This week had a little bit of everything: my first day of school, my first Rotary meeting, and a few sick days. I’m quickly settling into life here, and making lots of memories.

Sunday

I went to lunch with Marie, Brian, and our host families at a restaurant built right in the rice fields of Phrae. The views were beautiful, with green fields surrounding our table. While we waited for food, the younger boys from the third host family played in one of the irrigation canals that ran through the fields. After lunch, we visited Wat Phra That Cho Hae, a Buddhist temple at the top of a very steep hill. The temple was decorated in these beautiful lanterns.

Monday

Today was my first day of school! I woke up at 6 am, so that I had time to get everything ready for my 7:30 departure. One thing that feels different from home is that people here shower twice a day. My hair is still adjusting, but I actually love the feeling of a refreshing cold shower in the morning and a second one at night to wash off the Thai heat. For my first day, I introduced myself in Thai to all of my teachers, along with Brian and Marie’s. I’ve gotten very confident with my Thai introduction, as I’ve had lots of practice. All of the students and teachers that I met were incredibly inviting and kind. I definitely felt like a celebrity, as everyone was pointing, saying hi, and following me on instagram ( I’ve gained 100 followers in a day).

I’m very grateful and excited to have so many private classes to fully learn Thai! I also can’t believe I get to take arts and crafts as a class!! Definitely up my alley 😉 The only class I’m scared about is science because I have to take physics again 😭. Hopefully I remember what I learned junior year, so that it’s easier the second time. 

Monday evening, I attended my first Rotary club meeting. I gave a presentation about myself, my family, and my home in Thai. Everyone was surprised, so I’m very happy that I committed to tutoring this summer. Everyone loved my slide about all of our animals. I miss Zoey so much 😿. It was also really special meeting the people who are sponsoring my exchange. Fun fact: most of my host club members are women, so I basically gained a whole group of aunties 🥰. I also got to give them the banner from my club back home, which is a tradition to represent the friendship between the two clubs.

Tuesday-Thursday

Unfortunately, I got food poisoning this week. I didn’t get to go to school the rest of the week. Luckily, I went to the doctor for antibiotics, napped a lot, and have been chugging electrolytes. I practically lived off of grilled cheeses and Gatorade from 7/11 😆. I finally felt better on Friday! 

Friday + Saturday

On Friday, my host family and I drove six hours to Bangkok, since my host sister was leaving for her exchange in Taiwan the next morning. The drive itself was beautiful, with mountains and rice fields making most of the landscape. After dropping her at the airport, we visited Wat Arun, one of the most well-known Buddhist temples in the world. Before going inside, we stopped at a Thai costume rental shop, where I got my hair and makeup done and wore traditional jewelry and a Thai dress for photos. The temple was stunning, and it felt really special to experience it dressed like a local. Afterwards, we made the long eight-hour drive back home, stopping along the way at another temple, Wat Tha Sung.

This week was a reminder that life abroad comes with both challenges and rewards. From giving my first speech in Thai to spending a few days sick, it showed me that everything is just part of the adventure.

Stay tuned for week three’s adventures,

Emma Kate