--- title: Addie's Blog | Addie Weller (7) description: Travel and personal musings. (7) --- # Addie's Blog Select Category Animals Bangkok Cat Ba Island Chengdu Chiang Mai Children's Day China Chinese Wedding Christmas Cliffs of Moher Dengue Doolin Dragon Boat Festival Dublin Food Galway Glendalough Gratitude Guilin Hanoi Hash Run HubSpot Support Ireland K9 Rescue Korat Killarney Kinsale Koh Chang Koh Lanta Koh Phi Phi Koh Yao Noi Koh Yao Yai Korat KTV Laos Maine Mid-Autumn Festival Mount Hua National Holiday New Year Pai Places to Stay in Thailand Reflections Ring of Kerry Savannakhet School Trip Tai Chi Tam Coc Teaching Terracotta Warriors Thailand Thanksgiving Things To Do In Ireland Things To Do in Thailand Travel United States Vietnam Wai Kru Day Whole30 Wicklow Xi'an Yangshuo Posts by: ## Addie Weller ![IMG_1431.jpg](https://www.addieweller.com/hubfs/IMG_1431.jpg) [Food,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/food) [Travel,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/travel) [Thailand,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/thailand) [Chiang Mai](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/chiang-mai) ### [Experiencing Sammy's Organic Thai Cooking School](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/experiencing-sammys-organic-thai-cooking-school) 3/1/17 7:49 AM Creamy curries, crisp veggies, sauteed noodles, tropical fruits... The unique fusion of spicy and sweet make Thai food among the best in international cuisine. For this, a trip to Thailand isn't complete without learning the staples. Cooking schools are everywhere in Thailand as they've quickly become a popular tourist pastime.  [Addie Weller](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/author/addie-weller) [Read More](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/experiencing-sammys-organic-thai-cooking-school) ![IMG_1372.jpg](https://www.addieweller.com/hubfs/IMG_1372.jpg) [Food,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/food) [Travel,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/travel) [Thailand,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/thailand) [Chiang Mai](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/chiang-mai) ### [Chiang Mai: Temples, Street Art, and Night Markets Galore](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/chiang-mai-thailand) 2/11/17 3:28 AM On the evening of January 13th, we arrived in Chiang Mai, a bustling, yet quaint city in the north of Thailand. With spectacular mountain views and a laid-back vibe that's sure to appeal to any traveler, Chiang Mai was a breath of fresh air after the metropolitan city of Bangkok.  [Addie Weller](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/author/addie-weller) [Read More](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/chiang-mai-thailand) ![IMG_5483.jpg](https://www.addieweller.com/hubfs/IMG_5483.jpg) [Food,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/food) [Travel,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/travel) [Bangkok,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/bangkok) [Thailand](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/thailand) ### [First Stop: Bangkok](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/first-stop-bangkok) 2/9/17 4:35 AM The first leg of our journey began in Thailand's capital, Bangkok. After a relatively easy trek on a couple 2-hour flights from Xi'an, we arrived in Bangkok on the night of January 10th.  [Addie Weller](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/author/addie-weller) [Read More](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/first-stop-bangkok) ![IMG_20161231_235559.jpg](https://www.addieweller.com/hubfs/IMG_20161231_235559.jpg) [Travel,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/travel) [Reflections,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/reflections) [New Year](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/new-year) ### [New Year Reflections](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/new-year-reflections) 1/8/17 5:04 AM Like most, when 2017 arrived, I found myself reflecting on the past year and wondering what the new year would bring. I've never been one to set New Year's resolutions (after all, aren't most of them broken by February anyways?), but I still use the time for myself— to think about where I am and where I want to be. As the clock struck midnight in China, 13 hours ahead of most of my friends and family, I couldn't help but think back to everything that led up to that countdown. [Addie Weller](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/author/addie-weller) [Read More](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/new-year-reflections) ![IMG_1141.jpg](https://www.addieweller.com/hubfs/IMG_1141.jpg) [Travel,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/travel) [China,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/china) [Christmas](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/christmas) ### [圣诞节快乐 (Merry Christmas)](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/merry-christmas) 12/30/16 6:12 AM As family and friends back home gathered around their Christmas trees and enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa by the fire, we sure started feeling the homesickness catch up with us. We both missed our New England homes— of course, we missed the tradition of Christmas day, but even more so, we missed the whole season of warmth, light, and time with loved ones. [Addie Weller](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/author/addie-weller) [Read More](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/merry-christmas) ![1031_15.jpg](https://www.addieweller.com/hubfs/1031_15.jpg) [Reflections,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/reflections) [China,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/china) [United States,](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/united-states) [Teaching](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/topic/teaching) ### [Chinese vs American Schools](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/chinese-vs-american-schools) 12/21/16 12:54 AM It’s hard to believe I’ve been teaching in China for nearly four months. By now, I’ve gotten into the groove of lesson planning and seeing 2,000 students every week... Okay, maybe the latter isn’t completely true. Either way, I’ve noticed so many fascinating differences between classes here and classes back home in the States. Here are some of my thoughts: [Addie Weller](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/author/addie-weller) [Read More](https://www.addieweller.com/blog/chinese-vs-american-schools)