Webster University Thailand – Study abroad students share their experiences in Thailand
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Living in the Land of Smiles
After a one-hour hop to Chicago, a 15-hour skip to Tokyo, a 7-hour jump to Bangkok, and then a never ending 3 hour van ride, here I am in Hua Hin. At times it’s a little surreal to look out my window and see the sun setting on the beach and realize halfway around the world, the sun is rising on my hometown. Even though I miss my family and dog at times, the Thai culture has been more welcoming than I could have ever asked for. I was a little bit nervous about going away for so long when I had never even left my own country before, but I have to say I definitely picked the right one when I decided to go to Thailand. The hospitality I’ve experienced here in Thailand has made my studying abroad experience so enjoyable. I don’t think there are many other places in the world where the receptionist at your hotel will let you use her personal moped to go exploring. In addition, there probably aren’t many colleges with teachers like Ajan Jim who bring in snacks for their students everyday. I might not be able to speak Thai very well, but people seem to take pleasure in being able to help me out. I’m definitely looking forward to these next few months living here in the land of smiles ☺.
My experience in Thailand so far has been more than I expected! Communication is the one thing I knew would be hard because of the language barrier, but everyone has been so friendly and welcoming, even if we have trouble speaking with one another. Something I have learned is to pay more attention to people. After school one rainy day I went into town and thought it was a storm just passing by, I was definitely wrong! I had my backpack, with my laptop in it, so I walked under the awning of a hardware store to keep from getting wet. After a while of standing there I was on my way to head out when a Thai woman tapped my arm and gave me two plastic bags. She held one out and pointed to my bag then held the other and put her hand on my shoulder. It is something that is very small, but it meant something to me. Even though we couldn’t communicate she had paid attention to what was going on. Obviously, if she were in my situation she would have liked something like that done for her!
My experience of Thailand has been good overall. After vacationing in Thailand multiple times and living here for the past 9 years, I would recommend vacationing in Thailand because the great culture, traditional customs and delicious food. Thailand is an exciting and exotic destination that offers white beaches, unique entertainment spots and a richly sustained natural environment which invite for thrilling adventures to experience animal shows and nature view. In addition to the traveling and activities around Thailand, I recommend spending some time just to chill comfortably under the sun at a nice spot on the beach.