When I decided to go on this study abroad program, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I knew that we were going to be in Thailand visiting temples and seeing elephants. After these past two weeks, I can confidently say it was one of the best experiences of my life. Mizzou Study Abroad has allowed me to learn so much and meet so many people. We spent the first week in Chiang Mai, where we visited temples, museums and my personal favorite, participated in a Thai cooking class. The sights and food all week were absolutely amazing and I started becoming close with all the other students on the program. When it was time to leave Chiang Mai I was sad, but ready for the next adventure… and it did not disappoint.

Visiting Elephant Nature Park was one of the coolest things I have ever done. I got to see, learn about and be up close to so many elephants. I learned so much about the history of elephants and what life still looks like for many of them. During the week, my group worked on tasks such as collecting rocks to build pillars, cutting grass for elephants to eat, cleaning their water tanks and so much more that we were all able to do together. We also had lots of time to hang out and grow as a group. Because of this program, I was able to become friends with people who I might never have met otherwise. This experience was life changing and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to share it with.

---

Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Global Service: Elephant Conservation in Northern Thailand