I think it all started out of angst. Have you ever done that? Started something because the tension you are feeling compels you to spring forward with action. To just do something.
The confusion about where to begin. The confusion about what it is all for. Then, finally, deciding it's just because that's what you want or need to do.
This is how The Crummy Life started.
Thailand and Brazil: Side-by-Side Reflections on Adapting Abroad
I've now adapted in a short list of countries, and the two that have given me the greatest amount of time to go through the process and develop deeper observations are Thailand and Brazil, respectively. It's time to reflect on some of the differences, as I try to rummage through my thoughts to see what I might share with Tom.
"Hey," he said to me as I turned to exit the room, "don't fuck it up."
So goes the general and less than eloquent advice of one of my greatest influences. They were applicable to just about anything, but always reserved for those moments when he knew that a person needed an extra prod to strive for greatness, and the comment would land perfectly so you knew what it was about.
"Hey," he said to me as I turned to exit the room, "don't fuck it up."
So goes the general and less than eloquent advice of one of my greatest influences. They were applicable to just about anything, but always reserved for those moments when he knew that a person needed an extra prod to strive for greatness, and the comment would land perfectly so you knew what it was about.
Challenge Update 2 - Atualização de Desafio 2
Nós estamos aqui de novo. Uma outra semana já passou, e mais prática completou.
Oops, here I am on The Crummy Life. Time to switch back to English.
This last week was a fun time trying to apply my Portuguese skills to my life behind me. I say behind me because, to practice speaking in the past and making the necessary conjugations in my head, I spent much of the week talking about days and years passed.
I want to give a big THANK YOU to Murillo, the teacher that made the biggest impression on me during the October Challenge. Thanks for all of your help, especially with pretérito imperfeito, which was incredibly confusing before you broke it down and forced me to use it.
That's all for now, so watch the video and have a laugh!
Challenge Update 1 - Atualização de Desafio 1
As promised, I am here to deliver my language challenge update for my first completed week of the italki October Language Challenge.
It was a busy week, and a fun weekend applying some of what I had practiced all week. I had a great time with some friends in one of the many beautiful places that make up Floripa.
My first week of the challenge went great, so check out the video to see what I accomplished, and what I've got lined up before it finishes on the 31st.
Until next time, tchau! And don't forget to hang on until the end of the video... the bloopers are worth it!
It was a busy week, and a fun weekend applying some of what I had practiced all week. I had a great time with some friends in one of the many beautiful places that make up Floripa.
My first week of the challenge went great, so check out the video to see what I accomplished, and what I've got lined up before it finishes on the 31st.
Until next time, tchau! And don't forget to hang on until the end of the video... the bloopers are worth it!
5 Things to Take Home From Brazil
Do you remember how good you felt the last time you stepped into a new city, experienced a new thrill, or met someone that really captured your attention?
When people move to a new place, or even just visit, they start off in "the honeymoon phase." This magical time is filled with the thought that, like a teeneager in a fresh romance, all of these new things are amazing.
It is only natural that a person is going to like some things during this phase so much that they will think, "Why don't I do it like that?" With that idea in mind, I want to offer you five things that have only furthered my fascination of and appreciation for the Brazilian way.
When people move to a new place, or even just visit, they start off in "the honeymoon phase." This magical time is filled with the thought that, like a teeneager in a fresh romance, all of these new things are amazing.
It is only natural that a person is going to like some things during this phase so much that they will think, "Why don't I do it like that?" With that idea in mind, I want to offer you five things that have only furthered my fascination of and appreciation for the Brazilian way.
October italki Language Challenge Public Pledge
It's time again for a challenge!
Today is the fourth day of the challenge, and I have already finished three hours! Only three more to go, and ten days to do it. No problem!
italki has brought back the language challenge for October, this time challenging participants to finish six hours of classes in fourteen days. Between October 18th - 31st, anyone who is signed up for the challenge can get a $20 rebate on money spent taking classes once they complete the six hours, plus an extra $5 if you post a public pledge video.
Today is the fourth day of the challenge, and I have already finished three hours! Only three more to go, and ten days to do it. No problem!
italki has brought back the language challenge for October, this time challenging participants to finish six hours of classes in fourteen days. Between October 18th - 31st, anyone who is signed up for the challenge can get a $20 rebate on money spent taking classes once they complete the six hours, plus an extra $5 if you post a public pledge video.
A Hassle-free Guide to Obtaining a Brazilian Visa
This beautiful country hosts a rich, vibrant culture that captivates anyone who gets near because it's energetic, passionate and contagious. The following breakdown will ensure that you can get your visa sem problemas (without problems).
13 Similarities of Brazil and Thailand
One might think that after living in Thailand for three years, living in Brazil must be massively different. Well, not exactly.
While there are plenty of differences, I have spent the first month here documenting things that I feel are similar between the Land of Smiles and the Land of Samba. Since arriving, I have really felt like Brazil is a great balance of my home culture and my first adopted one.
While there are plenty of differences, I have spent the first month here documenting things that I feel are similar between the Land of Smiles and the Land of Samba. Since arriving, I have really felt like Brazil is a great balance of my home culture and my first adopted one.
CELTA Revealed: Program Design Insight to Bring You Success
Updated: some information about the success rates, Input Sessions, Teaching Practice, and Assignments have been updated to reflect feedback I received from a current CELTA trainer. Her insight is a benefit to all readers and prospective CELTA trainees.
If you are interested in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), you've probably already begun looking into the options for your certification. Now you are thinking about all of the which of them to choose. Two questions are likely floating around in your head.
"What is the difference between a TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA (among others)?" and "Which one of them should I choose?"
If you are interested in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), you've probably already begun looking into the options for your certification. Now you are thinking about all of the which of them to choose. Two questions are likely floating around in your head.
"What is the difference between a TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA (among others)?" and "Which one of them should I choose?"
Long Distance Relationship Tips to Bring You Success
No matter who you are, being in a long distance relationship (LDR) is another level of commitment. If you have doubts about the relationship you are in, an LDR probably isn't for you.
I don't mean small, general insecurities about the future. Specifically, I am referring to the possibility that you have ideas about the person not being "the one" for you. This is very important, because who wants to commit time and energy to an LDR that isn't founded on mutual long-term intentions? Really, that's a bit masochistic.
I don't mean small, general insecurities about the future. Specifically, I am referring to the possibility that you have ideas about the person not being "the one" for you. This is very important, because who wants to commit time and energy to an LDR that isn't founded on mutual long-term intentions? Really, that's a bit masochistic.
A Name of Sorts: The Crummy Life Exposed
Sometimes people, usually non-native English speakers, ask me, "Jairet, why did you name your blog 'The Crummy Life'?"
I think it's a good, and valid question. For example, consider the following:
Why would someone want to market themselves under a name that implies inferior quality?
Are you trying to give the impression that the standard of the writing, information, products, services, etc. are of low caliber?
I think it's a good, and valid question. For example, consider the following:
Why would someone want to market themselves under a name that implies inferior quality?
Are you trying to give the impression that the standard of the writing, information, products, services, etc. are of low caliber?
Quick Language Learning Tip: italki notebook entries and community supported learning
I have written about italki.com in a few posts, describing what a great asset the site is to language learners. For this quick language learning tip, I want to talk about one thing I really like about italki, notebook entries and community supported learning.
International Driving Permit and Inter-American Driving Permit
It's pretty normal for people to want to prepare for the unexpected events that inevitably come up in our future, especially for us westerners. In the case of moving abroad, that means it is important to have a plan for health insurance, bank accounts and money management, emergency contacts at home, and legality of driving.
What follows is a simple explanation of how to cover your butt so you don't have any troubles while driving abroad. For many people, a standard driver's license is likely accepted overseas, but don't expect it.
What follows is a simple explanation of how to cover your butt so you don't have any troubles while driving abroad. For many people, a standard driver's license is likely accepted overseas, but don't expect it.
How to Successfully Complete an italki Language Challenge
I was facing twenty eight days to finish twelve hours of language classes. I knew I could do it because I had already been studying daily alone and was starting feel that I needed guidance.
Last month's challenge started with a public pledge, and a dose of determination that came from failing the January language challenge. [insert lame excuse here]
Last month's challenge started with a public pledge, and a dose of determination that came from failing the January language challenge. [insert lame excuse here]
June italki Language Challenge Update: Brazilian Portuguese
Olá! Tudo bem?
This month I am participating in the June italki Language Challenge. Maybe you saw my first post with my public pledge video, where I said what I aim to accomplish and used a bit of português brasileiro. What did you think?
Well it is time for an update, because week three has just begun. With my birthday in week one, and being in a wedding in week two, life has been packed to the gills with action and excitement.
5 Important Phrases to Learn When Traveling
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| Image © GL Stock Images |
It is important to show host country people that we have come to their country with more than just the intent to enjoy the sights. While we we have come to soak up the country's splendor, it shows an extra appreciation and effort if we learn some of the host country's language, too.
June italki Language Challenge Public Pledge
The mid-year language challenge has begun, and I am in! This month I am committed to completing 12 hours of online lessons to improve my Brazilian Portuguese. After I failed at the New Year challenge I was eager for redemption, so this time I am not letting any time get wasted on a late start.
Below I make my public pledge to let as many people as I can know that I am enthusiastic and prepared to complete this round. The video highlights my goals so that I may be held accountable and feel some extra motivation coming from not wanting to let myself down.
Let the learning begin!
Below I make my public pledge to let as many people as I can know that I am enthusiastic and prepared to complete this round. The video highlights my goals so that I may be held accountable and feel some extra motivation coming from not wanting to let myself down.
Let the learning begin!
10 Important Things Learned Living in Thailand
I can't even be bothered to search the Internet for an estimate of how many people have written X number of AMAZING things that I learned living abroad because I know it's more than I care to acknowledge. I am putting my own spin on this trend to offer my own set of Blah blah blah, this has changed me forever list without taking heed from my predecessors. What follows is a collection of mind blowing, life altering realizations, lessons, and observations that have struck my mind like bolts of epiphanic lightning.
Nam Dtok Buatong: Sticky Waterfall Day Trip Near Chiang Mai
Nam Dtok Buatong, better known to travelers as Sticky waterfall, is a forest oasis very close to Chiang Mai, Thailand, with quite a unique story. Since I don't need to recite long winded mythology, I will give a very short version.
There was an attack on the Lanna kingdom, leaving the king and queen dead. One of their faithful leading soldiers fled with the two princesses before they too met their fate, and he took them to hide in the forest. They located an area that could house them, but it didn't have a water supply.
There was an attack on the Lanna kingdom, leaving the king and queen dead. One of their faithful leading soldiers fled with the two princesses before they too met their fate, and he took them to hide in the forest. They located an area that could house them, but it didn't have a water supply.
Pun by Pun: Chiang Mai's Best Business Name Puns
Chiang Mai is home to some pretty great business name puns. While there are Punspace coworking space and Pun Pun vegetarian restaurant at Wat Suan Dok, those aren't the puns that I am after. I want the humorous manipulation of vocabulary, not just the word in the name.
Maybe my affintiy for puns comes from having to deal with this surname my whole life. It only makes sense that the name "Crum" would produce an appreciation for the juxtaposition of words for humor. It's not everyday that you get to turn my last name into something laughable (as easy of a target as it may seem), so when the opportunity arises, it must be seized. For example, the name of this blog, The Crummy Life. I couldn't pass it up.
Crummy's Top 5 Free Language Learning Tools
I have been moonlighting as a foreign language speaker with one mantra in mind, "Fake it 'til you make it!" As I persist in this goal, to become conversationally fluent in a second language, I continue to try out language learning tools to find a good system. This is a compilation of my current top 5 free language buddies, and I hope that they can help you increase your proficiency, too. Now, the article's title says "language learning tools," but many of them are great tools for improving retention of anything you need or want to remember. Let's check 'em out!
7 Online Resources You Should Use for FREE Skill Building
Imagine many universities, top-tier universities, offering you free tuition, each willing to take you in with open arms to help you develop personally and professionally. Is it hard to imagine, or impossible to imagine? I know it's not easy, and I'm going to blame that on the broken higher education system in America.
I keep running into articles and opinions in the social media sphere attacking the dysfunction of the America higher education system. We may not have the perfect solution for how the US can stand up with the developed countries of the world that offer citizens free education, but MOOCs bring us a step closer.
I keep running into articles and opinions in the social media sphere attacking the dysfunction of the America higher education system. We may not have the perfect solution for how the US can stand up with the developed countries of the world that offer citizens free education, but MOOCs bring us a step closer.
My Multilingual Morning
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." Nelson Mandela
It was morning in Vientiane, Laos and it was still raining relatively hard. I hadn't planned for such weather, so I decided not to get soaked walking down the street to Le Banneton, Vientiane's premier boulangerie, and instead take my laptop to the lobby, where the wifi signal is strong and time could be wasted while I waited for the deluge to break. I chose a seat next to a pair of West African gents deep in conversation.
Skillfeed wants to hook you up!
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| Follow the link in the text, sign up, and start learning |
Skillfeed, which offers tons of courses for anyone to develop their skills, is offering a free 30 day trial of their language acquisition courses. This offer is specifically for language learning, as I know many of you out there would like to pick one up or improve what you've started.
Toilet Capitalism and Finding a Niche
Businesses function to meet the needs of their target market by providing goods and services the customers enjoys and appreciates for a reasonable cost. That's nothing new.
Sometimes we encounter a product or service that we neither enjoy nor appreciate, but the merchant still gets our money. There is an obligatory necessity to give your money to the them, no matter how frustrated it makes you. You just can't beat the system.
Sometimes we encounter a product or service that we neither enjoy nor appreciate, but the merchant still gets our money. There is an obligatory necessity to give your money to the them, no matter how frustrated it makes you. You just can't beat the system.
Four Twenty Seven
Sunday night walking street is one of Chiang Mai's biggest attractions, certainly found on every Chiang Mai vacation must-do list. While the market has a massive, and sometimes overwhelming amount of goods for sale, there is another treat that this spectacle of consumption provides other than handicrafts and graphic T-shirts.
I refer to no other than the coveted foot massage. 75% feet and 25% neck, shoulders and back. The biggest reason for my attention being to this massage on this day at this place . . . competition has got prices down to ฿140/hr, which means $4.27 USD for an hour of thumb prodding and elbow rubbing.
A seasoned Chiang Mai ex-pat and massage connoisseur will tell you that it is definitely a good rubdown for the price, so it's not the quality that's lacking. Standard fare for a foot massage in a parlor is 200, and the fancier the place is the higher the price goes (without offering a better service, only a more chic environment).
There are two difficulties to managing a Sunday Night Walking Street massage. One, the crowd. The crowd can be so massive that if you don't get in at just the right time, you will end up in a cycle of perpetual waiting. Best to get there early and get the fresh hands before the masseuse is tired and people are lined up to soothe their feet. Second, the crowd! I know it is the same thing, but there is really so many people at the Walking Street in the high season months that it gives me anxiety to head into this part of the city. Walking down the street gives a person the feeling of a migrating salmon on it's way to spawn, or the emperor penguins huddled en masse for heat in Antartica.
Do yourself a favor and get down there early on a Sunday evening and take on an hour worth of people watching and foot relief. While you are sitting in the chair I want you to think about all of the things you can do or buy for the same price that you are receiving your paw pampering.
If you aren't in Chiang Mai, I challenge you to brainstorm ways you could rearrange your spending habits to afford a trip to Thailand. Examples include not eating out, stop buying alcohol for a month (especially from a bar or restaurant), quit paying for cable TV, etc. It might seem crazy because you are so used to doing or having these things, but you can get some inspiration here from Phil, who has already done it. It is possible! Leave a commet to say if you will take the challenge and implement your saving ideas.
There are two difficulties to managing a Sunday Night Walking Street massage. One, the crowd. The crowd can be so massive that if you don't get in at just the right time, you will end up in a cycle of perpetual waiting. Best to get there early and get the fresh hands before the masseuse is tired and people are lined up to soothe their feet. Second, the crowd! I know it is the same thing, but there is really so many people at the Walking Street in the high season months that it gives me anxiety to head into this part of the city. Walking down the street gives a person the feeling of a migrating salmon on it's way to spawn, or the emperor penguins huddled en masse for heat in Antartica.
Do yourself a favor and get down there early on a Sunday evening and take on an hour worth of people watching and foot relief. While you are sitting in the chair I want you to think about all of the things you can do or buy for the same price that you are receiving your paw pampering.
If you aren't in Chiang Mai, I challenge you to brainstorm ways you could rearrange your spending habits to afford a trip to Thailand. Examples include not eating out, stop buying alcohol for a month (especially from a bar or restaurant), quit paying for cable TV, etc. It might seem crazy because you are so used to doing or having these things, but you can get some inspiration here from Phil, who has already done it. It is possible! Leave a commet to say if you will take the challenge and implement your saving ideas.
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| This lady did what I have paid double for elsewhere. |
italki Language Challenge . . . I'm in!
italki Language Challenge <-- Click it!
Time is running out! I'm already 2 weeks behind schedule, but I am going to try my best to finish the challenge. If you have any desire to learn a language this year, I recommend you take part. If the challenge doesn't seem like something you are interested in, I seriously encourage you to look into italki as a resource for your learning. Linking up with native speakers and qualified teachers and tutors have never been so easy. That's all for now, go click the link!
Time is running out! I'm already 2 weeks behind schedule, but I am going to try my best to finish the challenge. If you have any desire to learn a language this year, I recommend you take part. If the challenge doesn't seem like something you are interested in, I seriously encourage you to look into italki as a resource for your learning. Linking up with native speakers and qualified teachers and tutors have never been so easy. That's all for now, go click the link!
Your Comfort Zone & The Limit of Personal Growth
I once thought I was good at adapting, and quite comfortable being out of my comfort zone. Now it's clear that I was wrong. I realize that I am just good at creating a comfort zone in a foreign place, whether it is beyond national borders or just county lines. Never will I claim that I just randomly had this realization. In fact, the Irish polyglot, Benny Lewis, showed me how wrong I was in this video:
Now I am seeking to break that habit. This is the greatest part about realizing that a routine or habit isn't what you thought it was, you find motivation to make a shift. Once you realize that what you were doing or thinking is not what you were convinced it was, you want to get back to that feeling that you had before you came to the realization. Academics call this creating consonance, but I like to call it resolving inner conflict.
Let's say we just started a new job, as most of us can relate to this. In the beginning it comes with a certain level of anxiety. The uncertainty of the unfamiliar produces anxiety that pushes us to try hard, be efficient, timely, and show that we belong. We are free from the norms and routines of the previous job, we experience new operations and processes, new people, and with any luck manage to gain a friend or two. We have expanded our comfort zone by confronting new situations like the hiring process and starting the new job. After a few months, though, that initial enthusiasm is waning and we start to see everything as dull, boring, routine, and possibly with some spite. We might get lazy with our work and less timely because we have accepted the notion that we belong rather than work to prove it. This is likely similar to the way we felt before we left our last job.
Whether that example is something you can relate to or not, you get the picture. You can apply that example to something more relevant to your life, and now your thinking I have a point. Great! You recognize that we are constantly in a cycle of adapting new and exciting things to be part of our norm. This is called hedonistic adaptation, and it's the process by which new and exciting things become normal and dull. You can find out more on the topic in the next article link you find.
Now, let's move on, because I'm not writing this to point out how humans desire to exist with minimal discomfort. More specifically, I'm hoping to grab your attention so that I can point out how beneficial it is to live with discomfort. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean a lot, I certainly don't mean an uncontrollable amount, and I absolutely don't mean negative discomfort. The right amount is truly a positive force, and without it you aren't going to try anything new, experience anything breathtaking, or push yourself to be a better you than the person just lulling about in the comfort zone. If you need a visual, just click here for a Google Images search of "comfort zone" and you'll quickly get the picture. Here's a sample of what to expect:
In this LifeHacker article, Alan Henry explains that a comfort zone is a "behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk." He cites some psychology research by Yerkes and Dodson, who found that "optimal anxiety" is good for us because it forces us to push beyond our comfort zones to maximize performance, creativity, innovation and more. If you have a lingering anxiety in your life and it isn't crushing your ability to thrive, it's probably helping, and that means you are right where you need to be. If you feel like you need a change or have an interest in making a shift, check out Henry's list of how to break out of your comfort zone in the linked article.
Think about it. When you decide to quit your job or work extra hours to pursue a dream, some anxiety is there. When you push your self to ask out the one you've had your eye on, anxious nervousness has you fidgeting. When you leave your home town or long time residence bound for a place where you know no one, you better believe that as excited as you are anxiety is still sitting shotgun.
If you want details about your comfort zone which are more segmented and specific to areas of your life, I recommend checking out this website to get a measure of your three comfort zones: professional, adrenaline and lifestyle. You might surprise yourself with the results. Then the site hooks you up with great info tailored to your results in each category. At least check it out and see your scores, no one if forcing you act on them or read the insight in the links.
My breakdown of comfort zones is two-fold. On one hand they are great because they provide minimal anxiety and stress with maximum happiness. Sounds great! However, that kind of requires you to rest on your laurels. So, on the second hand they prohibit us from trying new things, they tell us not to chase our dream girl, they prevent us from applying for that perfect job, and they stop us from making life changes like moving to a new place. Comfort zones aren't going to bring us new experience, and they are hardly going to enrich our lives. Unless, that is, none of that sounds like anything you want. If that's the case, just hang tight, things will stay the same. For those desiring enrichment, make a change in the areas of your life where you have the most comfort and take a step out of your comfort zone, a step closer to the magic of your passions.
Update: An earlier version of this article was titled, "Step Toward the Magic."
Now I am seeking to break that habit. This is the greatest part about realizing that a routine or habit isn't what you thought it was, you find motivation to make a shift. Once you realize that what you were doing or thinking is not what you were convinced it was, you want to get back to that feeling that you had before you came to the realization. Academics call this creating consonance, but I like to call it resolving inner conflict.
Let's say we just started a new job, as most of us can relate to this. In the beginning it comes with a certain level of anxiety. The uncertainty of the unfamiliar produces anxiety that pushes us to try hard, be efficient, timely, and show that we belong. We are free from the norms and routines of the previous job, we experience new operations and processes, new people, and with any luck manage to gain a friend or two. We have expanded our comfort zone by confronting new situations like the hiring process and starting the new job. After a few months, though, that initial enthusiasm is waning and we start to see everything as dull, boring, routine, and possibly with some spite. We might get lazy with our work and less timely because we have accepted the notion that we belong rather than work to prove it. This is likely similar to the way we felt before we left our last job.
Whether that example is something you can relate to or not, you get the picture. You can apply that example to something more relevant to your life, and now your thinking I have a point. Great! You recognize that we are constantly in a cycle of adapting new and exciting things to be part of our norm. This is called hedonistic adaptation, and it's the process by which new and exciting things become normal and dull. You can find out more on the topic in the next article link you find.
Now, let's move on, because I'm not writing this to point out how humans desire to exist with minimal discomfort. More specifically, I'm hoping to grab your attention so that I can point out how beneficial it is to live with discomfort. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean a lot, I certainly don't mean an uncontrollable amount, and I absolutely don't mean negative discomfort. The right amount is truly a positive force, and without it you aren't going to try anything new, experience anything breathtaking, or push yourself to be a better you than the person just lulling about in the comfort zone. If you need a visual, just click here for a Google Images search of "comfort zone" and you'll quickly get the picture. Here's a sample of what to expect:
In this LifeHacker article, Alan Henry explains that a comfort zone is a "behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk." He cites some psychology research by Yerkes and Dodson, who found that "optimal anxiety" is good for us because it forces us to push beyond our comfort zones to maximize performance, creativity, innovation and more. If you have a lingering anxiety in your life and it isn't crushing your ability to thrive, it's probably helping, and that means you are right where you need to be. If you feel like you need a change or have an interest in making a shift, check out Henry's list of how to break out of your comfort zone in the linked article.
Think about it. When you decide to quit your job or work extra hours to pursue a dream, some anxiety is there. When you push your self to ask out the one you've had your eye on, anxious nervousness has you fidgeting. When you leave your home town or long time residence bound for a place where you know no one, you better believe that as excited as you are anxiety is still sitting shotgun.
If you want details about your comfort zone which are more segmented and specific to areas of your life, I recommend checking out this website to get a measure of your three comfort zones: professional, adrenaline and lifestyle. You might surprise yourself with the results. Then the site hooks you up with great info tailored to your results in each category. At least check it out and see your scores, no one if forcing you act on them or read the insight in the links.
My breakdown of comfort zones is two-fold. On one hand they are great because they provide minimal anxiety and stress with maximum happiness. Sounds great! However, that kind of requires you to rest on your laurels. So, on the second hand they prohibit us from trying new things, they tell us not to chase our dream girl, they prevent us from applying for that perfect job, and they stop us from making life changes like moving to a new place. Comfort zones aren't going to bring us new experience, and they are hardly going to enrich our lives. Unless, that is, none of that sounds like anything you want. If that's the case, just hang tight, things will stay the same. For those desiring enrichment, make a change in the areas of your life where you have the most comfort and take a step out of your comfort zone, a step closer to the magic of your passions.
Update: An earlier version of this article was titled, "Step Toward the Magic."
All Beaches and Freedom: Contrast in a Nutshell
Damn! I'm so jealous! Living in Thailand must be amazing!
It's easy to recognize that this exclamation is coming from the idea that a person has of Thailand. The beach. Whether it is because you saw Leo's movie at some point, maybe some other televised expose, or had a friend take a trip here, you can't tell me that when I say Thailand you aren't thinking beach. Try, but I know you're lying. Ideas and images of long days spent on the beach tanning and swimming are the norm when people think of Thailand, it's just how the country's tourism is marketed and what most people do when they come here.
Fact of the matter is I live in northern Thailand, far from the beach. Chiang Mai is a city surrounded by mountains and has a record winter low of near freezing. Though it has never snowed, the mountain tops often have frozen morning dew that attracts plenty of tourists, Thai and foreign, taking photos and selfies of the spectacle. The lakes and river spots that are fun to frequent don't really have much sunny real estate, leaving few options for a beach-like day. The only way I am going to get sun baked is if I go to one of a few public pools and spend the daily fee to lounge at the perimeter bronzing. That's not even close to a day at the beach.
My prior place of residence in the Kingdom was none other than the super metropolis that is Bangkok. Although it is much nearer the beach than Chiang Mai, it's still about 3+ hours to get there, which really isn't all that bad considering that Bangkok traffic can make a cross city venture take about half that. Though it is closer to the beach, I will say that living in Bangkok offers even less opportunities to capture that free feeling that comes with beach days. Sure, it has Flow House, a cool wave to surf while surrounded by the high-rises and skyscrapers, but if you aren't at Flow House your only option for trying to emulate the sand and saltwater experience is a hotel or condo pool. They too are not beach, making it quite easy to forget you are closer to it than Chiang Mai, especially when the buildings tower overhead like the mountains of the north.
There are definitely times when I want to be the vagabond whose only worry is making it to a bus station or airport on time to get to my next destination. That freedom is a lovely feeling, and it comes with a complete disregard for what time it is. As far as my freedom goes, however, I have as much as the standard 9-5er does back home. I work Monday through Friday and look forward to weekends, when I can cut loose, drown myself in the Internet, watch a senseless movie, or be lazy just because it's my time. Those two sweet days certainly don't allow enough time for a visit to the beach, unless I want to spend a third or more of my monthly salary for a day and a half of beach time. Fact is, I don't.
I enjoy living in the mountains, it's quite similar to where I grew up, in northern California's Sierra Nevadas. I love that here I can jump on my motor bike and wind my way through curves and inclines, and within 30 minutes be climbing and weaving through high jungle forest and cool mountain air. I can stop at a strawberry farm, walk around a massive and pristine botanical garden, sit and watch elephants pass as I sip locally grown coffee, and eat lunch in a delicious fusion restaurant tucked away in the shadow of a jungle peak. Quite a good list of a weekend day's activities at the cost of not being in close proximity to the beach, to be honest.
Chiang Mai is a city with a great international influence, producing an amazingly unique blend of gastronomic delights and a vibrant cafe culture. To make matters even better, most everything you get your hands on, from food to coffee, is grown locally and organically just beyond the borders of the city. No need to eat at a chain restaurant when there is an array of family owned restaurants with menus boasting unique recipes of Thai and international origin, all comprised of locally grown produce. Vegetarian, are you? No problem! The city hosts a great number of vegetarian restaurants, and many places have vegetarian options on the menu. If you like coffee and food, you will LOVE Chiang Mai, and you can find out for yourself why some call it a foodie paradise.
Thailand truly has much more to offer than beach, and I recommend to anyone headed to the Kingdom to explore beyond it, out into central and northern Thailand. Getting beyond the areas where tourism rules all is a fantastic contrast to experience because it immerses you in the lesser known cultural riches of the country. Find the places where the menu isn't tailored to western preferences, the people know very little or no English, the smiles are large, warm and inviting, hospitality and effort to accommodate will amaze you, and the people laugh with you often. It's truly humbling.
Thailand truly has much more to offer than beach, and I recommend to anyone headed to the Kingdom to explore beyond it, out into central and northern Thailand. Getting beyond the areas where tourism rules all is a fantastic contrast to experience because it immerses you in the lesser known cultural riches of the country. Find the places where the menu isn't tailored to western preferences, the people know very little or no English, the smiles are large, warm and inviting, hospitality and effort to accommodate will amaze you, and the people laugh with you often. It's truly humbling.
I must say, however, that the irony here is that I'm actually writing this post while on vacation, with no idea what time it is, and it just so happens that I'm at a beach. I'm surrounded by restaurants appealing to western cravings, and many of the locals are English proficient. Oh well. I'll take it, for now.
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