by Syd & Kaliyah
Syd:
I have always been someone who needed a strict routine and appreciated structure. For so long, I always had a routine made for me, but here in Chiang Mai, I have begun to make my own.
Before I left, I was worried I was going to be jet-lagged for days on end, but when we landed in Chiang Mai, I could only think about the warm air on my skin, all of the green surrounding me, and, of course, what delicious food I was going to try. Maybe I didn’t feel tired because I slept eleven hours from Boston to Hong Kong, but I would like to think my excitement for a new environment and routine diminished my feeling of sleepiness.
The cohort has a pretty good routine: we eat breakfast, then do some orientation or have class, then lunch, then some free time (which I have been using to walk around and do some work), dinner, and then some more free time to walk around. However, our routines all look a little different. We all do different things during our free time, especially after dinner, but I think that is the beauty of having a routine you create. For the past two days, I have been going to the gym in the morning, which I have really enjoyed. Walking at 6:50 a.m. and watching the busy road, which for some reason I thought would not be as busy at 7 in the morning, has allowed me to observe so much of the city during my ten-minute walks to the gym. For me, it is those small things in my routine that keep me grounded.
I grew up in a city, so I am very much used to the hustle and bustle; however, there is a difference in the hustle and bustle here. It is a busy city, but it has so much green surrounding it, with parts of the ancient wall scattered throughout. Yet, there are so many side streets that serve as a quiet retreat from the busy main road, where there are coffee shops, smoothie places, restaurants, and, of course, many massage spots.
Adjusting to a new routine in Chiang Mai seemed daunting before I arrived, but I could not feel more differently about it now. Chiang Mai has welcomed me with open arms, and that makes all the difference when experiencing a new routine in a new place. There is something truly special about Chiang Mai, and I cannot wait to see what else it offers!
Kaliyah:
Traveling to a new continent doesn’t seem real yet, surely not one 9,000 miles away from home.
Yet it isn’t scary.
My sleep schedule over the summer was, however. But virtual class with my cohort and in-person orientation prepared me well for starting the day earlier than usual.
But this time, it’s not waking up in a restless yet still-sleepy excitement to see my friends of years, or months, on the first day back- for the 4th, 5th, 12th time.
It’s not the same singing in the shower (well, maybe it is), grabbing my already-packed backpack in a slightly-unsuccessful measure to save time the morning after.
It’s not grabbing snack-size cereals saved from summer camp or filling up my water bottle halfway out the door as I hear the rickety yellow-bus screech down my street, even though I know my bus driver will wait just a few extra milliseconds courtesy of sharing a home country.
It’s not arriving at school and being surprised by my own elation early in the morning at the sight of my curly-haired, incredible best friend who I know can’t see me clearly till I’m 4 feet away at full spring and bear hug awaiting.
This being different, is an understatement. And it’s a pretty cool start to my first week of college.
It’s been more than waking up to sit in another classroom; rather, it’s more like waking up to ride in a bright red tuk-tuk with the life-halting view of the earth stacked upon each other to form the most incredible view of mountains- simultaneously on the way to hike, or take an exciting, lengthy walk upon one to see the city.
It’s more like stepping foot – and I mean foot, not shoe – into a temple or three, where numerous people find guidance and wisdom for their lives all across the country, and doing so, they find unity within community.
It’s more like being fulfilled and equally exhausted after a long day, yet being re-energized at the sound of a lovely walk to acquire my favorite drink- no, not Thai tea, but iced cocoa mint with 50% sugar. YUM.
Yeah. Different doesn’t even begin to describe it.