On Being Relaxed

Today, after being in Chiang Mai for nearly a week, we decided to take a day just to relax.  Like we haven’t left the apartment building and it’s 2 pm, following days where we’ve been up and out by 8 am and haven’t come back for 12 or 13 hours.  Mostly because there is so much to see and do (and eat!) here that we haven’t been able to keep still from wanting to try it all.

I’ve adapted to living here so easily that I feel like I was meant to be here.  Chiang Mai kind of combines all of my favorite parts of all the places I’ve lived.  It’s big without being too big, has a small town feel in our neighborhood, is close to beautiful mountains and temples, and it’s quiet and vibrant at the same time.  Not to mention that the people here are SO NICE and the culture as a whole is welcoming, trusting, and friendly.

We found our apartment in on our first day here, and I am so glad that we didn’t have to spend more time in a guest house.  We’ve been able to unpack and settle, and have some privacy in our own space again.  We also signed up for fitness club memberships at a beautiful hotel across the street, so we can get away and live in poolside luxury for a couple hours every day (and maybe work off the rice belly).  Our neighborhood, off Nimmanhaemin Rd, is packed with little boutiques, bars and restaurants, and at night there are tons of street food carts that set up shop.  So far, our favorites have been the teriyaki pork skewers with rice and bao filled with what they call cream, but is definitely something else that I can’t describe – it’s not super sweet, and not made of milk, and it’s not fruity.  It is just a little sweet and kind of has the consistency of a mashed potato.

We’re also working on getting a little business started, and hope to grow it into something sustainable.  All we have so far is a name, but it’s starting to feel more like a reality and less like a kooky idea.  More news on that later.  I also applied for a job at an amazing NGO called We Women, so fingers crossed that it materializes into something!  In the meantime, we’ll be hitting the pavement applying for teaching jobs this week.  For now, I’m going to hit the hot tub and enjoy this beautiful day.