Nicest people you’ll ever meet

No one in my family had ever left the country (except me) when I planned my study abroad. I was constantly being warned to “be safe” and “beware of strangers.” Yet, I would soon come to find that the people of Southeast Asia are no doubt the kindest people in the world. I lost my phone and wallet on 3 separate occasions in Malaysia, Bali, and Thailand and it was returned to me every time with all of its contents. Thai hospitality was undeniable within our first week, when a group of us (strangers at the time) all went down to Hua Hin. We arrived early and had hours to wait for our Airbnb to open, so we settled in at a local restaurant with our bags in hand. The owner of the eatery was a short, older Thai woman, who spoke little English. At the end of our meal, she asked us where we were headed next. When we explained our situation, she simply replied, “oh well I have car, I will take you to beach!”

Although this went against every “stranger danger” warning from my family, we all agreed. She drove us all the way there and suggested where we could go later to find a taxi to our homestay. She refused to take money from any of us, but in our final moments with this woman I gave her a US dollar to show appreciation.

The kindness in this woman would be seen every day for the entirety of our time in Southeast Asia. Although these kind strangers came and went - my friends in CIS were always there, as we all experienced the same hospitality, adventures, and life lessons.

Going abroad changed my outlook on humanity as a whole, and I know I will return to Thailand again. The feeling you get from studying abroad - the fullness of life - is felt amongst all of the friends I made in CIS. Now that we are back in the United States, I have my CIS friends in all regions of the country. A place is only as good as the company you keep.