I spent my Beyond the Classroom Experience in Thailand for three months. I had little expectation for what my journey was going to entail. I had my preconceived ideas about Thailand and the culture there. Now, having returned home deeply reflected my time there, my expectations were beyond anything I could have ever imagined.  I spent time in remote villages, elephant sanctuaries, 30 meters/100 feet under water, and many street markets.

For the first month or so, I spent my time with Growth International Volunteer Excursions, otherwise known as GIVE Volunteers. Upon arrival, I was truly blown away by the attention to detail and consideration they had. From the start, we were given a short Thai lesson and were told about culturally appropriate attire. GIVE did a phenomenal job making sure the volunteers were emerged in the cultures surrounding our work and learning as much as we could. If not for GIVE, I do not think I would have experienced Thai culture in the same way. While volunteering, we worked in schools to teach english based on the curriculum the teachers were following. At one of the schools we built a garden for the children to grow their own produce. Another part of volunteering was learning about ethical elephant tourism and how sanctuaries do their best to keep the elephants healthy and have safe interactions with tourists. The final part of volunteering included getting scuba certified and exploring the importance of ocean conservation. In Krabi, we took coral reef and Black Tip Reef Shark surveys.

My Global Challenge during this experience was exploring the overlap between culture, sustainability, and conservation in indigenous communities, and how has western colonialism interrupted this connection. I had the opportunity to learn from local guides about the Indigenous Peoples of Thailand. While volunteering with GIVE Volunteers, my fellow volunteers and I spent time learning about local culture and traditions. Many of these practices took more than one person. Because these tasks require more than one person, their culture is very community focused and centered around helping each one another out. This idea made me think about how my actions would affect these communities we spent time in. Spending baht, the Thai currency, in a 7-Eleven does not go as far as it did at the local shop in the hill tribes. My perspective on the community and my own actions in the community have changed. I have a greater appreciation for the small day-to-day things. I also find myself being more mindful about the small things I do in my life that could have lasting change.

After I departed from the give, I made my way down to Koh Tao. Koh Tao means “Turtle Island.” Koh Tao is considered a remote island in the Gulf of Thailand. I spent several weeks here scuba diving and completing different specialties that work towards becoming a Master Scuba Diver. I had the great privilege and opportunity to see some of the most beautiful reefs and deep dive sites. The dive company I dived with, Black Turtle Dive, is a conservation dive center. They work with organizations around Koh Tao to establish a healthier relationship between tourists and the coral reefs. I had the opportunity to learn about artificial reefs and divers perceptions of them from one of the dive students I was certified with. I spent time diving with people from all over the world. I had dive instructors who were Scottish, French, Thai, and English. It was awesome to be a part of an activity that does not exclude anyone based on race, religion, or gender. That is one of my favorite things about scuba diving. Anyone can do it no matter who you are, with limitations to physical health factors.  

Thailand is a melting pot of cultures, religions, travelers, and expats. One thing I learned to practice was to remain curious rather than being judgmental. Spending time around people from all over the world meant I was going to see or hear things that were outside of my cultural norms. However, taking a step back and remembering that whatever is abnormal to me, may be normal to someone else. I found this was an easier topic to think about rather than doing it. It is easy to sit in a classroom or at home and believe you are to be open-minded and welcoming to all ideas. Experiencing cultures far from your own is destined to make one feel awkward. Two things can be true at once. I was fascinated with the cultures I was surrounded by, and sometimes I was unfamiliar with the cultural standards of others. With that said, I tried to remain curious and not judge other peoples’ experiences. I can use what I have learned about curiosity instead of judgement in leadership settings. I can ask people about their approach to a conflict or any situation that requires someone to step in.

I feel lucky that my family was able to spend the last few weeks with me. We spent time on the islands Koh Tao and Koh Samui. Afterwards we did a liveaboard in the Andaman Sea, around Koh Lipe. Then we traveled to Railay Beach and took a boat tour through the Phi Phi Islands where we saw the world famous limestone cliffs.

When I reflect on my time in Thailand, I feel a wave of bittersweetness. I could go back and spend a few years there learning about the culture even more and learning more about myself. At the same time, I love my home and community in Missoula. It is a great privilege to travel to another country and spend so much time with yourself. I now walk through life with more gratitude and appreciation for my life.