Did you "Find yourself" in Thailand?

[Harrisfan]

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

I hadn't found myself until 6 minutes ago when Cameroni posted.

I looked in the mirror and he's right. I'm a wretched cauldron of snakes who likes to post sad emojis on AN.

Thanks for helping me find myself, guys!

 

 

Do you like your face and body?

[BangkokReady]

3 hours ago, Cameroni said:

The thing is you don't really find out who you are, until you are faced with certain events in your life that reveal your true nature. 

 

It can take a whole lifetime to find out who you really are. As it is only in these defining events that you really reveal your true self.

 

Yes.  Perhaps, "testing yourself to see what you are capable of" is a better summation, although that probably won't sell as well.

[Cameroni]

3 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

 

Yes.  Perhaps, "testing yourself to see what you are capable of" is a better summation, although that probably won't sell as well.

 

Yes, indeed. That is probably why a lot of these "finding" trips are immersions in new cultures, long trips, you set up a scenario that challenges you and gives you new experiences. A new relationship perhaps.

 

 

[Harrisfan]

20 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

Yes, indeed. That is probably why a lot of these "finding" trips are immersions in new cultures, long trips, you set up a scenario that challenges you and gives you new experiences. A new relationship perhaps.

 

 

Humans are like plants. We either grow or die so you have to keep pushing yourself forward.

[newbee2022]

17 hours ago, sipi said:

Did you discover the real "you" in Thailand?

I'm watching these young YouTubers that have embedded themselves in the slums of Thailand in order to find their real self, and I just don't get it.

But, they seem to look down on us mere mortals who haven't found the real us.

 

There are always losers and leftovers pretending to be "superiors"

I don't care.

[Wrwest]

Naa, being ancient it has been over half a lifetime ago (1979-1980) that I reflected on "self discovery".. Not really a "mid life crisis" as I was already quite educated and centered by that time. Still, it was a time of being with myself and testing myself as traveling alone. I took an unpaid sabbatical academic year off from teaching 8 years in the public schools in Kentucky. Sold my house, stored what I wished to keep with my parents in NJ. Borrowed a friend's VW Camper. After participating in a "Friendship Force" exchange program with Cremona, Italy for 2 weeks in summer 1979, it was off to Mexico. I had not been there before, could not speak Spanish but ... I ended up driving 23 of the Mexican States while visiting Aztec and Mayan historical sites while spending most time in Cuernavaca, Morelos studying Spanish. Quite an adventure and growth experience resulting in even greater knowing who, what I am and what I am capable, as well as, what I am not capable. Before returning to teach in August 1980, there was a 6 week trip back to Europe mostly driving through Spain, France with side trip to Morocco and a final week in London before returning stateside. A most pleasing year of discovery indeed.

[harryviking]

On 4/20/2025 at 2:28 PM, sipi said:

Did you discover the real "you" in Thailand?

I'm watching these young YouTubers that have embedded themselves in the slums of Thailand in order to find their real self, and I just don't get it.

But, they seem to look down on us mere mortals who haven't found the real us.

 

LOL! Make sure you "find yourself" BEFORE you come to Thailand! 😂 You need quite a lot of "inner strenght" to survive here!

[Cameroni]

3 hours ago, Wrwest said:

Naa, being ancient it has been over half a lifetime ago (1979-1980) that I reflected on "self discovery".. Not really a "mid life crisis" as I was already quite educated and centered by that time. Still, it was a time of being with myself and testing myself as traveling alone. I took an unpaid sabbatical academic year off from teaching 8 years in the public schools in Kentucky. Sold my house, stored what I wished to keep with my parents in NJ. Borrowed a friend's VW Camper. After participating in a "Friendship Force" exchange program with Cremona, Italy for 2 weeks in summer 1979, it was off to Mexico. I had not been there before, could not speak Spanish but ... I ended up driving 23 of the Mexican States while visiting Aztec and Mayan historical sites while spending most time in Cuernavaca, Morelos studying Spanish. Quite an adventure and growth experience resulting in even greater knowing who, what I am and what I am capable, as well as, what I am not capable. Before returning to teach in August 1980, there was a 6 week trip back to Europe mostly driving through Spain, France with side trip to Morocco and a final week in London before returning stateside. A most pleasing year of discovery indeed.

 

Well, that's 30 minutes I'll never get back.

[sipi]

4 hours ago, Wrwest said:

Naa, being ancient it has been over half a lifetime ago (1979-1980) that I reflected on "self discovery".. Not really a "mid life crisis" as I was already quite educated and centered by that time. Still, it was a time of being with myself and testing myself as traveling alone. I took an unpaid sabbatical academic year off from teaching 8 years in the public schools in Kentucky. Sold my house, stored what I wished to keep with my parents in NJ. Borrowed a friend's VW Camper. After participating in a "Friendship Force" exchange program with Cremona, Italy for 2 weeks in summer 1979, it was off to Mexico. I had not been there before, could not speak Spanish but ... I ended up driving 23 of the Mexican States while visiting Aztec and Mayan historical sites while spending most time in Cuernavaca, Morelos studying Spanish. Quite an adventure and growth experience resulting in even greater knowing who, what I am and what I am capable, as well as, what I am not capable. Before returning to teach in August 1980, there was a 6 week trip back to Europe mostly driving through Spain, France with side trip to Morocco and a final week in London before returning stateside. A most pleasing year of discovery indeed.

A thoughtful post. Thank you.

[sipi]

22 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

I don't think people really "find themselves".  I think it's more that they find something external that maybe answers some questions or reveals something about life that they previously hadn't realised or understood.  Possibly some experience simply changes how they think and view the world.

 

There's a reason that "finding yourself" often involves travelling to a far away and unusual land, interacting with people who have a different point of view, or even stumbling across a book.

 

I think a lot of people "find themselves" when they go to university, or when they move out on their own, as this means they are outside of the influence of people who previously had the power to pretty much control what they thought and how they felt (not necessarily intentionally).  Not mind control exactly, but we all know that parents, close family and old childhood friends can have a pretty strong affect on people, both positive and negative.

 

Perhaps some people cling to childhood and family so much, that it takes travelling to another country on the other side of the world, and being surrounded by people very different to themselves, to really have that growing up period in life.

And another thoughtful post. Thanx.

[WDSmart]

I didn't "find myself" in Thailand. I found myself (became "woke") many years ago. But my time here now (about 20 years) has not interfered with that at all. 

[Thingamabob]

No.

[pchansmorn]

23 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

I want to go back to Cha-am last visit was 2012

What’s stopping you.  We have a beach condo there that we rent.  Love that area, it’s still rural, farm land community but now has a few hidden restaurants scattered around a very big wet market & Makro.  You still have to drive to Hua Hin for hospitals and upscale restaurants. No tourists so far in Cha Am and thats how I like it.   Patrick 

[Harrisfan]

21 minutes ago, pchansmorn said:

What’s stopping you.  We have a beach condo there that we rent.  Love that area, it’s still rural, farm land community but now has a few hidden restaurants scattered around a very big wet market & Makro.  You still have to drive to Hua Hin for hospitals and upscale restaurants. No tourists so far in Cha Am and thats how I like it.   Patrick 

Cool.

[billd766]

To have "found myself" in Thailand, assumes that I had lost myself somewhere along the way.

 

Not true in the slightest.

 

What I did "find" in Thailand was my second wife and we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary next week.

 

She is the best thing I have ever found in my 80 year life.

[Harrisfan]

2 minutes ago, billd766 said:

To have "found myself" in Thailand, assumes that I had lost myself somewhere along the way.

 

Not true in the slightest.

 

What I did "find" in Thailand was my second wife and we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary next week.

 

She is the best thing I have ever found in my 80 year life.

So you never had tough times?

[FruitPudding]

On 4/20/2025 at 5:53 PM, sidjameson said:

Subatomic particles don't have morality. Do you?

 

Before I came to Thailand, yeah, haha

[sidjameson]

4 hours ago, billd766 said:

To have "found myself" in Thailand, assumes that I had lost myself somewhere along the way.

 

Not true in the slightest.

 

What I did "find" in Thailand was my second wife and we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary next week.

 

She is the best thing I have ever found in my 80 year life.

Lovely sunny story on a forum that specialises in dark clouds.

How long together before you knew she was a keeper?

[billd766]

28 minutes ago, sidjameson said:

Lovely sunny story on a forum that specialises in dark clouds.

How long together before you knew she was a keeper?

I fell in love with my Thai wife within a couple of months but it was 7 years before we married. I was working in Thailand during 1993 and 1994 to 1997, with a side trip to Indonesia in 1994.

 

So I guess it was a couple of years.

 

I got sent off to other countries in between jobs in Thailand and elsewhere, and it was a long distance affair for a while, though she did come to me for a month in Sri Lanka and also to France, Germany and the UK.

[Wrwest]

19 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

Well, that's 30 minutes I'll never get back.

Wow! Took you 30 minutes to read? Bottom line, your choice.

[scorecard]

On 4/20/2025 at 4:24 PM, BangkokReady said:

I don't think people really "find themselves".  I think it's more that they find something external that maybe answers some questions or reveals something about life that they previously hadn't realised or understood.  Possibly some experience simply changes how they think and view the world.

 

There's a reason that "finding yourself" often involves travelling to a far away and unusual land, interacting with people who have a different point of view, or even stumbling across a book.

 

I think a lot of people "find themselves" when they go to university, or when they move out on their own, as this means they are outside of the influence of people who previously had the power to pretty much control what they thought and how they felt (not necessarily intentionally).  Not mind control exactly, but we all know that parents, close family and old childhood friends can have a pretty strong affect on people, both positive and negative.

 

Perhaps some people cling to childhood and family so much, that it takes travelling to another country on the other side of the world, and being surrounded by people very different to themselves, to really have that growing up period in life.

 

I was firmly planted in my big western birth county, rare visits to other states, never a thought about visiting any other country.

 

Then suddenly my multinational employer offered me a very good position/ promotion in the company operations in Singapore, full expatriate package.

 

Had to quickly get a passport and then to Singapore which I found to be very different in many ways but i liked what I found.

 

Within 3 months I was offered another move, full expatriate package to Thailand. I quickly realized it was different to Singapore but I liked it. Much less English than Singapore but I didn't let that worry me.

 

Then unplanned I met a Thai doctor, she spoke perfect English, did all her medical studies / training in Australia. We soon became partners and married.  Her family very balanced and welcoming, plenty of English. 

 

All very different to my country of birth, 40+ years on still exploring but no complaints whatever. 

[newnative]

      Yes, very much so.  

[Chris Daley]

I have discovered that I am an ATM.

[Harrisfan]

3 hours ago, Chris Daley said:

I have discovered that I am an ATM.

Most real answer

[scorecard]

11 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

Most real answer

OK, but I always wonder how much foreigners have contributed to the concept of 'every farang is rich, no limit'.