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The summer’s getaway was inspired by my husband whose massage certification is up for renewal this year. He thought it would make sense for him to take a weeklong Thai massage class in the country where it originated and concurrently, I could partake in one of my favorite past times, cooking and eating!

Once the plan was hatched, I debated between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, but the latter won out in the end, because it seemed less frenetic and more intimate in comparison. We initially wanted to visit during Christmas when the weather will be milder, but it turns out that his certification needs to be renewed prior to the holidays.

We booked our flight with our favorite airline carrier Cathay Pacific and booked an AirBnb close to the center of town. Since we’re traveling during the oppressively humid and rainy summer season, we opted to pack our lightest clothes and but due to the airline’s strict weight restrictions, we still had 1 large checked luggage.

In addition, for the first time in all our years of traveling together, I’m foregoing bringing a purse. It’s just not practical and weighs down one side of my body causing discomfort, leaving only one hand free. I lucked into finding a backpack which is big enough to fit my everyday essentials but small enough so it doesn’t dwarf my petite stature. It has a lot of great organizational features which allow me to find things quickly. In addition, it has the added bonus of having locking straps and compartments, slash resistant straps and panels and RFID blocking, protecting your credit cards from digital theft.

Having been born in Asia and been in tropical climates where the rain can become torrential without a moment’s notice, we invested in several necessary rain accessories. We purchased a travel size umbrella for each of us since we’ll be off on our own adventures for part of the trip.

Thinking back to our times in other tropical climates and watching YouTube videos of vloggers caught in downpours, we invested in oversized ponchos made from the same material as umbrellas rather than the flimsy cheap ponchos available at the local stores. We opted for quality to best shield us from the wind and intense rain. These ponchos also have the added benefit of being large enough to cover our backpacks protecting our electronics from the rain.

We also invested in rain boots. Though we each have waterproof Tevas, after watching several YouTube videos, there does appear to be some ankle-high flooding in the streets at times. As a toddler in the Philippines, during one of the rainstorms, a worm made its way into my system through my foot so since then, I’ve been wary of having my feet exposed in inclement weather since that’s not a souvenir I would want to bring back with me back home or worse, have it ruin my vacation.

Rainy season aside, this vacation is going to be more cerebral than past vacations. According to 23andMe, I’m possibly 5% Thai so for personal reason, I’m invested in an immersive education of Chiang Mai and Thailand. Our sightseeing and excursions will be focused on Chiang Mai’s history, religion, culture and traditions. We’re planning on visiting a few museums, some wats, exploring the night markets, eating their local specialties and trying to get a sense of what life is like as a local.

We are both very excited but are definitely wearing our grown-up hats for this venture. Our goal when traveling is not only to see as much as possible but to leave a city and country having a deeper appreciation and empathy for its people and its culture. Travel should provide a better understanding of place and history and enrich one’s mind and soul.

Here’s a🍸to our ✈️ 🗺 and ⏰ in Chiang Mai 🇹🇭!