After a whirlwind few day’s in Bangkok and a day’s drive, we finally made it to our home for the next three months, Chiang Mai. Our accommodations for the first month were the International Center at Chiang Mai University (CMU).

The next day was a free day around Chiang Mai, where we learned quickly where to find the nearest restaurants, bars, & convenience stores. It wasn’t to hard to find these places because our dorm was right off Nimman road, which is a high traffic area near CMU. The best part of this trip was discovering the various places we could go, and because we had learned a little Thai before we went, we were able to converse with Song Thaew & Tuk Tuk drivers.

Our first experience at CMU was meeting with our “Thai buddies”, who would help show us around CMU & Chiang Mai. My buddy was Pep, he was a little intimidated as I was a good 1 & 1/2 feet taller than him. While meeting our buddies, we partook in a local dinner with lanna dancers and music. As customary, we received flower garlands to put around our necks to show respect for our newfound friends.

The day was completed when we visited the night market, it was a place to get whatever you desired, from DVD’s, t-shirts, bags, watches, & knick-knacks. As I would be living in Chiang Mai for the next three months, I decided against to forgo a souvenir purchase, but I did see Starbucks, so got my usual white chocolate mocha.