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!