Volunteer Stories  |  Sonny

Travel to Teach has been a great experience from start to finish - fun and enjoyable as well as challenging and rewarding. To start, Chiang Mai is a beautiful city and I knew from the very beginning that it was a city in which I would love to spend a good chunk of time and separate myself from the standard tourist circuit which is exactly what I found.

The house itself is set in a traditional Thai neighborhood and is a house that a standard Thai family may live in (although they would have quite a few more people sharing the same space). The cooridnator, Yui, is a kind hearted Thai woman who really helped to bridge the gap between cultures. If you want to learn to speak Thai she is an invaluable resource and if you just want to see what it's like to be Thai rather than falang, it's so nice to see what the local people do - where they eat, how they act, and so on. Fantastic.

The school, oh where do I begin. The kids are the most wonderful people you'll ever meet. So friendly, fun, and inquisitive, those bug eyes will fill your heart and memories. They grow to love you as much as you will love them (it's impossible not to). You can really have a lot of fun teaching them and at the end of your time, you can see that they really did learn something. However, this doesn't come freely. You really have to push yourself a bit to plan, maintain high expectations, never become frustrated, and above all, be creative.

If you're looking for a good mix of quiet and action, Chiang Mai is the perfect place for you and if you're looking to give something back while traveling, the T2T is a great option.