April 28, 2025 8 Mins Read 16 Views This time last year, I found myself in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand’s cultural capital, for what I thought would be a solo getaway. I’d heard good things, the temples, the coffee culture, the mountain air. What I didn’t realise was that I’d landed right before Songkran, the Thai New Year, and that those two months would end up being some of the most transformative of my life.