Well, I’ve certainly dropped the ball on this whole “blog my way through my travels and slow descent into madness” thing, haven’t I? I think the last time we “spoke,” I had just returned to Bangkok after a much-needed reset/visa run in Hong Kong, and I was contemplating whether I had gotten as much out of Bangkok as it was going to give me.
That was September 2025.
Frolicking through the waves at sunset… what could possibly be more Phuket vibes than this?
The best photobomb… on a Bali visa run.
It’s now April 2026, and I’m sitting in a cute little Spanish taverna called Mi Casa, set just a few blocks away from My Khe Beach in Da Nang, Vietnam. Rumba Catalana vibes float through the open-air restaurant from the speakers above, reverberating off the weathered brick, unmistakable Spanish-style tiles, and the intentionally worn wooden beams that define the interior ceiling. I’m sitting at a bar height table, normally a no-no for me and my decades of knee and back injuries, but the welcoming breeze from the nearby South China Sea filtered through the cafe’s flora-covered patio is just impossible to resist.
I won’t go into grave detail about all that’s transpired over the last six months, as I’m slowly learning to relish living in the moment, as opposed to my usual default settings of beating myself over the past and simultaneously overthinking the future. That being said, these past months have been clarifying in so many ways, so let this latest entry serve as a promise to myself that I will get back to my passion for writing, and I will figure out a way to make it a key part of my day-to-day life and long-term goals moving forward. Siempre Avanti…
Red… but never enraged…
Green… yet never envious
On that note, here are the cliff notes so we can both get caught up, and start fresh:
- After my visa run to Hong Kong, it became clear that Bangkok wasn’t where I needed to be, so I made the call to move on.
- I headed to Phuket a little earlier than my initial itinerary dictated, and immediately prioritized time with two of my Dallas people: Lindsay, who was in town for about a week as the lone soldier representing the group chat (respect), and Darius, who, in the short time he called the island home, had already built a full-on community on “The Soi”—Phuket’s infamous Fitness Street.
- I fell in love with Island Life because, duh, it’s me. A day trip to the Phi Phi Islands with Lindsay only baked in that infatuation further, along with a very deep, specific, and lasting posterior tan. LOL.
- I picked up a new client, which would turn out to be therapy/a reckoning of sorts, both good and bad, for reasons that wouldn’t be clear until my return to Phuket after the holidays.
- I headed back to the States via Bali in time for Thanksgiving with my hijo, his partner, and their bestie, and had some much-needed time with my furbabies. And of course, Mexican food, chocolate cake, and murder docs with the girlies.
- I headed to CO shortly after, and while dog-sitting for my parents with my own in tow, I had the epiphany that this year (2026), I would get “paid for my personality”. I told my mom. She laughed. I still don’t know exactly how that’s going to happen, but I’m determined to see it to fruition nonetheless.
- After many birthdays and Christmas with the fam, and “guesting” on a few podcasts, I headed to Houston for NYE with my bestie, Tonga. We both fell asleep before midnight. It was glorious.
- On January 3rd, I headed back to Phuket with the intention of continuing to make financial progress, expanding with my new client, and creating more quality time with the community I had started building before the holidays.
The ab shadows in question 🙂
Apparently, I disturbed their peace…
- Shortly after arriving, my hijo landed a new job, this time in sales, and he absolutely loves it. While I’ll need to adjust a few of my summer plans to help him get a few things in order, I honestly couldn’t be happier for him and this next phase in his own journey.
- Within days and for various reasons, it became crystal clear that my initial goals for Phuket weren’t going to happen, and by the end of January, I knew it was time to move on… again.
- After another two weeks straight of emotional breakdowns and bouts with deeper depression cycles, coupled with weekends spent not getting out of bed, I started therapy. Finally.
- At the same time, I reconnected with someone who played a foundational role in my life years ago, through the kind of relationship that continues to shape you, even after it ends. I know, this isn’t a topic I typically unpack in this forum, but the ripple effect has been impossible to ignore… so for now, it feels worth noting.
- After the initial fog of that depressive bout lifted, I locked in on my gym goals and got in possibly the best physical shape of my adult life (I mean, have you seen my ab shadows lately?)
- Despite everything not going to plan in Phuket, (when does it ever?) I committed to staying in Thailand through my birthday, and in the days and weeks that followed I met some AMAZING people, watched the Broncos lose in the AFC Championship (damn you, AnkleGate!), hit the beach with my new, hopefully lifelong friends, Carrie and Cory, both AMAZING trainers and humans, and celebrated my 41st birthday with Darius and Cory.
- I once again tried my hand at this whole video/content creation thing, and once again… I don’t think it’s for me. I don’t know why… my lifestyle is perfect for it, but I just can’t get my mind and energy around the “production” of it all…
- Finally, after spending way too much money to survive high season in Thailand, I paid an extra fee to expedite my visa for Vietnam (because why not at this point), and I flew to Da Nang on February 25.
Look at that! We’re all caught up… Más o menos, right?
Dinner with the girls…
… and NYE shenannigans with the bestie 🙂
While Vietnam was never on the original list of destinations I’d thought I’d hit when I started this grand adventure two years ago, it has been in the back of my mind for the last few months. When it became clear that Phuket wasn’t going to be what I needed to continue making progress on the financial portion of this getting healthier (financially, mentally, and physically) mission, Vietnam, with its low cost of living and an easy-to-obtain 90-day visa, pretty much became a no-brainer.
And my first impressions of Da Nang (now a month in) are nothing but positive. My apartment is walking distance from the beach, the weather is amazing: warm, sunny, but not too humid (at least for now), and as the Instagram trends promise, living here (on a Western income) is more than affordable. Coffee, cafes, and community dominate local culture here, while the digital nomad community also thrives. I spend my days lounging, reading, and writing on the beach, or in one of Da Nang’s hundreds of computer-friendly cafes and restaurants, while nights are spent in the gym, eating egg bánh mìs, and knocking out client work from bed, with the Real Housewives yelling from my TV in the background. I mean, BLISS.
Spent some time talking on a few podcasts, including Bon Voyage Besties, which was a blast!
Da Nang, Vietnam Bound!
To be honest, the only thing lacking for me so far is the overall gym/fitness community. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of gyms and healthy activities here, but in my travels thus far, nothing comes close to the fitness community you can build in Phuket. Like the superiority of the beaches in Barbados, I fear I may have flown too close to the sun and will never be able to unknow what peak gym vibes feel like. But hey, as life so readily reminds us, we can’t have it all, right?
I’ve met a few people through Instagram and various nomad apps since I’ve been here, which has been nice. But the relative isolation, in comparison to my time throughout Thailand, has helped me get refocused on this whole “getting paid for my personality” thing, as well as prioritizing my mental health.
Birthday dinners with my loves at KEP, in Phuket
Forcing social interactions… at least a few… while in Da Nang. LOL
The change of location has also made it clear (and I know I’ve been circling this for a while) that I no longer want my career to be focused on graphic and web design. Yes, I’m good at it. Yes, it’s relatively easy for me. Yes, it pays the bills and affords me the luxury of even being on this journey. However, there isn’t, and never has been, any real joy for me in this space. So I’ve reduced my design client workload to the bare minimum and started throwing all my extra time into my actual passion, writing.
Only time will tell if this is the correct move, but for now, it feels so damn right.
And just like that (to be oh so cliché and quote Carrie Bradshaw), it’s time for me to wrap this thing up and head to the gym. I’ll leave you with the sounds of Almoraima & Tonio Corba gracing your airwaves and visions of a life unfolding somewhere between the café and the sea… working toward a more present tomorrow and worrying a little less about the rest.
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