From January 20–25, 2026, I went to Thailand for my first IEEE research conference, the 18th International Conference on Knowledge and Smart Technology (KST 2026) (conference days: January 21–24). This was also my first time traveling abroad.

I chose this on purpose. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I wanted to try. And yes, I also wanted the trip to feel like a little vacation. One trip, two purposes.

Looking back, it was exhausting… but also life-giving.

Before the conference even started

My flight was delayed by four hours. I originally planned to eat at the airport after landing, but I was already thinking about my prebooked bus. I didn’t want to miss it, so I skipped lunch and just pushed through.

By the time I arrived in Pattaya from Bangkok, I finally got something to eat, it was already 4 PM. I ended up buying a curry meal from 7-Eleven and eating it outside, sitting near the parking area because there were no tables like the 7-Elevens back home. And that curry… I didn’t realize it was spicy until it was too late. Thai food is spicy spicy. I was sweating and laughing at myself at the same time, thinking, okay Sam, welcome to Thailand.

The work behind that short moment on stage

People only see the “few minutes” of you presenting. What they don’t see is how much work happens before you even get there.

I prepared hard for this. Even during the Christmas break, while other people were resting, I was still working on the paper, fixing slides, rewriting parts, rehearsing, and doing that cycle of “edit, panic a bit, edit again.”

And the submission part… man.

The submission struggle (and the PDF headache)

If you’ve submitted to an IEEE conference before, you probably know what I mean. The PDF has to be the “right” kind of PDF. Fonts, compatibility, the checks… everything has to pass. I remember converting and reconverting, thinking I was done, then seeing another error or warning pop up.

The deadline was getting closer, and every upload attempt felt like a mini heart test.

But by God’s grace, I was able to submit what was required. I still remember the relief after it finally went through.

Travel authority, just in time. Clutch.

Another detail that still makes me smile: my Travel Authority arrived one day before my flight.

One day.

It was clutch. I remember thinking, Lord, thank you. Let’s go.

First time abroad, first time in an IEEE crowd

I’m an applied mathematician, but here I was in an IEEE space, surrounded by researchers, scientists, engineers, and faculty. It felt like stepping into a different lane, but I honestly liked the challenge. I wanted to learn from a different crowd and see how they talk, present, and think.

It was also fun trying to communicate with Thais in English. Some were comfortable, some were not, so we ended up using a mix of English, smiles, and hand gestures. Surprisingly, it works. You realize you don’t need perfect words to connect with people.

The presentation moment (and a funny culture shock)

Presentation day came and I was nervous, of course, but it was the good kind of nervous.

Then I got a small culture shock. Some speakers were presenting while sitting. In my head, presenting means standing in front, moving a bit, using your hands. But there, some were seated while presenting. I don’t know if it was a conference style thing, a venue thing, or just that room’s norm, but it caught me off guard in a funny way.

And honestly, moments like that remind you you’re not home. Which is exactly why you travel.

Me presenting at KST 2026

My first IEEE conference presentation abroad, KST 2026 (Thailand).

The best part: the people

I met people I’ll genuinely remember. I made new friends, including a Thai colleague, Sitthatka Jaratsaeng, and an Egyptian professor, Dr. Wael Farag.

This is one thing I didn’t fully appreciate before: conferences are not just papers and proceedings. They’re conversations. They’re the small talks before sessions, the questions after a presentation, the random “where are you from” moments that turn into a real connection.

A closed door, and then an open one

This paper was also an improved version of a submission that got rejected from a Q1 journal.

At the time, that rejection felt heavy. But looking back now, I see it differently. That closed door pushed me to improve the work, and KST became an open door in a different direction. Not the path I expected, but a path that gave me my first IEEE conference abroad, my first time in Thailand, and my first real experience presenting internationally.

After the conference, Thailand became part of the lesson too

After the conference, I explored Pattaya and Bangkok.

I visited the Sanctuary of Truth. I rode motorcycles where only the driver had a helmet. I rode a train for the first time in my life. I tried their food, walked around malls and night markets, and for the first time, I watched a football match in the Thai top-tier league.

Little things, but the kind of little things you remember.

Sanctuary of Truth, Pattaya

Sanctuary of Truth, Pattaya. One of those places that makes you pause.

When I got home, I had another flight coming up within a few days, but I cancelled it. After the long trip, I genuinely felt like my eardrums would explode if I flew again that soon. And honestly, my body needed rest. Just the week before, I was in Manila for the UP Diliman Research Fair. January was wild. I finally listened to my body.

What I’m taking forward

This trip reminded me that growth is often inconvenient. It costs time, energy, courage, and a lot of troubleshooting. But it gives back confidence in a way that’s hard to explain until you experience it.

I’m grateful that God carried me through the deadlines, the logistics, and the unfamiliar moments.

“When God opens a door, you don’t have to be fearless. You just have to be faithful enough to walk through it.”

Thank you, Jesus!