Kelsey Parsons

I just got back from a shopping expedition at the huge Sunday night market here in Chiang Mai, and at this point it’s clear that my future apartment will be filled with elephants. Here’s my elephant-related haul so far:

-1 bracelet with an elephant on it

-4 elephant statues

-2 elephant bookmarks

-1 elephant-print box

-1 elephant-print table runner

-1 elephant-print shirt

Just a few of my elephant items. Note the Full Moon nail polish.

Seriously. Keeping in mind that I don’t even have a place to live at the moment, never mind a table for that table runner or a bookshelf for those statues. I’m officially one of those old ladies with the animal themes that take over their lives. Those exist, right? Well, they do now. I’ve had a minor obsession with elephants since reading/crying over Water for Elephants (good book, written by a grad from my alma mater! Go Carleton!).

Speaking of elephants, I’m leaving to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary tomorrow! I know in my last blog post I made it seem like I wouldn’t blog again until I returned from that journey, but I’m already in internet withdrawals and I can’t let go just yet.

I return to Chiang Mai next Sunday, so I’ll totally be returning to that night market. It’s huge! You can buy just about anything. Every side street I saw was filled with stalls, so the market seemed to take over the city. It’s definitely a popular attraction, and the streets were packed with people (locals and tourists). It’s a shopping addict’s dream. I’m cheap, yet I managed to spend my food budget for the next week on lanterns and elephant things and gifts and jewelry. I also bought a chopstick set for the dinner parties of my non-existant life in my non-existant apartment. Some day!

Hagglers everywhere!

In other news, I found a Starbucks! For the last two months or so, I’ve been seriously missing Starbucks. I missed the calming decor and the fancy coffee drinks and the pretentious cup-size names. Sure, I spent the equivalent of a night’s stay at a hotel on a piece of cheesecake and one of those fancy coffee drinks, but it was so worth it. Nothing says home like overpriced frivolous food items.

Well, I’m off to pack now and I need to start slowing weaning myself off the internet. Bye for now, dear friend/s.