Why did you choose this program?
I chose this program for a lot of reasons! Thailand is a very queer-friendly country and my safety was an important consideration for me while studying abroad, and I had a really great experience in Thailand in this regard. I also wanted to go somewhere with delicious food and Thai food is incredible. While I wasn't taking any geology related courses while abroad, Thailand offers a lot of incredible geology, scenery, and travel opportunities. I enjoy bird watching and insect hunting as hobbies, and the biodiversity in Thailand is absolutely incredible and there's lots of opportunities to engage with it around Chiang Mai and beyond. USAC offers a very well planned and transparent study abroad program, and I appreciated the variety of information available before even applying.
What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Prior to leaving for Thailand, USAC had an easy to follow website that walked you through every step needed to get ready to study abroad. This included visa application, transcripts, housing, flights, budgeting, financial aid, and more. On site, the Chiang Mai USAC staff were phenomenal and helped organize everything we needed. They helped us with visa renewals, understanding what documents were needed for international and domestic travel, and anything else we had questions on. The only things that I had to organize myself were personal travel related.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
Keep an open mind and try everything! There is a wide variety of foods available in Thailand that you cannot get in other places, so take advantage of trying them while you're there. In particular, I really enjoyed trying all of the different tropical fruits. Some of the dishes may seem intimidating and different, but get a group of people together and try some of them! Boat noodles, a spicy noodle dish in pork blood soup, ended up being one of my favorite Thai dishes. I also found that I really like durian, don't let the powerful smell stop you from giving it a chance! I also took a variety of classes that I wouldn't normally take as part of my major, but I ended up enjoying them!
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
Most of the courses were scheduled once a week for three hours with the exception of language courses which were an hour and a half twice a week, so most week days I only had a few classes. Each morning I would grab breakfast at a local restaurant or bakery, walk to class (about 30 minutes away), and attend my courses. I would usually eat lunch on campus at one of the university canteens, there are tons of different food options for really affordable prices. After class, I would walk back to Green Nimman and grab a snack of fresh fruit from a fruit stall along the way. In the afternoons I would typically go to a cafe and work on homework or personal projects for a few hours. For dinner, usually a group of USAC students would get together and go out to eat at one of the local restaurants. There are tons of places to eat nearby and they are all so good! There is a park next to Green Nimman that I enjoyed visiting in the evening to bird watch and walk. I spent my weekends traveling around Thailand or exploring Chiang Mai.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
I was really nervous about meeting new people and making friends while abroad. USAC does a phenomenal job of planning activities and incorporating support right away to make it easier to get to know others and get settled in. The Thai buddies program was especially helpful. USAC has a bunch of Thai students who come along on the trips and experiences that were planned and allowed us to get more familiar with Thai culture and meet local students. Throughout the semester, they were an invaluable resource for getting to know Thailand, Chiang Mai, and the culture. Because all of the USAC students live in the same building and share the same classes, it was really easy to see other students daily and meet up for dinner, exploring, or planning travel. By the end of the semester our group had become really close.
What was the biggest challenge while living abroad?
For me, the biggest challenge of living in Chiang Mai in the spring was the air pollution. For much of the semester the PM2.5 was so high that it was difficult to spend time exercising or hiking outside. Most of the time, we had to wear masks while walking around. At the same time, it was around 100°F/38°C every day, so it was challenging to do outdoor activities for much of the time. Despite this, I was still able to visit a lot of really cool locations, do some gorgeous hikes, and get to know the area while taking proper precautions.
What are some of your favorite things to do near Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai is an amazing city, and that's coming from somebody who doesn't particularly like cities. There are lots of markets in town that are a lot of fun to visit. Chiang Mai has a long history, and there are many historic sites to visit around the city as well. Outside of Chiang Mai city, I really enjoyed visiting Doi Inthanon National Park, Ob Khan National Park, and the waterfalls in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. The wildlife is incredible and I got to see some incredible birds, butterflies, and beetles both in town and in in the nearby parks.
