Bangkok ——-> Chiang Mai

Hello everybody,

Obviously, I didn’t post yesterday! It was pretty much out and about until 2:30 in the morning. Yes, you heard me at 2:30… which is very crazy for me.

I started my day in Bangkok by the pool. My flight was scheduled for 12:45, so I didn’t want to do anything crazy.

After a triple-check of my room, I was on my way.

I was definitely a little anxious about getting there with more than enough time (me anxious about time? That’s never been a problem before, right??) Don’t get me wrong, I had more than enough once I got to the airport, but I was a bit scattered and hadn’t eaten. I ended up finding Barbecue Chicken buns, which were actually reasonably good.

The flight to Chiang Mai was only 1 hour and 15 minutes long, so I was there in no time. I then went to check into my first hostel—- called the Islander if anyone is curious (shout out to Emily Mckinley for the rec).

I didn’t really have a plan after that, so I started on foot from my hostel. I found a beautiful park where I intended to sit on a bench in peace for a while. However, I was dying again after walking even .6 miles in the humidity. I needed to find some damn A.C.

I happened upon a nail salon where I got the BEST and cheapest pedicure of my life. Highly recommend.

I shortly returned to the hostel. I would face my fears and attend the group activity that evening… games, and then a pub crawl.

I ended up meeting a lot of cool people! So many people here are British and traveling for their “holiday,” as they would call it. On the bar crawl, we had people from the U.K., U.S. (I’m the only one here), New Zealand, Israel, France, Thailand, and the Netherlands.

Guys… I have already done something WAY out of my comfort zone. The second bar was a Karaoke bar. Most of my companions immediately put their names on the list upon arrival. I awkwardly looked around like, “Don’t pass the board to me.” I would not be caught dead doing Karaoke if I wasn’t around my friends, and even then, it’s a stretch. Tom, from the UK, kept peer pressuring me to sing with him. After shoving the second microphone in my face, I conceded and sang loudly. What the heck… well I mean, I guess it was kinda fun :).

After the second bar, Sam and I (another guy from the UK decided to call in a night.

I ended up having all British people in my dorm, which was so fun. We talked about our respective countries and giggled a lot!

I’ve learned that SO many people have been traveling for months and months on end. They didn’t buy a return ticket and are just out here living life. It seems incredible until you realize you need money and basically never spend a night alone.

Anyway, I’m on my way to an elephant sanctuary right now (it’s an ethical one booked through the hostel). So I’m gonna get off my phone so I don’t get car sick.

Your social girly,

Mahala