Dreaming of a tropical future

Today is Thursday, a very busy day at the office. At any given moment there are several groups of people in the room talking to each other, loudly. Not all conversations are work related. There's a radio playing the same popular music I've been hearing for the last couple of months and cell phones are ringing. The collective noise is driving me crazy, it's ridiculous and I'm unable to get any work done. I simply can't concentrate. A great opportunity to put on my noise cancelling headphones and write another article on my blog.

Since 2007, which is not very long ago, I developed a taste for travelling and I don't mean going to Greece for a week of sunshine, beaches and leisure. No, I mean experiencing new cultures, food and habits in far away exotic places. I enjoy emerging myself in a country very much different from mine. I enjoy being away from home, away from the daily routine and annoyances.

What I've discovered in the past 12 years of travelling is that there are some very cool and enjoyable countries out there! And some not so great countries. Currently, my most favourite destination is South East Asia. In particular, I love to go to Thailand. There, I enjoy the weather, the culture, the food, the atmosphere and the people. That is, when I avoid the popular tourist destinations.

I like Thailand so much that I've been thinking about living there for an extended period of time. Or perhaps indefinitely. Whatever happens, happens. When I travel I often get excited over visiting new destinations, but every time I arrive in  Thailand I feel very relaxed, as if I belong there. Like I'm finally home. A friend off mine has the same with New York. And when you're in Thailand you have the possibility to make short trips to other beautiful countries in the region.

However, moving to another country still feels like a very big step even when it's only temporary. If I were single I would probably have left already, but I really don't want to blame my girlfriend for the delay in plans. However, being in a relationship does make things more complicated, because you have two lives that need to make sacrifices and one cannot make bold decisions for the other. But, I don't want to go into any more details that trouble me. It's not important.

So, what do I want? What are my dreams for the future and how would I like to make it happen?

I would really like to live in a place that makes me feel happy, relaxed and comfortable. It is very important to me to live in a friendly community / society. Dutch people can often be quite arrogant, harsh and generally unpleasant to be with at times. I would like to rent a nice, but simple house. Nothing fancy, just clean and comfortable with ample space. I enjoy tropical weather with its abundance of sunshine (sometimes a lot of rain) and high temperatures. It helps me produce Vitamin D. I like fresh fruit and other local food and I love spending time with good friends. I need plenty of those around to avoid getting lonely. And I love the beautiful nature tropical countries have to offer.

So far, Thailand seems the best place for me to live. However, I am aware that it may not turn out to be the paradise I'm looking for. I'm hoping it will be, but I guess we'll just have to find out. It will call for a lot of adjustments, which actually can be a lot of fun, and we would need to learn the language.

Another important thing we need to consider is what we are going to do when we move to a different country like Thailand. I like to relax and take it easy, but even I need to have some form of purpose in life. Of course, we can exercise our hobbies, but since we're not yet fully financially independent, having some form of income would be preferred. Having a few location independent side hustles would do the trick.

I clearly need to work out some more details before we can actually make the move. For now, moving to a tropical paradise is just a sweet dream. If you have some great ideas, tips or simply want to leave an uplifting remark, please do so!