Questions to ask before becoming an expat

Making the decision to become an expat isn’t an easy one — there are many factors to consider when deciding to live away from your own country.

I have met so many people who tell me they wish they could be an living as an expat. While being an expat is amazing and life-changing, it is important to give this big decision some very serious thought. And, if you are going to become an expat without putting some thought into it, you will find yourself stressed once you touchdown in that foreign country of your choice.

Simply making the conscious decision to pack up and move abroad is not enough for long-term life as an expat. Before you take that leap — and yes, you should take that leap — it is necessary to really think about the logistics of becoming an expat and whether you are prepared to do so. Personally, becoming an expat in Chiang Mai was the best decision I have ever made.

Before you relocate, consider the following questions to ask yourself before becoming an expat:Continue reading “Questions to ask before becoming an expat”

Breaking up with booze

The Comfort Zone Project and my quest to not be “fat” in Thailand are leading me down a path of mindful eating, five-day-a-week workout sessions (three of which are with a personal trainer) and breaking up with booze.

OK. So, not really “breaking up,” but more like “we’re going into a very restricted relationship. Almost like a break-up, but from time-to-time, we can still hook-up and remember how much we loved each other.”

Cause, yeah … I’m not ready to quit you, sweet red wine. I just need more time for me than you.Continue reading “Breaking up with booze”

Travel bloggers favorite places to live as expats

I’ve been living in as an expat in Chiang Mai for almost two years. It’s a great place to call home and I love living here. The lifestyle is fantastically chill, the cost of living is low compared to American prices, and there is such a beauty in waking up in a foreign country.

Why live as an expat in Chiang Mai?Continue reading “Travel bloggers favorite places to live as expats”

10 things traveling solo taught me about life

Today is March 7 … exactly four years ago today I boarded a flight to London and embarked on a seven-month solo backpacking adventure through Europe and parts of Africa.

A London phone booth
First stop of the solo backpacking: London

For months before I booked the trip, I teetered … I dreamed of traveling, but was it the right time to quit my job, mid-career, to hop on a plane across the Atlantic?

As I grew more miserable in my job, my career, the answer became clear: GO.

So, around Christmas 2009, I got on the phone with United and arranged for my solo backpacking trip.Continue reading “10 things traveling solo taught me about life”

10 tips for visiting Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai's moat
A moat surrounds the Old City of Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand, is a far cry from the hustle, bustle and general chaos that is Bangkok. I’ve found that there are two types of people who come to the largest city in Northern Thailand — those who love the moat-surrounded city, and those who don’t.

If you’re looking for action, heaps of shopping and thrive on true urban life, then Chiang Mai isn’t for you (although we do have a total of five major shopping malls in the city). Chiang Mai is chill. It’s laden with coffee shops, adorable little restaurants with gorgeous patios, quaint guest houses, locals who will chat with you on a songthaew en route to your destination and a night life scene that isn’t truly a night life scene (but still heaps of fun). As someone who has lived here long-term, it is easy to see why travelers come through town and end up staying far longer than intended.Continue reading “10 tips for visiting Chiang Mai”

Daily Wanderlust: Rainbows in Koh Samui

Koh Samui can be described in one word: paradise.

Yes, this gorgeous island located in southern Thailand offers paradise to travelers in need of a break from the crowded Bangkok, the land-locked Chiang Mai or even the backpacker loop of SE Asia.

Here, you can unwind in adorable bungalows, sip exotic cocktails, party like you’re underage and just chill out. During my time in Samui, I chose to just chill, and let me say this: it was freaking awesome.Continue reading “Daily Wanderlust: Rainbows in Koh Samui”

Curveball

It’s Sunday night, and I’m in my bedroom, getting ready for bed. I look down at my teak wood floor and see Mr. Lucky, laying on the ground.

Odd, since that isn’t his normal behavior.

I scoop him into my arms and place him on the bed. He tucks his little orange and white paws under his body, and lays his head flat against my mattress.

Something isn’t right.Continue reading “Curveball”

The fat girl in Thailand

A look at the realities of being an overweight female in Thailand and a lifelong struggle with being overweight.
This post is a part of the year-long Comfort Zone Project.

“Oh, why you so pom pui?” People ask me. Strangers. Friends. You name it.

Pom pui.

You’d think one of the first words I would learn in Thailand would be how to ask someone’s name, or how to ask for directions. But, nope. One of the first words I learn other than “drunk” is pom pui or “fat.”Continue reading “The fat girl in Thailand”

Daily Wanderlust: happy elephants

Happy elephants aren’t always easy to find in Thailand. A quick look at the current Travel Blogger Calendar and the related blog posts can give you insight into why this happens. (Note: you can win a trip to Thailand through them!)

For me, working at Save Elephant Foundation, I am treated to happy elephants whenever I journey to Elephant Nature Park, located just outside of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand.

The elephants here are most definitely happy. I mean — they get to roam free, eat heaps of tasty fruits and veggies and hang out with their best buddies and family all day, without ever having to work.Continue reading “Daily Wanderlust: happy elephants”

The Comfort Zone Project

“Life’s not about living happily ever after … it’s about living.”

That is the tagline for my blog, and was the motivating factor in the major decision I made nearly four years ago to quit my job in public relations and take a career-break and head out for a solo travel adventure.

It’s the same motivating factor that pushed me to quit my job again in 2012 and head over to Thailand to live as an expat and work for Save Elephant Foundation.

But, during my time in Thailand, something happened:

I lost my focus.

I lost my motivation.

I lost myself.

It’s easy to do, really.Continue reading “The Comfort Zone Project”