My nomadic life at a quick glance

Posted on 11. Jan, 2011 by arth101 in Daily events

Where-ever I go in life, I think about how fortunate I am to be on the road, travelling.

When I first arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on October the 6th, 2010, I had absolutely no idea where life will take me.  Stepping off the Emirates plane and passing through Immigration and Customs, I was a clue-less young backpacker with no aims and no itinerary. My life was hassle-free and for once, as many friends and other travellers would say, I was living the dream.

With a few nights spent in Bangkok, I made out on an overnight bus to the lovely island of Koh Samui without any intention of staying for longer than 3 days.

But it was the people that I met on this trip that made it all worthwhile. I was totally convinced from the inside-out that this was the island for me. The convenience of having shopping malls/street vendors/7-11 right next to my bungalow finally persuaded me to stay, at least until my tourist visa expires. With this mind-set and a heart full of fire, I quickly ascertained an apartment and a motorbike scooter and lived off the island, not knowing what each day will bring for me.

From romance and the occasional fling with the odd girls to the endless conversations with travel mates and expatriates, each day yielded something new in itself, all the while, providing me with new experiences. Experiences which are not taught by reading a book or a travel blog. And for this I am grateful to be on the road, learning about our world and about people in general. It felt like my brain was an empty cardboard box, but as each day passes by, the cardboard box will get heavier and heavier, filled with more information and knowledge. Coupled with this fact that life in general goes by at a fast pace in Thailand, my brain was doomed to explode as it was all too overwhelming for me.

I constantly told myself to slow down. Slow down on my thoughts and re-assess my options. By doing so, I could spend more time with myself. But just when things were getting perfect…

I had to do a quick visa run to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The reason behind this was as follows:

• I secured a job as an Internet Marketing Consultant in Bangkok.
• My tourist visa was about to expire (3 months).
• I had to apply for my Non-immigrant Business Visa at a foreign country and at a Thai Embassy.
• The endless amount of rain in Koh Samui became unbearable.

But I didn’t mind the quick adventure to Kuala Lumpur.

I wanted to see a different South-Eastern Asian country. I am a nomadic traveller with no permanent home. My mind is open to all sorts of scenarios.

And what an awesome city it was. Kuala Lumpur!

Hustle and bustle, I believe Malaysia has it all. It is the real south-east Asia with different combinations of ethnicities living in harmony together.

I even had the chance to catch up with a fellow work-mate from Canberra, Australia.

I wish I could of stayed for longer and explore the Batu (bat) caves, but I was running out of time. I had to be back in Bangkok to apply for my work-permit as soon as possible.

But life in Bangkok takes a bit of readjusting. The people of Bangkok live a really busy life, and it all comes down to the Thai Baht. Life for one, is stressful in Bangkok. Looking back, I prefer to live in Samui where the life is much more relaxed and the beach is just a few metres walk.

But as a nomadic traveller (and now semi-living it out in Bangkok) I need to learn how to adapt to this new environment. I have met some awesome people on this journey so far… I am convinced I can only meet more…

I try to keep my chin up… I have nothing to lose, only something to gain.

Tags: bangkok, immigration, kuala lumpur, malaysia, nomadic, rtw, rtwsoon, samui, samui travels, thailand, travel