Less than a month until I head back to Thailand!

Recap for you new followers and update for the seasoned…
Back in May of 2015, I lost my dog and it destroyed me. That was the big life event that prompted me to once again go after my dream of traveling around the world. Like everything, it’s been ten times harder and took ten times longer than expected. Struggling against my old life, ego and much of my supposed support-system being less than supportive, I set out to Phuket, Thailand last April. While there I made amazing connections, though staying mostly stuck to my laptop writing and trying to land full-time remote marketing and writing work There are some organizations based in San Francisco Forbes has listed as best places to work and I’ve had my eye on for a while. (Shout out to Automattic!)
Anxiety over such a big life change and being stuck to my laptop stopped me from getting around Thailand. Also because I had to come back early when the woman I had tried to help out by selling my Mercedes to for $800, the car I had put $2,300 into the year before, didn’t pay me. Devastated and pressured by a conservative mother who could win awards for worry, I put myself a couple grand more in airline debt to come back a month early. After a last night of staying up all night in the pool with my awesome new pal Emma (who I will be subsequently be visiting in London come April), the woman who manages the awesome place in Phuket I stayed at, Shanti Lodge, and who adopted me saw how upset I was and offered to hold my belongings until my return. They’re still there…I hope.
Coming back, I was finally ready to admit that working remote full time would mentally keep me more in California than allowing me to be immersed in the countries I’ll be in. Not hard to imagine, that would likely set me up for a huge fail.
Turning down a couple good job offers and playing with the ideas of teaching ESL abroad (something I constantly hear others living this lifestyle do) or picking up more freelance writing and marketing work, I’ve decided through talking with many people in SF who have done this, self-reflection and the unexpected financial opportunity driving for rideshare has provided me, I am going to focus on getting the book I wrote out by Feb. 8th, 2018 (my 40th birthday) and volunteering all over the world. At first I wanted to be gone for much longer periods of time than the three to six months I’m planning for now. I’m sure it will change come even more experience but what seems to be working best so far is to head back to America for a few months at a time to earn money through rideshare, process my last experiences in the safety of home (San Diego) and spend time with my loved ones. Especially my dad who is sick and the process at which he is deteriorating has increased.
I have already grown and changed so much that I’m fascinated at the idea of who I will be a year from now when I am much farther in. Until then, the plan is to make it to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, London, Paris, Japan, Bali and India with three stops in the US intermittently to earn money and go to Burning Man, be home for Christmas and to go on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera with anyone who will come for my 40th b-day. After that, who knows. Maybe a safari in Africa? Then again, maybe I’ll hit Central and South America for six months with a focus on learning to speak Spanish fluently. Finally. As long as I make my way around the world, the plan can change as much as it likes as far as I’m concerned. Reminds me of one of the things I hear writers comment about their books. At some point, they take on a life of their own and we’re just along for the ride. As always, so much love for those of you who are along for mine.