Post-Trip Reflection

By: Rachel Wong

Over the course of my trip to Thailand, the most important thing that I have learned is the quality of flexibility.  Being open, ready and flexible for anything that is thrown at you during the trip will ensure that you will have the best trip of your life.  Thailand is extremely different from the United States, and there are more than a few times where you are out of your comfort zone.

The best part of the trip to Thailand is the people that you meet, whether that is the teachers, fellow students, Thai nursing students, or children.  Many of the people that you will meet during the trip only speak Thai.  Although you cannot communicate very well with the people that you meet in Thailand, it is important to be flexible in order to build relationships, because it is the relationships that will last the longest after the trip is over.

If you are flexible, you will be open to meeting new people and having great experiences.  The two rural villages are entirely unlike anything that most people have ever been to before.  The houses that you stay in are vastly different than any home in the US.  To fully experience Thailand, you have to be ready for a world unlike your own.  Events such as coup d’etats happen and therefore schedules can change.  The food is amazing, yet entirely different than Thai food in the United States.  Being able to easily adapt to situations is the best way to become a global citizen and helps in enjoying everything that a different culture has to offer.