Life 100 Podcast

Life of Charissa Enget: Chaotic but Wholesome Thailand Living as a Grad Student in Engineering

Episode Summary

A master storyteller and engineer, Charissa took an unconventional path to graduate school in Thailand. Here she shares her highly unpredictable adventures full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing what she is going to do next. “I didn't mean to end up in rural Thailand. In fact, I didn't even know I was going to be living there until I got off the plane. (It's a long story.)But there I was, enrolled in a two year master's degree for mechanical and energy engineering in a place where nobody even spoke my language. I thought about quitting. Instead, I decided to try." - LinkedIn. Listen to the story behind the hilarious, fascinating, and unpredictable Thailand stories. Let’s welcome Charissa!

Episode Notes

A master storyteller and engineer, Charissa took an unconventional path to graduate school in Thailand. Here she shares her highly unpredictable adventures full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing what she is going to do next.

“I didn't mean to end up in rural Thailand. In fact, I didn't even know I was going to be living there until I got off the plane. (It's a long story.)

But there I was, enrolled in a two year master's degree for mechanical and energy engineering in a place where nobody even spoke my language. I thought about quitting. Instead, I decided to try.

I taught myself Thai highly proficiently in less than 8 months. I explored and fell in love with a new culture. I wrote a whole 110 page thesis over downdraft gasification and got a master's degree! My passion for exploring cultures, loving people, and telling stories thrived.” – LinkedIn 

Listen to the story behind the hilarious, fascinating, and unpredictable Thailand stories. Let’s welcome Charissa!

 

Time Stamp:

01:20 – Meet Charissa Enget. Born in North Dakota and moving with her parents every couple of years to Venezuela, China, and 6 different states. 

02:15 – Moving to Thailand by yourself? Parents’ reaction.

03:53 – Why Thailand? Tips for studying abroad as a grad student: application, English-speaking scholarships, and finding the right country for you.

07:25 – Getting to Thailand

09:02 – Arriving in Thailand: Excuse me, but my school is WHERE? 

09:40 – And the stories begin! Learning Thai and living in her new home

18:19 – Understanding a full sentence in Thai after 3.5 months

22:26 – Best memories of her time in Thailand

26:20 – What’s next? Going back for graduation and organizing Thailand trips with her social media followers.

 

Contact Charissa:

TikTok: lifeofcharrisae

Instagram: lifeofcharissae

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charissaenget

 

Stay in Touch:

Website: Life100Today.com

NEW Instagram Handle: @LatinaInAmerica

Other Show: LatinaInAmericaPodcast.com

 

Article: Life 100 Podcast featured on OPRAH Magazine (@oprahdaily) #26