I’ve got to say that traveling was always a dream of mine, and I’m so thankful I found the courage to make it come true for me. In the past 2 years, I have gone from being the girl who daydreams about traveling to faraway lands to being a “worldly” traveler. I’ve done things that I…
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After experiencing life as a solo backpacker for 2 months, I learned a lot about the lifestyle and about myself. It’s different from what I expected. Although I lived abroad through my study abroad program and taught English in Thailand, I had not experienced the true “backpacker” lifestyle. I soon discovered there is a big difference…
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Having the chance to not just have a vacation in another country, but actually live there and experience the lifestyle lets you have a deeper level of understanding with the little cultural quirks that make the country what it is. For me, Thailand came with quite the culture shock, and it took me a very…
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Throughout my time in Thailand and traveling in Southeast Asia, I experienced countless unforgettable experiences that would be difficult to express fully in writing. Out of all the experiences I had, I’d have to say one of the most unique and memorable was celebrating “Songkran” or “Phi Mai” – the Buddhist New Year. The Buddhist…
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It always happens, time flies by and next thing you know the thing you were waiting for and excited about is happening. And the next thing you know, that experience is over and somehow 6 months have passed. I knew it from the beginning. I made sure to appreciate each day and live for the…
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Native English speaker… check, College graduate… check, TESOL certificate course in Chiang Mai (learn to be a teacher for 3 weeks before arriving at your school)… check – okay, looks like I’m ready to go! Sounds simple enough right? Teach English in Thailand and get paid, free travel, easy life? Well it’s not exactly as…
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I’ve now officially been living in Thailand for three months. People back home often ask questions like “What’s it like there?” and my first response is “It’s very different”. Then I get a question like “What’s different there?” Now that’s a difficult question for me to answer, as that would entail just about everything. Transportation, food, culture,…
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Some days my life still doesn’t feel real. I lived abroad before, but this has been a completely new experience for me. First a week in Bangkok, then a month in Chiang Mai, now I’m living in a local city Kamphaeng Phet. Every day is something new, every day still I find myself amazed. Still,…
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It’s Thursday September 22nd around 7pm – all my bags are packed and in the car. It’s all I’ve been thinking about and preparing for all summer, and the day has finally arrived. My parents and my best friend take me to the airport – I arrive at JFK around 10:30pm to wait for a…
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I knew going to Costa Rica would be a big change for me, but I couldn’t have predicted just how much it would change me. It was a new experience adapting to a new culture, but for me it seemed to be a positive adjustment as I easily connected with their values. Ultimately, I was…
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