At home, in Chiangmai

I said before that I’ve felt most at home in Japan. That would probably never change, but a close second could be Chiangmai now (sorry Bali).

Because it feels so down-to-earth.
Just the right balance of chill and hustle.
A nice sweet spot to live a good life but also bring up children.
Great places for kids with nature embedded - cafe by the lake, cafe in a garden, markets by rice fields.
Everything feels familiar, yet refreshing. The Buddhist religion, the Thai Chinese ethnicity, the food.
The city is still mostly low density, occasional high buildings, with mountains wrapped on both sides.
Most shops close early, by dark. Nightlife is mostly only in some areas. The city sleeps early.
The countryside is a 30min drive away, sometimes even closer,
Cost of living feels sane, and for any given dollar, the returns on quality and quantity, service experience feels way higher than back home.
Land of smiles means something here - open, liberal, yet traditional.

To be fair, it ain’t perfect in everything. Traffic can be bad in some areas. Driving doesn’t always follow rules. There’s sometimes bad behaviour from tourists and foreigners. Communication with locals can be difficult without knowing Thai.

But overall, it’s still a net positive. Much more compared to back home.

Second trip only, and it’s really growing on me. The decision to relocate only gets clearer and more certain.

Forwards.