Internet Dating...........Is It Safe?

I don't know about you, but being connected to the world through social media has enriched our lives beyond anything we could have imagined. It seems not too long ago the scare tactics of the U.S. media were alive and well with stories of stalkers, and how Internet Dating was something from a sci-fi horror movie. We no longer hear friends say, “OMG! Did you really meet on the Internet?” Our global society is changing, blending and morphing before our very eyes.....We are evolving!

We have been communicating with digital nomads, bloggers and meeting new friends in the process. Once we arrived in Chiang Mai we set up times to meet in person and feel so grateful and lucky to have solidified these friendships.

First was our dear friend Ursula from Germany that moved here 6 months ago. After talking, messaging and Skyping we finally met in person and can say with all sincerity that we now have a very good friend. We've met at a hidden coffee shop in Warorot Market, the basement food court at Airport Plaza Mall, Art Cafe, Duke's Restaurant, Riverside Restaurant and Mae Ping River Dinner Cruise.

She is a wealth of information and her adventurous, spontaneous spirit is contagious and inspiring! We are happy to say we will be meeting for coffee, exploring and looking out for each other for the foreseeable future.  Thank you Ursula, we are looking forward to baking you a German Chocolate Cake in our new oven!

Our blogger community is expanding into friendships and we were fortunate enough to meet:

Lani Cox at Life, the Universe, and Lani

Her wit and knowledge of Chiang Mai has given us many laughs, insights and places to explore for a long time to come. On her site you will find many suggestions for things to do and see, great food and coffee shops as well as poetry and stories of teaching English in Thailand. Thank you Lani for a lovely lunch at Aum Vegetarian Restaurant. Good luck on your next adventures and we will be sure to keep in touch.

Jmayel and Sacha El-Haj at 8 Miles From Home

They are seriously up and coming videographers and photo journalists. You will be blown away by their talent and will want to follow their visual stories for years to come. They also post at Citizen TV where you can vote for their videos and help them make some money to continue with their passion.

To get a taste of their work, please watch this video and you will understand just how talented they really are!



Thank you Jmayel and Sacha for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet us at Yummy Pizza We had so much fun hearing your stories and enjoyed your company. Keep up the good work and you are sure to see much fame and fortune in a few short years!

Christopher and Angela Scott at Tieland to Thailand

They are bright, young entrepreneurs who share their knowledge and experiences of moving from the U.S. to Chiang Mai. Imparting words of wisdom, they do not leave out the trials, or bad days one might come across when living overseas.

Their posts always leave you wanting more and you will be mesmerized by the photography from their travels in and around Thailand. If you are at all interested in how to live an adventurous life in Thailand starting at a young age and how to make a living while doing it, be sure to check out their site....you won't be disappointed.

 Thank you Christoper and Angela for making time to meet us for dinner with your road buddies Jmayel and Sacha! The time flew by and we wished we had more time to visit. What a nice group we made! We had a blast! Continued good wishes for success in your life and work. It appears you are well on your way!

Audrey Bergner  of That Backpacker

While savoring freshly made coconut ice cream at the Saturday Walking Street Market we happened to see Audrey and her boyfriend Samuel sitting with family at a nearby table.

I wanted to say hello and thank her for all her hard work on the blog and tell her that because of her posts during their months in Chiang Mai it has made our trip easier and more fun than we had thought. She was gracious and kind when I apologized for interrupting their dinner.

I was so excited to meet her and stupidly blurted out.... “Do you have a favorite Khao Soy restaurant?” I could have crawled into a hole! She did say that the restaurant called Peppermint is a good one to try and kindly told me to send her an email with any more questions.

If you are at all interested in traveling the world or just being an arm chair traveler you must visit her web site and read her and Samuel's experiences of traveling on a budget.

Thank you Audrey and thank your family for putting up with a surprise visit to your table. We hope you have a wonderful visit with your family and continued success in your journeys.

Natalie Vanos

While we are still trying to meet up with Natalie who lives a few hours away in Pai, we have followed her on Citizen TV. Please watch this adorable video of her fur baby Isis where she won money to help her with her passion of showing the world the very best of her heart and special places in Pai.



If we are not able to meet this time, it will only be a few short months until we are here for good and can plan more easily and spend some quality time together.

Guy Gourley, Mike Murphy and Scott Carr

Guy retired to Chiang Mai over a year ago and has made many videos uploaded to his You Tube channel. Here is an example of his work.



We met Guy, and two other friends Mike Murphy and Scott Carr at Oxide Pub for a bite to eat, some music and for those of you that are into eye candy........there was plenty of it going around! It was nice to meet these gentlemen in person and we had a great time.

We were given some sage advice about how to ride scooters and motorcycles in and around Chiang Mai and because of their words of wisdom we have chosen to take public transportation! We wish the three of you safe travels and fun adventures!

Robert and Moue Spearman

They live in Moue's village outside of Chiang Rai and came to Chiang Mai to celebrate their one year anniversary. We met for breakfast at the Art Cafe across from Tha Phae Gate and we tagged along with them to Ban Tawai. Moue was very kind to communicate to the vendors on my behalf to get the best discount she could when I was buying gifts for friends back home. It is advised to go early before the tour buses arrive and you will have room to browse at your leisure.

Before heading back to Chiang Mai we had a delicious lunch at a cafe upstairs at the market.

Before we knew it we were at Warorot Market where we followed Moue as she easily navigated the stalls of flowers, fabrics, household goods, and too many things to remember. This market and its vendors have been here for well over a hundred years. It is easy to loose your way and get turned around. We had an amazing time and plan to explore the area many times in the coming years.

Thank you Robert and Moue for a wonderful day. We look forward to getting together again for a longer visit. I look forward to taking your beautiful handmade scarves back to my friends and telling them what a lovely, kind woman you are and that we are happy to call you our friends.