Unpack The Bag

I unpack quickly wherever I am. Even if we are just there for a night. This is how I have always been, even as a child. Nowadays, it is even more important as a full-time digital nomad. I unpack what I need and always put up this framed photo of Sean and I (picture below). That picture has traveled all around the world. I know some of you are probably thinking I am crazy but when you live out of just one suitcase and don’t really have a home, your things become part home. Which is why I love that this time around Sean and I are staying put longer in places with Chiang Mai being the longest we’ve stayed in one location yet. I have loved doing a bit of nesting. One life’s simple but expensive pleasures is the home section of a big store!

I am best when I can get comfortable in a place. Not only does it make me more adventurous but it also helps me to have a routine. I like that the people at our regular coffee stops know us. I like that I know where different street food vendors are depending on the day. I also love that we have a water bill to pay and I also love how easy it is to do weekend trips to different areas. Better yet, I love that I can buy certain groceries and not be worried or annoyed at leaving them behind after a month. Hello, spices!

A Day in the life of… Amanda McCullough

Full disclosure, it might seem like we are constantly doing cool things in our lives but the truth is… We are actually pretty boring people. I think what makes us seem a bit more exciting is the fact that we have the freedom to do what we want when we want. Also, location is pretty much the whole exciting factor. So by temporarily living in Bangkok, it makes us seem adventurous. That and cheap flights to exciting places makes it a heck of a lot easier to have a unique long weekend.  In reality, a day in the life of us is actually pretty normal. Lucky for us, it can be done really in any part of the world. This is what makes us workers and travelers.  

I wasn’t really sure what to write this week as for a lack of better of words Sean and I haven’t done anything really exciting. Nothing that deserves a blog post about. We’ve just been settling into a new daily routine and enjoying having a place on our own again. The last previous 4 months we’ve been with family and except for two weeks in St Ives (which now upon further thought… WHY HAVE I NOT WRITTEN ABOUT THAT? There was so much to do. I loved it. *Adds to my must write list*) we have not been alone. So it has been nice this past month just sort being with Sean again. Living our life just the two of us.

As long as I get fresh fruit anything then I am perfectly happy with the life that I am living to be honest.

Getting That Routine Life

This past week, we joined a Co-working space and it has been nice separating our home and work space. We also, dare I say it now have a routine again. Honestly, it has been so helpful for my anxiety. Bonus: There is something about being able to sleep without setting an alarm for the morning. It is a special type of freedom in our lives to be able to do that. We only set alarms if we have travel that day, otherwise, there is nothing better about letting our bodies wake up when we are ready. But, of course, we normally wake up the same time cause we are creatures of habits.

One thing that is new for us this time around is our workouts in the gym. A new requirement for us if we can afford it is staying in apartments that have a gym. This helps us with the goal of working out every other day. So far, we’ve been really loving it and it makes us feel a bit better about getting those Thai Milk Teas and smoothies. Not sure if you know this but in Thailand, they love sugar in their drinks. It can almost be sickeningly sweet. That and salt so be careful about your sugar and salt intake!!

We workout in the morning but before that, there is lounging in bed, not talking to one other as we check our phones.   You know the normal life things… Gotta check the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email all without talking to one other. Ah, romance! For me, it is also actual prime time to talk to friends and family back home which has been SO NICE. Then it is work. We work a solid 4-6 hours a day (maybe less or maybe more depending on the week) and then I’m sorta on-call in the evening until 10. This involves me just checking and browsing different clients profiles. Then repeat.

In between that, I will also normally do research and browse flights for future trip ideas. I have an on-going list of place, things to do and hotels that are cool. See! It’s not the most exciting thing, we switch it up depending on if we want to do something fun. That is the best part. If we want to take the day off we have the freedom to move things around and do it. I can only think of a handful of times where we have not been able to do that cause of deadlines and client expectations.  I will never-not get tired of being able to just go somewhere without having to explain myself.

Happy With Part-Time Work

That is why we do this. It might not mean we make the most money but we are happy. We joke that if we actually worked full-time how much more money we could be making but we are happy with where we are for the time being. When we work, we work hard, efficiently and keep the hustle going. Though something will never change for me, I’ll respond to emails later a night if I am up or check on things. It doesn’t bother me though to do that. I am happy to do that because I always want to make sure my clients are happy and I haven’t had any complaints yet.

So there you have it. I know no one asked for this but this is what a typical day in the life is for me.

Read an oldie but a goodie by clicking on the image!

Hello, friends and interwebs people

Boy has it been awhile so once more, let me say hello! I took the last month or so off to enjoy time being with Sean and his family. Seeing friends and indulging in gin and tonics and it was perfect. Now, I am sitting in the living room of our temporary apartment in Pattaya, Thailand feeling happy, a little nervous and excited.

We have officially been in Thailand for a week and man, I love this country. Thailand is one of my favorite places in the world and it’s not just because you can get fresh fruit for under a buck. It’s familiar while also being new and exciting. When I was living in Dhaka, I spent many holidays and long weekends in Bangkok shopping and enjoying the best buffets the city has to offer. Now, that I’m older I experience different things on different budgets (though, shout out to Dad and Pinny for picking up the check more often than not when we are with them).

Sean and I have decided that we are staying in Thailand until Mid-April and I can not be more excited. There were a variety of reasons as why we picked Bangkok as our home base. Keep reading to see what some the mains ones are:

Same Same but Different

It’s like London (but not in costs) in terms of easy access to multiple destinations without needing to spend a fortune. Bangkok is the capital and has access to international and domestic flights to not only places within Thailand but Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore and more without having to drop a couple hundred. There are also TONS of places just a few hours outside of Bangkok that offer so much to see and do that it will be easy to spend a weekend here and there off the beaten track.  

Saving Money Per KG

Having an apartment long-term versus short-term is saving us all the money. Traveling with your whole life in a suitcase can be a bit much. It can be tiring and also adds up. Sure, flying Air Asia is cheap but when you add in the extra $50 you spend on adding a 20KG suitcase (when you start with 30 KG) is stressful and makes seeing more places harder. This time, we can enjoy the cheap flights without shelling out extra for a suitcase as we will be weekend travelers this time around. As such, we’ll just need backpacks, not a whole suitcase. That alone will save us SO much and enable us to fly to more places and cut down travel times.

Hello Co-Working World

Co-working spaces are aplenty in this bustling hub and all at different budgets. One area that Sean and I both really wanted to explore was this “digital nomad” life. Last year we were more travelers, this time we want to focus a bit more on meeting other people who are working and traveling like we do. Which means shelling out the money for the perfect coworking space that offers wifi, events and good vibes. So if anyone has any recommendations do me a favor, drop them below

That Family Connection

Spending time with my dad. My dad and I have had a distant relationship these past few years. Between emotions, countries and having our own lives, we didn’t see each other very often. In the past year though, that has really changed. When we first started traveling last year, we ended up seeing him and his wife, Pinny a few times last year. They even came and spent a long weekend with us in Hoi An.

Personality wise, we are eerily similar in many aspects. More often than not, we make the same jokes or find the same things funny. My sarcasm I get from him and I notice this more and more as I get older…  They are also allowing us to spend time in their studio apartment in Pattaya. This allows us to save up some money before we move into our Bangkok apartment. So, thanks you two.

Dad and I, last year around this time in Athens, Greece.

The reality is, this will probably be the last time that I will ever be able to live near my dad who lives full time in Bangkok. I wanted to give myself a chance to see him as much as possible before we start our next chapter in the states. Flying to Asia won’t really be in our budget as we settle down and if not now then when. So if you’re reading this Dad, I’m gonna pester you for weekly dinners and I look forward to our planned weekend trips with one other.

Home Away From Home

Comfort. As many of you know, I can be anxious and as such need a bit more time to adapt to my surroundings. By staying here for more than a month it allows me the time I need to push myself. An added bonus is because I know Thailand I’m already pretty comfortable here allowing me to dive almost all the way in and not waste a minute. So bring on the next 3 months of adventure, days at home, street food and more. I am oh so ready for it.

Read more and see why traveling offseason might be the answer you’re looking for here.