Bye Bye Miss American Pie.... 1 year today

Chiang Mai, Thailand

One year ago from today I left Cleveland International Airport and headed east. Little did I  know I was about to embark on the wild roller coaster ride known as  Asia;  and what a wild ride it has been. Here, in a nut shell, is  a look back on my first year abroad.





I landed in Bangkok on July 22nd 2009. After two days of adjusting to the jet lag I took a small plane to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is the largest city in Northern Thailand.  It was there I completed the TESOL  (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.) certificate with the American TESOL  Institute.

Somewhere in Northern Thailand

It was also the place where I would meet some great people who I would end up sharing more memories with in South Korea.

During my month in Thailand I had my first taste of teaching ESL inside a classroom. I also experienced many other firsts such as Thai boxing, Tuk Tuk rides, what spicy food REALLY tastes like,  what a jelly fish sting feels like, and why you shouldn't buy a custom made suit in Bangkok.









Overall my Thailand experienced could not have been  any better. Also, during my month in Thailand I  was able to travel to the border town of Mae Sot in the Country of Myanmar.(aka Burma).

At the border of Thailand and Burma

A Tuk Tuk; A common form of transportation in Thailand

After the month in Thailand, with my friends from the ATI, program many of us went our separate ways. Most of us went to Korea, others to countries like China and Vietnam, and a few stayed behind.

Above: The some member of the ATI program summer 2009
Below: Teaching some kids in Chaing Mai, Thailand

As with the beginning of my Thailand journey I had no idea what to expect  before heading to Korea.  Looking back I realize that even the ATI  program could not prepare me for what was in store.

Part 2 Stranger in a Strange Land: 
Welcome to Korea