Adventure calls
Maya Arun - 21 September 2025

Thai children braiding Larissa's hair

Beach

Local market in Bangkok

Thai food
Larissa Bishop, a business economics and law student, wanted a different experience from her exchange abroad than most others. In an attempt to step out of her comfort zone, she decided to go to Bangkok, Thailand, a place she figured would be starkly different from Canada. She arrived at , not quite knowing what to expect from the effervescent coastal city.
In a turn of events that she never would have imagined, Larissa found herself booking a trip to a nearby island with some new friends to get their scuba diving certifications.
“Within my third day in Thailand, I was already on a trip with a group of friends getting my scuba diving certification in Koh Tao. That was cool.”
Once classes started, Larissa was surprised to discover she was the only Canadian student, and one of the few North Americans. Her classes at the university were filled with mostly fellow exchange students, many of whom were Europeans. The unprecedented result was that she made friends from many different countries, which had both pros and cons.
“It was honestly like a double exchange. It was even more of a culture shock because I was almost completely immersed in two different cultures while I was there.”
Despite not being surrounded by Thai students in class, Larissa found that locals were incredibly friendly. Her shy attempts to speak Thai with the locals were met with impressed expressions and enthusiastic attempts at further conversation. Thai life and culture juxtaposed with Canadian culture just as nicely as Larissa had anticipated. From hospitality to street food, Bangkok did not disappoint.
“I definitely turned into a little bit of a foodie while I was there. You could just walk to school and pick up street food on the way and it would be under $2 and the most delicious thing you've ever tasted in your life.”
Thailand’s centrality in Southeast Asia made it easy for Larissa to travel to nearby countries. Her adventures are enviable — she went on a four-day motorcycle tour through northern Vietnam and even climbed a volcano in Indonesia!
Larissa’s advice for studying abroad is intuitive and introspective: “Make sure your exchange destination aligns with your values and what you want for exchange. For my destination, I knew off the bat that it would be a cultural immersion. It would be something completely different than what I'm used to. I knew I'd be travelling a lot and I knew it would be more for someone who wants a lot of adventure and nuance.”
She describes her first day in Thailand as being filled with uncertainty and apprehension, and she even briefly entertained the idea of going back home. In the end, she decided to give herself one week to get settled instead of putting an end to her trip before it had really begun. By the end of the week, she had already made friends and become a certified scuba diver.
“I need that constant adventure in my life. I don't know how I'm going to incorporate that in Canada yet, but I definitely need to do that because I was just so happy there.”
Towards the end of the trip, Larissa and her friends received a hospitable farewell, in what had proved to be true Thai fashion. Three days in a row, they were approached by locals in public who took them out to dinner in what was a series of sincere interactions.
It's safe to say that Larissa’s time in Bangkok turned out to be an overwhelmingly positive experience; one that she hopes to draw inspiration from for a future lifestyle.