I would have thought after spending 2+ months in Chiang Mai settled in, I’d spend more time blogging, but alas, that wasn’t the case. I loaded up my days with lots of other activities and the blog took a backseat to living the days rather than just reflecting on them.

Where Did We Live?

Our good friend from back home joined us for the two months, which was a wonderful experience being able to share this time together. But it did also cause some challenges finding a 2-bedroom place, as  nearly everywhere was booked full or didn’t want to do a one month. Once we found this place which was perfect, we agreed to a two-month lease to ensure we could get it.

It’s a beautiful apartment in the Nimman neighborhood, which is much more Western, filled with new condos, trendy restaurants, a fancy mall, and lots of expats. There’s an ease to living here, with most everyone speaking English and all the amenities you’d ever need, from pharmacies to a grocery store to a nice movie theater.

Our condo also has a kitchen which was a must for me but very unusual in Thailand, as groceries often cost more than street food.

The added month turned out to be even better than we imagined, giving us more time to call this city home and enjoy it to the fullest.

So What Have I Been Up To?

A week with my dearest friend Lauren, who came for a Christmas holiday. We crammed a lot in, including seeing a lot of temples, an overnight to Elephant Land, running the Chiang Mai Half Marathon, and visiting a tea plantation and Chiang Rai.

Morning yoga (I am LOVING YogaDownload, and this is from someone who used to really struggle with being motivated to do yoga) and a Crossfit gym sesh at the one gym in Chiang Mai with AC – a must have here.

Making breakfast. This sounds simple, but is just so nice and relaxing to me.

Eating at nearly all the amazing places in Nimman. There’s a wealth of trendy bars, Instagrammable cafes and delicious restaurants, not to mention the incredible khao soi, sliced mango, spicy papaya salad and watermelon smoothies. (I may miss the ease of delicious, cheap street food the most.)

Making friends with other expats and travelers from around the world. Facebook groups really are amazing at bringing people together.

Experiencing the lunar New Year festivities. Happy year of the pig!

Checking out the floats of the annual Chiang Mai Flower Festival.

Exploring various areas of the city and seeing all the beautiful temples (another post coming next on all my top recommendations of what to do).

Indulging in afternoon tea at the swanky Anantara Resort on the Ping River.

Drinking a bit too much at the amazing bars in Nimman or on a bar crawl through the Old City.

Listened to music at the North Gate Jazz Club. Who knew Chiang Mai loved jazz so much?

There’s been some productive time in there too, completing a year’s worth of continuing ed for my CPA license and researching next travel destinations and future career moves.

Reading a bit, including Becoming, Crooked Kingdom, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, An Olive Grove at the End of the World (highly recommend!!), and Where the Crawdads Sing.

Where Are We Off to Now?

On Thursday, we head to Hong Kong for a few nights. We’re excited to see the massive buildings, skyline lit up at night, and eat lots of dim sum.

From there, we’re off to New Zealand! We’ll be starting in Auckland then renting a car to drive through the North Island. I can’t wait to explore the national parks, wine regions, glowworm caves and farmlands.

If you’ve got any suggestions in either area, please send ’em my way!