Life in Chiang Mai: Daily Walks and Delicious Food

It’s hard to believe we have been in Chiang Mai for almost a week. Today, I was having the slightly panicky feeling I get when we are in a new place and I feel like we haven’t explored enough yet. I was expressing this to Alexis while we were walking and she said “Mom, we’re experiencing it by just being here.” Not sure when she got so wise – ha! She’s correct though. We see monks walking past our front windows every morning and there are spirit house shrines around every corner.

San Phra Phum (Spirit Houses)

We have seen many spirit houses throughout Asia, but they are extremely abundant here. The main purpose of the spirit house is to provide a dwelling place for the protective spirits of the land. The belief is that when construction disturbs the land or spirits that already reside there, you need to offer them an alternative, beautiful home so they’ll be content and protect rather than cause trouble for the people living or working on the property. The shrines are strategically placed based on feng shui principles and usually in a spot where the buildings shadow will not fall on the spirit house. People often leave flowers, incense, drinks, and other gifts to keep the spirits happy and show respect. It’s fun to see all the different shrines as we walk around!

Walking, Walking, and More Walking

We have all been enjoying the fabulous walking spaces around us. My average daily step count since we arrived is 18,000 steps. The crisp morning air feels like such a treat and I will never get tired of the beautiful, massive trees. Dave and the kids like to make fun of me for my constant comments on the “flora and fauna”.

Delicious and Spicy Food

We have already tried a variety of Thai food. I got pad thai at two different restaurants and it’s interesting to see the differences in flavor. I really have to force myself not to order that every single time – I love it! Dave has tried a variety of different types of curry, including the traditional northern Thailand dish of Khao Soi, which is creamy coconut curry noodle soup with crispy noodles on top. Yum!

Alexis experienced some very spicy food last night. She made it through the entire dish but won’t forget to request no spice next time. To say not spicy in Thai is: “Mai phet” (pronounced “my pet”). She’s been practicing.

Thinking About the Future

I re-enrolled the kids in school this week and Alexis has to pick her classes for freshman year by Monday. I try not to spend too much time thinking about the transition back to life in Colorado, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Alexis and I were both snapping at each other as we were discussing her class selection today, and I quickly realized it was because we were both feeling nervous about the future. Our family will never get this amount of time together again and high school will be a whole new chapter. Trying to remember to be where my feet are this week.