Eight Months in Thailand: Celebrations Galore

Hello! Sorry for the delayed post this month, but if that tells you anything it’s that these past few months have been insanely crazy.

Celebrations & Celebrations & Celebrations

December was, in one word, celebratory. Perhaps the most fascinating cultural treat is that the Thai people will celebrate everything. For weeks. And they will go ALL out in decorations, costumes, dance routines, food, festivals, music, markets, etc. Most Thai people do not celebrate Christmas because it is a Buddhist country, but my school is Christian (although that’s mostly just in name, as most people are still Buddhist). Does that stop them from celebrating Christmas? Absolutely not.

I think I celebrated Christmas more in Chiang Mai than I ever have at home. It was three straight weeks of celebrations at school. Every day, there was a new celebration happening. A Christmas feast, or a dance festival, or a Christmas market. It was out of control! I never want to hear Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ ever again. Even the kids who know no English will belt out this song for all to hear.

Christmas in Koh Chang

I spent actual Christmas Day on a remote, stunningly beautiful island called Koh Chang with my best friend Robin. We spent 6 days in this glorious slice of heaven, and it may have topped my list for favorite island in Thailand.

We woke up for sunrise on Christmas Day, walked on the white sand beach as we recalled how incredible this past year has been. We floated in the crystal clear water, we got massages on the beach, we read books, we ate fish for Christmas dinner. It was an unorthodox day for me, as I had spent every Christmas before with my family in Pittsburgh. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t special. It was a Christmas I will always remember, although I did miss my family terribly.

Perhaps the best part about Koh Chang was the terrain. It is mountainous, which makes it a blast to ride motorbikes around the island. We hopped on motorbikes and rode to remote beaches, and luckily found a sunset beach bar that we stayed at for hours, eating fresh fish and drinking mojitos. It was …. incredible.

We found a few friends from Chiang Mai also on the island, one from Canada and one from the Philippines. We went on an awesome snorkeling excursion with them to islands around Koh Chang. It was wonderful to spend time with them, four teachers from four countries, talking about our childhoods and comparing our experiences in our respective countries. The global network of people you meet when you move abroad is amazing. Talking with so many people from around the globe opens your eyes. It’s one of the best parts of living abroad.

Muay Thai

One more special thing about December is that it was the month that I first started training Muay Thai! My friends Angus & Niall had been going to a local Muay Thai gym for months and always telling me and Robin to join. We finally listened, and it was AMAZING.

Muay Thai is Thai boxing, and it’s super popular all over the world, but especially in Thailand, for obvious reasons. I’ve never done boxing in my life, but there is something so releasing about punching and kicking the crap out of stuff. It’s the best form of exercise, and the best release of stress. I’m now training a few times a week! I’m not training to fight, just to become stronger. The instructors don’t speak English, but they’re awesome & I’m learning so much without spoken words.

Hospital Trip

Would this even be an update if I didn’t go to the hospital? Yes, I went to the hospital again, this time because of an intense allergic reaction. I had to get steroid shots and luckily that was all. This was the first time I’ve ever had an allergic reaction, and it was quite scary (but also freaking hilarious, as you’ll see in the photo). I’m not sure what triggered the reaction, but it hasn’t happened since!

To Conclude

That’s all for my month 8 recap. So much happens in a month in Chiang Mai, each month feels like three! Happy 2023 to everyone, I hope you all had lovely celebrations wherever you are in the world. Love you all!

xx Gracie