Itching to Leave

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Itching to Leave, Leaving to Itch

As part of preparation for departure, it is important to identify things that concern the participant. I did a nice long write up about culture shock and a few of my concerns about my upcoming experience that you can read about by clicking here (The link redirects you to another part of my blog).  More than anything, I'm nervous about adjusting to a new culture; however there was one unfortunate aspect of the program that only recently dawned on me. 

I like to consider myself a dynamic and multifaceted young woman, but when mosquitos look at me all they see is a blood mobile. The sound of my approach rings through the air like the instantly recognizable carnivalesque music of the ice cream truck and all the neighborhood mosquito-kids run after me. 

I'm considering tatooing 'line forms here to my ankles' and charging premium prices for a taste of what I've got to serve. Seriously, if Dracula bit me, he couldn't get more blood then those damn mosquitos. It's like I'm a giant piece of chocolate cake.  [And while the objectification of women is a serious issue I'd normally take on, this is not that post.] 

The point is, I hate mosquitos and they love me.  I always get covered in bites during the spring and summer months. I am uncomfortably itchy and can usually be found reapplying a thick coat of calamine to my legs every 3 hours or so. 

But I still counted down to summer every year. 

Hints that summer was on the horizon began as the days got longer and the weather got nicer. I knew summer was close when I received my letter in the mail from camp, advising me what to pack, a list I religiously read every year, even though it never changed. And summer had to be closing in as my mom and I would spend an hour each year carefully writing "W.LOW" on every article of clothing I owned. Still, the true start to summer and all of its adventures began the moment I retrieved my bottle of bug spray from the cabinet. 

For nearly 17 years bug spray was not only a guarantee of summer, but of new adventures, more fun, and care free late nights.  

I first came to Colorado in the Fall of 2011, it wasn't until after eight months living in Denver that one spring evening I looked up and realized that were no mosquitos in Denver. The lack of mosquitos is fact #393 on my list of 'Reasons Why I Love Denver.' 

 In St. Louis, adventures outdoors to catch lighting bugs were always cut short when the mosquitos became unbearable. I spent countless weeks at camp debating whether I'd rather  suffer the itch of the bites, or the sting of the alcoholic "anti itch" chemicals.  In Denver, I never had these issues, but my endless itch free nights ended when I returned to Michigan and her lakes. 

My legs are once again a red dotted mess, but the weather is too nice to stay inside.

Last week, while sitting in the grass flicking bug after bug off my skin, I was torn from my daydream when I realized exactly where exactly I'll be heading *this* Fall, not to a mosquito-free Denver, but into the tropical humid mosquito infested country of Thailand.  Into the midst of everything I had escaped in Denver. Over all the other fears and realizations that have struck me as I prepare for the trip, this one hit me with the most fear and horror.

Still, I am over come with nostalgia for the camp years of my life. I have to smile as I imagine every morning in Thailand, waking up and heading outside to cover myself in the pungent, chemically smell of excitement, adventure, and new friends. 

Introduction Part 2: FAQS

When do I leave?

I will be leaving for Thailand at the end of August  and will return to the states at the end of December. 

How do I contact you/ will you have internet?

I'm really uncertain. I'm not bringing my phone or computer with me to Thailand. All of our homework assignments are handwritten. The first 5 weeks I'll be in the city, but after that most of my time will be spent in the fields. The ISDSI program does offer a computer lab specifically for its students, so I'm sure I'll be able to get online from there. 

After the first 5 weeks I may not have internet access often so blog updates might be fewer. I am bringing a journal with me to write, so if I miss a chance to post, rest assured it will get typed and posted when I return to the city. 

Of note: The ISDSI program also hosts a blog to keep up with students in the program. To learn more about the program and visit their blog, visit http://www.isdsi.org/blog/

Thailand? Why Thailand?

The time period to chose a program was interesting for me. DU offers over 150 partner programs. Studying on a partner program means that I do not have to suspend enrollment at DU, my credits automatically transfer, and I have a lot more guidance through the study abroad process. DU has a building designated as the International House (I-House) right on campus. In the basement are flyers for every single program that you could possibly go on with brief descriptions of requirements. When I realized the breadth of my choices, I was pretty much paralyzed, so I did what every rational person would do. I went to the I-House and grabbed every flyer for every program that I was eligible for. Ruling out all language requirement programs, I still had well over 50 flyers in my hands and I read through every single one of them making piles on my bed of Definitely Yes, Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Definitely No. I won't bore you with all the details, but after a lot of pondering, many conversations with family and friends, and a lot of application essays, I applied and was accepted to the ISDSI program in Chiang Mai. 

I have to explain that I did not choose this program for its location. When I initially began looking at my study abroad options, I was not looking for a culture shock; however, reading through the program details my mouth began to water. 

This program was unlike any of the other programs I had looked at. The ISDSI program in Thailand combines my passion for science, social justice, and experiential learning under the umbrella of sustainable development. Fieldwork will allow me to observe the real world extension of microprocesses to the macro level in three distinct ecosystems; this will allow me to better understand applications of microbiology to sustainable development when I return to my studies at DU. Social justice work has been a life-long passion of mine. I look forward to exploring alternative concepts of justice to expand my understanding beyond American values. This program will provide me with an opportunity to familiarize myself with global challenges from the perspective of another country and culture.he ISDSI program also provides the greatest chance for my own personal growth. I’ve always been a cautious adventurer. When presented with new or challenging things, I face them with enthusiasm, but also with anxiety. I had many fears when initially choosing a study abroad program including adapting to a different culture, sticking out as a Caucasian, and how  my experience as a woman might differ from a man’s experience. Though I was scared, I knew I wanted to face my fears and take on the challenge of this once in a lifetime opportunity. 

To be frank, I knew nothing about southeast asia, its cultures, or its people. I was planning on studying in London or Israel, a more familiar territory and I still can't believe I'm crazy enough to chose this adventure over stability.  This program is also competitive and I wasn't sure I would be accepted. When I got the email, I screamed. I'm pretty sure my Mom couldn't believe it either. The first step for both of us was finding Thailand on the map. She then promptly went to search for a Jewish community in Thailand, while I started reading everything I could on Wikipedia. 

Where will I be? :

Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand. It is a cultural center, has become increasingly modern in recent years, and soon may apply for "Creative City" status with UNESCO. There is an excellent Wikipedia article on the city that I suggest as required reading for anyone reading this blog. 

Thailand on the map. 10 points if you could locate it before you saw this picture

Here it is a bit closer up. 

And there's the city I'll be in, Chiang Mai

What is Sustainable Development? (What will I study?):

Sustainable Development:

refers to a mode of human development in which resource use aims to meet human needs while ensuring the sustainability of natural systems and the environment, so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come.  

The concept of sustainable development has been broken out into four domains:  economic, ecological, political and cultural sustainability.

In short, I'll be studying people, ecology, and development. For more information on the specific courses I'll be taking, check out the course description page on this blog (see the links at the top of the page).


See the next post for more FAQS about Thailand and my program. 

Introduction Part 1: Welcome!

Hello. Welcome to my blog.  

As is the trend, I will be spending the first half of my third year in college studying abroad. I have been looking forward to this for years and spent long hours considering where I would travel. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine where I would eventually chose. 

In the Fall of 2013, I will be studying in Chiang Mai, Thailand at the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute.  In August, I will travel 14+ hours (with a layover in Seoul, Korea) to Chiang Mai to take part in ISDSI’s 17 week People, Ecology, and Development program. The course emphasizes experiential learning and aims to bridge the social and natural sciences. During the first five weeks, I will stay with a Thai host family and learn Thai language and culture. Then I will take 3 courses over 3 months, one topic each month on fields, forests, and rivers/oceans. Each course has one week of classroom learning followed by three weeks of experiential learning. During the program, I will be hiking, backpacking, kayaking and staying in villages all throughout Thailand. 

As part of the course I have my first summer reading assignment since high school. For the program I am reading Culture Shock, Thailand, by Nanthapa and Robert Cooper as well as Becoming World Wise: A Guide to Global Learning by Richard Slimbach. 

Throughout this blog information and quotes will be taken from those two books, the ISDSI website and pre-departure information, as well as Wikipedia. I'm aiming to have a mix of facts and information about Thailand mixed in with personal reflections. I hope you enjoy reading!