The End: Goodbye, Thailand

The time for change has arrived: after over a year living here, I am leaving Thailand.  I am both sad to go and excited for the new adventures that lie ahead.  My last two weeks in this wonderful country have been the perfect end to my time, completing the full circle of my experience in Thailand.  Read on to see familiar faces and places, and enjoy my last weeks in Thailand with me!

Reading time: 9 minutes

Trekking the Tallest Mountains in Thailand: Chiang Mai, Part 3

This third and final post of the Chiang Mai series documents my day trekking in Doi Inthanon National Park, which contains the tallest mountains in the entire country of Thailand.  I got to visit the highest point in Thailand, dip in the frigid Himalayan river, and acquaint with the culture of the remote mountain villages.  Let's take a journey together through the foothills of the Himalayas in Chiang Mai, Thailand!

Reading time: 8 minutes

Becoming One with ELEPHANTS: Chiang Mai, Part 2

One of the primary reasons I so wanted to visit Chiang Mai is simple: I wanted to see elephants.  And I wanted to do it in an ethical way.  Elephant tourism is prevalent all over Thailand, but the way the elephants are treated is not always ideal.  I chose to visit an ethical elephant sanctuary called Elephant Nature Park, and my day there was absolutely one of the highlights of my year in Thailand.  I hope you enjoy joining me for this day of elephant immersion and pure joy!!

Reading time: 14 minutes

Rich Culture of Thailand: Chiang Mai, Part 1

I have been told innumerable times that I absolutely must go to Chiang Mai before my time in Thailand is done.  From people who know me well to people I have just met, the underlying sentiment of "You will love Chiang Mai!" has been pretty much constant whenever this city comes up in conversation.  So, I finally did it: I went on a solo trip to northern Thailand, all for the purpose of going to the ever-renowned and beloved Chiang Mai!  My verdict?

All of those people were right.  I loved Chiang Mai.

Read on to find out why!

Reading time: 10 minutes

Island Bliss: Koh Lanta, Part 3

Welcome back to heaven on earth.  This post contains the final installment of the island vacation adventure begun on Koh Phi Phi (here) and continued on Koh Lanta (in part 1 and part 2).  I hope you enjoy joining on the final leg of this idyllic time in paradise.

Reading time: 8 minutes

Wild Monkeys, Mountain Climbing, and Beach Swing Heaven: Mu Koh Lanta National Park

National Parks contain some of the most highy treasured natural beauty in any country, and the one on the southern tip of Koh Lanta is no exception.  Read on to take a trip through Mu Koh Lanta National Park, including climbing a mountain to a lighthouse surrounded by 50 foot cliff drop-offs; jaunts on rocky and white sand beaches; swims in water with jellyfish larvae (eek!!!); and idyllic beach swings like something out of a magazine.  

Reading time: 12 minutes

Discovering my Favorite Place on Earth: Koh Lanta, Part 1

Have you ever been somewhere and thought, "next time I need to go to my mental 'happy place,' this is where I'll think of"?  Somewhere that feels like your own personal paradise?  Well, I recently found mine, and I can't wait to share it with you.  Read on to see more of my new favorite place on earth: the island of Koh Lanta, Thailand.

Reading time: 10 minutes

Snorkeling, Divine Food, and Teal Waters: Koh Phi Phi Island Adventure

Leaving my Thai home of Nong Khai has brought the start of many new adventures, the first of which has led me to the Southern Thai islands in the Andaman Sea.  I have experienced warm, bright teal waters, soft, white sands, monkeys galore, and world cuisines in some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  Read on for the first part of this Thai island adventure, which takes place in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand.

Reading time: 16 minutes

A Wallet's Paradise?: What it REALLY Costs to Live in Thailand

When I was gearing up to move to Thailand one year ago, I generally heard one underlying theme from people who had traveled here: "Everything is so cheap!"  I did not, however, have any input from someone who had actually lived in Thailand long-term.  So, how much did it really cost me to live in Thailand for one year?  Read on to find out!

Reading time: 6 minutes

Unreal National Park, Countless Temples, and Meeting my Idol: Solo Trip to Mukdahan

Last week, I decided to take an impromptu solo trip to the province of Mukdahan in Eastern Thailand.  I experienced such good luck on this trip, especially in the form of the people I got to meet.  Read on to learn how I met one of my idols on this adventure, how we explored a national park full of crazy rock formations, and how we had the great fortune of being allowed into some glorious temples at nighttime!  I am still pinching myself that this trip happened.  You never know what can unfold when you seize opportunities...

So, join me, and let's head to Mukdahan!

Reading time: 10 minutes

"The Plan is No Plan": Farm, Fair, Family ADVENTURE in NE Thailand

Do you ever just say "yes" to an adventure, not knowing what it will be, but with an open mind for whatever is in store?  This is what I did last weekend, and it was one of my favorite adventures of my entire year in Thailand.  This post documents my trip to the family farming village of my dear teacher friend, Teacher Pang, which turned into a 3 day, 4 province extravaganza that truly was one for the books!

Reading time: 11 minutes

Culture Shock: What I Wish I'd Been Told About Thai Culture

Moving abroad, especially halfway across the world, is bound to come with some culture shock.  This is pretty inevitable and should be expected as part of the adventure.  Something I underestimated, however, is how long this process can last.  I have been living in Thailand for almost one year, and new elements of the culture that catch me completely off-guard are arising still.  In this post, I will share some aspects of Thai culture that I wish I had been told instead of having to figure them out myself.

Reading time: 9 minutes

Teaching English Abroad: My Journey and How You Can Do It Too

Teaching English in Thailand has been one of the most enriching and life-changing adventures I have ever taken on.  I often think back to when I was deciding whether I wanted to do this.  I read a crucial sentence that prompted me to go for it: "If you are even thinking about teaching English abroad, do it."  I did, and it was one of the best decisions of my life.  In this post, I will share more about my journey teaching English as a foreign language, as well as advice for how you can do it, too!

Foreigners in Thailand: Making Friends Abroad

I think we gain the most appreciation for things when we go without them for awhile.  

For my first six months in Thailand, I was the only teacher my company placed in my province.  The closest foreigners I knew were over 2 hours away.  This helped me in many ways; it necessitated my learning Thai, figuring things out for myself, and truly immersing in the culture here.  However, I must admit, at times I felt very lonely.

In my second term teaching in Thailand, things changed.  My company partnered with two other schools in my city, and suddenly an influx of foreign teachers ensued.  I met up with two of them and we became fast friends.  They are a couple of my favorite people on earth, and they have so enhanced my time teaching here for the past few months.  In this post, I will document some of our adventures, along with some of the reasons that I have come to deeply appreciate finding like minds while so far from home.

Wild Thailand: (GIANT) Bugs, Catfish, and Lizards, oh my!

Thailand is a fascinating wonderland of wildlife, even smack dab in the middle of the city (or inside the walls of your apartment... yikes).  In this post, I share some of my encounters with wild beings here, including insects, giant catfish, lizards, snakes, and a terrifying spider I have named Natasha (pictured below).  Read on to adventure into wild Thailand with me!

Being Human: Sick and Injured Abroad

Five visits to the hospital in three weeks.  

Yep, you read that right.

I have had some pretty mixed luck regarding health recently.  Read on to learn what has been going on in this realm of my life in Thailand.

Thai Snacks TASTE TEST: Reviewing Thai Food Goodies!!

One of my favorite things about traveling to (and living in) new places is trying the variety of different local foods.  This, of course, extends to the snacks!   The other day, I decided that it would be fun to pick up every Thai snack that I had not tried that looked interesting to me, in order to do a taste test blog post for you all.  So, get your tastebuds ready to join me for my grand Thai snack review! 

Video: Home Away from Home // Nong Khai, Thailand

In honor of my second term as an English teacher in Thailand beginning tomorrow, I have just published a video project I have been working on for the past few weeks, titled "Home Away from Home: Nong Khai, Thailand."  This video is a passion project, full of footage from my free time in Nong Khai, my second home.  I hope it sheds light on why I so love living here.

Watch in HD to truly feel like you're in Thailand with me!

Link to video

Random Acts of Kindness: Warm Thailand

Thailand is warm in multiple senses: namely, the weather, and the people.  I have experienced so much kindness and compassion while I have lived here.  This post contains a compilation of moments from the past six months that have proven to me time and again how genuine, caring, and connected so many of the Thai people I have encountered are, even to a foreigner such as myself.  I hope these stories fuel your faith in humanity as they do mine.

Video: Island Paradise // Pattaya, Thailand

The Thai islands are such a dream that photos just don't do them justice.  Join me in my new video, "Island Paradise: Pattaya, Thailand," for a more lifelike view of some of the most beautiful places on earth.

Link to video

Green Seas and Island Paradise: Trip to Pattaya

"Wait - Thailand has beaches!?  Islands?!  THE OCEAN??!"  

Okay, maybe you already knew this, but if you've been reading my prior posts, you may have noticed that I live nowhere near these things and have certainly not visited them.  Well, that has now officially changed!  Over a long holiday weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel 700 kilometers (450 miles) south to visit the ever-famous city of Pattaya.  Grab a swimsuit and some sunscreen, and come along to...

Pattaya & Koh Larn (Coral Island)

Eat with Me: Thai Food TREAT Day!!

I am in one of the best culinary destinations in the world, and I am taking advantage!  This post documents a day that I decided to treat myself to all of my favorite foods in this wonderful place.  Grab a plate and join me for my glorious and delicious Thai food treat day!!

My Happy Place: The Classroom

For those who do not know, I live and work in Thailand as an English teacher for 700 wonderful elementary school children.  I love my job more than I ever dreamed I could love an occupation.  This post shares some of my experiences as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Nong Khai, Thailand.

A Video: Why I Love my Life in Thailand

I made something I’m insanely proud of and in love with.  

Watching it brings joy to my heart and tears to my eyes.  This started as a souvenir for myself, because I saw a beautiful sunset and thought, hey I should take a video of this.  It became a two week project, in which I just filmed little clips here and there of moments in my daily life that made me happy.  The result is 3 minutes and 33 seconds of... well, I’ll let you watch and see for yourselves. ♥️

Link to video

China, Dinosaurs, and Surprising Foods: Sunday in Udon Thani

This Sunday, my good friend Phil took me to Udon Thani, the province south of Nong Khai.  We spent the day exploring temples, parks, and markets, and of course eating glorious food.  Come along with us!

Let's hop in the car and travel 60 km south to...

Udon Thani, Thailand

Beach, FOOD, and Family: New Year in Chiang Khan

"Suhk san wan bpii mai!!" -"Happy New Year!!," we shouted from the balcony of my dear friend Teacher Phil's home in Chiang Khan, Loei Province, NE Thailand.  Fireworks boomed over the horizon as 2018 turned to 2019, and I felt gratitude from the depths of my being for all of the causes and conditions that led to that moment, to me being in Thailand, in this wonderful home, with this wonderful friend, in this wonderful life.

This post documents the second half of my New Year holiday weekend, spent in the enchanting city of Chiang Khan.

Camping, Temples, and Epic Views: Trip to Sangkhom

For the New Year holiday weekend, my Thai teacher friend took me on a trip to her home in Loei, the neighboring province to Nong Khai.  On the way, we went through Sangkhom, the western district of Nong Khai.  We camped at the coolest campsite I've ever seen, visited so many incredible temples, and saw some views beyond compare.  Come along to Sangkhom with me!