Chelsea McPherson , '04
Elementary Education Major

Two weeks have passed since we left the brutally cold Spokane weather. The Thailand study tour group has had the opportunity to experience a variety of aspects of the Thai culture. This weekend 13 students from our group decided to spend their free weekend trekking in the hills above Chiang Mai. I was one of the lucky students who experienced this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Friday our groups trekked for two-and-a-half hours before reaching the tribe we would stay with for the evening. Upon arriving at Karen Tribe, all the members of our group walked around overwhelmed at the simplicity of the lifestyle in this village. Children were happily playing games outside their village huts while animals ran freely, and a group of Whitworth College students stared in amazement. All the people in the village were so open and welcoming towards our group. They treated us as though it were a privilege to have us with them, when in reality the privilege was all ours. Having the opportunity to be in this village was a chance to step outside of reality and take a look at our own lives. The night was spent singing songs and dancing around the campfire.Our guides described the village as a "million star hotel" because of the beautiful view of the stars. I would have to agree them, and I personally believe that it provided a better experience than you could every find at any four-star hotel.

Saturday morning, groggy and without much sleep, our groups headed off for a day full of adventure. We trekked for an hour and a half in near silence, as everyone in the group admired the breathtaking scenery. Our group was amazed at how much the scenery changed. The terrain varied from a muddy jungle, to large rocks and even red dirt. After warming up our muscles, we had the opportunity to relax and let elephants do all the work for an entire hour. Each elephant had two people on it and a guide who quickly jumped off and followed along behind. Our group was all smiles as we laughed at the slow pace of some of our elephants and the individual characteristics they each had. Our hour quickly ended and we were back to the intense uphill and downhill trekking. We all had quite a bit of motivation at this point because lunch was waiting for us at our next stop, along with a beautiful waterfall. It seemed as if this day was completely surreal. We ate lunch and had the chance to swim and lay out in the bright sun for an entire hour. The day was too good to be true and it wasn't even finished yet. After a bit more hiking we had the chance to ride down a river on bamboo rafts. We planned to have a relaxing ride down the river, but when we got on the raft we were told that someone needed to help row at the back of the raft. Once again we had a great time laughing and encouraging one another through this unforgettable experience.

A few cuts and bruises later, our sore bodies are now relaxing back at our hotel getting ready for a busy week. The adventures I experienced in the past 24 hours are my most treasured memories so far. Nothing hits harder than seeing someone in this day and age who is living a completely un-materialistic lifestyle and is still filled with joy. I think we all need to be reminded of what is truly important at times and I'm thankful that I was able to be reminded of this in the hills of Chiang Mai.

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