Rice, it’s the staple of Asian diets. As Americans we enjoy it along side our General Tso’s chicken every once in a while. As an American in Thailand, I get to “enjoy” rice everyday. I’ll never forget that first day when I ordered fried rice all by myself and the little lady across the road understood my order. Since that day I’ll have enjoyed dozens of bowls of fried rice. In between the fried rice, I’ve learned to order mixed vegetables, chicken with cashews, green curry, and an assortment of Thai dishes that I will probably never eat in the US. I’ll miss ordering food from a street vendor and getting the little packets of peppers in fish sauce that I always throw away. I’ll miss the game of viral roulette I play every time I eat from one of these vendors. It’s added excitement wondering if your last meal will cause you gastrointestinal distress the following day. Even though I hate them, I’ll miss those damn pork balls that everyone in Thailand eats and all the different meats on a stick I see where ever I go. I’ll even miss all the exotic Thai cuisines that I never tried out of fear. Despite all my grumblings, I’ll miss eating rice everyday.