city life

i've spent the last several days of my trek just wandering about Chiang Mai just trying to understand what city life in thailand is like. thailand is, of course, well known for its beautiful white sand beaches and the bustling metropolis of Bangkok...but what is there in between? the population of Chiang Mai numbers slightly over 250,000, but its unfamiliarity makes it feel like there could be well over 2 million. there is constant motion in the streets - from motorbikes, to mobile food carts, to the scurrying rats - but i'm never quite sure where people are going. in chiang mai there's no rush hour. there are very few huge corporations, office parks, business plazas or the like to which employees commute from a suburb. the Chiang Mai structure of commerce is very different. it seems like the majority of people are entrepreneurs of small operations, such as massage parlors, restaurants, and mobile carts and sell any number of clothing, gadgets, fruit, jewelry, etc. the tourism and hospitality industries here also seems to provide a large number of employment opportunities. then there are a smaller amount who work as associates in the more established malls, shops, and plazas scattered about. but the typical office-oriented business person we are most familiar with in the states is a nearly non-existent being.

so yea, lots of traffic to/from who knows where. it's wet everywhere and always. not a day goes by that i don't come back to my room without damp feet and pant legs. but everything is extremely green as a result. it's definitely a city of contrasts - temples of glistening gold among piles of rat-infested garbage; the fast pace of traffic versus the generally relaxed mood of the people; monks crossing the streets with prostitutes. but what is consistent is generous nature of all who i have encountered. i've not once been harassed or scolded or shunned, even when i've committed the most significant cultural faux pas (walking into a temple with shorts on, crossing through oncoming traffic, etc.). unintentional offenses are never serious enough for anger. people are human. we are bigger than our actions. even the streets expose ripe teachings.

photos from around the city

jungle fever

i haven't figured out a very efficient way to upload all of the photos i've captured so far, so in the mean time i've provided just a sampling of what i've covered over the past couple of days. the highlight was the 2-day group hike through the jungle northwest of chiang mai. on the "trek" we visited a fairly remote karen (one of the several native tribal groups) village, rode elephants along the ping river banks, and capped it off with a bamboo rafting excursion. this album is just a taste of some of the sights: mae sot trek

day 1

after nearly 26 travel hours, i finally arrived in chiang mai around midnight last night. prior to my departure i spent several days in nashville, connecticut, and new york visiting with friends and loved ones from various phases of my life. the process of saying goodbye is never easy, but this one took me by surprise. i suppose that entrenched in this particular series of goodbyes was also a hope that i was also saying goodbye to an old me. i deliberately have no expectations or wishes for this voyage with the exception that i become a stronger, more aware, more conscious, more thoughtful, more tuned person than i was when i left.

i have a poor habit of second guessing my decisions, and this experience has been no different. we're facing an international economic recession...is this really the time for me to quit my job, relocate around the globe with no promise of a job or even permanent housing? is this really fair to my dog? i've had millions of these insecure thoughts over the past few days, but for every one of these thoughts i am presented with a counter-presence that assures me i've made the right decision. on the flight from hong kong to bangkok yesterday i sat next to a chatty austrian guy who stays in bangkok. we talked about everything from the thai/burmese conflict to the chappelle show, unpretentious and candid. in the midst of my apprehension, he assured me that everything before me was sure to be "magical," a word which suddenly gave me strength and replaced any lingering fears with a sense of joyful anticipation. he was reassuring and supplied me with exactly what i needed to step off the plane with confidence.

i arrived in chiang mai slightly after 10pm, grabbed a taxi to a guest house, and roamed the streets for about an hour trying to take in my first impressions of the city. it was pitch black and raining, and muted. it was a strange feeling not being within reach of someone who knew me, understood me, or would have any interest in talking to me. i wasn't lonely, though. i was inspired by the opportunity that surrounded me. to learn that language, the city layout, the customs...

this morning i woke up and when i hopped in the shower there was a small tropical gecko on the bathroom window. i came to terms with the fact that he might be my only friend in this town for a little while until i'm able to gain my bearings to start exploring and connecting. but i'm in no hurry.

today i've just been strolling around the old city trying to understand the street setup so that i may one day be able to ride my bike through the streets. doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon. the roads are jammed with every kind of vehicle imaginable, the painted lane markings wore off years ago, and the few street signals that exist are mere suggestions. everyone is polite, but strikingly aloof given the size and busy nature of the city. i had a type of noodle curry for breakfast and couldn't have been happier with this realization that my favorite dishes no longer have to be confined to supper time.

i'm off to resume my stroll through the city and hopefully get some good pictures. love.

hello and farewell

In December of last year I found myself in an awkward place - I was living in Boulder, CO and was happy. But I was overrating my happiness at the expense of not growing nor being personally challenged. The last time I had this feeling was in 2006 when I decided to leave Nashville and relocate to Boulder. So naturally I began wondering if it might be time for me to pick up and move again. Though I have no regrets about my move to Boulder, the decision was definitely one made in haste and flight. It was a good model at the time and I learned a great deal from that approach, but I decided that this time around I wanted to be slightly more methodical and deliberate about my next move.

For the next four months I dedicated countless hours to identifying my next adventure. I developed a list of criteria several pages long that my new destination must meet, which included...natrual beauty, the opportunity to work in a health setting with an underserved population, low cost of living, healthy job market, and the availability of potatoes. When my vetting and research was all said and done, I had narrowed my options down to two locations: Thailand and Idaho.

In one week from today I'll be turning over a fresh leaf and starting a new life in Chiang Mai, Thailand. My tentative plan is to teach English to grade school children for several months while looking for a job in a health clinic near the Burmese border. I have a one-way ticket, but I anticipate being there anywhere between 10 months and the rest of my life. I'm leaving all my belongings behind, with the exception of what I'm able to carry on my back. I'll miss my friends, my family, my routine, my bicycle, Fergi, comfort, burritos, and my life as I know it...but it's time. And I couldn't be more thrilled nor thankful.


(And yes, I have already submitted my absentee ballot.)