From late July to early August this year, I studied abroad for two weeks in Chaing Mai, Thailand. The first week of the program consisted of temple hopping, trying all kinds of new foods, and learning about Thai culture. There are so many beautiful temples in Thailand, my favorite being Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, a big golden temple with lots of things to do. Several monks were giving blessings and I even got my fortune read.

One of our last days in Chiang Mai was our cooking school day. We cooked seven dishes in total throughout the day. One thing I noticed and loved about Thailand is how much they know about the flavors of food. All of the dishes that I tried were amazing and had so many different flavors to them. My favorite dish was kao soi, a curry dish with noodles, chicken, and plenty of spices. It is a Chiang Mai staple.

The second half of the program involved taking care of elephants. They were such gentle giants, and it was so cool to be right next to them. The experience at Elephant Nature Park was unbelievable. Not only was I growing closer with my group, but I was also making friends with the rest of the group that was there. It was hard work some days, but the people around me and the cause of our hard work made everything so worth it. We would get massages together, work together during the day and we would all play card games at night!

This was an experience that I never thought I would be able to have, and it has changed my life for the better. I have so many new best friends and worked for a great cause. Everyone should consider this program!

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