While everyone else was getting in some last minute back to school shopping, North High senior, E Chai Khang, was on her way to Thailand.

Khang spent the last 2 weeks of summer break on vacation in Thailand with her family. Originally, she hoped to make the trip in a couple of years with her grandma who grew up in Thailand, but her mom was eager to go as soon as possible!

When asked about the differences she experienced in Thailand, Khang said, “My first impression: we were picked up from the airport, driving to the hotel, and the traffic was crazy!” She laughed as she added, “The food portions are also way smaller and the people are way nicer.”

Khang spent most of her time in the city Chiang Mai, and said her favorite things in Thailand were visiting the temples, getting to meet and ride elephants, and enjoying all of the beautiful scenery! “I absolutely loved all of the nature!”

Her trip wasn’t all perfect though. During her time in Thailand, Khang had some eye opening experiences that helped her develop a   new mindset.

“[In Thailand] poverty is huge, everything is dirty, the pollution is bad, and so many people are starving.”

She went on to detail an experience she had with a boy in Thailand. “While I was eating at a restaurant with my family, a little boy came up to us with his hands together asking us to buy the products he was selling to make money for his family.”

The most impactful story she tells of her trip is about a homeless man she met on a bridge. Khang stopped to ask him why he was sitting out in the rain and ask about his circumstances after buying him an umbrella, She emphasizes the hoplessness she felt from him.

Her biggest takeaway from the trip? “I can’t stress it enough, be grateful for what you have!”