embraced being too exhausted to cook more than vegetarian instant ramen (which I continue to travel with and re-stock as I go). It was typically delicious & quickly prepared, affordably priced within my budget (practically a ‘duh’), and I got to immediately, comfortably, and progressively become a short-term regular at the neighborhood vegetarian eatery: Ounrak Restaurant + Bakery.
Not only did it actually exist, it was mostly vegan and for a precious cause, as it was run by and for the Baan Unrak Children’s Foundation - where at least two of my full-time Sactuary colleagues were raised. Oh, my heart and stomach were good here.
I slowly got to know the menu, and learn what I really liked. Ascertain my go-to orders. See what fruit was in season, and in stock.
Learn what the staff looked forward to making. What they smiled even bigger at when presenting. What kept hitting the spot. All the crispy vegan pork. The electric fan that the young staff would plug in near one’s table when it was hot. It was almost always hot - my short hair was pure curls.
The mosquito-repelling incense coils they’d often light, that I only knocked over once.
Trying out different meals, and cozy tables. Polite nods of recognition to the other local diners and occasional tourists, going about their own days, and sharing the surprise ease of choosing to eat vegetarian, at the edge of the road. Towards the edge, of the Kingdom of Thailand.
One night, towards the end, I forgot my phone. I had biked across town before I realized it. It was kept right on the open air counter, simply waiting for me. Again, there goes my heart, beating.
About Baan Unrak Foundation, from their website:
“Our Children's Home provides a loving home, food, medical care and education to over 130 children from Thailand and Burma, including the neighboring Mon and Karen States. Neo-Humanism is our guiding principle. It is an ecological and holistic philosophy. It is the spirit of love and kindness.
Our Restaurant & Café offers a variety of vegetarian & vegan dishes and baked goods. The space financially supports the home and functions as a vocational training center, where our children gain valuable firsthand experience of the service industry. Furthermore, it is a way of serving the community, providing jobs for some of the many Burmese people in the area who have fled their homeland in search of work across the Thai border. Finally, the Restaurant and Café is where the Children’s Home gets its sweets, treats and baked goods to celebrate special occasions.”
A look at many of the dishes I tried… (notes + 2 photo-sets)
Deep Fried Tofu with Ajard Sauce - a sweet + spicy dipping sauce. While I had never heard the name before and didn’t know quite what to expect, what arrived were hot & crispy tofu bites with a tangy, slightly spicy, slightly sweet peppery sauce. I added a side of rice, and it was enough. When I ran an internet search for it, the responses made sense: a satay-side, a dip for fresh cucumbers/ and sometimes their inclusion, a good amount of vinegar, variations on the spelling, chili, sugar, yum.
Iced Coconut Milk Latte - light, creamy and a pleasant afternoon reminder to opt for that second shot ; )
Som Tam - aka green papaya salad - my first experience with wavy cut green papaya which was fun and had a great heat.
Pad Kra Paw Gai - w/ green beans, soya chunks, chili, fresh basil, rice. Yes, please.
Burmese Tea Leaf Salad - an interesting, highly, funky and sour take and sampled closer to the Myanmar border than I’d ever imagined in my life before. That’s a Wow.
Potato Wedges - Okay, these were ordered on accident during a meal with fellow volunteers, and really hit the spot that night.
Red Curry - w/ fried tofu, green beans, chiles, lime leaf. When in doubt, try the red curry.
Stir-fried Thai Khale w/ Fried Tofu - which was swapped *in* for vegan crispy pork on one particular visit, as the kitchen thought they were out and I welcomed the protein switch-er-oo. I was having lunch with an increasingly dear, new friend who was intimate with the center, pointing out her childhood photos and memories along the wall behind our table. And in the end, vegan crispy pork was found and she, not a full time vegetarian, mind you - ordered & savored it. Plus, what a neat spelling of kale.
Stir-fried Spices - w/ long beans, tofu, lime leaf. So good.
Mango Shake - an afternoon treat to take back to the Sanctuary.
Spring Rolls - devoured quickly before a night out at the DISCO with new friends !
Stir-fried Thai Khale w/ Fried Tofu - another round, and easily in my top 2 meals along with the Pad Kra Paw.
Pad Thai - this was tangy, full of honest-to-goodness vegetables which does not usually happen, plus, plenty of tofu, and simply, an enjoyable dinner.
Watermelon Shakes - true story - the second time I ordered one I was reminded, once again, to make sure and say “mai wan* aka no sugar, because I was downright mesmerized at how GOOOOOD the drink I was sipping was, until I put 2 and 2….and the house sweetener syrup and my neglected mention together, aha. I think my eyes had rolled back into my head. In ectasy, okay?!
Looking back, then and now:
Frankly, while I’m keeping this honesty up (as usual!) if that crash-y thing hadn’t just happened, I’d be planning to take that 8-9+ hour bus ride from Bangkok to Sangkhla, once more. For a much longer volunteer stint. My physical health simply isn’t ready. Yet.
In non-conclusion:
Bring on the growth, all that nourishment, the pups, the paddleboarding, the late night cards, the language learning, the friendships, and those shifting perspectives. 💜💙💛
Thanks, Sangkhla.
Have you ever had a similar volunteer experience?
References + Relevant Links:
About Us: Baan Unrak Foundation
Meet the Gang: Sangkhlaburi Animal Sanctuary
the smashed elephant in the room is me, these scone archives March 29, 2025
who let the dogs out, ditto, may 19, 2023
⏯️ ⏯️ ⏯️ @sangkhlaburianimalsanctuary + @scone.archives on insta
post-paddleboarding with new friends for the first time in however many years?!?! thanks to my captain, Fé <3 / february 21, 2025
Aside from the circumstances of your hiatus in the first place, this sounds like a really nice experience! I hope you get to go back once you're healed. Sending love from me and our foster dog Coco!
hopefully they aren't "eating the cats and dogs" in the Sangkhalburi Animal Sanctuary, hahah. Cheers!