Mari’s Journals

September 25, 2025

"Hope in my heart overflows"

สวัสดีค่ะทุกคน!

It’s been a full month since my last journal, so I believe it’s finally time for another!

I will warn you, I do not believe my journals will become any shorter – the opposite might happen instead, actually. I’ve come to realize that there are too many things that deserve more than being brushed over, and I feel a responsibility to give them all a bit of elaboration. So, disclaimer, this will be quite a read as well!

Since my last journal, I have been put into classes with other students closer to my age. My homeroom is still with M. 4 (the sophomore class equivalent), and I have plenty of classes with them, but I also have some classes with M. 5 and M. 6, the junior and senior grade equivalents respectively. 

Many who know me will know that I have a rather lackluster memory, so being able to recite everyone’s names has been more than a challenge, but I’ve definitely improved and can now properly greet people I know. My friends have been incredibly patient with me, and they’ve even helped teach me Thai by speaking to me slowly and teaching me common phrases. I have also learned slang words and cuss words, which has definitely been amusing. Never call someone a buffalo, pro tip. 

Because I no longer strictly follow my homeroom’s schedule and instead have one that is properly tailored to me, navigating through classes and breaks during each day has been an adventure. I love it, the lack of monotony is like a breath of fresh air compared to American school schedules. For example, on Mondays I have three English classes, a math class, two breaks, and a Thai Classical Music class that lasts for three class periods. The very next day is like a complete flip – I have three Thai classes, one break, two classical dancing classes, math, and English. Since I’m the only one switching classes, I get to mix with tons of different grade levels and homerooms.

I will say, I think I am rather spoiled at this school. Due to their understanding of my situation as an exchange student, sometimes teachers will allow me to simply study the Thai language instead of doing the work given to other students. Sometimes, they allow me to go with some friends for an early break. Sometimes, they allow me to go to the library, or the art room, or the Thai dancing room. Let it be known that I don’t slack off when I don’t need to – I still study hard, and I actually do pretty well in my science and math classes when I can piece together problems. I’m just pretty darn grateful I don’t have to sit through three English periods when I can go learn Thai with my friends in another class instead. The leniency in Thai classrooms will be missed by me when I have to head back to the States, I will say.

It’s this very same leniency that I think has allowed me to spread my wings a bit more and connect with people better. I’ve made friends by doing TikToks in class, doing makeup together, talking about childhood shows and nursery rhymes we used to like, and even by watching full-on horror movies. I don’t know why, but it surprises me how similar my childhood is compared to the childhood of my friends. We’ve had different cultural experiences, sure, but when it comes down to it, I found myself relating a lot more than I thought I would. 

Another cool thing about Thai schools that I wish I actually realized sooner is that students can stay on school grounds way after classes have ended. I have been so conditioned to leave school once it ended that it took me being invited out for a small adventure in the city with my friends to learn that I could just continue to hang out. Students can buy snacks and drinks from the street vendors posted outside the school (I frequent a smoothie place every day that I can) and can just walk back into school afterwards. They can study in the library, eat in the benches posted outside, and even play sports in the courtyards just for fun. I’ll get into this a bit later in another journal, but practices for Sports Day have also begun, so even more students are opting to stay over. There was one time when I stayed at the school until around 8 at night, and not once did I want to go home early. This would have been a shocker to me a year ago. During that time I watched my friends practice for drum-majoring, we grabbed some smoothies, went back to school, and played a few rounds of Uno Flip until we all had to go home. 

As I sort of mentioned before, I’ve finally been exposed to both the performing and visual arts at my school, and I absolutely love them. Thai classical dancing is honestly a little tricky for me in the same way ballet is, since you have to be very precise and pristine with your movements, but it’s still really fun to watch and to participate in. Thai ballroom dancing is one of my favorites; depending on the song, you and your partner have to dance in accordance to a routine that’s deceptively not-so-simple. Lots of spins, twists, steps, and turns. I’m pretty lucky to have been put in a class where the tempo of the music is on the slower end, though I’m sure the pace will pick up later in the year. 

Thai music is honestly not too hard if you already have a background in percussion – which I don’t. My background in music in general has saved me a little, though, and I have been able to play some tunes by ear and by reading the notes given to me by my teacher and peers. So far, the Ranat Thum is my favorite to play. I really want to learn the Ranat Ek, which is similar to the Ranat Thum but it has more bars and thus a larger range of pitches to play. They’re basically large Thai xylophones.

Finally, there’s Thai Lineart, which I just barely got a taste of before my school went on break. I was never one for lineart with my own drawings; I’d find it too tedious and I’d just either over-render the entire piece or just leave things as a sketch. Thai art feels like a giant puzzle I’m putting together, there’s no other way to explain it. Granted, I have only been copying previously-drawn pieces whilst I get the basics, but there’s something so satisfying in getting the general shapes down, refining them into something crisper, and finally adding details all while ensuring that proportions are right. I’m no professional right now by any means, and my work does look pretty sloppy and inexperienced compared to my peers, but it’s a ton of fun anyways. 

My school also has a western-style band and marching band! I was able to attend a few meetings as a tuba player, and I was stressing so hard the entire time. It’s like these kids come out playing 16th notes with perfect articulation out of the womb, they’re so talented. They do start young, and practices generally last upwards of three hours every day under intense pressure to excel, so I can understand how they’ve reached such impressive heights. It still had me cringing when I fumbled through sheet music whilst they breezed through it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to attend more practices and improve. 

This week, my friends had midterm exams, so for the few weeks following up to them, they were stressing over studying and locking in. I got lucky – I was exempt from them all, so I went out with other exchange students instead during my free time. 

The first time I met the other exchange students was back in our Inbound Orientation in late August, and it was truly a blast. It actually felt like I knew these people for much longer than two days, we all instantly clicked. If any of you guys are reading this, thanks for being so chill and fun to hang around. I loved our long discussions into the night; only getting, like, 4 hours of sleep that day was so worth it. Shout out to my fellow Floridian Rian for keeping me company after the ghost stories.

For anyone wondering how orientations go, they’re mostly designed to explain the rules and customs of your host country while allowing you to get acquainted with other Inbounds, Rebounds, Rotexes, host families, and the Rotary members that you’ll be relying on throughout your exchange. Make sure to prepare yourself in your host language, and make a good impression by greeting people in accordance with your country’s culture! A good introduction goes a long way, and can definitely open doors for you in the future. 

Since I live relatively close to two of the Inbounds, I hung out with them a bit this week!

Jaslynn, an incredibly sweet and funny Inbound from Illinois, joined me to explore the Chanthaboon Waterfront Community, which was pretty neat. We had to dodge some cars and motorcycles because of how narrow the roads were, but we had some good conversations by the riverside, and we even got the courage to speak to another family from the UK. I also saw a bunch of people from school, which was cool. The nearby church was also gorgeous, but unfortunately we couldn’t enter it, so we could only admire from the outside. 

Before we went to the waterfront, we joined our Rotary club in a house blessing. We couldn’t witness it ourselves, but many monks entered the house, and the food served afterwards was delicious. 

After the house blessing, we went to a housewarming party, and I actually knew the girl whose house it was too, from school!

The day after, I was invited by another American Inbound, David, to stay at his host parents’ hotel in Trat and earn my scuba diving certification, which was incredibly nice of them. I’m happy to announce I passed the first portion of training, and will just need to complete a written(?) exam and prove my skills in the open sea soon.

Trat was noticeably different from Chanthaburi. It was quieter, cars drove calmer, and (according to David) there weren't as many things to formally do. It’s cool that we’ve been in Thailand long enough to truly note the little quirks of our “home towns”. In all honesty, I kind of preferred Chanthaburi. Maybe it’s because I’ve grown a bit patriotic for the province I’m living in, or maybe because I just like the hustle of a city. Who knows. It’s just incredibly charming and beautiful to me, and I like how close everything is. No more 30+ minute drives like the ones I was used to in Tampa. 

I also got the chance to go on a boat ride with David and his host mother, and was given the chance to see a glimpse of my home state, figuratively speaking. We were in an estuary, where freshwater rivers met the sea, and there were many mangroves lining the river’s edge. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought I was back in Florida already. We also got to see Thailand’s equivalent of bald eagles up close – the brahminy kite. They’re relatives to eagles, being medium birds of prey with red bodies and a white head and chest. One of my favorite birds of Thailand thus far, they’re so fascinating to watch. 

I was also given the opportunity to experience my first Thai massage! My first massage ever, I should say. The lady who massaged me was so kind and thoughtful, which was a stark contrast to how intense the massage itself was. It left me feeling really relaxed though; I thoroughly enjoyed it, as someone who has never really liked massages in general. 

So yeah, a huge thanks to David and his host family for having me over those couple of days, I had a good time!

I can also feel homesickness slowly but surely creeping in, and I find myself drawn to old videos and photos of my friends and family. While I may miss my home in Florida, I am not yet sick for it, and it is important to keep myself in the here and now. If you ever do feel homesick, my best advice is to just scratch those itches then and there instead of letting them fester for too long. Look at those old photos and videos, feel that nostalgia, and move on. The more you dwell, the more it’ll become something you can’t ignore, and you’ll spend the rest of your exchange wishing for something you’ll eventually get back anyways. You know what you can’t get back? Your exchange! So don’t forget to breathe and just keep going. 

I would like to report that my Thai is gradually getting better! I no longer have to constantly look to those who speak English for translations quite as much (though it does happen regularly, but that will soon change), and instead I can sometimes answer for myself. It may not be completely coherent or correctly said, but progress is progress. I’ve found that language learning is kinda like rolling downhill – it’s slow when you first start, but the more ground you cover the faster you go, and the faster you go, the faster you’ll finally reach the finish line. Terrible analogy, I know, but you can at least understand how important it is to get the basics down. I feel like once I understand all of the basic and most commonly-used phrases in Thai, I can just ask for the meaning of Thai words in Thai and be able to understand them in Thai. I hope I don’t seem like I’m meaninglessly rambling, I swear it makes sense.

Apart from speaking with the experts themselves, my favorite methods to learning Thai are music, the YouTube channel Comprehensible Thai, and the app Ling. I have also bought a Thai learning book, and have been practicing with flashcards I’ve made from the vocabulary provided, in case anyone would like to use them as well. I think immersion is an imperative part of learning any language, but formal studying is almost as important. Don’t neglect either one!

On a more serious note, I thought it’d be good to mention public safety. Although I still agree with my last note in that Thai people are generally kind-spirited and shun not-so-good deeds, it is my advice to not really let your guard down too much anyways. Make sure to always have your phone charged, alert whoever you’re staying with about your whereabouts at all times, and do your best to not be alone in public, especially as a foreigner. It’s always good to believe the best in everyone, and definitely make sure to appreciate and initiate acts of kindness however much you can, but simultaneously be aware and take precautions where precautions are needed. Don’t use fear as an excuse to shut down everyone though! Just, again, be aware.

A few final thoughts: My spice tolerance has substantially improved, the youngest of the family is generally supposed to serve water, be careful when jaywalking because police could get you (not saying this out of experience, it’s just what I’ve been told), don’t do Thai dance moves when its late at night, and remember that it’s okay to not be doing something crazy exciting everyday. Settling down into your life can literally be settling down , meaning that there will be many slow and quiet days. Enjoy them as much as the adventurous and thrilling ones!

Alright, I suppose that’s finally the end of that. I hope you all are having an amazing day, and hopefully you’ll hear from me again soon!

Bye bye, 

มะลิ