I was first introduced to the term “Tribe” from Cath Duncan.  She writes a lot about this concept (originally introduced to her by Godin).  Anyhow, if you aren’t familiar with the term, it means this:

“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, and connected to an idea.”  - Seth Godin

The first week that I was in AoNang, Thailand, I had a very unusual thing happen.  I’d decided I was going to go out to dinner, and where I wanted to go.  I left my bungalow and walked towards the restaurant.  And then, something funny happened.  My feet went in a different direction than the restaurant I’d intended to go.  They edged a sharp right, and walked me straight inside a restaurant called Monsoon.  They walked me past a friendly group, and sat me down at a small corner table.  My heart was racing, and I started to argue (logically) in my head.  What was I doing in this restaurant?!?!

It didn’t take me long to figure out that I’d discovered my tribe.  I met the owner, Hilton, and the friendly crew outside would become my lifelong friends.  Monsoon Restaurant remained one of my favorite places to go until the couple owning it decided to move to Sweden.

As a side note, many of the people that live / holiday in Thailand are from Sweden.  So, over the past two and a half years of living there, I’ve gotten to know quite a few Swedish folks that are near and dear to my heart.  Also, during low season (April to September) most of my Swedish friends go home for their summer and earn some extra cash.  Sometimes they come back to work another season, and sometimes they do not.  But when I decided to visit Stockholm, I was overwhelmed by how “homey” it felt.

Meeting up with my Homies

I was immediately intercepted at the bus station by friends, and we went straight to TGIF Fridays to meet up with some others.  After hearing a strange banging noise directly behind my head, I turned to see what the noise was—only to find out that they were putting up a big sign for a Thailand Festival that started the next day!  What are the odds?

Stockholm has a lot to offer for the adventurous.  Since it is a series of islands connected by bridges, there are loads of water activities, and lots of breathtaking views.  Just walking around the parks there you can take in the beauty of the city.   Or, you can rent bikes and go exploring throughout the city, where you can tour around all of the city’s islands and bridges for great vistas.

One of the interesting parts about visiting Stockholm in the summer is that the sun doesn’t really go down.  Well, it does, but only for about an hour.  This completely freaked me out the first night!  I woke up, got ready, paced around, waiting for my friend to wake up, and then decided to do some work on my computer, only to realize it was 3 am.  It was as bright as it gets at noon, and it took a long time for my body to get used to the strangeness of near-constant daylight.

Once I’d adjusted, I started to realize some of the benefits—like that you can spend so much more time outside, or in the parks with friends.  It was also funny to go out, experience the nightlife, and come out of the clubs as the sun is rising (about 2 am).

Later, on the way home, we found a Sandwich Shoe.  What is a Sandwich Shoe, you might be asking?  A native Swedish dish?  Apparently, but none of us had ever seen one before.  I think it is only served at 3am on your way back from a club.  But I would like to openly discuss in the comments section if the Sandwich Shoe has been spotted anywhere else, because it is a quite curious dish that leaves one with so many questions!

Inspired Sandwich Shoe questions:

Who makes the Sandwich Shoe?

What happened to the other Shoe?

Did the Sandwich Shoe come with fries?

Is the Shoe New?

Is it some kind of sidewalk offering?

Please give any details of spottings near you, because it is all too difficult to determine any of these answers without more information.  lol.

Trashy Karaoke is highly advised at Metropol.  If you want to witness good drunken fun and Swedish people singing Metallica, I would definitely check it out.

In Old Town, you can visit the Palace, see street performers, and enjoy some of the touristy spots that have amazing ice cream shops and restaurants.

The food in Sweden is amazing, so expect to have lots of fresh food with homemade breads.  With so much water nearby, there will always be great settings like this seemingly floating restaurant.

Lastly, the park is a rappers delight.  Since the sun doesn’t set, having beers in the park and pretending you are a rap band can happen in to the wee hours.  I highly recommend that…

And always be on the look out for the Sandwich Shoe!

As always, bringing you inspiring stories of adventurous folks that have dared to do different.  Many of you may have wondered if you could take your business online and do good for others.  Kirsty’s living the dream of helping others while her business pretty much runs itself.  Check out her story, and amazing resources below.

When you first thought about volunteering, what were your initial hesitations?

I had looked into volunteering long before I ever did it and the main thing stopping me at that time was the cost. Everything I found online seemed to cost loads of money which put me off of the idea completely. Once I found Hands On Disaster Response (http://www.hodr.org) (a free-to-volunteer NGO) and committed to volunteering with them in Bangladesh, I remember my main concern was whether the other volunteers would all be do-gooder types. It seems strange but my only real concern was being stuck in Bangladesh with a bunch of people who were no fun!

How did that change after experiencing it first-hand?

As it turns out, most of the people I’ve met through volunteering have been just a little crazy and a blast to be around. The people I’ve met have been some of the hardest working, most talented, intelligent and creative people I’ve known. They come from all over the world, have a wide array of backgrounds and skills, and have ranged in age from 18 to 78. The thing everyone has in common is a passion for what they’re doing and it makes getting along with everyone very easy. Some of the strongest friendships I have now have come through volunteering.

What unique experiences have you had volunteering that you otherwise wouldn’t have had just traveling?

I’ve been invited into many people’s homes in places way off the tourist trail in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Haiti and met and mingled with locals on a level that I’m not sure a tourist passing through could. I’ve been taken to a vodou ceremony with a Haitian friend of mine, stood on the sidelines at a football match in Haiti, been invited to weddings and funerals, had countless locals bring me snacks, tea and full meals on our breaks, and been welcomed into their communities with ceremonies and parties.

I’m sure any traveler who puts in an effort could encounter experiences like these but those travellers are rare these days with most opting to stick to the usual backpacker trail. Volunteering makes it easy to have these sort of experiences almost every day.

As a volunteer you’re also doing good work and seeing a local person thanking you for your help with tears in their eyes isn’t something you’re likely to see as a traveler.

How do you cover your expenses during your time volunteering abroad (flights, accommodation, food, travel)?

Most of the longer-term volunteering I’ve done has been with HODR who cover food and accommodation costs. HODR do disaster relief work which makes predicting their next destination impossible. I’ve been following them around for four projects from Bangladesh to Haiti, from Haiti to Indonesia and then back to Haiti after the recent earthquake. The airfares are my biggest expense but, once I get to the project, I don’t spend much at all.

I cover the cost of my flights and other expenses with money I earn online. I run a bunch of websites and get money from advertising, paid clicks and affiliate sales. When I’m volunteering and not spending much money I’m able to build my bank account back up before draining it again on another flight!

What types of projects have worked on?

I’ve done all sorts of things from teaching english to building schools to running wheelbarrows. The type of work we do depends on the type of disaster. In Bangladesh we built houses and playgrounds after a cyclone. In Haiti the first time the bulk of the work was shoveling mud out of people’s homes after four hurricanes struck at once, filling the city of Gonaives with mud. In Indonesia and Haiti this time, we cleared destroyed houses from people’s foundations so they could have their space back to put a shelter.

I’ve also painted a school, built wells, learned how to work with concrete, helped frame houses, taken photos, helped set up HODR with affiliate programs, put tin onto a roof, installed wooden signboards, and on and on. The work is generally really physical day in, day out but there are usually other things to get up to besides shoveling and wheelbarrowing and the things I’ve done only touch on the many possibilities.

How has volunteering helped you?

I’ve gotten so much out of my time as a volunteer that it sometimes feels like I get more than I can give. I’ve learned new skills, met people from all over the world, been able to practice new languages, gotten fit, had my mind opened through amazing conversations and, I hope, become a more well-rounded person in the process.

How have you made money online while traveling abroad?

I started a travel website (http://www.travoholic.com) way back in 2001 when few people were making money online. I worked at it on and off as a hobby for years and in 2005 I discovered Google Adsense (basically ads that I can put on my site that pay a certain amount per click). I realized then the potential for earning online and started a few more sites. I’ve currently got around 10 websites that make money through Adsense, affiliate sales (selling travel insurance, car rentals etc.) or through advertising.

The business pretty much runs itself which leave me with a lot of time to fill with traveling or doing volunteer work. I try to work on the road but the reality is that it’s pretty tough with dodgy net connections and a lot of distractions. When I’m in the mood to get a good amount of work done, I will stop in a city I like, rent an apartment, and work hard for a while. When I want to volunteer or travel, I will do that and spend only a small amount of time maintaining my sites.

If people are interested in volunteering abroad, what resources would you recommend?

Funny you should ask! I wrote an ebook called ‘The Underground Guide to International Volunteering’ that can be downloaded from my website (http://www.nerdynomad.com/volunteering). It’s a guide for people who want to volunteer but aren’t sure how to go about it. I talk about whether or not volunteering is for you, who would make a good volunteer, paying to volunteer, how to find free and cheap volunteering opportunities, give some practical advice and I also have a list of volunteering opportunities that have been tried and tested.

The ebook costs $14 with $7 of every sale being donated to HODR, a cause that is obviously very close to me and one I believe in a lot. If you’ve been thinking about volunteering and aren’t sure where to start, this ebook will help you.

((Author’s note:  I’ve had the pleasure of reading this eBook and would Highly Recommend it.  It is full of great information, links, and inspiring photos.  Click on the photo to see more.))

Got Questions for Kirsty?  Ask them in the comments section!!  Had a cool volunteering experience?  Share it Below.

I remember daydreaming one day about the professional self that I wanted to become.  I was midway through my masters in business and was trying to picture what I would look like as a successful business owner.

I made a picture of myself with straight, highlighted hair.  I wore a suit skirt outfit with a collared shirt and fancy shoes.   I made comments along the side of this image like “long hair” or “get braces”.  In my picture, I had a briefcase and was smiling.

I looked down at my current status and sighed.  I was going to have to go from cargo pants, hoodies and flip flops to a whole ‘nother me.

I was going to have to change a lot…Or Was I???

Well, truth be told, I thought I had to.  I got the suits, the shirts, the briefcase, and went to the salon.  I started my business and went to networking events.  I had my perfect business cards and my first real website.  I got clients, speaking opportunities, and I got Noticed.

But not really in the way that I wanted to be…

Some part of me felt off.  It wasn’t really even something I could place at the time, but it was as though I was trying to be some “better” version of myself; but maybe not the right one.

When I packed my bag for Thailand, I can assure you there were no suites (other than bathing suits), no collared shirts, and my fancy shoes were a pair of Reef flip flops that I got on sale for $7.

While it took awhile, I slowly shed the seriousness of my past-professional-self, and started settling back into me. I started doing the things I used to love but had become a bit too ‘caught up’ to do before.

• I started diving again, climbing more, dancing, having wild nights out, letting myself enjoy a cold beer, and playing pool.
• My highlighted hair grew out and faded into its natural sun-streaked self.  My skin cleared, my mind cleared and my calendar cleared.
• I’ve spent the past 14 months traveling, writing, sunning, and generally enjoying life.

You can imagine my shock when I was contacted by Discovery Channel to be interviewed and featured on their show.  Even as I made arrangements, appointments and scheduled filming dates, I didn’t believe it was really happening.

I was going to be on TV??!!

We spent two days filming.  The first day was rock climbing.  This was a comedy of errors, trying to get ropes up, cameras up, crew members that were afraid of heights on the rock. Meanwhile, the host, Janet, and I were climbing (with one rope and only two people to belay).  We wrapped up climbing and I did my interview on the trail by the rocks that overlook the ocean.

Day two, the whole crew came to my place.  We filmed driving on my motorbike, which was a near disaster.  I haven’t ever had a passenger, and just learning to drive, I wasn’t quite ready for a camera crew to be following alongside in a tuk-tuk that was running me into oncoming traffic whilst filming.  We walked around the beaches, shopped and finished the day out with my birthday party at my friend’s restaurant.

My Old Self…

My old self would’ve been concerned with my hair, or what I would wear.  But for some reason I actually didn’t care at all.  For climbing, I wound my hair up, had an old pair of sweatpants that my friend gave me, and had on a $5 sports bra shirt.

The second day, we needed to pack quickly for the scene, so I wadded up a cheap beach dress and stuffed it into my bag.  That’s what I wore to the party, with a pair of $2 flip flops I bought from 7-11 six months ago.  I had on no makeup, and I simply let my hair down… in more ways than one.

The night was a fantastic success… and I felt a new sense of satisfaction… I could be famously myself.

I think the best part about this entire experience was that I knew every aspect was 100% me.  My biggest takeaways from this experience were:

• You don’t have to try so hard.
• The more you become yourself, the more people will seek you out.
• Trying to portray a perfect image is meaningless and exhausting.  At the end of the day, people want to be around someone who is relaxed, confident, and authentic.
• By leading an authentic life, you can become a true inspiration to everyone.

I’m very grateful for this opportunity and found it incredibly exciting as a Lifestyle Coach to be a guest on a world renowned travel and leisure show.  I’ll let you all know the details of when it is going to air, and hopefully you can check it out!  Thanks for your ongoing props and support!!

One of my big fears I decided to conquer this year was driving a motorbike in Thailand.  If you’ve followed past stories, you know I was in an accident … or two.  I would liken driving in Thailand to juggling swords.  Pretty much every time I do it… I almost die.

Seriously.

In one day of driving to and from the school I work at, I encounter nearly every form of demise in a variety of all shapes and sizes.  People drive on the opposite side of the road here, drive head on at you from either side of the road, and you are constantly dodging dogs, children, monks, tuk-tuks, other motorbikes, super-sized trucks, and paving equipment.

Right now, they are doing some construction.  A minor inconvenience of six to twenty foot ditches are running alongside the road with absolutely no warning or boundaries.  I call this part of my drive “The Graveyard”.  But somehow, even through the mayhem, I still make it to my destination unscathed, every day.

Most of these steps can also be applied to Life…

I’m slightly humored that this new event has brought about some valuable lessons I’m applying to more than just driving, and I hope they can help you, or at least make you laugh…

1. Have someone show you the ropes… or at least the brakes

When in doubt, get someone to help.  My friend Hilton took me out to drive on my first day.  I was hoping to go for a gentle ride around slow and straight roads.  What I got instead was a very real taste of what it is like to drive in Thailand.

We went down very windy roads, dirt and gravel roads, practiced skidding emergency stops, sped through a pack of wild attack dogs, then onto a road covered with paving equipment, spraying water trucks and slippery oiled asphalt chunks.  The traffic was down to one lane and oncoming traffic squeezed us up against the six inch shoulder.  Once that event was complete, back to a dirt road where geese proceeded to rear up and nearly attack us.

That night, it rained, and I was sure I had seen it all.  Even though I hoped for a more gentle introduction to riding, I realized that I would need to be comfortable in each of those situations, and inevitably they got me through my first week of driving where I needed to use each skill I learned in my training.

2. Assume everyone around you is going to do something stupid

Not to be a pessimist but I’ve discovered something that has made me much more happy.  I now assume that people around me are going to do something stupid. On the road, or in life, people are typically looking out for number one, and you are not it.  Really, some days as I am weaving in and out of Songtows (trucks that act as busses), motorbikes piled high with people and dogs, and ruthless truck drivers, I realize it is a miracle that we are all able to make it to our destinations alive.  If I assume we’re all just a bunch of fuck-ups trying to get to our destination, life and driving becomes a lot more bearable.

3. Don’t worry about what’s behind you, or you’ll crash

If I’m too worried about what is happening behind me, I start to get very overwhelmed and miss what I should be looking at:  what’s happening right in front of me.  Driving here is scary because trucks move at a much faster speed behind you and can invariably push you off the road if you aren’t paying attention.  But, I’m learning more and more to ignore them, take my time, and claim my space.

4. Change your speed when you need to

I recently read some statistics about how many traffic fatalities there are a year.  He made an excellent point of showing the relationships between speeding up and fatalities.  Obviously, the faster you go, the longer it takes to stop.  This is something important to keep in mind in life, as well as driving.

That said, oftentimes it is important to speed up.  I’ve gotten out of many near-catastrophes by speeding up and getting around the situation.  Being able to read the situation helps, and knowing how to change and adapt will get you around turns, ups and downs, and out of dangerous situations fast.

5. Claim your space and own it

This is a very exciting concept for me.  I’ve never really “owned” the space around me.  When you drive here, you very much have to own your space, or you will get run over.  I imagine it must be like being a quarterback and picking your path and going balls-out around and past obstacles.  At the stoplights, you might have twenty or thirty motorbikes lined up with you and when it is “Go Time”, you’ve got to claim that space and go for it.

6. And as Teacher Bill says, “When all else fails, and the road gets rocky, hold on to that Som’Bitch and keep on driving!”

There are so many times I want to Stop Driving.  The road is dusty and gravely (or wet!), the turn too tight, or a big-monster-truck-with-wheels-bigger-than-life cuts so close that I can smell the brake fluid.  My natural reaction is that I want to stop.  But I can’t.

So I take a deep breath, grip my handles tighter, and make it through.  Every time, I’ve lived, and every time, I get just a little bit tougher.  I’m learning more and more to sit through uncomfortable situations rather than trying to avoid them—and what do you know?—I’m getting better at dealing with them, too!!

Hope this finds you well and here are some pictures of my epic journey….

Sometimes, when you really want something in life, you have to go it alone. Traveling alone can be an overwhelming and scary adventure, especially if you are a female. With all of my travels in my life I have had somewhat of an itinerary, except now. This makes for an interesting scenario. First, I don’t know where I’m going, and then, I don’t know how long I will stay. While this is exciting and fun, it can feel like a bit of an emotional roller coaster at times, too! It also makes for some strange conversations. People don’t understand what I’m doing and I can’t tell them where I’m going. Hmmm. ‘We’ll just leave that girl alone!’

However, being alone is a very real part of life. Most of us avoid it like the plague because it means that we will have to feel uncomfortable, or scrutinized by others wondering why we are by ourselves. This becomes even more the truth when you don’t know the language others are speaking (so they must be talking about you). These were my initial worries going out to my mystery destination all alone. And, almost three weeks later, I am happy to say I am much more comfortable with my aloneness.

So far, I have come up with these tips for those traveling solo…

Make friends with the locals

Most of the people that live here are shop owners and run bungalows. The good news for me is that I know they will be there every day. Sometimes just seeing a familiar face is enough to get you out of a ‘travel funk’, and into higher spirits. My favorite friend here is Ploy, she runs the bungalow where I live and each day she teaches me a new word in Thai.

Take the time you need for introspection

It has been difficult for me to stop myself from running out and making friends with the whole town right away. I am inherently a “Chatty Kathy” and it is hard for me to be quiet, and even harder for me to sit still (school was a nightmare). When I arrived here I promptly got an eye infection and a cold. It was as if the Universe was telling me: stay put! Reluctantly I listened and spent the next several days just hanging out at the bungalow or going to the beach by myself. When you are quiet and no one else is talking to you, it is a great way to observe all of the chatting that is still going on in your head. I was amazed that I was still talking for weeks even though no one else could hear. The head voice hasn’t completely halted, but it has at least gotten off of the RedBull!

Find your natural rhythm

I was also able to get into a natural rhythm with myself. Not having to be anywhere on anyone else’s terms, I was able to really see what my patterns were and make up a new schedule that fit my needs. I now wake up and do Thai Chi and Chi Kung, read, and then go out for the day. I come back around five, nap and then go to dinner. I usually spend my evenings reading, writing or going to an internet café. I have found that this is a more productive use of my time and gives me the most enjoyment throughout the week.

Learn the language

One of my new favorite pastimes is learning how to speak in Thai. Because the language is tonal, I can work on learning the phonetics at night and then correct my tones during the day. I practice every chance I get. When someone tells me how much something is in English, I respond with how I think it might be said in Thai. This gives me the opportunity to hear it again with the correct tone. Then, I do the same thing with getting my change, or ordering my food. Everyone I have tried this with has been excited that I was trying to learn their language… and I can spend the bulk of my day interacting with the locals and taking in their culture.

People watching

…has become my new reality show. I now pick out chairs in restaurants that will give me the best view of the street. I watch bustling vendors, young couples on motorbikes, and farong (tourists) shuffling about with their sunburns. At most points in time there are several different languages going on all around me. I try to figure out where people are from: France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.

Watching the Thai people interact has taught me more about their culture than any tour book could ever tell. If you are observant, you can pick up on what is going on in most situations. I really appreciate the Thai culture and their ability to be Mai Pen Rai or accepting and unbothered by life’s dramas.

Get a great book

Find a bookstore and get into a book. Having a fun read is essential when trying to relax and go with the flow. This can also be a great crutch to have with you as you go out for meals by yourself.

Connect with other travelers online

There are other cool people planning trips in your area. www.couchsurfing.com is a great tool for meeting others and coordinating travel with others. Go on, if you haven’t already, and create a profile for when and where you are travelling. This site is great because in your duller moments (i.e. when you are not travelling) you can host other travelers and invite them to meet up with or stay with you. Several of the wonderful new friends I’ve met here have been through www.facebook.com. Because I had communicated on there where I was and my latest updates, other friends of mine connected me with folks that either lived there or were passing through. This ‘friend of a friend’ acquaintance can make you feel much closer to home and help you to build your new network of friends.

Send mail

Send postcards. Sending mail back home can make you feel more connected. Sharing your experiences can motivate friends and family and make them feel like they are a part of your journey.

Spend time emailing friends and family and letting them know how and why you appreciate them. Often times when we are home, we fail to realize the full depth and appreciation we have for others in our lives. Maybe now is the time to reach out and let people know how special they are to you.

Go out on your own

Bars? I put a question mark after this one because it could go either way. After arriving in a new town, I spent the first week quite sick. I finally pulled myself together, more out of boredom than recovery and walked down to a local Irish pub. Feigning interest in the football game on TV, I was joined by a nice couple at the bar. Shortly thereafter we were talking about US politics (a subject I feel woefully uninterested and undereducated to represent) with a gentleman from Sweden and his new Thai girlfriend. About thirty minutes into our dialog he is up and starts walking out. I turned around and he said, “I’m sorry, but we have to go now, my girlfriend HATES you.” Oops.

Fast forward two weeks and I stopped in another lovely restaurant/ bar and met a fantastic group of people who have been instrumental in helping me to find a place to rent, invited me to parties, and have generally been nothing short of lifesavers. When at first you don’t succeed (at a bar)… try, try again!

Adventuring solo. Try booking a group activity where you are sure to meet other people. Rock climbing, scuba diving, snorkeling, and touring are some activities that are popular here. You are bound to have opportunities to talk to others on the trips and hopefully have folks to hang with afterwards.

When all else fails, go to a franchise. As I was guiltily breaking my budget and healthy diet at Starbucks, I looked up at a board where passer-byers had scribbled notes. The one that caught my eye was, “Starbucks: You Saved My Life!” and I knew exactly what they meant. Sometimes there is nothing more that you need when you are travelling than something grounding and familiar. Since I have been away, I have frequented places I never used to eat like McDonalds and Subway. It is really more about having something familiar and comforting. Having an iced chai latte with a double chocolate brownie really can fix any problem in the world!

And in the end, you can fall back on the advice of my mother who simply put it, “Honey, you’re never really alone.”

The last time I was in Thailand was just over five years ago, right before the Tsunami hit. While many things have changed and most things look entirely different, there is one thing that has not: the people. The most refreshing thing about Thailand is the beauty of its people. For someone who has never been here, it is difficult to explain, however, I think it can be summed up by its saying “Mai Pen Rai”.

“Mai Pen Rai” is elusive in its meaning and description and can be understood to mean any of the following: it’s OK, it doesn’t matter, no worries, or it is what it is. This gentle acceptance of life that the Thais emit has made for a country that attracts travelers from around the world. Thailand is known as “The Kingdom” and “The Land of Smiles” and the signs of happiness are everywhere here. I had forgotten what it was like to see people so genuinely relaxed and happy. I hear people whistling, singing, and merrily humming to themselves as they go about their day. Having a tonal language, the words are literally sung here, as well. People in Thailand are not just happy individually, they do something that many western cultures have forgotten, they share. Meals are shared, work is done in groups, and there is comradery instead of competition.

When something is out of stock, or has stopped working, it is “finished”. Your hamburger might be as finished as your internet service, and there is no telling when or why. The Thais do not trouble themselves with the explanation or trying to make unknown guesses of remedying the situation into the unknown future. Initially, I was annoyed by this, but then I came to appreciate the brilliance of the statement. When flashed a smile and told, “finished”, I have no unrealistic expectations to put in place. I no longer have to go through the mental crisis of trying to figure something out that I do not have the answers to. I can just accept it and relax.

Relaxation is built into the Thai society. Restaurants and resorts have names like The Easy Room, Come Sea; Let’s Relax, and you will frequently see people sleeping on the job. The streets are dotted with signs for massage and reflexology and posters remind you to “Enjoy Unlimited in Your Life“. Even my phone texts me messages from Mr. Happy and reminds me emphatically when I refill my calling card, “Make sure every day is HAPPY and don’t forget to bring your HAPPINESS with you Everywhere!”

Westerners that have made Thailand their home all have the same story: “I was tired of the grind, and the stress.” After being here for just over two months now, I am finally starting to unwind from all the years of stress. I don’t even think I realized the amount of constant pressure I was holding onto until I got away. I can now see it in my friends. All of my friends and colleagues first response to a ‘How are you’ in an email or IM responded with “BUSY”. I would hear only of how busy they were, or how much work they had to do. And even though I am no longer there, I have still been feeling the pressure of needing to produce at lightning speed. My mind has a running audio loop of “I need to get my website updated; I still haven’t posted that blog; I need to figure out my internet”.

I also want to see the country at lightening speed. My brain has yet to register the fact that I am living here. I still have the mentality of a speed traveler, trying to see the whole country in couple of weeks. Operating on overdrive and having the mentality of constantly trying to produce things runs deep in my psyche. But, really, what good does it do?
After being exposed to the “Mai Pen Rai” society, I have learned that the bulk of these items circling in my head really don’t need to happen right now. It is an unnecessary stress built up from years of trying to “push through life.” I think because many of us don’t enjoy a task, or have so many tasks to do, we believe, “If I could just get this thing done, then I would be able to _____ (insert: relax, enjoy, have the life I’ve always wanted). And just because everyone else around us is playing the same game, we choose to participate. But, the reality is, this is simply a choice.

I’m convinced at this point that the Thai culture was blessed by their “Mai Pen Rai” attitude. They are relaxed enough to take a midday nap. They are smiling when you look at them because they aren’t thinking of the eighty-million other places they ‘need’ to be. They are working together. They are enjoying their days, as well as their moments. The culture, in essence, is present.

So when you find yourself racing around, trying to swim upstream, or generally trying to fight the way of the world, remember the phrase, “Mai Pen Rai”, and just let yourself be “finished’.

As part of the inspiring force to help you ‘take the leap of faith’, we will be conducting mini interviews featuring global entrepreneurs who have become “Business Backpackers”. Because we are all busy travelling, working, and having loads of fun, it is a short list of questions that will hopefully give you a quick glimpse of others “Living the Life”.

Our first mini-view comes from Chris Guillebeau, author of the blog ‘The Art of Nonconformity’ and creator of the following products:

• Create Your Own Freedom: Break Out of the 9-5

• Fly More: Spend (Much) Less

• Become Your Own Travel Ninja: Go Anywhere, Anytime

At the time of this posting, Chris has visited 103 of 197 countries. We were lucky enough to meet up with Chris on his way thorough Bangkok. It was a wonderful evening of sharing ideas, thoughts, and inspiration about leading an ‘alternative lifestyle’. I hope you enjoy the questions and comments below and feel free to get in touch with Chris, details below.

How did you know you didn’t fit in to conventional society?

I tried to fit in but never felt comfortable. I always had the feeling that “there must be more out there.” Everyone agrees that life is short, but most people don’t take actions that reflect that belief. I wanted to join the club of people who are not only unsatisfied with the status quo but also brave enough to step out and do something about it.

What do you currently do & please describe a brief roadmap of the haphazard leaps of faith that got you here today…

I am a writer, world traveler, and social entrepreneur. I’m very fortunate that most days of my life, I pretty much do whatever I want. I work hard (30+ hours a week wherever I am) but on projects that matter to me, not things I do for a job. There have been many pitfalls along the way – I have to deal with insecurity and depression from time to time – but I know I’m doing the right thing. I’m glad so many other people are enjoying the journey as well.

Your most life changing travel place & why?

I don’t have just one place, but definitely the four years I spent in West Africa served as the foundation for my worldview.

Encouraging words you would pass on to readers: If you could have had someone there when you took the leap of faith, what would you have needed to hear the most?

Don’t be afraid. You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to.

Get In Touch With Chris…

chris.guillebeau@gmail.com

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5

http://www.twitter.com/chrisguillebeau

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Welcome to BusinessBackpacker.com!!  If you are excited about travel, business, and setting up your life to work anywhere in the world – this site is for you!  Looking forward to your comments, questions, and travel stories…