Wrapping Up SEA ‘23
*Disclaimer: I did actually write this at the start of August, I’m just now getting around to editing and posting it!
As we come to the end of our six-month Southeast Asia trip, we have A LOT to unpack from it all. If I had to sum it up in one word, it’d be gratitude. I’m beyond grateful for this beautiful world God created and the ability that I have to traverse it. I'm grateful for the opportunities presented to me that got me here. I’m grateful for my husband and best travel bud. I’m grateful to family and friends who stay in touch and always welcome us back home. I’m in love with this life and just grateful for every day I get to live it.
We saw some amazing places and got to live like locals in a few. We have both upped our freelance businesses. We’ve learned about our working styles and how to balance full-time travel with freelance work. We’ve also been working on a little side project between us that hopefully comes to fruition by the end of this year.
I have absolutely rekindled my love for travel through this trip. I can’t speak for Anthony, but I don’t think he ever lost it, he’s just more patient than me. For a bit there post-pandemic I thought it was time I “grow out of” this travel phase or “settle down,” but I have a strong feeling that if I were to settle into a normal 9-5 routine, I’d immediately start wondering what else is out there.
I’ve always been curious and restless about staying in one place. I’m not sure where it comes from, but all I can do is adjust my life around it. Which as it turns out, is entirely possible.
I love love love my family, my home, my friends, and all the things that come with having a stable base and routine. I dream of having a garden and several golden retrievers to take care of one day. However, for me, the pull to go has always been stronger than the urge to stay. And that stands to be the same today.
Don’t get me wrong, Anthony and I love the idea of having a home of our own and things to fill it with. We just aren’t in a rush.
One day, we’ll sit in our rocking chairs on the porch reminiscing on all the things we did and saw while our knees weren't so creaky and our backs didn’t ache (even though mine already does). That day isn’t today, though. We still have a bit more exploring to do first.
And if we’re tired of exploring, then we’ll stop. But once you become familiar with location and time freedom, work autonomy, and an uncapped earning potential, it’s hard to go back to working for someone else on someone else’s schedule. We’re from two different countries, this is also the best way that we know to be able to split our lives.
I am not saying this lifestyle is for everyone by any means. I’m not saying it’s superior to a stable income and a more structured 9-5. It works for us though.
Fast forward to September, and we both got to visit my family in America in August and now we’re back in England handling some family stuff on this side of the pond. We had initially made plans to stay in Eastern Europe for the fall, but now it’s looking like we may need to be in the UK for longer than intended.
Hopefully, we will meet again on this blog in January 2024 when we officially resume our travels in a new continent!