Thoughts on Location Independence in the Closing Days of My Thailand Trip
I almost opted not to, but I’m glad I took my laptop with me and did some of my ongoing freelance work during my recent trip to Thailand and Indonesia. So it was essentially a “dry run” at location independence. Even made some money while on the road. It was a great feeling when I saw direct deposit alerts on my banking app while walking down Sukhumvit road in Bangkok on my way to a tinder date.
However, I do feel I need to temper my expectations for when I actually go location independent this summer.
At a couple points during my trip, I had doubts whether I’m cut out for this location independence lifestyle. I think it was this awkward, but temporary, transition phase when you stay in a new city for an extended time; the difficult period that starts after the novelty wears off, but before you really start hitting your stride. That was when I longed to be back home, despite all the faults the West has.
For example, I was spending money at an alarming rate that cannot be sustainable on a starter’s location independent income. I need to learn how to spend like a local around here. Start eating more street food. Avoid tourist traps with restaurants charging first world prices. Learn how to avoid getting ripped off by taxis. Getting a girl to translate and negotiate for me if there’s a language barrier. Get skilled at hunting bargains for hotels and apartments on the ground to complement online searches. Look into 2nd or 3rd tier cities like Chiang Mai to save on rent.
Another major issue is discipline. There are so many distractions here, it’s not even funny. You can easily get lost in this lifestyle. If one’s not careful, he might blow all of his savings before he realizes he can’t afford a plane ticket back home. It is going to take serious discipline to stay on the ball and get shit done when it needs to get done.
Other Updates
The first thing I’m going to do when I get back home is to renew my passport and request extra pages. My current passport only has about four years left on it, and I would like to have as much cushion as possible. Other documents may also need to be renewed.
It’s also time to start looking into getting visas. I’ll start with Philippines and Thailand for now. I haven’t decided which place I will go to, yet. Most likely I will split my time between those two countries, along with scouting trips to other SEA countries whenever I need to make a visa run or something. But for now, it’s time to start getting the right photos for passport and visa applications.
My primary task for my business over the next few months is to acquire more regular clients to expand my base for a more consistent income. I have not been looking for new clients over the past two months because I had enough work I could handle on top of my full time job, and I didn’t want to overwhelm myself during my Thailand trip. But now is the time to start pitching for more clients.
I am still on track to vacate my apartment on June 20, and leave the USA in mid-July. However, I have not heard anything about my annual bonus from my job. I did get a cost of living adjustment to my salary recently, and given my company’s history, the bonus usually follows very soon after. I expect to hear something by the end of April.
I’m going to break the news of my plans to my family next weekend. It will be very interesting to see how they react.
I almost opted not to, but I’m glad I took my laptop with me and did some of my ongoing freelance work during my recent trip to Thailand and Indonesia. So it was essentially a “dry run” at location independence. Even made some money while on the road. It was a great feeling when I saw direct deposit alerts on my banking app while walking down Sukhumvit road in Bangkok on my way to a tinder date.
However, I do feel I need to temper my expectations for when I actually go location independent this summer.
At a couple points during my trip, I had doubts whether I’m cut out for this location independence lifestyle. I think it was this awkward, but temporary, transition phase when you stay in a new city for an extended time; the difficult period that starts after the novelty wears off, but before you really start hitting your stride. That was when I longed to be back home, despite all the faults the West has.
For example, I was spending money at an alarming rate that cannot be sustainable on a starter’s location independent income. I need to learn how to spend like a local around here. Start eating more street food. Avoid tourist traps with restaurants charging first world prices. Learn how to avoid getting ripped off by taxis. Getting a girl to translate and negotiate for me if there’s a language barrier. Get skilled at hunting bargains for hotels and apartments on the ground to complement online searches. Look into 2nd or 3rd tier cities like Chiang Mai to save on rent.
Another major issue is discipline. There are so many distractions here, it’s not even funny. You can easily get lost in this lifestyle. If one’s not careful, he might blow all of his savings before he realizes he can’t afford a plane ticket back home. It is going to take serious discipline to stay on the ball and get shit done when it needs to get done.
Other Updates
The first thing I’m going to do when I get back home is to renew my passport and request extra pages. My current passport only has about four years left on it, and I would like to have as much cushion as possible. Other documents may also need to be renewed.
It’s also time to start looking into getting visas. I’ll start with Philippines and Thailand for now. I haven’t decided which place I will go to, yet. Most likely I will split my time between those two countries, along with scouting trips to other SEA countries whenever I need to make a visa run or something. But for now, it’s time to start getting the right photos for passport and visa applications.
My primary task for my business over the next few months is to acquire more regular clients to expand my base for a more consistent income. I have not been looking for new clients over the past two months because I had enough work I could handle on top of my full time job, and I didn’t want to overwhelm myself during my Thailand trip. But now is the time to start pitching for more clients.
I am still on track to vacate my apartment on June 20, and leave the USA in mid-July. However, I have not heard anything about my annual bonus from my job. I did get a cost of living adjustment to my salary recently, and given my company’s history, the bonus usually follows very soon after. I expect to hear something by the end of April.
I’m going to break the news of my plans to my family next weekend. It will be very interesting to see how they react.