I’m not sure when the realization actually hit me, but at some point in the last week, I couldn’t help but think to myself “holy crap, I’m actually moving to Thailand”.I don’t know if it was finalizing the visa, or getting my plane ticket purchased, but after over a year of trying to work towards a new lifestyle, it is finally happening.
How awesome is that?I can now write in peace knowing that I am not, in fact, a hypocrite.I don’t have to read travel blog after travel blog, lusting after exotic locations that people like Nomadic Matt experience on a daily basis; now I’m one of those people!
I realize that since announcing the move, I haven’t really talked a whole lot about what I actually intend to do while I am traveling.Well, part of the reason for this, is because up until recently, I really didn’t know what I was going to be doing!
After My Last Day, I received an email from Dan of the Tropical MBA.It basically just stated that he was stoked about what I was doing, and mentioned that I might be interested in an internship he was putting on.I checked out the site, and realized, “wow, I am perfect for this.”
Essentially the Tropical MBA is a paid internship, where Dan will be teaching me everything he knows on topics ranging from SEO to PPC marketing techniques to where the best food is in Manila.I will be working with him to try and leverage our skills and increase sales for his company.
Now, you might be thinking, how is that any different than a normal job?Well, a normal job, doesn’t allow you to be backpacking through SE Asia while you are doing it; I would know, I tried!
I decided early on that whether I got the internship or not, I needed to do something, so I figured I would move to Thailand regardless of what happened with the internship; everything else has just kind of fallen into place.
I think the coolest part about the whole experience is that Dan is looking to travel just as much as I am.We both recognize that as long as the work gets done, it doesn’t matter where you are.So to be able to take the opportunity to explore a various parts of SE Asia, and get a little money for it, is basically the best situation I could have asked for.
Since I made the decision to move, I have obviously been doing a lot of research about what to expect while living in Thailand, and I have been amazed to see how many people in our online community are either there currently, or have spent significant amounts of time there.
With that said,here are a few links I have recently stumbled upon from people who have spent some time in the region:
Jonny from The Life Thing, might be one my new favorite writers.I think his posts more than any other have really gotten me excited for the adventure that is to come.I am a little bummed that I won’t be meeting him in person since he has recently headed back to England, but if my trip is even half as good as his was, 2010 is gonna be a good year! Check out: Three Months in the Life of a Traveling Entpreneur and Memories of a Lifestyle Designer’s First Time.
Cody Mckibben, who I have written about before in “Cody Mckibben is the Man”, is kind of the resident Thailand expert in my book.He has been living there for over a year, and has been a tremendous resource to me as I try and figure out what to expect upon arrival.Check out: What I Hope to Learn in Thailand.
Neil from Nomadic Neil, has been a commenter here for as long as I can remember, and has recently arrived in Koh Lanta.I hadn’t been to his blog in awhile, and didn’t even realize he had already left for his trip.However, now that I know, I am excited to see where his adventure will lead him and meet up at some point. Check out: Starting Work in Koh Lanta.
Josh Sager, is a Location 180 reader, who sent me an awesome email with some tips and things to look out for when I arrive. His blog is devoted to his quest to learn the Thai language, and he does a great job of bringing us along for the ride. I’ll admit, I probably haven’t spent as much time learning pieces of the language as I should, but his is blog isn’t a bad place to start. Check out: Learning Thai (My Story).
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Sean Ogle
Sean Ogle is the Founder of Location Rebel where he has spent the last 12+ years teaching people how to build online businesses that give them the freedom to do more of the things they like to do in life. When he's not in the coffee shops of Portland, or the beaches of Bali, he's probably sneaking into some other high-class establishment where he most certainly doesn't belong.Join over 40,000 people who have taken our 6 part freelance writing course. Sign up below and let’s do this together.
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