There is something that occurred to me years ago. Sometimes I spent too much time in Bangkok and I have always loved the beaches. So when I just wanted to ‘get away’, I’d call it ‘”It’s time to ‘change my latitude'” and fly to Phuket or Samui.
There is something special about the perfect weather, the palm trees and the surf on the beach. Helps melt pressures.
Even if you still have a job, I’d seriously consider taking at least one official vacation each year to a real, tropical, or exotic location. Why WAIT until you are older and ‘retired’ and then enjoy life? That’s ridiculous.
Anyway, I refer to ‘getting away’ to a tropical place as ‘changing my latitude’. It could have been influenced by a Corona commercial or Jimmy Buffett.
Dealing with stress? Change your surroundings and go to a warm tropical beach to ‘chill out’. (Now, of course, you can still change your status in the comfort of your own home, but being on a warm beach is something special.)
There is definitely something to the ‘parrot head’ mentality of fans of Jimmy Buffett or the ‘Beach Boys’. I’ve always liked ‘drunken sunsets’ and ‘Kokomo’.
Why limit yourself? Some people actually end up ‘living’ in tropical areas like Tom Cruise did in ‘Cocktail’ being in Jamaica. Gold Philippines or Costa Rica. It’s so hard for some people to get out of their own ‘box’. It is even cheaper to live abroad in many places if you just minimize your expenses.
It’s even something you can save up for. I have a friend who is a surf instructor and jungle tour operator in Jaco, Costa Rica. He used to live in the cold and dreamy winters of London. Now, he has embraced the surf culture lifestyle.
You may do it for a few years of your life and then maybe move to another place.
In this age, especially with worldwide internet access, why NOT consider living abroad or taking extended vacations? I’m glad Tim Ferriss helped make this idea more popular. The reality is that it doesn’t take much when you’re just ‘thinking outside the box’. It was only $250 for my round trip tickets to Costa Rica when I stayed/lived there for 6 weeks in early 2010.
It was a COLD winter in central Wisconsin, but I decided to get through it by living on the Caribbean coast in Rodadero, Colombia from October to December and back for Christmas with my family. And then to Costa Rica, just a 4-minute walk from the Pacific Ocean. All for less than what it would cost to live in the United States. That was part of my stay abroad for a year in 4 consecutive continents.
If you don’t have a mortgage and have enough income or at least money saved, why not consider doing something crazy and just ‘living’ abroad for a while? Even if it’s only for a few weeks. What I do is find a short-term rental flat.
It’s cheaper than a hotel and you feel much more like a local.
It’s great to see so many more people doing this. I’ve personally inspired a dozen people to go to Thailand so far (and maybe a lot more indirectly) because I’m so excited about it. Everyone seems to get excited about Thailand.
Of course, I’m still single and ‘rent’ on purpose. I also have my own business, but there are still ways you can get away more. I have a friend and business associate in San Antonio who is married with 2 kids and every 3 months they take another family vacation (usually with the kids).
They have been to Europe, Asia and other places. They just plan it out and stick to their schedule to ‘change their latitude’ and see more of the world.
When you start to value EXPERIENCES over material goods, you start to realize that even if you don’t become a hipster, a hippie, or a drifter, you can STILL see different parts of the world and fit them into your own schedule.
Why not be in environments that are more conducive to your health and creativity?
Instead of buying more material things, maybe start saving for another trip and do it on a tight budget. Almost all of my travel is business expense anyway.
It is ALWAYS sunny somewhere in the world. What if you just went chasing beaches around the world and had summer all year long? There are plenty of adventures waiting out there.
