What inspired you to go abroad?
Before going to Thailand through Webster’s study abroad program, I had been an exchange student in high school in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag program. This experience was so wonderful and helped me to grow so much and my perspective of the world to reach such new heights I couldn’t resist taking the leap again and living in a foreign country. Throughout the next two years, I spent summers in Greece working for a media company and traveled extensively throughout Europe.
After this, I had a feeling of a good understanding of Europe and the culture, and I wanted something more. When I saw Webster offered a program in Thailand, I was at first a little weary having not known much about Thailand before, but I wanted an adventure. I wanted to discover a place and a culture entirely different than what I was used to. This is when I decided I must go to Thailand, even though a part of me was nervous at the unknown of going to Asia and a lesser-developed country. It felt like fate, and after my incredible experience there, I know it was.
Ninh Binh, Vietnam. My time in Vietnam was wonderful! Even though I was only there for six days, I was able to travel to Ninh Binh, Hoi An, and Da Nang, and I loved it. The people were so kind, and it was incredibly beautiful. This particular photo was near my home-stay, and it was a magical experience walking through the rice fields with hundreds of dragonflies flying all around. While I was in Vietnam, I was also be able to hike in the jungle (I miss the Southeast Asian jungles!), visit historical sites, and experience a taste of Vietnamese culture.
Why did you choose Webster University in Thailand?
I chose my particular program in Hua Hin, Thailand for multiple reasons. On the surface, the location right next to the beach, the pictures I saw of the housing, and the things I had heard about the beauty of Thailand attracted me to the program. I also craved adventure and something new and different than what I had experienced before.
In addition, I believed it would be vital to my future career in foreign policy to see what life was like in a lesser developed country and to have an understanding of the struggles people in countries like these go through. Deeper than that, I wanted to push myself and grow further. Even though I had made monumental steps in personal growth through my other experiences abroad, I still had a long way to go, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt my experience in Thailand would bring me this.
What was your favorite part of Thailand?
There was so much that it’s hard to decide, but one of the most crucial parts of my study abroad experience were the people. In the university and outside of it, people were so kind and open, and the friends I made there became my family. They really made the experience for me. But, besides that, some of my favorite things were the incredible nature whether it be mountain jungles or gorgeous beaches and the peace-bringing temples (I even became Buddhist while there) and the diverse and beautifully chaotic night markets with all the sights, sounds, smells, and people of all different backgrounds.
What made your experience abroad unique?
The little moments were what really made my study abroad experience unique, whether they were on campus at the little coffee-shop with the kind barista who knew my order straight away, or walking along the beach or in the night markets with friends, or as I stood before a temple in a cave with golden sunlight shining upon the beautiful patch of forest behind it. The people again were a large part of the beauty of the experience becoming a strong base of support for me and helping me to grow as a person and to widen my perspective.
My experiences traveling throughout Southeast Asia also contributed to these magical moments as I stood in awe of grand, thousand-of-year-old temples in Angkor Wat; as I shuddered at the whizzing green of the jungle under my feet as I ziplined in Vang Vieng; as I slept in traditional bamboo houses in the middle of a jungle village without electricity but with some of the most genuine people I had ever met; as I looked over the bright green landscape blanketed by soft pink and orange clouds in the early morning sun at the top of a volcano at Mt. Ijen; as I stood in the middle of a rice field encased by limestone mountains and dragonflies dancing around me in Ninh Binh; and so many more incredible experiences.
Though I did face challenges and mishaps (usually of my own making) while abroad, those little moments in time will be ones I will never forget, and they have changed me fundamentally in their dream-like quality.
Mt. Ijen, Indonesia. Though I had to get up at 3:30 to hike this before sunrise, the breathtaking views were more than worth it. I absolutely loved seeing the different volcanoes of Indonesia, and the beautiful waterfalls, sulfur lakes, and other natural phenomenon, not to mention the beautiful architecture of the mosques and ancient Hindu temples in Malang.
How did local staff support you through the program
The local staff was very supportive in my program. When I needed to go to the hospital because of a jellyfish sting, they helped me find one. They also were very helpful in connecting me with the right people for my articles I wrote as a foreign correspondent for my university’s newspaper.
What is one thing you wish you had done differently?
Nothing! If anything, I would’ve extended my time and done even more, but I took full advantage of the time I had. So, I am not sure what more I could have fit in.
Describe a typical day in the life of your program
When I wasn't traveling, I got up around sunrise and watched it over the ocean from my balcony. I went to campus on the university-provided transportation for my one or two three-hour classes. After class, I went to the beach, shopping, or to the night market with friends.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
While in Hua Hin/Cha-Am, I would go swimming, go for walks along the beach with friends, or go discover new places to eat and cuisines with friends. I would traverse the night markets, take long Song Thao rides while standing at the back enjoying the sun on my face and wind in my hair, and would enjoy spending time with my friends either hanging out at the housing/on-campus or exploring the town. Otherwise, I traveled quite frequently, having set up my schedule to only have two days of classes in the second term and only three the first term.
I went all over Thailand, from Bangkok to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park and the Phraya Nakhon temple, stayed in a homestay with my Thai culture class, went up to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Pai in the north, went around Kanchanaburi, hiked through Erawan National Park, and traveled to the island of Koh Phangan. While traveling through Thailand, I always loved to see the different temples and their styles and went out of my way to explore the nature of Thailand through the oceans and the jungles and mountains.
I also traveled throughout South East Asia to countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, and Vietnam in my free time, and I would go on hikes, explore cultural sites and cities, and participate in cultural immersion experiences such as a hiking trip through Laotian mountain-jungle villages.
Vang Vieng, Laos. My trip to Laos felt like a dream. It was my first time traveling completely alone, and it was my longest trip to another country while I was abroad (11 days). I traveled up from Vientiane, to Vang Vieng, to Luang Prabang, and finally up to Pak Ou Province mountain-jungle villages where I stayed in these villages for four days. It was truly an incredible experience and quite enlightening into the lives of people in rural areas of lesser-developed countries. The people were very kind and genuine, and it was absolutely amazing! This was probably one of my favorite times abroad.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
Our accommodation was very nice. It was similar to a studio apartment with a desk, TV, refrigerator, bathroom and shower, a beanbag, and a closet. We had Wi-Fi connection at both the housing, Sala, and on campus. Most rooms also had a balcony with a view of the forested mountains or the ocean. You had the option for single or double rooms. Single rooms had king-sized beds and double-rooms had two twins. There was also a maid service that would come in once a week to clean.
The study abroads stayed on one floor together and the home campus students were on the floors above and below. Many of the hallways were also open air which was really nice with the warm weather. On the bottom floor there were laundry facilities and a café where they had free, small breakfast and later in the day would have options to order. There were sitting areas both inside and outside, and there was a pool with tables and chairs that students hung out at a lot of the time. There was also a nice lounge area in the lobby where students would hang out and do homework and multiple study rooms on the ground floor. There was also a gym on the ground floor with a variety of exercise equipment.
My favorite part of the housing was the location near the beach and the outside pool area where you could swim or hang out with friends and enjoy the ocean breeze, exotic bird calls, and the swaying palm trees.
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
It is definitely an adventure, and you will encounter a lot of things including foods, transportation systems, landscapes, people, and ways of life that are different than what you are used to. It will not be the same comfort of modern amenities everywhere, and you have to be prepared for this. Though it is different, that is one of the reasons you want to go, and it will be an experience like no other I would highly recommend. It will push you out of your comfort zone and will allow you to have some of the most incredible experiences of your life. Simply embrace it and take on the Thai cultural practice of moving with what happens and living and embracing the moment and all it has to offer.
One of my favorite things in Hua Hin were the sunrises. They were absolutely breathtaking especially being right on the ocean.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
The great extent of the impact on me I don’t think has fully revealed itself yet as that time period was so significant in my personal growth and how I have moved forward in the past several months. It helped me to bring home all the lessons I learned through my experiences abroad in Europe and living in Germany and to come to a closure about that period of my life and to finish my progressive growth from that experience. It pushed me to be even more outgoing and to put myself out there more. It taught me that you can’t hold yourself back because of minor fears that are usually unprecedented because life is a precious and fleeting thing and every moment in it is important.
Because of the significance of moments, you must learn to completely embrace the present moment without regret or being in your own thoughts, live it, see it, hear it, breathe it in, and let moments become a full body experience where your attention and your thoughts are on nothing else except your present experience. In this way, one second can feel like an eternity and your experience in that moment becomes a life of its own. This is the way I have learned to make the most of my time in this life, and Thailand had an integral part in teaching me this lesson. In addition, Thailand brought home there is no time in life to be angry for minor things even if they feel huge at the time. They are truly insignificant in the larger picture of life, and if you hang on to them, you might end up missing out on a time you can never get back.
The friendships I made in Thailand had a significant impact on me as well. They became my family, and we all share a bond to this day that cannot be severed. One friend I met in Thailand in particular taught me the very valuable lesson that love and compassion are the most important things in life. You must have them for yourself as well as others or you will truly miss out on the beauty in life. Those were just a few of the life-changing impacts my experience in Thailand had on me, and I am sure as time goes on I will realize even more how it has permanently changed the course of my life for the better.
Would you recommend Webster University in Thailand to others? Why?
Absolutely! My six months in Thailand were some of the best of my life where I met some of my closest friends, had incredible adventures, and where I finally embraced who I was fully and really came into my own. Going to Thailand was one of the best decisions of my life, and I can’t tell you how much I miss that time and all the people I met and experiences I had. Thailand and Southeast Asia are amazing, and you will not regret going. Just embrace it and all the ups and downs that come with studying abroad and learn and grow from them, and those memories will stay with you for the rest of your life.
