2 ms·

Hello fellow continual traveller (going to start using that phrase instead of digital nomad). I'm probably 20ish years younger than you and have been doing the

by doix 2y ago

Hello fellow continual traveller (going to start using that phrase instead of digital nomad). I'm probably 20ish years younger than you and have been doing the same thing for the last 4ish years. After starting with just a backpack I've slowly accumulated a bunch of random stuff that I keep in a storage unit in Bangkok. You are right that you take your own problems with you, but you can leave the problems of place behind. Like you say, many places have pros and cons, but if you're only staying for a short time, it's easy to ignore the cons and focus on the pros. When you're settled in a place, I find it much harder to appreciate the pros and end up focusing on the cons. You can see many people here complaining about their home countries, but if you're there for only two months and aren't invested in the future of the country, it's much easier to enjoy it.

gregjor 2y ago
Funny, I have a storage locker in Bangkok too. I don't have a lot of stuff, but enough that I need a place to put it when I go traveling. I mostly live in Bangkok but sometimes my wife and I leave for months at a time. I was just talking to an expat friend about how many expats/immigrants we know in Thailand who seem to do nothing but complain about Thailand and Thai people. I wonder why they stay here. I can see the same problems they do -- crowded, loud, dirty, bad traffic, polluted -- but I don't react to those problems the same way. I grew up in Los Angeles, a city that seems dirtier than Bangkok, but doesn't have great public transportation like Bangkok does, and I certainly don't feel safe walking around in LA. I try to focus on the things I love about Thailand and not get stressed over the things I don't like. We all bring our own preferences and perspectives with us. I think the successful travelers and expats adapt and learn tolerance and acceptance. The people I talk to who seem most unhappy always compare where they live with where they came from, focusing on the things they miss, and the things they haven't adapted to. I met an American guy a while back who complained that he couldn't get Pop-Tarts in Bangkok. When I told him about Villa Market and Tops (he had somehow not discovered those after over a year in Bangkok) he got visibly happier -- major life stressor fixed for him.

by doix 2y ago

gregjor 2y ago

Funny, I have a storage locker in Bangkok too. I don't have a lot of stuff, but enough that I need a place to put it when I go traveling. I mostly live in Bangkok but sometimes my wife and I leave for months at a time. I was just talking to an expat friend about how many expats/immigrants we know in Thailand who seem to do nothing but complain about Thailand and Thai people. I wonder why they stay here. I can see the same problems they do -- crowded, loud, dirty, bad traffic, polluted -- but I don't react to those problems the same way. I grew up in Los Angeles, a city that seems dirtier than Bangkok, but doesn't have great public transportation like Bangkok does, and I certainly don't feel safe walking around in LA. I try to focus on the things I love about Thailand and not get stressed over the things I don't like. We all bring our own preferences and perspectives with us. I think the successful travelers and expats adapt and learn tolerance and acceptance. The people I talk to who seem most unhappy always compare where they live with where they came from, focusing on the things they miss, and the things they haven't adapted to. I met an American guy a while back who complained that he couldn't get Pop-Tarts in Bangkok. When I told him about Villa Market and Tops (he had somehow not discovered those after over a year in Bangkok) he got visibly happier -- major life stressor fixed for him.