Chiang Mai, My Oh My!

This will be a short entry because tonight is a school night! I arrived in Chiang Mai last night and as I breathed in the fresh mountain air, I breathed out a sigh of relief that I was 1.) alive, 2.) had all my belongings with me, and 3.) was finally out of Babylon/Bangkok. 

I checked into my guest house, dropped my backpack in my new room and did what I considered the most important orientation to my new city...

find my local pad thai noodle shop.

I met some of the people in my guest house who are also attending TMC Massage School with me. They are a lovely group of Europeans, a French Canadian (who may as well be European) and girl from Texas. As much as I love spending time with people from different cultures, it's nice to have another Yankee over here.

I've fully embraced what my friend Charlotte calls the "honeymoon phase of culture shock." It has mainly consisted of my new friends and me swimming all afternoon in a millennium pool with a somewhat obstructed view of the mountain range,

going to the Sunday Market to buy a pair of pants that I didn't need and eat from the food stalls 

                                   

watch a woman practice her audition for what I imagine to be the live action musical of Up

And just in case I end up in Bangkok again, practice my sharp shooting skills

My new Thai friend, Kit, has my back too.

Tomorrow massage school starts. I can't wait!