I have arrived! Korea, land of Kimchi, gigantic cities, beautiful mountains, and of course… Soju. A land rich in history, culture, and a plethora of various sights and sounds to see as far as the eye can see. Right after stepping off of the plane, I breathed in a heavy sigh of relief that my travels thus far have not been in vain. After months of stressful paperwork, multiple international shipping deliveries (those things are expensive!), visa runs, training in foreign countries, and living on the edge each day about whether or not this trip would actually come to pass; I have finally reached my final destination. I’d like to take a few minutes to thank the one person who has made this trip possible: Thomas the Train. Thomas, you taught me what it truly ... read more

Alas, my time in Chiang Mai has come to a bittersweet conclusion. My time here has been filled with delicious food, melodic music, entertaining venues, and amazing friends. I will miss this city more than I thought was possible upon my arrival and it may be the Gilby’s talking, but I will always love Chiang Mai, Thailand. The final week here began with a set of goodbyes. As my classmates departed one by one for various destinations far and wide, I was forced to throw up one final “C” to send off my fellow Changster’s. It was a sad yet expected step along my journey abroad. I will miss all of the new friends I have made in the TEOL course, yet I know that someday soon I will reunite with them in some foreign city ... read more

The weekend in Chiang Mai could not have been a more entertaining, adventurous, or relaxing weekend to cap off the long week of TESOL classes. I only wish all of my weekends could be so adventurous and memorable in Thailand. To start the weekend, we decided to effectively give our group a proper name. After all, we have been doing some serious business in Chiang Mai, so it is surely time to out a name to all this excitement and debauchery. Since we all frequently meet up on our 5th story balcony to slug back a few well-timed yet low-key Chang beers; them name “Changsters” seemed to be an appropriate title. Our 1st hip-hop album “Chillin on the B” should be out sometime next month. With our group named, classes done, and a plan set in ... read more

So I made it to Thailand in one piece. After a 31-hour flight in which I literally slept for five minutes, I felt as though I might have eaten a handful of mushrooms (not that I know what that’s like) once I departed the airport and made my way into Chiang Mai. I mean, isn’t Nyquil supposed to knock you out on a long flight? Aren’t 8 glasses of red wine supposed to knock you out like a sedative dart to a rhinos neck? These questions turned out a different answer than I was always taught, and led me to make my first questionable decision of many for this fine day. Clearly a language barrier led my cabbie to believe I was staying at the Chantana resort instead of the Sinthana resort. However, I was so ... read more

Oi, Sawadee, greetings and salutations all! Once again I find myself packing a suitcase that looks like it can fit a canoe into, and gathering up my few possessions for another adventure overseas. While last year I found myself galavanting throughout Europe causing a ruckus that can still be seen on some foreign news programs, this year I head for the far East.... and no I don't mean Cape Cod. I'm off to South Korea to teach english to children for one year. First though, I make a month long stop in Thailand to visit some friends and take a few TESL classes. I am optimistic that this year will provide similar stories that you are used to reading, stories of love, loss, sight-filled days, and booze filled nights (with the hangovers to boot!). In a ... read more