This was our very first trip to East Asia — and the first time we celebrated both Christmas and New Year’s abroad. We based ourselves in Chiang Mai, a city buzzing with energy, food, and culture. From the moment we arrived, Thailand felt like a whole new world.
Markets, Food & Cooking Like Locals.
The day and night markets quickly became our playground. The smells of sizzling street food, the chatter of vendors, the colors of endless stalls — it was pure sensory overload in the best way. Dylan and I ate everything from noodles to skewers to Thai iced tea (which he made a ritual of getting every single morning). We even took a Thai cooking class!
But nothing compared to the meals we had during our jungle trek. The mountain tribes we stayed with cooked dishes that blew us away — especially one batch of chicken wings Dylan still swears are the best he’s ever had.
Adventures with Animals
Adventurous was the theme of this trip. We (probably not so wisely) visited a tiger sanctuary, where Dylan and I found ourselves inside cages with tigers. Not my brightest dad move, but… whatever man!
Balance came when we spent time at an elephant sanctuary, where we saw these giants in their natural habitat — no rides, no tricks, just elephants being elephants. It was beautiful and humbling.
Jungle Trekking with Mr. Goo
The heart of our Thailand adventure was a three-day trek through the jungle with our unforgettable guide, Mr. Goo. (affiliated with Chiang Mai Trekking) He led us up steep trails, across farmland worked by indigenous people, and through tiny villages where life moved at its own pace . Along the way, he kept pointing out spiders and other “eatable” critters, laughing as Dylan and I politely declined.
We stayed in mountain tribe homestays, where showers were nothing more than spigots in wooden huts, and we woke at dawn to the sound of roosters and goats. Each village had its own little “mall,” where locals sold handmade goods — woven bags, carved trinkets, and simple treasures we couldn’t resist bringing home.
Evenings were my favorite: sitting with locals, sharing food, and sipping mekong whiskey while the sounds of the jungle surrounded us.
The Golden Triangle
One day, we hopped a longboat up a tributary of the Mekong River to the Golden Triangle, the meeting point of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. We learned about the opium trade that once dominated the region — a history as fascinating as it was sobering.
Christmas & New Year’s in Thailand
Christmas isn’t a big holiday in Thailand, but our guesthouse had a tiny two-foot tree set up for the handful of Western tourists staying there. Dylan and I exchanged our small gifts around that little tree, and it felt just right — simple, special, ours.
New Year’s Eve was nothing short of magical. Together, we lit a paper lantern and sent it floating into the night sky, joining hundreds of glowing lanterns carrying wishes into the new year. That image — the sky filled with light — will stay with me forever.
Tuk-Tuk Thrills
Of course, no Thailand story is complete without mentioning the tuk-tuks. Zipping around Chiang Mai in the back of those little three-wheeled rockets felt like putting our lives in the hands of daredevil drivers. It was chaos, it was loud, it was slightly terrifying — and it was unforgettable.
Why This Trip Changed Everything
This trip checked every box: culture, food, animals, adventure, and perspective. It pushed us beyond comfort zones and showed Dylan a world completely different from what we knew. It was raw, real, and eye-opening — the kind of travel Anthony Bourdain would’ve approved of.
We still keep in touch with Mr. Goo, and whenever Dylan and I talk about Thailand, we’re reminded how life-changing those three weeks were. This was the trip that truly set us on a new path of adventure.
And from there, the journey continued — our next adventure took us Down Under to Australia, this time back with our lifelong friends. But that’s a story for the next post.
Wherever We May Roam 