hollyfleischmann-blog

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Thai dying with traditional indigo dye in art class

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aussie aussie aussie, oi oi oi

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Lifestyles

Back home many consider me a very lazy person, not in a negative context, but that I’m okay with not doing much and just relaxing for days on end. I walk slowly, I’m not a fan of loud and busy areas, and there have been days where I only leave my bed to eat. Sometimes I feel guilty when I’m in the states because I’m not being “productive”, but here in Chiang Mai I feel completely comfortable with I spend my time. The Thai lifestyle has taught me that I’m not lazy, I just like to live my everyday life differently than the majority of Americans. People often ask me “what have you done, what is your favorite thing to do” and honestly I love doing nothing. I spend a lot of time relaxing, sitting in cafes or just lying around, but that’s how the Thai people live as well so I don’t feel on the outside as much. Even a weekend trip to Pai, we hung around the pool, tubed down a river and just spent our time sitting around talking, or not talking, but enjoying our time. This is an odd concept for a lot of travelers because they feel like they should always be doing something cool and interesting. Pai was a perfect place to watch as those travelers fully understood the idea of doing nothing. 

An old friend from home came to visit and this lifestyle difference really hit me. It was hard at first because I was trying to think of things to do with her, trying to fill the days with as much as possible, but I finally realized that to show her the true Chiang Mai that I know and love, I would have to explain to her and show her the Thai way of life. Even when you go to do activities, such as waterfalls or visiting the lake, once you get there you sit around and hang out, you’re not always doing something, instead the environment is more of a take it in and truly experience it. When we went to the lake we spent hours watching the locals Thai kids play around in the water or commenting on the cultural differences. Living in Thailand and just traveling is quite different but I wanted to try to show her a little bit of why I love it here. My preferred lifestyle and routine fits here. I still go to class, find new places to eat, and travel, but it is just as rewarding to not do anything and spend time relaxing. 

Slowing down and taking your time to live your life doesn’t make you lazy. Binge watch that Netflix show, sleep in as late as you want and don’t regret any of it because everyone lives differently. Don’t let others intimidate you with all of their activities, jobs, and time fillers, do as much or as little as you want to. I’m glad I chose a country I was not familiar with to study abroad because I’ve learned so much about myself and what makes me happy. One saying my program loves to emphasize that fits perfectly with this situation: “It’s not wrong, it’s just different”.

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Penang and KL

A few weeks ago my friends and I travelled outside of Thailand for the first time. We went to Penang, an island near Kuala Lumpur, and then to KL. Penang was beautiful, I highly recommend visiting if you’re ever in the area. The island of Penang includes Georgetown and its creative street art along with a national park that’ll knock your socks off. We initially set off to the national park for a day hike and swim in the ocean, but one of the locals at the beach convinced us to stay the night for the amazing sunset and bioluminescence. Around midnight we went out into the water and swam around in the sparkling waters. I have never seen bioluminescence before so this was spectacular for me! Our time spent in KL consisted of mostly eating, with a little bit of tourist attractions such as the National Mosque and the Islamic Art Museum. We made some friends along the way and had a blast exploring Malaysia, can’t wait to go back. 

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Field Trippin’

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Welcome to the jungle

This weekend was a giant mix of weird and the unexpected! I ventured to Khao Sok National Park with my friends Sophie and Catherine. Let me just start off by saying this place is my new favorite part of the Earth!! I loved every minute I spent in this beautiful jungle and I will definitely be back. Getting to our Airbnb was a bit stressful as the directions were vague, the host’s cell phone didn’t work, it was pitch black and the driveway ended up being a dirt road beside a house that was not marked at all. But this Airbnb was the coolest place ever! If you ever visit Khao Sok please stay here its called Gaarawe Eco-Village - Baan Katiap. Lele, an older Italian man, lives in this beautiful area of the jungle, where he has built this amazing sustainable farm using permaculture and other techniques to grow every kind of fruit and vegetable you could dream of. He took us around his land teaching us about how he grows things and giving us all different kinds of things to eat. He let us help him in harvesting food for our breakfasts and dinners that he would cook us which were phenomenal! He even set up the living areas in such a great way that I could spend all day just lounging in one of the hammocks. 

Friday we were told that there was this Big Tree in a nearby national park, Klong Phanom, so we hitch hiked our way over (yes hitch hiked, that was the only way to really get around and before you go worrying, everyone in the area was so friendly and on multiple occasions would help us find our way even if they couldn’t take us there). The info lady told us it would be about a 2 hour hike and even Lele told us it was more of a walk, but man were they wrong. The hike to the big tree was treacherous and grueling, but we finally made it to the Big Tree. From here things went a bit sideways...We ended up following a sign that said Way Back but then lost the trail and picked up another trail that seemed to be the right way but was really not at all. We ventured deep into the jungle eventually realizing we were lost and needed to find a way back to the main highway. We found a dirt road that connected to the highway, adding another 1.5 hours to our hike, and along the way we tried to get a nice man on a motor bike to drive us but it did not work out. After making it back to civilization and getting a solid lunch in from a lady on the side of the road, we decided to chill at the Airbnb for a bit and grab a few drinks in town. That night Lele made us an amazing meal with all the things we had picked from that day and we went to bed happy and tired from the day’s adventure.

Saturday was by far the most awe-filled day I’ve had while in Thailand. We told Lele we wanted to ride on a boat through Cheow Lan Lake and he made it happen. He had a friend who took us out on our own private boat with a guide, including lunch, for a few hours. This lake was like looking through Pinterest! It was magnificent, the water was a clear green-blue, the mountains jutted out of the water like glaciers and were covered in a forest of trees, bushes, vines, and flowers. Riding in our own private boat had the major advantage in that we could go anywhere in the lake and our guide new exactly what the best spots were. That night Lele made us grilled fish and salad while his neighbor, Mr Tee, joined us in a few beers and helped us practice the little Thai we know. Mr. Tee is so nice, he has a pet elephant, Saboon, whom he adopted and saved from the terrible elephant industry. We unfortunately did not get to play with Saboon as we did not have the time, but Mr. Tee took us to a nearby temple party where we danced and ate cotton candy!

If you ever go anywhere near southern Thailand please go visit Lele at Gaarawe. Enjoy his amazing lifestyle and his connections with the locals in getting the best experiences!! Now back to classes for a couple of days before my program takes us on an “academic” excursion to the Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai. 

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Exploring my new home

A common mind set while studying abroad or living abroad in any given place is that you begin to thirst for adventure outside of your new home. I realized this was beginning to happen to me last week as I started to plan all of my future weekend and summer trips outside of Chiang Mai. I got so enthusiastic about exploring everywhere in SE Asia that I had to stop myself and think about exploring more of Chiang Mai, I decided to take this weekend to delve deeper into local Chiang Mai and I am so happy I did so. Friday night Eleanor, one of my good friends here, and I got the best vegan food (falafel and hummus wrap and a Mexican bowl) from Vegan Heaven then explored the area and found the cutest cafes and restaurants. I spent Saturday being lazy and sleeping in then walking with some friends to get an amazing brunch from Food 4 Thought! After taking a much needed nap, a group of people from my program explored the night market on our street and got dinner. Nala, one of our Thai program leaders explained all of the foods we had been seeing at each stand but could never understand what they were. After dinner we all went to a board game cafe where we spent the night playing fun Thai and American board/card games (America really needs more of these cafes).

Finally, Sunday, the best day of the weekend! Eleanor, Isabella and I got up at 5am to do a sun rise hike. The sun rise was kind of dull because it is the beginning of burning season so there is a lot of smog, but as we sat halfway up the mountain at a forest temple we watched as this small bright red balloon of a sun rose above the sleeping city below us. This was magical and definitely worth getting up early to hike in the pitch black darkness. We then continued our hike all the way to the top of the mountain where Wat Phra That Doi Suthep sits. This park of the hike included many breaks as the trail began to get steeper and steeper, but we finally made it to the top and man, did that feel good or what! We felt so accomplished and proud of ourselves for summiting the mountain and the view from the vacant temple was beautiful in the morning light. I highly recommend this hike especially early in the morning because as we descended the trail became very crowded with hikers and tourists. Feeling hungry and exhausted we got some lunch, a smoothie from Mommy Thailand (our favorite lady) and headed home for a long nap before heading out for our last adventure of the weekend.

Eleanor and I spontaneously decided to join a facebook event for hot air balloon rides. It seemed a little expensive until we realized it included transportation and food/drinks along with many rides in the balloon. This was an unexpected night for us as we had no idea what we were in for, but that’s the fun in it! We got to play with horses and sheep as we waited for our turn in the balloon. When we finally got to go up we were both a little nervous but we knew this was tethered to the ground so it was not going to go too high. This experience was amazing! We went up around sunset and had an amazing view. We could feel the heat from the fire above us, on our backs as we ascended into the sky and it was exciting! We then had dinner, another great meal, and then got to go up in the balloon one more time. This time our friend running the event let us go up higher and for a longer amount of time.

This weekend was just what I needed and even though I didn’t travel anywhere I made the most out of exploring what Chiang Mai has to offer and I am happier for it. If you’re traveling abroad remember that sometimes its ok to not go anywhere and to just see what happens. Exploring other cities is always a must when traveling but taking some time in your new own is a must.

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Good music, great people

This weekend I went to a music festival. I am a huge supporter and lover of live music and music festivals because they bring me and everyone who attends so much happiness and love. My friends and I went to this festival without knowing any of the artists and having no idea what to expect since we’ve never been to one outside of the USA. It was an amazing experience. Not only was there live music and DJs but there was tons of art and opportunities to contribute to the art as well as activities like laughing yoga, aerobics, and a free space to do or say whatever you wanted. There was no judgement, there was only love and everyone I met this weekend welcomed me with their friendliness! This is my favorite part of festivals, everyone seems to be on the same page of just wanting to be happy and enjoy the experience around them. I met some amazing people who have traveled the world and I aspire to be just like them but in my own unique way. I’m so happy I have found a festival community because honestly they are some of the best people I get to hang around with and I’ll always remember the encounters I have. It’s not always about the music, sometimes it’s just about the experience of something familiar in a new place. I encourage everyone to try going to a music festival because it truly is freeing. Whenever I would get into a rough patch at school or in life I would find a concert or festival to go to and it would provide an escape for me that nothing else could really do. So try it once and maybe you’ll find it does the same for you!

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Putting the study in study abroad

Don’t worry I am also studying on this amazing trip abroad. Last week was my first week of classes and I made it through. This program is very different than many study abroads in terms of its academics because the classes are actually hard and taken very seriously. I am taking Thai Language Communication, Thai Dance, Thai Art and Culter, and Buddhism. The first few days were a little rough seeing as how the entire city+ was on or campus for graduation and to see the king and princess, but we made it work. Each class has a very strict attentendance policy and the curriculum is hard (even for the dance class). I’ve already learned so much and I’m excited to learn more, especially when it comes to improving my Thai. The weather is definitely starting to warm up and I’m slowly adjusting. On Wednesday a group of us decided to go for a hike, little did we know that we would be hanging out in a cabana on a lake drinking Sangsum and coke all day while enjoying the sun (our new Monday after class tradtion). Our program took us to the Inthanon National Park on Saturday so we could raft down a river on bamboo rafts, swim in the waterfalls, and learn about the hill tribes that make coffee. Overall a great first week of classes!

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new families and new adventures

Last week our program too us to a rural village 2 hours outside of Chiang Mai city to experience the true Thai culture and lifestyle. 2/3 of us lived with each family for 5 days. We cooked with them, learned new dances with them, and got to know them in a deeper way that can only be accomplished through total unfamiliarity. The families became our families, we now call them our moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and grandparents because of how close we got with them. The bond most of us feel with our families is not from sharing every detail of our lives, but more of an unspoken, emotional bond that goes deeper than most of my friendships. The village was so welcoming and they truly wanted us to experience their daily lifestyles, so they taught us how to farm rice (which was very muddy), they taught us a few local Thai dances, once which we dressed in traditional clothing and performed at a temple, and most importantly they taught us what it was like to feel that “land of smiles” warmth that we had all heard so much about. This was such an amazing and unique experience that not a lot of people get and I will definitely be returning to the village to visit the families and spend more time with them. 

As soon as we got back to the city, my friends and I were already planning our next adventure! A group of us rented a red truck for the day (super cheap 200 baht per person) and went to the Sticky Waterfalls. PSA: these waterfalls are not sticky, they’re just not slippery so you can climb them without worrying about falling. They are 1.5 hours outside of the city and in this beautiful jungle of tall trees and rushing water. Climbing up and down the rocks all day was the best adventure I could ask for and even just laying out in the sun, taking in the beauty of the nature around me took my breath away. The next day our program took us to another waterfall area right by campus which was more of a hiking and swimming type waterfall. We slid down a rock slide, jumped off rocks into swimming holes, and swung from rope swings. It was another beautiful day. Some of us decided to end the day by getting a massage. Now, Thailand is known for their cheap massages, but what we hadn’t heard of until we got here was that women prisoners are taught how to give massages so that when they get out they have a way to make money and live a better life. So we visited the Women’s Massage Center by Ex-Prisoners in the old city. I have never gotten a professional massage before and was nervous because when my friends tried to give me massages it would hurt, but this experience was relaxing and rejuvenating! They knew exactly the right places to go for and were very sweet and gentle with my problem areas. I highly recommend getting a massage here because the service is wonderful and you feel like a brand new person when you’re done, sipping on a free cup of tea! 

*photos from these cool trips will be posted soon, I’m just going through and picking out the perfect ones!

This week marks my first week of classes at Chiang Mai University (chaw-maw) so I’ll let ya know how those go soon enough! 

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And the travel bug bites again as I begin my semester study abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand!! I have been here all of 5 days and I am already learning so much and beginning to feel like a local. I have been waiting for this experience all year and I am finally living the Thai life (or at least trying to) by learning about their language, culture, and way of life. I have already eaten some amazing food, including my favorite dessert mango sticky rice, and right outside my dorm is a nightly street food market (which will be quite dangerous). My program The Education Abroad Network has already introduced me to so many different foods, values, and activities. We visited wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which is the Buddhist temple on top of a mountain over looking all of Chiang Mai, where I was blessed by a monk and watched the monks chant and pray. We also visited the most ethical elephant sanctuary, Elephant Nature Park, where I learned all about the monstrosities of the elephant industry and how the park rescues and nurtures these tortured creatures. We got to feed and walk with the elephants and watched as they played happily in their safe environment! Tomorrow I will be going to a rural village for a home stay for 5 days so stay tuned to hear all about my full immersion into typical Thai life! 

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The day has come to say goodbye to my great European summer adventure. I’ve learned so much working at the University of Bremen and truly appreciate all they have taught me. After traveling for about a month now I’ve really gotten to know who I am and what I want out of my life which is not something everyone can say so I am grateful for my unique experiences. As it was my last day in Copenhagen, Denmark I found myself wandering around for hours just turning down random streets and seeing where they would take me. If you have traveled with me you know that this is my preferred way of exploring and I’ve realized it’s also my preferred way of living life right now. Some people know exactly what they want to do and have a plan which I admire but for now I have an idea of what I want to do but in getting there I’ll take any opportunity that presents itself and see where it takes me. I’ll be back traveling before you know it, but next time I’m hoping to explore Southeast Asia!! See you soon and stay tuned 👍

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Took a bus (which turned into a ferry ride) from Bremen to Copenhagen and started my stay in this beautiful city by eating some awesome Brazilian food and making friends with Helle over a few fruity mojitos! I'm already in love with this city even though I'm loosing my Balkan tan. Can't wait to explore it more in my last few days traveling.

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Leo. Leo is an old Italian man living in a city near Bari, Italy. I met him while waiting for the bus to Mostar from Dubrovnik. Once we got to talking he explained how he had studied at UC Davis for a year when he was a younger and now teaches high school biology in Italy. He told me all about his love for the Bay Area and surprised me by saying one day he would like to move there. When we got to Mostar he did not have any clue where he was staying so I brought him with me to my hostel (Hostel Dino - highly recommend) and we spent the next few days hanging out along with some other travelers we met at the hostel. He and I had dinner the first night and toured Mostar the next day. Although he may seem old, he has a very young heart and even came to the clubs with us and danced his heart out. He stayed out with us until 4am when the club closed and I have to say, props Leo, you're the man! This is one of the main reasons I love to travel. I have not only met but really connected so many people from all over the world. The people I have met have been so welcoming and friendly, some have even opened up their homes to me if I ever get a chance to visit! Traveling alone is not lonely and I believe everyone should try it at least once in their lives because it opens up doors you never thought were even there.

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First stop after my Italian adventure was Kotor, Montenegro. I went from hot and humid to hot and dry climate which was drastic for me. Kotor weather kicked my butt because I hadn't been in dry heat for almost a year. I stayed in old town Kotor which was a bit touristy but was able to rent a bike and ride around the ENTIRE bay of Kotor which was a lot larger than I though but a great experience because I got to see the smaller towns around the bay. Then I was off to Dubrovnik, Croatia which was very touristy and crowded but I made the best of my one night stay (because it was so expensive)! I wandered around inside the walls and ended up finding a literal hole in the wall which led to a cliff side bar and local cliff jumpers (yes I did join in on the cliff jumping along with a few Croatian beers). I explored the nearby island Lokrum where I relaxed by the water and did some more cliff jumping before heading off to my next destination.

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Interlaken > Lake Como > Florence > Rome and now off to the Balkans. Met the fam in Interlaken, Switzerland (that’s “between lakes”) and did a lot of adventuring like paragliding, paddle boarding, and hiking. Then I began my Italian adventure with my college friend Rachel In Menaggio, a small town on mid lake Como. Through shared struggles of finding a bus from Como train station to Menaggio, I made friends with a guy in my hostel who was traveling alone for 7 months so he tagged along on our lake adventures. Hands down my favorite place I’ve traveled to so far so I highly recommend visiting this magnificent lake. Florence and Rome were hot and filled with walking and exploring. Today I fly out to Kotor, Montenegro to begin my Balkan adventure!