Wednesday, November 30, 2016

6 months in Thailand: 6 of the best things I've done and 6 I'd like to do

In honor of my six month anniversary in Thailand, with 6 more months on the horizon, I thought it would be cute to post about 6 of the best things in Chiang Mai and 6 things I hope to do before the end of the year!

Top 6--Believe me there are more than 6, but these are just some highlights
1. Seeing Doi Suthep
     One of the things that drew me to Chiang Mai, more than Bangkok, is that Chiang Mai is surrounded by nature.  Outside the bustling city center, is Doi Suthep settled on the top of a lush mountain. Needless to say, it is pretty awesome to drive up a mountain to see a golden temple contrasting with the deep green of the tropical jungle. Not to mention, we can see Doi Suthep and the entire mountain from my school--what a once-in-a-lifetime view!

2. Watching my first lady boy show
      Confession: My guilty television show is Rupaul's Drag Race, and I don't feel bad about watching it. Going to the cabaret was my first foray into the drag world and it was completely worth it. The lady boys were gorgeous, they sang and danced, and I went surrounded by some of the best people in Chiang Mai.

3. Swimming at Bua Thong, the Sticky Waterfall
     Much like the mountain that houses Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, another natural wonder that attracted me to Chiang Mai was the Sticky Waterfall. It was something that sounded to good to be true, but the waterfall is, in fact, sticky. It is impossible to slip on the rocks, even as water rushes over you. When I went to the falls, I hadn't been swimming in ages, something I love, so it was absolutely amazing. The weather was hot and sunny, while the water was cool and fresh. Visiting Bua Thong was an incredible experience and helped me to appreciate the nature of Chiang Mai. Seeing such a spectacular natural wonder reminded me how amazing earth is and how lucky we are to live here.

4. Thrifting and junk shopping
      I inherited a love of all things vintage, junk, and thrift from my parents. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect Chiang Mai to be a hub of awesome vintage and thrift. The city has proven me wrong. In the past 6 months, I found some incredible pieces from vintage dresses from the 1960's to two pairs of perfectly high-waisted vintage Levi's to vintage décor pieces like dishes. Every single time I go thrifting, I find something AMAZING!

5. All the markets
     From the Night Market to the fruit market to Wararot Market, there are some incredible shopping haunts in Chiang Mai. The carry all kinds of cool things like clothes, souvenirs, food and everything in between. I could spend a very long time hopping from market to market to look at all of the interesting stuff. My personal favorite things to look for are jewelry, textiles, and interesting tea blends (my personal favorites have been traditional Thai tea and lemongrass!)

6. My friends
     Man oh man, have I made some incredible friends from all over the place from England to India to South Africa to America to Australia. I've met some of the coolest, most interesting people in this city and I'm so grateful to have every, single one of them in my life. It always amazes me how quickly people develop meaningful relationships into life-long friendships; that's one of the beauties of being human. Cheesy? Yes. True? Absolutely.


Future 6--everything I still need to do
1. Feed the monks
      It's no secret that I love seeing monks. It amazes me that these men, and some women, give up the pleasures and conveniences of modern life, to live simply and strive for inner peace and understanding. Every time I see a monk, I'm attracted to their golden robes and enjoy being reminded of the "bigger picture" of life, and that the things I stress about are not that important in the grand scheme of the universe. At one of the temples, people can bring breakfast to the monks and feed them since the monks cannot eat in the afternoon and can only eat the food that is brought to them. I really want to have the opportunity to feed the monks and get the chance to chat with some of them and learn more about Buddhism.

2. Watch a muay Thai fight
     Normally, fighting isn't my cup of tea. However, when in Thailand why not watch a fight or two? At the very least, it will be cool to learn a bit more about the origins of this type of fighting and see it in action.

3. See an elephant
     Unfortunately, many of the elephant attractions in Thailand allow visitors to ride the elephants which is horrible because it hurts the animals because elephants do not handle weight on their backs very well. For me, it is important to make sure that I visit elephants that are being treated fairly and ethically. I have found some reputable sanctuaries that I hope to visit in the springtime!

4. Take a cooking class
     Sole reason: I love food and eating. I figure, it is worth it to learn how to cook some Traditional Thai dishes to share with those at home!

5. Go to Doi Inthanon
     While technically not in Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon is the tallest mountain in Thailand and it is relatively close to the city. I think it would be awesome to say I went to the tallest mountain in this country and maybe even go camping there!

6. Get better at eating spicy food
     Let me just say, the food in Thailand is spicy. By the end of my time here, I would like to be better at handling spice. While I've improved, I still have a long way to go. Ideally, I'd like to be able to eat an entire Thai chili without thinking I am going to die from excessive heat! Fingers crossed I will be able to do it!

And there you have it, 6 highlights and 6 future plans! Life is a daring adventure and I am going to keep daring greatly and adventuring around Chiang Mai and the rest of the world!

This photo sums up how happy I am to be in Thailand! This was taken in the mountains near the Bua Thong Waterfall.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Happy International Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! It has now been five years since my family has had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner!  I am in Chiang Mai, and my parents and siblings decided to celebrate in Canada this year. While I don't love Thanksgiving (Unpopular opinion: I think the food is overrated!), I do enjoy reflecting on all of the things I am thankful for in this world.

I'm thankful for my family. You guys keep me sane, support me, and let me follow my dreams. I would be nothing without you mom, dad, Mick, and Cali. I love you more than words could ever express and I've spent most of today thinking about how lucky I am to have a cool family.

I'm thankful for my friends. I am lucky to have friends that are as close as family and add joy, life, and make my world a better place. I'm humbled to have the privilege to be a part of your lives and I am grateful for everything that you bring into my world.

I'm thankful for a world that I believe is inherently good and I'm thankful for all the people out there who work tirelessly to make the world better than how they left it. I am thankful for those who dedicate their time, effort and resources to making the world a better, more just, equal place for all inhabitants. It's 2016, let's accept one another.

I'm thankful for education. I received an incredible education and now I get to pass it along to my own students. Education has the power to make the world a better place by improving people's lives. Throughout my journey in Chiang Mai, I am reminded of the idea that education is a right, not a privilege for the select few. Education is empowering and changes lives and everyone should have the opportunity to receive an education.

I'm thankful for so many things in this world. Sometimes life is difficult and it is easy to forget that the world is good. I hope everyone takes time to remember the good in the world and tries to bring even more good into it. Happy Thanksgiving!



Monday, November 14, 2016

Insta Recap #12

It has been a long time since I've posted an Insta Recap! I like sharing these posts, since I'm able to explain a bit more about what I post on Instagram. Without further ado, let's get into these pictures!

One thing I love, that a certainly get from my parents, is a junk shop. I love sifting through junk, vintage, and thrift to find the best treasures. In Chiang Mai, the thrifting is incredible! At one of the junk shops, they have tons of celadon plates, dishes, and bowls. I love the color since it reminds me of my mom (hi mom!). I bought a plate and I couldn't resist posting a picture of the blue-green ceramic wear.
One thing I cannot get enough of: young monks. When I arrived in Phnom Pen, we saw all of these monks sitting outside of the Royal Palace and I could not resist taking their picture. They loved that I wanted to take a picture(Probably because they thought I was crazy)!

After the night bus from Phnom Pen to Siem Reap, we sat at the rooftop pool of our hostel before we could go into the city. At 5 a.m., I tried to take a picture of the sunrise, even though it was cloudy, and I loved this sign pointing to all the major cities in Asia and other important cities from around the world!

As I mentioned in my last post, I threw some pottery in Siem Reap. The daughter of the instructor, who was maybe six years old, took this insanely beautiful photo of my hands making a bowl.


Seeing Angkor Wat at sunrise is a popular draw for tourists. While getting up at 4 a.m. wasn't very fun, seeing Angkor Wat illuminated by fresh sunlight was pretty spectacular!

In Phnom Pen, the Central Market is one of the most popular tourist attractions due to its French-inspired architecture. Most of the market sells tourist junk, but the building is completely worth seeing, especially the pastel yellow mixed with the light blue on the outside of the building.

Chiang Mai is my second time sharing Halloween with many people who have never celebrated this candy-filled holiday. Since I don't have many costume pieces here, and it's difficult to find costumes in a place that doesn't celebrate Halloween, so I dressed up at Winona Ryder's character from the show Stranger Things. To complete the look, we DIYed the wall from the show to make my costume extra special!

Another young monk at Angkor Wat. One really cool thing that happened to me at Angkor Wat was being blessed by a monk while there. While it wasn't this young one, he was sitting there just asking to have his picture taken.


In Siem Reap, I went to a shop that carried products that are handmade by Khmer women that are all paid a fair wage and all the products are fair trade. The shop has a workshop as well, where tourists can go to see where the goods are made. When I saw these candles drying, I loved the lines and the gorgeous red color of the wax.

Bua Thong, or the Sticky Waterfalls, is one of the top tourist attractions in Chiang Mai. It is about an hour from the old city and it is an amazing ride through the countryside of Thailand. The waterfalls do not get slippery, so you can completely climb up the entire thing! It is absolutely amazing. Nature is too cool and humans need to step up and make sure we protect these natural wonders.

Hope everyone enjoyed hearing a bit more detail about what I've been up to! Hopefully, I'll be posting some more adventures soon!

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Khmer noodle curry, temples, and night buses: 7 Cambodian highlights

Last month, the first semester of school finished which means one thing: time off! How have I already completed an entire semester? I'll never know. Taking full advantage of this time off meant it was time to travel yet again. This time to Phnom Pen and Siem Reap, Cambodia. For 10 days, I crisscrossed the country and absolutely fell in love. Going to Cambodia was, without a doubt, one of the best trips I have ever been on; it was that good. Instead of a big, lengthy post, I'm trying a format where I post seven highlights from my travels.

1. Khmer noodle curry
      In Thailand, rice is the starch du jour. Now don't get me wrong, I love rice but a really love noodles. Back in Cleveland, one of my favorite restaurants is a Cambodia place called Phnom Pen so I knew I was in for a treat, and Cambodia delivered. More than once, I indulged in Khmer noodle curry which is a noodle curry and it's bursting with flavor like spicy chili, sour lime, crunchy bean spouts all resting on a bed of rice noodles and broth. It was amazing and the best part--it was $1 per bowl. It can't get much better than that.

Khmer noodle curry with fresh lime, bean sprouts, and chili pepper

2. The Temples at Angkor
     Angkor Wat, a UNESCO site, is the world's largest religious location, located in Siem Reap. Essentially, it is a group of temples scattered over 162.6 hectares that allow visitors a glimpse into the ancient world. In one day, I saw every temple on the small and large circuit which required getting to the temples at 5 a.m. and staying until 3 p.m. to see it all. It was intense, but totally worthwhile. Most people recognize certain temples, like the one featured in the film Tomb Raider. What is pretty amazing about the temples at Angkor is that people can climb on almost everything and completely explore the temples without much supervision, safety precautions, or limits. I have to say, climbing around an ancient temple was a pretty cool experience.

Angkor Wat at sunrise

Angkor Wat at 5:30 a.m.

Climbing on some temples; I know I look small compared to the temple!

At the temple that was in Tomb Raider

3. Night bus from Phnom Pen to Siem Reap to Phnom Pen (again)
     While I have taken trains, planes, and automobiles, I have never traveled via night bus. To save money and time, my travel buddy and I chose to take a night bus from Phnom Pen to Siem Reap and back to Phnom Pen because our flight was round-trip out of the capital. On these particular night buses, we shared the equivalent of a twin bed with a curtain for privacy. Needless to say, people can just reach into your "bed," which might cause you to kick someone in the arm when they reach into your "bed" (Not that I would know anything about kicking a random arm on a night bus. I would never do such a thing). You can hear everything and feel every bump in the road. While it might not have been the best mode of transit considering I did not sleep much, it saved time and money and gave me an interesting experience that I can cross off my bucket list, which is what traveling is all about.

4. The Killing Fields and Toul Sleng
     While it wasn't the most uplifting day, one of the best parts of Phnom Pen was learning more about the Khmer Rouge. From 1975-1979, Cambodia suffered from a genocide at the hands of the Khmer Rouge and their dictator, Pol Pot. In order to educated future generations about the horrors of dictatorships and genocide, the Killing Fields and Toul Sleng stand to serve that purpose.
     The Killing Fields is the location where Cambodia people were killed for being a threat to the Khmer Rouge regime. Now, it serves as a grave and memorial for those killed and as a way to teach about the history of Cambodia. Toul Sleng, also known as S-21, was a school turned prison for those opposed to the Khmer Rouge where thousands were tortured and killed. Of the 17,000 prisoners of Toul Sleng, there are only seven known survivors. Much like the Killing Fields, Toul Sleng serves to teach about the history of Cambodia and hopes to prevent genocide in the future through education.
     Even though going to sites associated with genocide might not be everyone's cup of tea, I enjoyed learning about the recent history of Cambodia. Every single person alive in Cambodia today is related to the genocide in some way, either as a survivor themselves or as a family member of a survivor. It is was incredibly informative, humbling, and moving to learn more about this dark time in Cambodian history and what they are doing, as a country, to educate others about the pains of genocide and how to prevent something like this from happening again in the future.

5. Pottery
     After taking a night bus, some special activities are in order.  I took a pottery class in Siem Reap the morning after "sleeping" on the night bus that was really enjoyable. The teacher and her two young daughters, one with the cutest mop of curly black hair, helped us to throw three pieces on the pottery wheel: a bowl, a cup, and a vase. Even though we had not slept much the night before, the pottery class completely revived me to take on the rest of the day! I took pottery classes in high school, so this brought be back to my previous art classes and reminded me how much I enjoy creating. A few days later, the pieces were fired and delivered back to us and now I have two cool souvenirs that I made myself!

Trying to channel my throwing knowledge from high school. Spoiler alert: it didn't really come back to me!

One of the teacher's daughters took this amazing photo of my hands throwing a bowl

6. Puppies
      I spent time with two perfect puppies in Cambodia. The first was a teeny, tiny puppy at the pottery class. When I say teeny, I mean he could fit in one of my hands. He made the pottery class especially worth it. At one of the hostels we stayed at in Phnom Pen, the owner had a little puppy, Keno, who lived at the hostel. Since I don't get to play with may dogs in Chiang Mai, playing with these cute little puppies reminded me of my dog and how much I love spending time with sweet animals.

The face of pure joy holding a teeny, tiny puppy!

7. The people
     When I say the people in Cambodia were hospitable, that would be an understatement. Every single person, except for one strange tuk tuk driver went above and beyond in giving us incredible service, giving us great advice, and through showing us the most -spectacular hospitality. I felt so welcomed in Cambodia. The people we met were some of the most genuine and kind-hearted people I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with. It is amazing to me that a country with such a tumultuous recent past has people that are so kind, giving, and happy. Seeing how the Cambodian people interact with others inspired me to want to be a better person by going above and beyond what is necessary; it was that powerful. The kindness I witnessed in Cambodia made it hard to leave and has me itching to go back!

Street side stop in Siem Reap

Vegetable sellers at a market in Siem Reap

So there you have it, seven amazing things about Cambodia! An just you wait, my next tow trips are good ones: Bangkok and then Bali! I cannot wait to explore these new places and tell you all about them. Until next time!

Sunday, October 30, 2016

From student to teacher: a typical schoolday in Thailand

I am currently in my seventeenth year of school. However for the first time, I sit in the classroom as the teacher, not the student. I teach 11 classes twice a week for a total of 22 periods each week.  People often think that teaching abroad is just a vacation or an extension of study abroad. While there are plenty of fun aspects, free time, and opportunities for travel, teaching English abroad is still a job that requires work, routine, and responsibility. For a few reasons, I haven't written much about school, but today I will tell you a bit about a typical day at a secondary school in Thailand.

07:00 Wake up and get ready for school
Overall, my morning is pretty typical: eat, brush my teeth, get dressed. Thai teachers at my school wear a uniform that depends on the day of the week. For foreign teachers, we have more free rein on our clothing, except that female teachers have to wear skirts or dresses. Pants are only allowed on certain days when we wear these crazy, multi-colored, patchwork school polo shirts. On Fridays, teachers wear Lanna clothing, which is the traditional clothing in Chiang Mai.

07:50 Scan in at work and go to the office
Since I live on campus, I walk to school. My school clock-in is pretty high-tech: a finger scanner. Once I clock in, I go to my office which I share with about 14 teachers who all teach the same level I do, some of them Thai and some of them foreign teachers. Many days, my co-workers bring in snacks to share with the office like longans, jackfruit, or some baked goods. More often than not, my Thai co-workers get a kick out of watching the foreign teachers try the food they bring in because sometimes the food is very interesting, like sweet pork or durian cake.

08:00-8:20 Morning Assembly
Morning Assembly includes many of the same components found in homeroom in the United States, like weekly announcements, the singing of the national anthem, and attendance is taken. In Thailand, a morning meditation is included, too. Unless it's raining, it takes place outside and all of the teachers, students, and administrators are present.

08:30-12:00 Teaching and meetings
Depending on the day, sometimes I teach 3 classes a day, other days I teach 6. I teach Fundamental English to an entire grade, Matthayom 4, which is the equivalent to 10th grade. The grade is broken down into 11 classes with roughly 50 students in each class. Yes, you read that right; there are 50 or more students in each class, and it can get wild having so many kids in one room. Luckily, I teach with a co-teacher, a veteran teacher from the Philippines. We both share the teaching responsibilities for our classes, from creating lessons to grading content, and I absolutely adore my co-teacher. Like any class, my daily activities range from giving quizzes or exams, giving presentations, and collecting and grading work.

12:00-13:00 Lunch
At my school, teachers receive lunch from the school canteen every day. Usually the lunch consists of rice, some kind of meat in sauce that goes with the rice, a soup, and dessert. Unlike schools in the US, there is always a vegetarian option that is essentially the meat-free version of the regular lunch. 9/10 the food is pretty good and I can't complain about not having to pack my own lunch. My personal favorite lunches are Pad Thai, egg noodle soup, and omelets with rice!

13:00-16:30 Teaching
My afternoons are the same as my mornings. Every Wednesday, my students have afternoon activities that give me the afternoon free. More often than not, I watch some Netflix or blog in the afternoons when I have free time!

The view from my desk, complete with stacks of papers and an empty coffee cup

16:30 Clock out and go home!

Being the teacher instead of the student gives me a new appreciation for all the work my teachers put into their lessons and I admire the dedication teachers have for their students. Teaching is certainly not as easy as I thought it would be, but it is oh so rewarding! Hope you enjoyed hearing a bit about my daily routine as a teacher!

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Insta Recap #11

Over the last few weeks, I gathered a new wind of inspirations that pushed me to post a bit more frequently on Instagram. These past few weeks in Chiang Mai have been a blast; I visited new places, shopped at new markets, and tried some delicious food.

22 was my first birthday celebrated internationally. Like any normal 22 year old would, I dragged my friends to a ladyboy drag show (pun intended!)! To say it was perfect is an understatement: I was completely in my element. Since it was my birthday, I got crowned by a queen, making me a queen for the night!


In Asia, animal cafes, like bunny or cat cafes, are incredibly popular. In Chiang Mai, I went to see what they hype is all about. Visiting an animal café basically entails drinking coffee and playing with animals. Of course, it is important to choose a café that treats the animals with respect.


In Thailand two things abound: fruit markets and motorbikes.


In addition to a plethora of motorbikes, I notice many vintage cars on the streets of Chiang Mai. I loved this tiny red beetle.


In KL, I shopped at the Central Market which sold everything from food to kites to wooden bowls to clothing. Personally, I found this olive and gold tile to be the best part of the Central Market's architecture.


Thai driving: just pile it in the bed of the truck, strap it down, and hope for the best.


Young monks on a sunny Saturday in Chiang Mai.


I hope you enjoyed these little squares of my life in Chiang Mai! Until next time!

Monday, September 19, 2016

Culture club: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 I visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over a month ago and I'm just now getting around to posting about my first trip around in Southeast Asia. (Alright that is not entirely true, I made a visa run to Vientiane, Laos before I went to KL but that was purely a work trip that consisted of two night bus rides that were less than comfortable, so nothing special to report about that.) With a handful of friends and a backpack, we flew from Chiang Mai to Kuala Lumpur for five days of relaxation.

The Kuala Lumpur including the famous Patronas Towers

KL combines Indian, Malaysian, Chinese, and Islamic influences to form a bustling, culturally diverse city. In different pockets of the city, different cultural influences make their presence known, mixing together peacefully. KL ended up being a city full of firsts due to this melting pot of cultures.

Driving around KL


Of course, we hit up the highlights of KL like the Royal Palace and the Patronas Towers with the help of an open-air bus tour. In a lot of larger cities, they have bus tours that allow riders to hop-on-hop-off at their leisure. Before KL, I never used these services but it was a great way to learn more about the city layout at the beginning of the trip. After riding the bus for two days, we felt like we could navigate more efficiently on our own. This tour also let us see Chinatown, Little India, and a few museums throughout the metropolis.



Outside of the Royal Palace and the KL Tower

In Malaysia, Islam is one of the major religions, making Malaysia my first time visiting an Islamic country. Some of you may not know this, but I took an introductory Arabic language class my senior year at university, so KL offered me my first opportunity to but these incredibly basic skills to the test at the National Mosque and Islamic Arts Museum.

The National Mosque of Malaysia, the Masjid Negara Malaysia in Malay, is a major attraction for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. During my time in Europe, I visited a ton of churches, and the National Mosque was my first expereince touring a mosque anywhere in the world. Like the art nerd that I am, I anticipated making comparisions between these two places of faith. Mosques and Churches have many similaritities: beauty, peacefulness, mindfullness. Of course, the Mosque stuns the viewer, with natural light pouring in through every direction and stained glass in glittering blue and deep yellow geometric patterns in the prayer rooms cast an etheral light over the practitioners. In order to entre the mosque, robes are given to men and women and women are also given a hijab for modesty. While waiting in line to enter the mosque, I observed travelers from all over the world, all of whom were open to learning more about Islam. Not only that, I observed nothing but respect from my fellow travelers in this holy place of worship. Seeing people open to learning about other religions and respectign other cultures gives me hope for a future of acceptance.

Interior of the National Mosque


Inside the National Mosque

To beat the heat, we spent a few hours wandering around the Islamic Arts Museum in KL. Confession: I love wandering around art museums. However, I never actively seek them out when I travel; they just seem to find me. One of the highlights of Islamic art is the use of Arabic script to create beautiful, intricate patterns made out of words. One of the things I did learn in Arabic was how to write and pronounce the Arabic alphabet, so it was exciting to identify a few words in the art.

Not only is there Islamic influence throughout KL but also Indian influences. Prior to coming to Asia, I knew nothing about India or Indian food. For quite a number of meals, Indian food ended up being the closest and cheapest option around. Mexican food has always held the top spot in my heart, but Indian food is gaining ground rapidly to secure a close number two spot. Indian food, both spicy and sweet, is a vegetarian's dream. I loved eating tosai with egg and cheese, dhal, and drinking tea tarik. At all of the Indian places, the food comes served on a compartmentalized metal lunch tray and, for whatever reason, I was smitten with the trays which is probably due to the fact that they looked like cafeteria trays from the 70's and I love anything vintage and nostalgic. Little India served as a sensory feast full of incredible smells, delicious foods, and bright colors abounded.

A delicious Indian dinner

With my friends in Little India--Look at those gorgeous arches!
KL was full of firsts, including being my first tri pin Southeast Asia, like visiting to a mosque, eating Indian food, going into a cave at the Batu caves, and visiting a bird park (birds are a major fear for me--thanks, Hitchcock--so this was a big deal). Let's hope these firsts continue!

Batu Caves





Saturday, August 20, 2016

How wild it was, to let it be: a love letter to travel and my natural state of movement

One of the questions I get most often regarding my travel habits is something along the lines of, "Why do you travel so much? Do you hate America or something?" The answer is simple: travel is my biggest love. (For the record no, I do not "hate America or something.") Ever since I got that first taste of travel from my 2008 trip to China, I have been chasing that illustrious siren's call ever since.

To travel is my fate. Case in point,  I scoured the internet to hear some great minds had to say about the desire to move, see more, and live an adventurous life filled with global exploration. During my search, I read a quote from Wild by Cheryl Strayed that goes, "How wild it was, to let it be" from her book Wild. When I was in Kuala Lumpur, I quickly scanned the free bookshelf at my hostel only to see a copy of Wild with a note scribbled inside by the previous owner about her own love of travel. I was meant to read that quote and then find that book while in Malaysia, just like I am meant to travel, explore, wander.

Scattered throughout my own reasons for loving travel, I included some magical quotes from other adventurous souls about their own wanderlust.

Dear travel,

Thank you for being both a constant companion and something I will spend the rest of my life chasing. I love you travel for the way you make me feel, change me, and teach me.

First and foremost, travel makes me feel closer to the world, like a global citizen, connected to this incredible planet we call earth. No other feeling compares to the sentiment of feeling close to the world. For comparison, this feeling is similar to the one that I, along with many others, get when they spend time in nature. When traveling, I  marvel as the vastness of our world and I remember what a small part of the world I actually embody. But even those small parts of the world make a huge difference. In learning about other people, cultures, and places, I feel a closeness to the world that I cannot express in words.

Travel makes one modest: one sees what a tiny place one occupies in the world--Gustave Flaubert, author

Traveling empowers me. When I search destinations to visit, I often stumble upon articles and tips for female travelers, or articles about why women shouldn't go to certain places alone. While I agree safety should be a top priority for all travelers, not just women, traveling makes me feel like I can do anything. This is a feeling I first had while in Prague on my first ever solo trip.  After this trip, I knew nothing could ever stop me and that I am the only thing standing in my way. When I am sauntering around the globe, I have no one to rely on but myself or a few travel companions. Very quickly, traveling taught me I can handle more than I ever thought I could. I constantly seek this feeling of control and the ability to do anything.

Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time.” – Hannah Arendt

Travel teaches me about myself. When I move from place to place, I spend more time than I would like to admit reflecting, journaling, and thinking about life. Each place I visit changes me, and every time I go somewhere new, I become more myself than I was before. Every city, town, place, experience makes me the more complete, whole, and fuels me to continue finding myself.


We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls--Anais Nin, author

I want to do, feel, experience, try, love, and explore anything and everything I can. I want to see what else is out there, what lies beyond my comfort zone, my bubble, my consciousness. One feeling that terrifies me is regret; I want to regret nothing in this life so I take each opportunity that arises to explore. Sometimes it is beautiful, sometimes it isn't, but at the end of the day, I want to have stories that proved that I lived bravely and took advantage of life, the world, and opportunities that surround me to learn, love, live, experience, laugh, cry, and grow. When it all ends, I want to say I used everything I had to live the fullest life I could.

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”--Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist

Finally, I love to travel because I constantly chase the natural human desire to move. The natural order of the world is one of chaos, motion; that's a scientific notion. So maybe I'm not actually chasing anything, but I'm just following my natural state of being through my constant motion.


For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move--Robert Louis Stevenson, author

I don't think the wanderlust will ever subside and I am totally content with that. I will always have a home and will spend the rest of my life chasing travel, my first, longest, and deepest love.

Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany has the right idea about travel "Keep moving forward and do it yourself."


Until next time!






Monday, August 15, 2016

Insta Recap #10

Long time, no post. To be completely honest, my motivation to blog has been lackluster at best not for a lack of trying. Of course, I have plenty of things to say, I just can't seem to find the words to articulate my thoughts. To get back on the blogging bandwagon, I've decided to bring back my Instagram Recap posts.

Doi Suthep, a Buddhist temple, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chiang Mai. Sitting majestically on the top of a mountain, it is certainly a sight to be seen. One of my first weekends in Chiang Mai, I rode on the back of a friend's motorbike up the mountain to see the temple. While visiting, we received a blessing from a monk that involved being hit on the head with a stick, but I'm not complaining; I'll take blessings in any form.

 Doi Suthep

Temples abound in Thailand. While Doi Suthep lies on the top of the mountain, Wat Chedi Luang rests in the center of Chiang Mai. On a sunny afternoon, I ventured with some friends to see the ancient ruins of this Buddhist temple.

Gold Buddha in front of Wat Chedi Luang

While in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, my companions and I spent an afternoon at the Batu Caves, a limestone cave outside of the city dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Murugan. The golden statue in the photo is the largest statue dedicated to Lord Murugan. At the base of the steps, monkeys sit and wait to be fed bananas brought by eager tourists and will come and snatch food right out of the hands of unsuspecting visitors.

All of those steps lead up to the cave!

In Malaysia, Islam is the state religion which means that they have a National Mosque. Throughout the day, the National Mosque has visiting hours where the space is open up for curious tourists. In the time I was at the mosque, I saw dozens of tourists from all over the world enter the mosque, all of them willing to learn about Islam. Naturally, the mosque is completely stunning, with gold and blue stained glass windows and open-air patios letting in rays of the Malaysia sunshine.

Prayer in the National Mosque

Whenever I travel, I drink copious amounts of coffee. In Belgium, I spent hours sipping speculoos lattes in cafes to avoid the rain, and in Chiang Mai I pass quite a bit of time drinking Thai tea or regular lattes. For a Saturday activity, I visited one of the most well-known coffee haunts in Chiang Mai, Mao Coffee. "Mao" in Thai means "drunk" and, as one can imagine, it is known for spiked coffee beverages. The atmosphere in Mao Coffee is aesthetic goals for sure:  wood paneling, wildflowers sprinkled in vases on all the tables, and the perfect coffee shop playlist.


Mao coffee with a brownie cheesecake--it's very difficult to find exceptional baked goods in Thailand, but the cheesecake at Mao Coffee was 10/10!

Hope you all enjoyed a little glimpse into my life in Chiang Mai! Expect more posts to come soon; writing this post has inspired me to continue sharing!

Sunday, July 10, 2016

[A little over] one month in Chiang Mai

Guess who's back? That's right, I'm back traipsing all over the globe, and this time I'm coming to you live from Thailand. In June, I moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand to begin a year of teaching at a Thai school. Since my arrival I've been to Hong Kong, Thailand, and Laos. I've seen some signature Chiang Mai sights like Doi Suthep, a Buddhist temple, and the famous Night Market. Still, there are plenty of things to do over the next year (or so). In the month I've been here, I've learned quite a bit that I thought I would share.

1. Thailand is hot. Of course, I knew Thailand would be toasty, but I never expected constant heat and humidity. I am learning to accept being constantly covered in sweat. However, there is a silver lining; I can tell I'm getting used to the heat when 85 F doesn't seem all that hot. Air con is a gift from above and cannot be taken for granted.

2. Thai desserts are sweet, and often times jiggly. Thai people like their sweets and condensed milk is the sweetener of choice for many drinks, like the signature orange Thai tea, and desserts. Even the bread here is sweet. My first Thai tea was a shock; I couldn't believe how sweet it was, but much like the weather, I quickly adjusted to the sweet drink and now I actually enjoy it quite a bit. Not only are desserts sweet, they often have a jiggly component in the form of JELL-O, jelly, or some other congealed product. Needless to say, jiggly desserts aren't my sweet of choice and likely never will be.

3. Thai's drive on the other side of the road and motorbikes are the transport of choice. In Thailand, drivers drive on the left side of the road while motorbikes weave in and out of the cars, making them the perfect choice to avoid Chiang Mai traffic. Everyone, even babies and children, ride on the backs of motorbikes, some with and some without helmets. In this past month, I've ridden (and driven) a few motorbikes!

Sorry mom!

4. It's true what they say about Thailand being the land of smiles. Everyone is incredibly friendly, warm, and almost constantly smiling.

5. According to my students, I look like Ed Sheeran, the English singer, and appear to be from the North Pole. These were two things I had no idea about, but I'm glad to know for future reference.

6. Taking a 10 hour, overnight van is maybe not the best way to travel. I took a van with two co-workers to go to Laos to get Thai visas and needless to say, I felt like a human pretzel trying to get comfortable in the middle seat. At least the trip was worthwhile.

7. Thai food is delicious and inexpensive. Paying $1-3 for dinner is not unlikely here and the food is incredible. My personal favorites include Pad Thai (typical), coconut curry, and Khao Soi. Finding vegetarian food is a little bit more difficult, even though I learned the word for vegetarian early on. In the quest for good vegetarian food, I've found quite a few delicious spots that serve entirely vegetarian, and mostly vegan, food. The fruit is a whole other story. I could eat just Thai fruit for every meal. The bananas, mangos, pineapples, lychees, watermelons, and dragon fruits have been my personal favorites for far. Not only are they delicious, the fruit is also dirt cheap.
A young Thai coconut, fresh fruit and muesli

8. Temples are abundant, sprinkled throughout the city serving as a nod to the past. I love driving around Chiang Mai and seeing another golden temple glistening in the sun amongst the other buildings.

On the steps leading up to Doi Suthep

9. Thai massages are real and rough. For a one hour Thai massage, the going rate is 200 baht, or roughly $6 which is a far cry from the $60 I pay at home. When you go to a Thai masseuse, you will gaze in awe and wonder at the sheer strength of the thumbs of Thai women. Many of these women could become world-champion thumb wrestlers with thumbs that strong. Thai massages are one of those things that hurt so much that it actually feels good.

0. It's true what they say about Thailand and lady boys; you will see more of them than you think and no one bats an eye seeing a lady boy walking down the street. That kind of acceptance is pretty freaking cool.

11. When it rains in Thailand, it pours. Belgium is a country known for rain, as is Thailand. However, Thai rain is another beast. In Leuven, it would lightly drizzle all day, so no one ever really took notice of the rain. In Thailand, it will be beautiful and sunny all day until the dark clouds roll in at 4 p.m. on the nose. All of the sudden, it downpours and it is not fun to be caught in instant, pouring rain.

12. There are stray dogs everywhere. Some of them are groomed, some of them are scraggly, all of them are cute.

Stay tuned for more updates about school, travel, and everything in between.