Take me back to Chiang Mai, please
It was about a year ago today when I set for the adventure of a lifetime and moved to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand for few months. I had the idea of living in Chiang Mai stuck in my head since years before, since I first ever attended some travel blogging conferences around the world – it just felt like everyone I met was living the dream, travelling the world and being a digital nomad based in Chiang Mai.I wanted to live that dream too.So a few years later after becoming a fulltime blogger and a social media wizard, it was about time to make the dream reality for me too. So I set off for a life in Chiang Mai for a part of last winter. Now a year later I'm back living in Helsinki and it just started to snow for the first time this upcoming winter. And my mind races back to the heat of Thailand.
As a matter of fact, it's been several years since I've seen the first snow falling down in Finland as I've somehow always managed to be travelling somewhere when it has happened. While the view outside my window is somehow so beautiful, the winter is a scary idea and I'd rather be back under the Asian sun.I just loved my day-to-day life in Chiang Mai. Each morning I tried to have a swim in our apartment pool outside, then maybe a little bit of yoga before heading to one of the amazing cafes for a healthy breakfast. I'd always choose a cafe where I could take my laptop and work for a few hours after eating, and there's still no place that would beat the smoothie bowls and hammocks at Rustic & Blue. I mean, just look at the photo below. 
Right now it feels like so many of my friends are either still in Chiang Mai or heading that way. My dear friends the two crazy vegan ladies Lexie and Jessica arrived in Chiang Mai around the time I was there and they have made the city home and are still there. And I miss their positive energy so much!And my super dear Dutch friend and a blogging colleague Milou just set off to live that digital nomad life with her boyfriend and are currently travelling in Chiang Mai. I keep spamming Milou with breakfast tips, and I love hearing how she likes my favorite spots in the city – though I really wish I was there with her!But while I'm home in Helsinki, I try to create somewhat magical breakfasts as it has become somewhat an addiction of mine really. I also promise there will be more healthy breakfast recipes on the blog soon!
And on top of all the work and hanging out in cool cafes, Chiang Mai offers the most astonishing nature and culture. On weekends we would explore temples, markets, and mountains. Or I would go after some homeless dog trying to get it to the vet. Though with all my deadlines for work things, I did have to spend many weekends glued to my laptop too and still have a lot more of Chiang Mai to discover.I also tried to learn more about meditation and yoga. At some point, I was even seeing an Indian yoga guru each morning to practice harder and I loved every strange minute of it. I was planning on doing a meditation retreat at one of the temples, but the idea of waking up at 5 without breakfast didn't appeal to me this time around – I mean, a girl needs her donuts and wine.
Anyhow, I'm really supposed to be deep asleep right now – so allow me to excuse myself! Hope you are having a fabulous week wherever in the world you are!