Part 3 of 3 White privilege. It’s a term I didn’t even know existed until about 3 years ago. But once I heard it, I knew I had it, and plenty of it. Moving to a different country made me a minority and I got stared at almost every day. The discomfort of this used…
Category: Travel
Where I’ve Been
Part 1 of 3 I often think about an Arthur episode I saw when I was younger. For those unfamiliar with the iconic aardvark, there’s an episode where he is on summer vacation and wakes up so excited for the day to begin. He starts listing all these adventures he wants to have until his…
What I’ve Learned Driving a Motorbike
You know that little voice in your head when you’re at the bar that tells you not to drink that shot of Fireball and then you do it anyway? Well I’ve heard that voice a lot lately, except instead of warning against throwing cinnamon flavored gasoline down my throat, it’s been telling me to write….
Things I Don’t Miss About Home
Alright, let’s get everything out on the table. I don’t hate America. It’s the country that raised me and gave me every single opportunity to grow and raise my voice and see the world from all angles. The 4th of July is far and away my favorite holiday, ask anyone. That being said, I did…
Humble Travels
Living in another country turns you into a very specific kind of asshole. Now that I know more about Thai culture and the city of Chiang Mai, I find myself feeling entitled. I see tourists on vacation and feel bitter towards them because they don’t know the “real” Thailand. The past few weeks I was privileged…
Committing Myself
When you date someone for 3 months, it’s time to have “the talk.” What are we? Where is this going? Are we exclusive? Chiang Mai and I have been on and off for almost 3 months now and it was time to have that talk. I’ve been back and forth on my feelings for this…
Cat In The Wall, Eh…?
I never could have predicted how quickly I would just accept the bizarre things that happen to me every day. I don’t think twice about an entire family traveling on a motorbike together or a monk stopping at a 7-11. I see stray dogs crossing the street and laying down under trucks to escape the…
The Checklist
“Traveling” is a very misappropriated name for the thing that I love to do. I hate the actual traveling component of it. I hate going through airport security and waiting for buses and figuring out the train system of a different country. I am not a patient person in any of those respects. This past…
You Know Nothing, Jon Snow
In 2001, the classic mother/daughter duo Lorelai and Rory Gilmore took a road trip to Harvard. Staring before the enormous Harvard library with millions of volumes, Rory stood gaping at the monstrosity and screamed, “I’m stupid!” If there’s one moment that could encapsulate my experience in Thailand so far, that would be it. I thought I…
Before I’m Ready
“Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that–that’s what life is. You might be really good. You might find out something about yourself that’s really special and if you’re not good,…
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