After spending almost 11 months in Southeast Asia, I've finally returned home to the States. It has been over a month now since I've been back and still, I find myself trying to make sense of the experience that I had while abroad. How has this past school year changed me? Will I be back, living in Thailand again someday? Now what do I do with my life?
Mulling over these questions since being home and packing in experiences my last few months in Asia, it has been a while since I've updated my blog. It is daunting trying to summarize such a significant amount of time but there are parts of my story I can't leave out. And so, I would like to share a few highlights from the end of my abroad experience.
Shortly after my family visited me in Chiang Mai, I celebrated my 3rd New Years of the year 2015. Songkran festival marks the Thai New Year's day, which is based on the Buddhist solar calendar. Songkran lasts 3 days, April 13 - 15 and is marked by a nationwide water fight.
I was in Bangkok for the first day of the festival. Foreigners and local Thai alike literally flood the streets as water flies through the air and soaks everyone in sight. It was such a blast moving through the crowd and targeting people of all ages and nationalities. Almost everyone was in on the fun.
the "weapon" doesn't much matter.. but it's all about the ICE water!
To my surprise and excitement, the festival in Chiang Mai exceeded the expectations I had from celebrating in Bangkok. It was even more fun! The main water fight takes place around the city's moat, which goes in a square around the old part of town. As you make your way around the moat, there is more room to run around while you "len naam" or "play water". Trucks pack their trunks with friends and heaps of water and splash you as they pass by as well. I was so happy to participate in all three days of Songkran, this was easily my favorite holiday!
sunrise at main temple, Angkor Wat
Visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia at the end of the month of April was unforgettable. Angkor Wat, which translates as "Temple City" in Khmer, is the largest religious monument in the world. Tourists from all over the world gather in Siem Reap to see the incredible ruins, which are surrounded by an incredible ancient forest. The whole site was much larger than I had ever imagined and even though we spent about 4 hours going from temple to temple by tuk-tuk, we still only skimmed the surface of all there is to see.
Mr. Yin Yeng
One of the best parts of this trip was meeting Mr. Yin Yeng, who was our
tuk-tuk driver for a couple of days. A family friend insisted that we
track him down when we arrive to Siem Reap and I had imagined a wise old
man with a long gray beard so I was surprised to meet someone my own
age. Yin was also 22 and was such a kind, peaceful soul. Life in
Cambodia is hard. The days are incredibly dry and hot and the country
has experienced so much hardship and is so poor. Hearing about the lives
of people here, I was so struck by the bounds of privilege my life has
seen simply because I was born into an American body. Yin has had to face such adversity in his life as a Cambodian.
Still, even given the circumstances of their lives, people like Yin find
beauty everywhere and are living examples of how to live generously and
open-hearted.
the water in this reservoir is just as hot as the air!
Yin took us to the reservoir pictured above. Being the only foreigners there, it felt like a very Cambodian experience - which was a nice change of pace from touristy Siem Reap. Rows of hammocks were set up on posts stuck into the ground and families sprawled out, enjoying music and laughter and food. Children splashed and played in the water and I had fun joining them. We were so eager to get into the water and out of the heat, but really it was no cooler than the air!
The final few weeks in Chiang Mai flew by, as we all knew they would. Never have I felt so attached to a group of people - it was so hard to say goodbye. Aside from all the time spent begrudgingly finishing schoolwork and studying for our finals, we filled our last days going back to our favorite spots, soaking up the time we had left together and preparing for our next journey.
end of the year party for Thai language class
favorite spot in Chiang Mai, The Quarry or "Grand Canyon"
Also packed into the last days of our semester was a bit of recording with my good friend Jaerett, who filmed and edited my second Thai rap video of the year! Making this video was one of the most rewarding parts of my year, and I am so pleased to share it.
one of my favorite professors, Ajarn Keat!
Studying abroad in Chiang Mai for the school year was one of the best decisions I have made for myself. It is difficult to convey how much this experience has meant to me. Traveling in Asia put a lot into perspective - how fortunate I am, how huge and diverse this planet is, and how many different ways there are to interpret reality and to live. A year ago, I was getting ready to move to Thailand and felt pretty anxious about the prospect of spending a whole school year in an unfamiliar land. Now looking back in reflection, I am infinitely grateful I didn't let that fear stop me. Rising to the challenges that living and traveling abroad presented were largely what made the experience so rewarding. Beyond that, I feel I have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world and life than I did previously. Though my return to the U.S. has been peppered with bouts of reverse culture shock and questions of what is to come, I am proud to be back and have accomplished what I set out to do. I know now that the challenge is well worth the reward and we are all capable of much more than we may think. I have such a love for Thailand, especially Chiang Mai, and hope to be back someday soon.
Khob khun mak khaaaaaaa (thank you so much) - Suwana
Just a few pictures from my travels in Laos and Vietnam after my semester:
kuang xi waterfall - Luang Prabang, Laos
note piggies nursing in background!
beautiful girls in Hmong hill tribe, northern Laos
