Hua Hin
Fresh off of over a day of traveling and jet lagged beyond belief, I found myself having to travel over 3 hours away for TEAN orientation. This trip was definitely hard in terms of wanting to interact with people while fighting off the tiredness of traveling. I will say though that being stuck in a van with people for hours on end definitely provides a great opportunity for bonding. By the time that we got to our destination, we all felt like we had known each other forever.
While in Hua Hin, many of us enjoyed our first official Thai meal by the beach. However, the highlight of this trip was our team bonding session at Vana Nava waterpark. We had to all work together to complete a bunch of different tasks and it truly allowed us to drop all of our nervousness and get to know each other better.
‘ครัวบ้านครู/Krua’s Kitchen’: This was the restaurant where I enjoyed my first official Thai meal!Bangkok
After two days in Hua Hin, we traveled to Central Bangkok for another two days of orientation. While on this trip, we got acclimated to the bustling city life of Bangkok. Our first night, we explored Chinatown by doing a food scavenger hunt. This allowed me to try foods I had never been exposed to and it was also a great way to explore the area. The next day, we did a river tour around Bangkok. I really enjoyed how everyone we passed by would wave and smile at us, I really made the experience that much more special.
View while exploring Chinatown.
River Boat Tour around Bangkok.Pattaya
Last weekend, as a way to celebrate before classes began a group of us took our first solo trip to Pattaya. While we were there, I saw two of the most beautiful places I have ever seen: The Sanctuary of Truth and the Nong Nooch Gardens. The Sanctuary of Truth is a museum that is a replica of a temple. The whole building is made out of wood and is held together without nails! The beauty of this building is definitely something that can only truly be appreciated in person, so I definitely recommend visiting if you’re ever in Pattaya. The Nong Nooch Gardens were such a sight to behold as well. My favorite part was the French Gardens. It was a truly expansive garden full of maze-like walkways.
Sanctuary of Truth: This beautiful building is truly a sight to behold!
Nong Nooch: Above view of the beautiful French Gardens.I will admit that all of this travel definitely drained me, but I still think it was extremely worth it! It also made me all the more excited for classes to start, so that I could begin meeting local students!
Alyesia Watkins, University of Pittsburgh, is studying abroad in Thailand with TEAN.
