I reached the point of exhaustion after hiking Mount Fansipan that I was able to sleep on an airport bench in Hanoi for 7 hours. I woke up to an entire Chinese family sitting around me. Kids, parents, grandparents, the whole party. The kids were playing catch with a toy over my sleeping body. It took me a good minute to realize I wasn’t dreaming. Luckily, they woke me up just in time to get on my flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand. I’m getting way too used to these strange encounters.
Thailand was my top priority when planning which countries I want to see on this trip. I taught English in Thailand for a short time in 2022 and fell completely in love with this country. I’ve never experienced a culture immersed in as much kindness as Thai culture is. Not to mention Thailand is one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth.
Back when I was teaching in the Land of Smiles I took three weeks of Thai language classes in Bangkok and then I was plopped into the small town of Si Satchanalai, central Thailand, where the only English most people know is “hello” and “how are you”. I surprised myself when I got off the plane this time and was able to ask the bus driver to drop me off near my hostel, negotiate a price and thank him properly. It’s like my Thai was stored in a part of my brain that can only be unlocked when I’m on Thai soil.
Chiang Mai is a big(ish) city in northern Thailand. They call it the Bangkok of the north but I think Bangkok has a completely different vibe. There are a lot of tourists in Chiang Mai but it holds its Thai charm. It still has a moat that goes around the old city and the ruins are preserved. I spent some time catching up in my journal and eating my favorite Thai dishes. These little food stalls off the side of the road are where it's at. They're usually owned by Thai women that make the most delicious food you'll ever have. I also ate about three mangos a day, and I guess it's not even mango season yet.
I ended up spending five days in Chiang Mai and had the best intro back into Thailand all thanks to my friend Niall. I’ve ‘known’ Niall for two years but only met him in person at this time in Chiang Mai. Back when I was teaching in Si Satchanalai my school was looking to hire another English teacher from the US. They asked me to look at the applicant’s resumes and choose one that I would think is the best candidate. I knew it would be Niall, hands down. My school offered him a job at the same time I had to unexpectedly move back to Minnesota to take care of my sick mom. The school put me in touch with Niall as he was making the decision to move to Thailand. We FaceTimed while I was back home and talked about the pros and cons of teaching in small-town Thailand vs bigger cities, and discussed the commitment of spending a year overseas in general. At this point I couldn't imagine that I'd ever make it back to Thailand. Niall ended up deciding to take a teaching position at a private school in Chiang Mai. I sent him my teaching materials. I was devastated to give up my position and in some ways it felt like he was now living it for me. Niall ended up loving his job in Chiang Mai so much that he signed another contract for a second year.
Niall teaching english in Chiang Mai
We I kept in touch via Instagram over the past two years and it was full-circle to finally meet in person. It's so fun to share ridiculous teaching stories with someone who knows the chaos of Thai schools. Like that one time I had to unexpectedly sing and play my ukulele in front of the Minister of Thai education and when Niall had to dress up as Santa and hand out candy while being attacked by sugar-high kids.
Niall showed me his favorite spots, including Huai Tueng Thao Reservoir outside of the city (where I found the cutesttttt puppies on the side of the road). He helped me brush up on my Thai language skills and I got to meet some of his awesome friends. We also caught some live music, my favorite.
My favorite part of Chiang Mai is when I tried Muay Thai (Thai style boxing) at Niall’s gym. He had his first fight just the weekend before and won! I got a lesson from a professional fighter for a few hours. Muay Thai is known as the “Art of Eight Limbs” because it uses 8 potential points of contact in its strikes (2 fists, 2 feet, 2 knees and 2 elbows). I learned how to strike and some defensive moves. I understand why people love this sport, although it's more of a lifestyle in Thailand. It's like a respectful and controlled way to fight... I had so much fun.
My coach... yeah.
My time in Chiang Mai felt too short but I had to get moving in order to experience the rest of the country. Chiang Mai is actually a place I could see myself living, so be it. I met an international elementary school teacher/yoga teacher and that gave me some cool ideas. Who knows, maybe I’ll be back.
Niall and I said our see-you-laters. He’ll finish teaching in Chiang Mai this spring and move on to a different chapter. It meant a lot to me the past few years to know that someone was making the best of place I love so much while I couldn’t be there, and it meant even more to see it with my own eyes. He really made Thailand his home. Niall gave me his sacred Thai phrase book that I'll carry with me as I spend the next two months traveling through Thailand.
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