Thailand Wrap-up

First some photos, then some closing words from our students! Most photos were also taken by the students!!

As my first trip outside of the U.S. (Bc Canada doesn’t count), Thailand will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Before this trip, I never thought that I would zip line. In fact, for most of the trip, up until when we arrived at the zip lining facility, I was contemplating on whether or not I was willing to take the risk, whether I was brave enough to jump off from a high altitude and be suspended on a cable in the air. However, knowing that it would be a while until I got to experience zip-lining in a foreign country quickly took my feeling of fear away. Looking back, I am glad that I had the opportunity to try a fun-packed activity that was challenging, adrenaline-pumping, and confidence building all at the same time! 

One of the most memorable things about Thailand that I dearly missed once I got back home was its tasty cuisine. This made participating in a cooking class on the last day even more exciting and rewarding. After a trip to the local market and the garden, where herbs and fresh spices were grown, we later spent the latter half of the morning, preparing an array of mouthwatering dishes from Khaw Soi ( a soup-like fish) to spring rolls and Pad Thai (a stir-fry rice noodle dish). 

Overall, my experience in Thailand was amazing. For me, it opened my eyes to a whole new world, completely different from Virginia, and I was in complete awe of the place. With confidence, I can say that I would definitely go back to Thailand.

-Cristal
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I really enjoyed the night safari and zipping. And I also liked seeing the giraffes up close when we first got to the night safari place. I was sad to have missed the silk studio because I was sick but I really enjoyed the cooking class on the last day! The flights back were veryyyyy long but I had an amazing time on the trip! - Bridget

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Looking back on my experience in Thailand, I can honestly say it was indescribable. Having never been to Asia before I had no clue what to expect, but I finished the trip loving the culture of Thailand and its people. The food, the architecture, the people, everything was absolutely amazing. Every place we went, every experience we had are things I will never forget. One of my favorite and final memories of the trip was our last walk back to our hotel from the night market, it started as a peaceful walk until it started to pour. We got back to the hotel absolutely soaked, but happy none the less. Our cooking class was super fun as well, not to pat myself on the back but my pad thai was pretty bomb. All in all, it was such an amazing trip and I would recommend Thailand to anyone who is looking for a new experience.-Georgia

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I really appreciated spending time and growing close with everyone on the trip and bonding together from our experiences on the trip. I really had fun at the night market buying souvenirs.
I had so much fun on the zip lines, hanging upside down flying across the river below! Wish I could do it again!
-Graham

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I had a great time finding gifts for my family at the night market. The next day, we went zip lining. I wasn't necessarily afraid, but I do get anxious around hights. Even though I wasn't brave enough to go upside down, I liked seeing the forest and waterfalls down below. The day of our flight, we squeezed in a Thai cooking class. I loved making and eating the pad thai, khao soi, and fried bananas from scratch. This Thailand trip had its highs and lows, but I will never forget my time in this wonderful country.

-Zak Zeledon

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Chiang Mai was so much fun! From the cooking class, to the ziplining, temple visiting and everything in between it was fantastic. I had a great time in Thailand overall!

-Julia

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I really enjoyed the night safari. It was crazy to see zebras walking right next to our trolley, and we were also able to feed some of them! I also really enjoyed zip lining because the view was breathtaking. -- Rachel S

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Ziplining upside down was incredible and the cooking class we went to on the last morning was super cool. I’m definitely going to use the cooking book to make Thai food for my family and I now. Overall the trip was awesome and I have some great memories from it like buying a ton of fake bags and sunglasses at night market with everyone.-Carroll