“You’re my best friend,” he says to me in a drunken slur on New Year’s Eve. “Really, you are.” I stand there, with the red brick stupa glowing gold in the night. What do I say? “Really? I don’t think so.” Never an easy thing to admit to someone whom you thought was one of your closestContinue reading “The truth about expat friends”
Category Archives: Thailand
‘Tis the Season … sort of
Twinkling lights adorning homes. Nativity scenes. Malls overloaded with garland, Santa and merriment. That’s how I recall the holiday season in America. Nothing short of sensory overload to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” But, the holidays in Chiang Mai? It’s an entirely different story. There’s no snow. There’s no Santa. And, there’s definitely not aContinue reading “‘Tis the Season … sort of”
The elephants of Instagram
//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js // <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]> I often get asked what my life is like as an expat in Thailand. But, more than anything else, I get asked what my experiences with elephants entail. So, what is it like? Well, for starters, I don’t spend every day with them. I’m notContinue reading “The elephants of Instagram”
Winter in Chiang Mai, Thailand: when the blood goes jungle
The morning market by my house changes in November. Once the days shrink and the night comes on early, the warm clothes come out. Racks and racks of used jackets, knit caps, scarves, pants and more replace the skirts and dresses which hang during the hot months in Chiang Mai. Technically, there are four seasonsContinue reading “Winter in Chiang Mai, Thailand: when the blood goes jungle”
2013: Life-changing moments as an expat
“Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes/Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear/ Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes/How do you measure, measure a year?” — RENT, Jonathan Larson How do you measure a year? This year, it was all about defining moments as an expat in Thailand. Moments that changed my life, momentsContinue reading “2013: Life-changing moments as an expat”
Love, life and loss … again
No one said being an expat is easy. No one said it is all unicorns and rainbows and glitter (damn). In fact, being an expat means missing out on the lives of those who are important to you and not expats. The friends who get married, who have kids, who celebrate happy and mourn loss. It’s aboutContinue reading “Love, life and loss … again”
Love and the airport
The two are cuddled next to each other. He strums on his guitar in the middle of Bangkok Airway’s lounge. Annoying considering I want silence so I can watch “Shameless” and his hectic playing penetrates my headphones blocking my ears from outside noise. But her? She looks at him with goo-goo eyes. Clearly, in love.Continue reading “Love and the airport”
Rain, rain, stay: a look at Chiang Mai’s rainy season
About Chiang Mai’s rainy season Let’s get one thing clear: you cannot smell the rain coming. The air is too thick, too humid, to smell anything other than the chilis or hunks of meat being cooked outside. But, you can feel it. Like, in the arthritic sense where your bones ache. And, often times, becauseContinue reading “Rain, rain, stay: a look at Chiang Mai’s rainy season”
Under the sea
I sit on the long tail boat, snorkel gear in hand, strapped into a grimy orange life vest. I turn the gear over in my hands, looking out onto the serene blue water and the jungle-covered mountains poking from its depths. Around me, other long tail boats have dropped anchor, too, and their passengers eagerlyContinue reading “Under the sea”
Tips on being an expat in Chiang Mai
One year ago today, after an epic road trip across America, I embarked on my latest chapter of my life — becoming an expat and living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js // This gorgeous and relaxing town in northern Thailand is a hot spot for digital nomads, largely because of the inexpensive lifestyle that canContinue reading “Tips on being an expat in Chiang Mai”
D Travels 'Round 