Chiang Mai University

When I first got the information about studying abroad for a semester, I got really excited. But I felt the need to really think everything through. Is it even possible to go to Thailand for 5 months as I have a boyfriend and a cat? After a lot of debating me my boyfriend and decided that we should give it a shot.

There was a lot of paperwork that had to be done before the big trip. But after a few months it was time to leave and everything went almost planned. The flight to Thailand was filled with excitement and I was so ready to start my classes and meet all the people in my temporary school.

The first few days in Thailand were amazing. The city of Chiang Mai is filled with big shopping malls, lots of markets, cafes and restaurants. There was so much to do and see. Every day was filled with opportunities to go hiking in the mountains or walk around the many temples that are scattered around the city. And then end the evening by going to the markets to eat and shop.

After a few days, I had my first introduction in school. I was welcomed by the headmaster and my contact for my studies abroad. My classmates were amazing and welcoming. The class was mixed with students from different countries but also from Thailand. They study their whole program in English.

The courses were really nice and fun to do. I had Adult nursing, Maternal newborn, Gerontological and Lana Society. Two of the courses were a bit different from the regular curriculum. Lana Society was a course that gave insight into the history of the north of Thailand which was fun to study to get more insight in the amazing country I now live in. Maternal newborn was a course about the process of women birthing a newborn.

The classes were mandatory, but I had a lot of free time to go out and eat hotpot with my classmates and travel around the city and even the country. Some of the adventures were hiking at Doi Suthep (a big mountain near the city) and Doi Inthanon (the highest mountain in Thailand). I had time for a trip to Khao Lak, a place near Phuket. And the last few days before my plane ride home I got to experience Bangkok in all its glory.

The best thing about my time abroad was getting the full experience of living in Thailand. I really got to know the city and the people. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.