10 things I love most about Thailand & my Thai green curry recipe ❤️

I sit here curled up in sweats and wrapped up in my favorite fluffy blanket yearning for Thailand because yet again it's freezing and rainy and simply miserable outside even though it's technically summer here. If you didn't know @kenistyles Kai and I are on holiday in England visiting family and while I was so excited to get out of Thailand and away from the heat, and of course see everyone, I am definitely looking forward to getting back and defrosting! Being away from where I've been so lucky to call home for the past 3 years gives me so much more appreciation for everything Thailand has to offer. So in honor of this gorgeous country we call home here's a list of the ten things I love most.

1) Cost of living
Coming from the states, California to be precise I was shocked at how little we needed to live, not just to live comfortably but abundantly! We live in a studio apt costing us a measly $75 a month which is less than we paid for a storage unit back in LA! Gasp! Granted it's small but we really enjoy tiny home life. And same as housing, food, shopping, traveling around and basically everything is equally cheap. Because of this we get to spend all our time with our gorgeous son! Yay for financial freedom!

2) Happiest friendliest people I've ever met
From the minute you arrive you will see as I did that this isn't like every other place. Everyone is smiling and welcoming and wanting to get to know you. And I mean everyone. I remember this one occasion where a woman on a red taxi ride was finding out about my partners childhood and seemed so invested and concerned. It was very heart warming. Thailand reminds me of walking into your grandparents home at Christmas. Everyone is so happy to see you and wants to know what you've been up to since they last saw you.

3) Beautiful green lusciousness everywhere
We live in the city pretty much smack dab in the middle of it all yet when we go out on our balcony or even look out a window there's bits of jungle that break through all the concrete! I'm sure @kenistyles will be rolling his eyes at my use of the word jungle but whatever that's what it is. If there's dirt there and no one does anything to it the deep vibrant green will take over and I think it's absolutely stunning!

4) Community of expats
Like us many other travelers have found their way to Chiang Mai and just like us it's sucked them in and so we have a huge community of people like minded expats! Nomads and vegans and yogis and system escapers and conscious beings! Yay!

5) Baby friendly
So while I'm sure there are lots of ups and downs to all places when it comes to being baby friendly I think Thailand has an edge on them simply because everyone LOVES babies and everyone is friendly. As we ride around the city Kai has people all over yelling hi to him and waving at him. It's so very lovely! Oh and I get people applauding me breastfeeding which is really nice. Being in England and seeing people's reaction to my feeding Kai in public really leaves me appreciating the support I get from everyone in Thailand.

6) Year round summer (even when it's winter)
Sunshine and warmth all the time! Even in the winter which is by the way my favorite time of year because it gets a bit cooler than the rest of the year so during the peak heat of the day you can still comfortably be out riding around on your bike. Don't get me wrong summer is great too but it does get really hot and a pool or ac or the beach is ideal for the mid day sun.

Oh and I know people don't generally go to tropical places for the rain but it's incredible! It's like nothing I've ever seen before. Giant black clouds come from out of nowhere and swallow up the once bright blue sky in the blink of an eye. Then the rain feels like someone tipped the ocean upside down and its falling on you. And the lightening is bright fluorescent colors all around. It feels like something out of a movie! All the while the winds are whipping around you. Then it just stops. It stops as quickly as it starts. Bright blue skies returning and leaving a nice moist feeling in the air. Have I said its my favorite time of year yet!? Cause it is!

7) Beaches
The most spectacular beaches I've yet to experience are in the south of Thailand. I know this is kinda mostly about Chiang Mai but every year there is a thing called burning season which is simply a couple months where all the farmers burn their fields getting ready for the next season. But in burning all these fields it leaves Chiang Mai in a big cloud of smoke so most people leave during those months and go down south. Kinda like a forced vacation! Now some people find this irritating but to me is wonderful cause we all know we can so easily get in the circle of oh we will do it someday and then never doing it. Burning season means no matter what every year we will get some delicious beach time! Yay!

Ok so the beaches. They are all various shades of true blues! I say true blue because people would describe most oceans as blue but in actuallity they are more brown than blue... But not in Thailand! And the water is so clear you can see your feet even when in waist high water. And so many tropical fish to look at! There are rocky bits with fish and coral and there are big open bits where you can safely swin around. Deep rough bits good for surfing and shallow mellow bits good for babies. Basically there is something for everyone AND the water is in my opinion the perfect temperature! Not too hot and not too cold! Refreshing but not refreshing in that I can only be in it if I'm moving sort of way. It was perfect for all three off us! We loved just bouncing in the waves with Kai in our arms! Mmmmmm! So nice!

8) Massages
The most intense massages I've ever had in my whole life were in Thailand and usually done by tiny old Thai women. They are surprisingly strong. Oh and of course they are also incredibly cheap. Deep tissue massages, oil massages, hot rock massages you name it, they do it, and I can pretty much guarantee they will blow your mind and make you feel like you are floating on a cloud! Lol. Really looking forward to a good massage when we get back! Yesssss!

9) Ease of life
The Thai way of life is very relaxed. They have a saying that they use for most situations that basically translates to no problem no worry. Lol and when it gets to the peak heat of the day they simply stop work and take a nap. Don't get me wrong they have some incredibly hard working people but the Thai way is to do things at their own individual pace, do things with joy and to relax. This very quickly has bled into our lifestyle not that we were much different before.

10) Food
Last but certainly not least FOOD! Ok so as you all probably know by now food is quite important to me and Thailand has not only some of the tastiest dishes like green curry, pad Thai and papaya salad but some of the most incredible markets filled with super fresh (like picked that morning fresh) fruits and vegetables piled high! Oh and the restaurants, so many restaurants! Vegan restaurants at that! And street food EVERYWHERE! There's literally always someone selling something around every corner or someone trying to feed you lol. All in all you will never go hungry in Thailand! Score!

If you would like to have a taste of Thailand in your home here's a recipe for a easy veggie green curry Thai style!

Green curry:
Eggplant
Green beans
Tofu
Bell pepper
Potato
(Or whatever veggies you prefer)
Onion
Garlic
Coconut milk
Green curry paste
Sweet basil
Lime
Soy sauce
Rice or rice noodles

I usually use onion, eggplant, green beans, tofu, and bell peppers but you can use whatever veggies you prefer or have on hand. Clean and chop the veggies of choice then set aside. In either a slow cooker or a large pot mix together coconut milk and a green curry paste till the desired level of spice is achieved then add your veggies, a handful or so of sweet basil and a dash of soy sauce. If cooking on the stove bring to a boil then turn down to simmer till veggies are soft, if cooking in a slow cooker cook on high till veggies are soft and bam it's done! Serve over rice or rice noodles and top with a fresh squish of lime juice and enjoy!