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…
To My #1 Valentine
I wrote this awhile ago, but with Valentine’s Day, it’s always a good reminder of how important this relationship is. Annie+Annie=4eva This post is partially inspired by this TED Talk by Tracy McMillan: I’ve heard the saying that you should date yourself before you can date other people. And I guess I’ve taken that into…
English, Not America
Well I’m an expat now, so I must hate America, right? Let’s do a little sixth grade science experiment. Question: Is America the biggest cultural and economic superpower in the world? Hypothesis: America is the center of the world. Observations to support the hypothesis: Thai people know a lot of American pop music There are a lot…
Pay Attention
I have a shocking piece of information: no one in their 20’s has anything remotely figured out. After many mental breakdowns and reevaluations of my life and career choices, I realized that writing is the only thing I have ever known that I was good at. And I know that someday I want my sole income to…
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…
Enough is Enough
At this point, I am no longer a tourist. Yet I am very, very far from being a local. A lot of people I have met so far have moved on from Chiang Mai to other destinations. As I am trying on this new hat of being a “learned extrovert,” it’s still a constant struggle…
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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