I left Australia for those three months with a fresh degree, no job and no address. I am going back to go to my official graduation, with a job in my dream career field and am excited for whatever it is that comes next. Life is truly too short to stay rooted down if that is not what makes your heart happy.
Wandering around temples to try delicious local foods (we had, at different times throughout the afternoon/night, chicken and rice, prawns, and some bar snack foods with drinks later on when we took a break halfway through), it is easy and enjoyable to get lost in the markets. We ended up enjoying some drinks and sitting down to watch a fantastic jazz band play in a little bar.
Four to six hours long - depending entirely on how often you stop throughout the day - Samoeng Loop takes you past waterfalls, vast valley views, towering mountains, cafes - some of which are amazingly set down in the streams so that your feet dip in the cool pebbled waters while you eat and drink - and fruit and vegetable farms.
With bright blue and sometimes lime green waters, the quarry has filled with water during the monsoon seasons. We spent the day going through the obstacle courses and ziplining our way across the quarry.
The mountains of Doi Suthep are towering and powerful, and the vibrant greenery of the forests that cover said mountains add a charming sense of peace to the landscape. The cultural significance and history here is impossible not to feel as you make your way up the steps and to the entrance temple.
They walk over, lifting their trucks and literally start feeling in our pockets and just taking the bamboo pieces. Two tiny babies, with a group of four adults, were eating bamboo shoots.
We took tuk tuks into the ancient town in the centre, where we explored temples, little street markets, and the like. It did not take long for us to decide that the inner city was where we wanted to be based.
Over the last few months, we did research on potential places to move to, the pros and cons of each of these locations, visa qualifications, must-see sights, etc. Australia will always be home, but we can have homes away from homes, too.
