Thailand: Tour D'Horizon

กระต่ายหมายจันทร์

By Christina Nguyen

March 2^nd, 2018

Month 5

Chiang Mai is the backdrop to a blissfully calm, and laid-back place that is perfect for recharging. It's a sleepy country town with gorgeous mountain views that gave me everything I needed (after a long winter in Japan) including a good dose of Vitamin D sunshine. If you drive in any direction you will find yourself surrounded by peaceful villages, lush countrysides, and rain forests filled with waterfalls, and wáts. Here is the run down on month five...

Monks preparing for Lunar New Year at Phra Singh Temple in Chiang Mai.

Experiences

The Fun Stuff

Living solo in a modern apartment complex with mountain views
Working out of The Brick Space, a lifestyle place for startups
Racing across The Nation- a charity walk held globally by all remote groups (our group clocked 240 miles in 2 hours!)
Attending Jai Thep music, and arts festival in the middle of the jungle
Visiting the gorgeous White Temple, Blue Temple, & Black Temple in Chiang Rai
Taking a boat ride to the Golden Triangle (intersection of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand)
Watching Super Bowl LII at 6:30AM with a friend from Boston who happened to be traveling through Thailand
Cooking authentic Thai dishes, including Khao Soi & mango sticky rice
Volunteering for the Wild Flower Home
Learning the art of Muay Thai fighting
Catching an Illenium (a DJ) show in Bangkok
Side tripping through Bangkok, Vietnam, and Cambodia
Celebrating the Lunar New Year in Vietnam with my parents, and extended family
Climbing the "sticky waterfall" north of Chiang Mai
Eating ALL of the street food & passion fruit/mango flavored things

The Not As Fun Stuff

Wearing a daily layer of bug repellent & still getting bit by mosquitoes on the regular

Meditating with Rossy at Jai Thep Music Festival.

Stories

Travel for long enough, and one day you wake up to realize: This is no longer a vacation, it’s your life. I am a digital nomad, and a traveler. I've tried to challenge myself to see far beyond what the tourist sees. It requires putting yourself in situations/scenarios that sometimes can be uncomfortable, and demands that you open your eyes to the things that are right in front of you. It's about giving your effort, and energy to blending in, trying the local cuisines, learning the language, conversing with the locals, and having the curiosity to learn about what is beyond your perception.

When people speak of Thailand they usually hear about the friendly people, magnificent beaches, mouth-watering cuisines, and abundant bargain shopping. Up until this point of our Remote Year journey we have had the pleasure of living, and working in mostly developed countries. Thailand is the first developing nation on our itinerary where it is glaringly obvious that poverty exists. There are real, and raw sides of this place that you could easily overlook if you aren't looking.

I had the pleasure of meeting a group of women who gave me a a great deal of insight into the human trafficking issues that Thailand faces. They were affiliated with local programs called Urban Light, and the Hug Project which focus on prevention, and protection of children from exploitation. Thailand's relative prosperity from tourism attracts migrants from neighboring countries who flee the harsh conditions of poverty. Voluntary migrants are subjected to conditions of forced labor, or sexual exploitation. The proliferation of technology has enabled greater access to communication to coordinate such efforts but also used as a mechanism to lure young children. Thailand has made immense strides in recent years with the passing of various laws to manage the issue, but the reality is that it still a very prominent problem.

I'm so humbled to be traveling with a group of people who not only see the issues that I mention, but also take it to the next step by giving back. This month about 20 of us had the opportunity to work at The Wild Flower Home, a safety shelter for single mothers in need. Fellow Remotes contributed with a wide range of activities including teaching vocational skills, demolishing old housing to prepare for new shelters, setting up a hydroponics system for farming, and taking product photography of the goods these women produce to put on their website to sell to make money (help support them with link above!).

A few other Remotes spent a week teaching English at Mae Ra Moe, a refugee camp near the border of Myanmar, and Thailand. Our group donated funds to purchase supplies for the children. Project Kare was an eye opening experience giving them a glimpse into the struggles both at the camp, and back home in war-torn Karen state, Myanmar.

Click here to see the impact that the Remote Nation is making all around the world!

At the end of the day, no matter where you are, I challenge you to look beyond what you know or what you think you know. Appreciate the beauty of diversity, and act on curiosities. Take notice of the unnoticed. There's so much there to find.

Lauren painting murals at the daycare center of The Wild Flower Home.

Phil teaching a sprouting workshop to the women at The Wild Flower Home.

Dani and Sanam teach English at a refugee camp.

Connections

When dealing with constant change you rely a lot on your tribe for support, and in this case my tribe is my RY family. They understand, and empathize, because they too are on this journey with me. I love, and appreciate the Mangata family immensely, but this month was about realizing how much further our connections extend.

Chiang Mai is a digital nomad hub. It offers a mix of affordability, infrastructure, and a quality of life that's difficult to find elsewhere. Many entrepreneurs move here to ramp up their businesses. There are many co-working spaces, and an endless amount of cafes built for productivity. It really sets up an ecosystem for success, and allows you to make valuable connections through a variety of local meet up events. It was this month where I truly felt like a digital nomad, and knew I was playing my part in contributing to this unique community that is shaping the future of work, and propelling new ideas forward.

I also had the pleasure of crossing paths with Remotes from other groups. We call our Remotes who have finished the program "Citizens." We had a Citizen named, Matt who joined our crew this month. There were a few other Remotes who opted out of their cities, and stayed back in Chiang Mai longer. Getting to hear everyone's unique stories of what brought them here, and what they are doing made me realize how strong the power of this network is. Sure... I could have traveled the world, and done this much cheaper but the value of this community is absolutely priceless. We all have the ability to expand our network. Look for weak ties (people who you don't know well), find a reason to connect, and be a connector. You never know what that connection may spark.

Owning the Unknown

Southeast Asia has always had my heart for very obvious reasons. I have been regularly visiting this part of the world since 1996, but having the opportunity to live here was a different experience. Nothing could substitute actually living here. Everything from the way of life to the food offered an authentic experience that gave me the familiarity of growing up in my Vietnamese household. Thailand reminded me of my roots, and made me so appreciative of what my parents had to go through to give me the opportunity to live the life that I live. Without their courageous decision to flee after the war, this could have easily been my life. I smile thinking about it, because either way, I know I would come to this very moment, and know that I am happy with what I do have.