KHAO SOI ON YA BITCH
One of the best experiences I had this year was visiting Chiang Mai, Thailand. While this was a trip for my old job, I made sure to take full advantage of my almost ten days in this amazing city and country.
The pace of Chiang Mai is (obviously) so different than that of SF, and it was just so heartwarming to see and interact with so many genuinely kind people. I loved getting to eat my favorite Thai dishes, try some new ones, explore the city and meet people from all over.
My friend, Nick, who I’ve been friends with since we were eight, was in Thailand teaching English and then traveling. He synced up his travels to overlap with me in Chiang Mai. We hadn’t spent this much time together in the longest time, so it was fun to catch up and pick up right where we had left off. Even after all these years, it’s so funny that we still have similar interests to one another and could just stay up and talk for hours. One of my favorite memories from the week was merely just us sitting on my patio, having a few drinks, listening to Boogie T and exchanging stories. I got to spend a lot of time, also, with my old coworker, Shayli.
My favorite memories were probably visiting the Mae Rim Elephant Sanctuary and Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School. Anyone who knows me knows how special elephants are to me, so this day spent playing, feeding and swimming with them was super special. I loves getting to be up close and personal with these incredible creatures. They really do have such a special energy, and even with their vast size, they were almost like puppies.
It’s hard for me to put into words what the feeling was like, but just trust that it was truly magical. In a recent episode of the podcast, Right to the Source, LSDream (who is one of my most favorite artist right now – especially after Wakaan Fest) even said that going to Thailand and playing with elephants really helped change his life. I instantly felt what he was saying when I listened to the episode.
At the Asia Scenic farm, I learned about Thai agriculture and got to cook so many of my favorite dishes, like Khao Soi and Pad Thai. While it was only me and one other couple from Hong Kong, I enjoyed getting to spend one last day in the Thai countryside. The rain that day was pretty gnarly, but I loved getting to have this more first-hand culinary experience.
We got to see a bunch of temples, explore Baan Kang Wat and eat at some bomb hole-in-the-wall spots. I realized that there were so many hidden gems throughout Chiang Mai and that I had only scratched the surface in my time there.
Nick, also, finally got me to get on the back of a scooter after a night of way too many drinks. We even popped into a hostel bar crawl which resulted in me staying in my blacked-out, air conditioned hotel room the next day.
I also worked, but this was when I had given my two weeks, so I was pretty checked out, lol.
I’m so, so grateful to have been able to explore this beautiful city, interact with the elephants, immerse myself in local cuisine and spend time with Nick. I would more than gladly return to Chiang Mai and visit a bunch of other spots in Thailand, too. I look back on my photos here with a full heart and a huge smile.
