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