Happy New Year!

As you all know, I’ve been hard at work putting together this eBook.  I’m releasing it NOW and I’m releasing it for FREE because I want to do everything I can to help you achieve all of your personal and business goals in 2011!

So, What’s in the eBook?

Lifestyle Mastery- Love Your Business & Your Life is an overview of the first three topics that business owners need to master:  Time, Money, and Behaviors.  It goes into detail about how I’ve used these tactics to create the Lifestyle of My Dreams, and How You Can Apply These Strategies to do the same.

This year is already amazing.  I’m working on some INCREDIBLY COOL projects.  I’ve re-launched my newsletter with a FREE eCourse, FREE Business Tips for Online Professionals & in order to give you some incentive to sign up, I’m adding this eBook in for FREE!

So, Drop your name & email below and get to it!  I want to see you here in paradise!

Many folks take a glimpse at my lifestyle here and assume I’m swimming in cash.  The truth of it is, it’s cheaper to live abroad than you might imagine!  It is far cheaper to live here than it is to travel, and if you look at rental costs versus the price of hotels, you can see why.

I realize living abroad is not for everyone, but for those interested, I wanted to share some actual figures and costs that you would experience while living here.

One of the main reasons that I chose Thailand is that I’ve been here before.  I knew that it was cheap, with friendly locals, and easy enough to travel around.

What I didn’t consider and wouldn’t have known until living here…

• How affordable it is to live here
• What great food you can have on a regular basis
• The incredible amount of international friends I would make
• The valuable experience running a business abroad
• Other work and volunteer opportunities that would present themselves

As Tim Ferriss denotes in his book The Four Hour Workweek, it is much better to live in a country where you can leverage the dollar.  The simple fact is that my money is worth three times as much here than it is in the U.S. This has enabled me to live a near-luxury lifestyle while working in very small amounts.  You can also add on a job that gives you security, visa, and more cash (and lets you save while experiencing another country).  I’ve been doing this with teaching, and loving it.

Anyway, I’ve been living a pretty kick-ass lifestyle for roughly $800 a month. Here’s a breakdown of my expenses so you can see for yourself how this would work for you…

Budget: One Month

$ 200 USD            Rent

$   30 USD            Utilities and Internet

$ 400 USD           Food & Entertainment

$ 70 USD              Motorbike Rental & Gas

$ 100 USD            Border Runs / Visa / Travel

________________________________________

$ 800 USD            Total

Let’s just suffice it to say that never in my life have I had the luxury to spend double my rent on food and entertainment.  For the record, YES, I have Downsized My Life…. But I find it exceedingly worth it.  And, all the while, I’m managing to save money (which, honestly, is something I Really struggled with living in the U.S.)

So, just for fun, let’s take a look at what it would cost to do a two week vacation here….

Budget: Two Week Vacation

$1,300 USD         Roundtrip Airfare

$ 450 USD            Hotel

$ 300 USD            Food

$ 200 USD            Travel / Taxies/ Transport

$ 300 USD            Tours & Entertainment

________________________________________

$2,550 USD         Total

My point is this:  For what it would cost to come here for two weeks, you could live here for THREE Months.  Seriously!  It is something to consider, not just for financial reasons, but more for what you learn by actually Living in a Foreign country.  The life experiences, cultural experiences, and friendships you can make are nothing short of life changing. Here are some photos so you can see what you can get for your money here….

Incredible Views

Most of the views around here are stunning, but I must say that mine is inspiring.  I love just waking up and looking at the huge mountain outside my sliding glass door.

View from my balcony - 2 minute drive to the beach!

Amazing Food

Most meals cost between $1-3 USD.  If you go to a very high end restaurant and order wine, expect it to be about $30 USD.  My favorite part about living here is that the food is fresh from the market and made on the spot.  I’m sure my diet is much healthier eating this way!

Green curry served in a coconut!

Fantastic Recreation

What has kept me here is the amazing amount of recreational activities.  Krabi is known for its world-class climbing and diving.  If you are in to either of these sports, you’ll love it here!  You can also go trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, and just about anything else.

Diving in Koh Ha

Diving is cheap here, about $120 US for a day.  The courses are very inexpensive, so if you are looking to do several dives, you are better off adding a certification to your list.

My friend Lucy going for it!

Climbing for a half day is about $20 US.  If you have your own gear, its free, but I’d recommend hiring a guide so you can find the best sites easily.  Railay is pretty much the mecca of climbing and there is enough here for me to do for the rest of my life.

Making Friends From All Over the World

If you are worried about leaving your home because you are afraid of making new friends, don’t be!!  The best gift so far is the friendships that I’ve made.  Living abroad attracts the fun-loving, adventurous type.  I’ve made a ton of lifelong friends that I will be able to visit all around the world.

Monsoon face painting party - people from Australia, Finland, Sweden, England, Scotland, United Arab Emeriates & USA

The cost of getting your life back?  Priceless.

One thing I hadn’t anticipated was how completely freeing it would be to live here.  I’ve never really felt so relaxed, had this much fun, or enjoyed my time anywhere else as much as I have here.  While I realize that it is just one small place, I wanted to share some of these experiences with you in hopes that no matter where you go or end up, that you can feel the same amount of freedom and joy that I have here.

One of the best sunsets I've ever seen in my life!

Like I said before, living abroad isn’t for everyone.  But for those of you that are interested, I hope this has been  helpful and inspiring for you!!

Questions??  Comments??  Readers, please share your experiences of living abroad!!

Here it is.  The moment of truth.  I, like most of my female counterparts, have held onto the Disney dream that it was only a matter of time until the man in shining armor arrived at my door, ready to tell me wonderful things, take me amazing places, and pay off my credit card debt.  He’s handsome, strong, and happy to do it.  Oh, and he is perfectly balanced, has his career (as Prince Charming) completely figured out, and rolls around in money from investment funds that he has mastered.  As much as I hate to admit this, I have held onto the idea that:

Some Man Somewhere is going to Rescue Me

There.  I said it.

Sigh.

There is a Big Reason why I am posting this.  It is not a female rant about men, nor is it only geared towards women readers.  I want to spend a bit of time in this post talking about our upbringing and how it shapes us.  But mostly, I want to talk about stepping up and taking Personal Responsibility.

Putting Relationships First

We tend to get distracted by what is going on around us.  Specifically, we get distracted in our lives by Personal Relationships.  In my life, my family values personal relationships more than anything.  Especially on my mother’s side of the family.  The amount of family activities and involvement was overwhelming to me growing up and I remember feeling at an early age that there was always an event to rush off to.  As I got older, I began to opt out of many of these events, eventually moving out of the state and became less active in the family activities side of my personal relationships.

When I talk to my family and friends, the first information they want to know is about my love life.  Who am I dating, how is it going?  Is there potential there?  I know women tend to spend a considerable amount of time talking to eachother about the relationships in their lives.  I wonder if it is genetic—like somehow we’ve personally taken on the responsibility of ALL THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WORLD.

It wasn’t until recently that I had the epiphany of discovering how much time is wasted trying to figure out other people.

Truth be told, my main function, my Whole Life has been mostly on this Disney directed idea that I was going to find myself a man, and then life would get better.

Playing Around with our Careers

When our main focus is dependent on our relationship, we are really just playing around with our careers. We know we need to have a focus, and do something meaningful, but when Mr. Wonderful comes along, we are all too eager to jump ship and follow his success.  I have done this before.  I was once engaged, and left my high-paying job in California to move to Colorado.  I ended up breaking off the engagement and realized what a terrible mistake I made.  I was also was in a long-term relationship where he made the major income.  We moved for his career, not mine.  This is neither right nor wrong, and in each case, what I want to point out is this:

1. I put my responsibility in someone else’s hands.
2. They didn’t want to take responsibility of me.
3. I didn’t like how it felt to have someone else feel like they needed to take care of me.

What Disney forgets to cover in its Relationship 101 course is that there are feelings and emotions that go along with being carried off on the white horse into the sunset.

We know from statistics that most relationships end over issues related to money.  Is this any surprise?

What We See and What We’re Taught

We, as women have been taught to get educated, be more masculine, and go into a career world, be aggressive, and fight for a dream that we mostly don’t want.  I’m sorry, but the idea of working my ass off forty or more hours a week, and cooking, taking care of my house, myself, and someone else is Not Exactly My Idea of Fun! So, somewhat secretly (until now) I’ve been holding onto the dream that I could step gracefully into a relationship or job or situation where I wouldn’t have to deal with this kind of pressure.

I grew up in a very affluent town.  Many of the moms had the choice of working.  When I moved to California, I worked for CEO’s who had stay at home wives, nannies, housekeepers, and the kind of homes that people were always showing up to.  The gardener, landscaper, architect, carpet cleaner…you name it, they had it.  I had kept myself in my comfort zone by always ending up in situations where the male was the main provider, and I just needed to show up.  I helped organize these people and their lives.  I handled everything from the kids to the property management, travel planning, you name they needed it—I did it.  But the reality was: I was a paid additional stay at home mom.  I was an extra.  I was still in the world of making a man responsible of me.

Reality Sucks

That reality didn’t really sit too well with me.  I was somehow dependent on a situation instead of myself. I was continually putting myself in a situation where a man was providing for my wellbeing, instead of myself. I was still following the Disney Guidelines and waiting for another Disney Rescue.  By living in Disneyland, I could forego most of my personal responsibility. I could continue to put my financial responsibility in someone else’s hands.  I could continually focus primarily on my relationship with men.  I could keep getting educated, without ever stepping out with what I knew.  I could be dependent on seeking approval from everyone.

So here is the deal.  I realized it’s time to suck it up and face reality.  The real deal is that we need to take ownership of ourselves, and take it up a notch when it comes to personal responsibility.  The rest of what we do is just a cop out, an excuse, a fantasy, or even worse…a distraction.  So, embrace the fact that Reality Bites, and let’s get moving on up!

• Taking Financial Responsibility: I always say this, and I’ll say it again (because it’s true!)  You have two choices with money:  You can Earn More, and You can Spend Less. You want more money right now?  There are your options.  If you choose to do both, you will have much more money!  Sound simple?  It’s a simple concept, but it takes real action.  We have to change our behaviors in order to make this really work.  Want to stop shopping?  Stop going to the mall.  Want to earn more money?  Kick it up a notch.  Nobody’s stopping you (except, well…maybe YOU!)
• Putting Relationships on the Backburner: Guilty as charged.  This one is my biggie.  I need to shelf the relationships and focus on my career.  By putting myself first, I can get focused and stop Disneylanding around.  If I choose to let go of the man fantasy, I can focus on something far better:  creating a life and income that supports itself, anywhere in the world. Kick that, Cosmo!
• Educating as an Expert: Way too often, we are looking for the answers outside of ourselves.  We think we need one more degree, one more book, and one more piece of information before we can be…well…whole.  WRONG!  Here is the biggest bit of info I can give you:  You already have the answers.  Step it up in your life and in your field and take the main-stage. You are ready, so get up there and start educating others.  Be the expert.
• Get Money, Not Approval: I’ve spent too many years of my life trying to get approval.  I wanted to be liked, wanted to fit in, wanted to be polite, wanted to be quiet.  The reality is, I am who I am—and you can like me or not.  If you are skilled and talented (which I’m sure you are) you should commit to getting paid for what you know.  Stop worrying what people are going to think of you and get paid.  You will care less about the haters if you have the life of your dreams. It’s the prime time of your life…get out there and go get ‘em!

Comments?  Thoughts?  What Fairytales are you holding on to?

“Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted…  Would you capture it, or just let it slip?

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment.  You Own It.  You better never let it go! You only get one shot do not miss your chance to blow, this opportunity only comes once in a lifetime…”

-EMINEM, Lose Yourself

We’ve got one shot.  We have one life to live, and we may as well make it exceptional.  Each of us has an opportunity to make an impact, making the world a better place by helping others.  This is the more challenging path to take in life and it requires unconventional thinking, unflagging commitment, relentless self-analysis, and indestructible inspiration.  The purpose of this article is to assist you in strengthening these areas and encourage you to live an exceptional life.

Storm the Norm

Becoming an individual requires you to break the rules and go against the norm.  Yet, we have all been conditioned by our upbringing and society to act accordingly and fit in.  In my journey of becoming who I really am authentically, I have learned that I need to go beyond just questioning the norm, but to take it by storm.  Key steps to storming the norm:

• Question Authority
• Think For Yourself
• Seek Opportunities
• Take Daily Action Towards Your Dream

By spending time questioning authority, you allow for new ideas to come in.  Think for yourself and tap into your true desires to decide what you really want for your life.  Seek out opportunities and information from like minded individuals.  And make sure to take daily action towards your dream.  No one is going to do this for you.  You must step it up and put yourself on the path of living your individual dream, now.

Commit to Your Destination & Burn Your Boats!

While you may not know all of the details of how you will accomplish your dream, you can take steps to identify it and move towards it now.  There is no better example of commitment than the example of burning your boats.

You may be familiar with the story of Spanish Conquistador Hernando Cortez and his famous journey to Mexico.  His destination was determined, and upon arrival, Cortez advised his crew to, “Burn the Boats!”

I can only imagine the scene of six hundred plus watching their only way home go up in flames.  But what mission could be clearer?  They had to win; they no longer had any other option.  Cortez was a genius, he gave them no excuses, no outs, no other alternative.  His crew was forced to commit.  And they won.

What if you dedicated yourself so completely to your goal that you were willing to never go back.  You were ready to move forward despite any obstacle, large or small.  What if you were so committed to your goal that you were willing to Burn the Boats?

Mission Possible

In order to be successful at any endeavor, you must first believe that your mission is possible.  Realize this up front:  you will have to face many obstacles and bumps along the way.  Part of understanding that your mission is possible is harnessing the ability to move through obstacles fearlessly!  This is a strengthening exercise of character and self-analysis.

Each fire you have to walk through will shape you and form you into the person you are to become.  These experiences will allow you to reflect upon your life and continually make adjustments.  Ask yourself the following questions to get clear on where you are and what you want:

• What do I want to achieve?
• What is my biggest challenge right now?
• What lesson do I need to learn to move past these challenges?
• How can I change my mind, attitude, or behaviors to achieve my goal?
• Who can help me achieve this goal?
• What are my next steps?

Part of moving forward fearlessly is having a plan. Spend time reflecting on your situation and write down a plan of action.  I write focused goals each week and spend the bulk of my time on accomplishing specific tasks that move my personal life or my business further ahead.  Lastly, you must find ways of staying inspired so you can stay productive and continue to build a lifestyle of meaning.

Build a Lifestyle of Meaning

There is nothing more inspirational than living a life of meaning and helping others.  Keep in mind that you are building a lifestyle, and anything that is built takes time.  To stay inspired and avoid burnout, implement the following steps:

1. Take time to celebrate your achievements.
2. Realize that by focusing on your goals and achieving them you are acting as an inspiration for everyone in your life.
3. Share your experience to light the path for those that may wish to follow you.
4. Surround yourself with an inspirational community, in person and online.
5. Lighten up, have fun and enjoy the process.

In closing, you are here to live your mission, inspire others, have fun, and become stronger in the process.  If you are doing what you love, it will show.  Take time to celebrate your accomplishments.  Understand that you are embarking on this wild ride to show others that it is possible to live their dreams.  You can help to keep up your level of inspiration by sharing information with your friends, family, and community.  Network with others that have similar values, goals, and missions.  This will help you to stay inspired while you learn to have fun in the process.  My challenge to you is to seek the lifestyle of your dreams, and live a life of true meaning.  Your hard work will make you and everyone around you stronger, so remember:

“That that won’t kill me, can only make me stronger.  Work it. Make it. Do it. Makes us… harder, better, faster, stronger.”

-Kanye West / Daft Punk, Stronger

“It’s the possibility that keeps me going, not the guarantee, a sort of wager on my part.  And though you may call me a dreamer or a fool or any other thing, I believe that anything is possible.”

-Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

When I was younger, I didn’t know what to believe, or who to believe.  My mother and father had very different opinions and I did not grow up with a particular religion or faith to rely upon.  As I got older I became more confused by life, expectations, and societal norms.  But, after much trial and error, I learned the most valuable lesson:  to rely upon my intuition and move forward on Faith.

In this article, I am going to convey the steps that I have found that have led me to rely more upon my intuition and faith.  I am sharing this with you because my life has moved forward in miraculous ways that I completely attribute to this process.  In this process, we begin by overcoming logic, then increase trust  in our intuition and feelings.  Next, we take action and move forward (despite our fears!), and trust in the process while it is unfolding.  You have always been taken care of, and you always will be!

Strengthening your ability to trust in yourself and increasing your faith will move you to new levels; turning the impossible into the possible.

Overcoming Logic

Overcoming logic can be very tricky for us because there is nothing concrete or tangible about intuition and faith.  You cannot see them, test them, or measure them.  They are an invisible force which defies our logic and rational mind.  Most of the time when we have an impulse or are drawn towards something, it is our intuition guiding us toward our next step in life.  We may have a ‘gut feeling’ or sense that we should go somewhere, talk to someone, or move into a new interest or field.  While these sensations cannot be seen, they can be felt.  It then becomes more important for us to rely on our feelings than our thoughts.

Trusting Our Intuition and Feelings

While this process may seem scary, I have had the most amazing outcomes when I have trusted my feelings-and I have seen the results! When I have been prompted to move forward in a particular area of my life, and followed through with it, good things happened.  And, when I haven’t, bad things happened.  As simple as that sounds, you would think it would make it easier to trust our instincts and stop relying on Logic.  But, growing up the way we have in our society, we are taught to stay inside the safety of a system with predictable results.  This mode has little to no risk, and fairly guaranteed results.  The challenge with moving forward on instinct is that often times, our results are not guaranteed, the resources are not currently available, and we have no reason whatsoever to know it will work.  We now are going into a situation where the risk is extremely high, and the results are not guaranteed At All.  We are Going on Faith.

Taking Action and Moving Forward (Despite Your Fears!)

When I decided to go Location Independent with my business, there were no guarantees.  I had the signs, the intuition, and all of the promptings to do so.  But, I was scared!  I had no idea what was in store for me, how I would live in another country while running my business, or how I would be taken care of.  When I downsized all of my belongings, packed up and flew on a one-way ticket to Bangkok, I was going entirely on faith.

You may find yourself in situations where you ‘know’ you should move forward but you are oscillating back and forth about all of the “How to’s”.  What I recommend is to take action and move forward, despite your fears!  Try to break down the whole process into small steps and just focus on what is right in front of you.  Getting into gear and taking action will help you to see the next step, whereas not doing anything just keeps you stuck in your head.  One example I use with my clients is this:  a man can lay at the bottom of a mountain and go up and down the mountain several thousand times in his head.  But, at the end of the day, he is still at the bottom of the mountain!  It is better to just take the first step, and then see the next one, moving slowly forward and gaining higher ground as you go.  Just sort out what the first step is, do it, and then do the next one.  It really is just as simple as that!

Trusting In The Process

Sometimes in order to move ahead, we need to renew our faith and trust that we will be taken care of.  We begin to doubt and worry when we don’t see immediate results.  When we have taken this risk and put our trust in faith, we often times want to rush the process and see instantaneous results.

The only way to continue to move forward is to have patience and trust in the process.

We live in an abundant Universe that wants to provide for us.  And, if you are honest with yourself, I am sure you can look back at any point in your life and see the evidence that You Have Always Been Taken Care Of.  The right people, circumstances, and opportunities came through for you with absolute perfect timing.  In essence, there was never really any need to get so worked up and worried about your life.  Everything works out, and as we move forward and trust in the process, we can begin to relax.  A relaxed state brings in a higher consciousness where we can tap into our intuition and feelings even more.  By spending quiet time in whatever ways help bring you peace (nature, meditation, resting) you are allowing the answers, or the next steps to come in.  And slowly, over time, you can overcome logic, increase your intuition, trusting and taking action more quickly and letting the miracles unfold… one after another, time and time again.

“I realize the odds, and science, are against me.  But science is not the total answer; this I know, this I have learned in my lifetime.  And that leaves me with the belief that miracles, no matter how inexplicable or unbelievable, are real and can occur without regard to the natural order of things.  So once again, just as I do every day, I begin… in the hope that the miracle that has come to dominate my life will once again prevail.

And maybe, just maybe, it will.”

-Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

Discussions & Comments:  Share an experience you’ve had where you went out on faith and were rewarded by the outcome!

Many people would love the opportunity to run their business from anywhere in the world. I must admit, I am happy every day that I have this amazing opportunity to operate my business abroad. I spent about two years establishing my business & lifestyle consulting practice and getting my systems in place. I always had the idea in my head to become a location independent professional (LIP) and with some help, I was able to go global much sooner than I thought.

I hope that by sharing this article I can help demystify some of the nuances that go along with being Location Independent. What is it really like? What are some of the concerns? What are some of the things I wish I would have known before I got started? And, how can you set your life and your business up to go LIP?

What is it really like to be Location Independent?

While it may be glamorous to fantasize about Location Independence and the freedom that goes with it, it’s also a little bit like living in an alternate reality. The freedom is amazing, and the opportunity to travel and see the world is incredible. As you move towards your new lifestyle, keep in mind that you will be changing not just where you live but how you live, how you do business, and how you conduct your personal relationships.

What are some of the concerns of an LIP?

What to Pack
Of course you know I am going to say to go as light as possible. I have been living abroad for the past six months and all I brought was a backpack and a laptop. The first real step is to downsize your life and your belongings…

Downsize your Stuff
Use Pareto’s Principle to start eliminating everything you don’t need (give yourself at least 3 months to do this). From The 4 Hour Workweek: “What is the 20% of my belongings that I use 80% of the time? Eliminate the other 80% in clothing, magazines, books, and all else. Be ruthless—you can always repurchase things you can’t live without. Which belongings create stress in my life?…” Sell what you don’t need on sites like Craigslist and eBay, and it might help finance your plane ticket outta here!

Internet Connections—Our Lifeline
When you are a working digital nomad, internet is the top priority on the road. Keep in mind when you are traveling in foreign countries, internet connectivity might not be what you are used to. Because internet is the lifeline of most of our businesses, it is really important to sort out where you can work. I would recommend starting your travel journeys at hotels or guesthouses that have wifi or DSL in the room, and then wander the city with your laptop to test the wifi speed at different internet cafes and other places to stay.

Border Runs
One very important facet of Location Independent life in many parts of the world is border runs. Most countries give you a stamp that allows you to stay only for a very limited time, and it will be important for you to learn how long you can stay in each place with different kinds of visas. Do some research to find out about the country you would like to live and find out roughly how much it costs to get your visa and how you can extend it. Remember: visa laws are always changing. (The best resource if you’re interested in spending some time in Thailand is ThaiVisa.com)

Other considerations

• Time Differences: What is the time difference between your clients and your new country? How will this affect your communication?
• Connection Speeds: Is there somewhere you can get high speed internet? Can you do your work without it? Do you want to set up a residence so you can ensure your internet connection?
• Setting a Schedule: How will living abroad change your current routine? What hours are you likely to keep so you can still be available for your clients?
• Know Your Numbers: What is your estimated cost of living? Have you set up your business to have predictive income? What are your plans to grow your business while abroad?

Some things I wish I’d known before I got started

Settling In
One of my biggest epiphanies came a couple of months after becoming Location Independent. Originally, I had planned on spending a few months in each destination bouncing around Asia. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks: I don’t ever have to go home. EVER!

While this may seem obvious, it is a very strange realization. It’s like summer vacation that will never end. I realized in that moment that I could spend a year or more in each place that I love. I don’t have to be on a schedule and I don’t necessarily need a return ticket.

With this in mind, I found it is actually far more productive to settle into a location in order to get to know an area and be more productive. This is totally opposite of what I thought originally and it has taken a bit of time to break free of the “traveler mentality” and move more towards living somewhere.

First off, it is cheaper to live somewhere. My friends and colleagues are amazed that I can live very well in Thailand for under $700 USD per month. This covers my bungalow, internet, energy bill, food and entertainment. Consider planning on a longer stay in your destinations. This will help you to feel more settled and establish deeper personal relationships with people you meet.

To Buy or Not to Buy
If you choose to settle into an area the question arises: to buy or not to buy? Do you invest in furnishings? Do you buy furniture, television, sheets, bedding, etc? How long do you want to stay? How settled do you need to feel in order to be productive?

My conclusion was to find something that is furnished, in order to stay a minimalist and still be mobile. You may decide the same, keeping in mind that you are still living the Location Independent Lifestyle and you don’t want to get too bogged down with stuff. I have only purchased the basics: a hot water boiler, tea pot, bowl, fork & spoon. This has been enough for me to have basic provisions for breakfast and snacks and yet keep the possessions down to a minimum.

Personal Relationships
Whether you are traveling or settling into an area, relationships are inevitable. There are some great people you can meet from the backpacker crowds, but the longer you stay, the more locals you get to know. The locals will be a combination of natives and expatriates (a citizen who has left his or her own country to live in another). Once you get in with the locals, your world will become much more entertaining and full. The community that I have found in Ao Nang has been an amazing mix of international friends that I know I will have for life. And I didn’t know a soul before coming here. If you are going it alone, check out this article: Traveling Solo, Going it Alone.

How to set you and your business up to go LIP

There are several steps you will need to accomplish before you convert your lifestyle and business to Location Independence. Check out our comprehensive list of How To Go Location Independent.

If you need help, we are happy to move you along and get you global. Some things to keep in mind business wise are:

• Transitioning your clients online and meeting via webcam
• Creating monthly packages with automated billing
• Building online communities and increasing your market
• Having content rich blogs that explain “How To’s” to your niche market (see Notes From Chris Guillebeau’s 279 DAYS TO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS)
• And building information products to increase your readership and income

It is my hope that this article has inspired you to follow your passion and get your gears turning on how to go global. Please contact us if you have any questions or need any support in the process!!

Read other posts from the Location Independent Group Writing Project