A little over a month ago, I made a huge life change.
I was a nervous, excited wreck; but I have made the journey and am currently residing in Bangkok, Thailand for the next 6 to 7 months for a semester abroad.
When I first had the idea to study abroad, my mind was filled with fantasies of living somewhere in Europe; something familiar, yet different from my mild Midwest way of living. Looking more into this option, however, I was awoken with the reality of spending a bit more, limited options of study, and following the footsteps of many students before me that spend semesters abroad in a European country. Then the option of Thailand came into play. This option was definitely more exciting, no other student from my small university in Missouri had gone to Thailand before me, and the added incentive of a hefty grant being offered for studying here. Not to mention the fact that one of my brother's good friends (or my brother from another mother) lives in Bangkok and is fluent in the language.After doing more research of how this was really going to come to being a reality financially and academically, Thailand seemed like the most adventurous (and frugal) route to spend a semester. Somehow I talked my parents into it, and it was time to start planning. I had visions of learning the language, and everything about Thailand and Thai culture. Being the avid procrastinator that I am, though, put me a bit behind my planning. I ended up moving to this completely foreign land with little to no knowledge of what I was really getting myself into. I was so sure of Justin (the brother-like figure) being able to lend a helping hand that I took no personal responsibility to research anything besides looking at images on Google and Google Earth.
I couldn't have been more right about Justin and his massive amounts of help to not only myself, but also my friend and traveling partner, McKinsey. Without him, we would have been absolutely screwed for the first few weeks. He set us up with bus passes, pretty much acted as a walking and talking translator, and even introduced us to our first friends in Bangkok. I will always be grateful that he took us under his wing.
Hopefully I will be able to capture the essence of my time spent studying abroad here in Bangkok through photos and some longer "dear diary" type posts such as this one. So much has happened already, everyday seems like it's own mini adventure.
I was a nervous, excited wreck; but I have made the journey and am currently residing in Bangkok, Thailand for the next 6 to 7 months for a semester abroad.
When I first had the idea to study abroad, my mind was filled with fantasies of living somewhere in Europe; something familiar, yet different from my mild Midwest way of living. Looking more into this option, however, I was awoken with the reality of spending a bit more, limited options of study, and following the footsteps of many students before me that spend semesters abroad in a European country. Then the option of Thailand came into play. This option was definitely more exciting, no other student from my small university in Missouri had gone to Thailand before me, and the added incentive of a hefty grant being offered for studying here. Not to mention the fact that one of my brother's good friends (or my brother from another mother) lives in Bangkok and is fluent in the language.After doing more research of how this was really going to come to being a reality financially and academically, Thailand seemed like the most adventurous (and frugal) route to spend a semester. Somehow I talked my parents into it, and it was time to start planning. I had visions of learning the language, and everything about Thailand and Thai culture. Being the avid procrastinator that I am, though, put me a bit behind my planning. I ended up moving to this completely foreign land with little to no knowledge of what I was really getting myself into. I was so sure of Justin (the brother-like figure) being able to lend a helping hand that I took no personal responsibility to research anything besides looking at images on Google and Google Earth.
I couldn't have been more right about Justin and his massive amounts of help to not only myself, but also my friend and traveling partner, McKinsey. Without him, we would have been absolutely screwed for the first few weeks. He set us up with bus passes, pretty much acted as a walking and talking translator, and even introduced us to our first friends in Bangkok. I will always be grateful that he took us under his wing.
Hopefully I will be able to capture the essence of my time spent studying abroad here in Bangkok through photos and some longer "dear diary" type posts such as this one. So much has happened already, everyday seems like it's own mini adventure.
WOO! First comment. Can't wait to read your blog. Not that I don't know what you are already doing anyways or anything. BUT STILL. I'm excited to get into your 'fantastical mind'. =^.^=
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