i jaywalk you jaywalk she jaywalks

To cross a street in Chiang Mai, you wait for a gap in the first lane and run. You stand on the dotted line and watch for a break in the next lane of traffic. On a smaller street this might be streamlined, but when it’s a four-lane road you might find yourself stranded in the middle of motorbikes, sedans and trucks for more than a hot minute. Cross walk? Forget about it.

Aside from the adrenaline that comes from feeling like I’m in a video game, the past two weeks’ worth of sprinted street crossings have been pretty analogous to the rest of my experience. If I want to get anywhere, I better make a run for it. Whether it be taking a stab at a spicier curry, making use of the tap-water made ice cubes, speaking some Thai, or rolling into my first class a mere 11.5 hours after getting into the Chiang Mai airport, I’ve been trying my best to curtail the hesitation. Sometimes it means going with the flow, other times it means stepping into traffic, but so far so good.