Good Friends, Another Tropical Island, and a Homecoming

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I feel like I’ve been doing more traveling over the last month than I had in the previous six months combined.  Although I guess when I think back, I’ve been a lot of places and seen a LOT of cool stuff.

Currently I’m writing from a nice bakery on the Thai island of Ko Tao.  Ko Tao is without a doubt one of my favorite islands that I’ve been to thus far.  A far cry from the insanity that is Koh Phi Phi, as soon as you get off the boat you can tell that this place is much more tranquil.  Ko Tao is one of the dive capitals of Thailand, and I think we are probably the only people around who aren’t here to make diving their primary focus.

If there is one thing that I’ve realized over the past six months its the importance of having good friends in your life.  I’m currently here with a cool mix of old friends such as my girlfriend Tate and her cousin Abby, as well as new friends such as David Walsh, Derek Johanson, Clay Boeschen and Blake Jakopovic.  Its cool to be able to experience this place with some of my favorite  people , yet at the same time it makes me wish that there were a few people from back home who could experience it as well.

Sairee Beach on Ko Tao

Tomorrow I’m hoping to accomplish another goal I’ve had forever which is to go scuba diving.  My whole life I’ve had some recurring ear problems, and while they haven’t been an issue for years, there’s still a question of whether or not I’ll be able to properly equalize.  I figure if I don’t do it now, I never will, so I will keep you posted on how that goes.

UPDATE: Since I first wrote this a few days ago I have SUCCESSFULLY completed my first scuba dive.  More on that soon.

In the spirit of keeping you up to date, I also have another announcement to make.  If you’ve been following me on Twitter, or are subscribed to the Location 180 mailing list, you may already know, but:

On July 20th I will be headed back to Portland, Oregon.

As I’ve started telling people about this plan over the last couple weeks, I’ve received a wide variety of reactions.  From excitement to disgust to the most common of surprise, I’ve seen a far greater spectrum of feelings that I’d anticipated.

A lot of people who’ve reading about my travels at Location 180 and talking to me about them, are wondering why on Earth I would give up everything I have here?  Well the fact of the matter, is that I’m not giving up anything. The beauty of this lifestyle is that I can literally do it from anywhere I want, and the response I keep telling people is that:

There is no place in the world that I would rather spend the summer than in the Pacific Northwest

Incredible festivals and events.  Outdoor activities that a second to none. Friends and family.  The thought of that was too much to pass up.  Not to mention its been years since I’ve been able to really spend a summer in Portland enjoying all of these things without the chain of a 9 to 5 job.  To be able to craft my schedule around work, and enjoy all of the things an Oregon summer has to offer is really exciting.

The flexibility of the work I do with the Tropical MBA a big reason that this is possible, and I’m really excited about where that business is heading and my role in it.  There will be more updates on that in the coming weeks, but I think I will be able to add just as much if not more value to those endeavors back in the US as I am here.

So that’s my plan.  Obviously the writing here will be slightly different considering I won’t be living in South East Asia, but I’m really excited to start exploring some different topics and looking at another side of the location independent lifestyle.

It will be interesting to share my experiences going back and to see how I deal with things like sticker shock, not having a car, interacting with people who may not have the same mindset as me, and not to mention just being able to share all of the awesome things that are in store for the next few months.

Realistically I couldn’t tell you what will happen after the summer, and I don’t really want to worry too much about that right now.  I’m hoping to make a trip out to NYC for the first time ever at some point, and then maybe spend some time skiing and living in the mountains for awhile in the winter, but those decisions are still a long way out.

The bottom line is that coming to Thailand has been the greatest experience of my life, and I know I’m a much more self-assured and better off person because of it.  It will be a challenge to keep the mindset I now have in a place where so few people share my sentiments, but it’s one that I’m prepared and excited for.

In the meantime, I plan on enjoying my last week here with some of the coolest people I’ve ever met, have a few more memorable experiences, and then prepare myself for the next chapter in a story that keeps getting better and better.

If you have any questions, comments, thoughts etc. I’d love to hear about them!  Leave me a comment or shoot me an email!

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