Same, Same. But Different!

I have always been excited to travel abroad and choosing Chiangmai, Thailand as my destination was the best choice I could have made. I was instantly thrown into a culture I was very unfamiliar with, yet was welcomed with kindness and many smiles. TEAN offered a village homestay the first week we arrived, and this instant immersion into Thai culture formed the groundwork for the values we developed throughout this experience. As an art history major, I was in awe with the many beautiful temples I was able to visit and the local handmade artifacts I saw. Monk chats at these temples allowed me to further understand this Buddhist country. TEAN offered courses that allowed us to connect what we learned in class to the culture we were living in. I took a Contemporary Art course that allowed us to visit workshops, factories and museums. A Buddhist class I was enrolled in took a trip to a Buddhist temple for a meditation retreat. I loved the smell of food cooking on the sides of streets, the sound of motorcycles passing by and the sight of monks in their orange robes walking by. Thailand is a truly mesmerizing place that I was able to call home and TEAN allowed me to experience all that I could in these few months.