Congrats! I recently made my first trip and it's turned me around as well. I'm losing weight, stopped drinking, and am going back to school to finish my degree. Everyone needs something to keep them going and Thailand is a place of possibilities whereas I had nothing to look forward to in America.

When I discovered Thailand, I thought "damnnnnnnnnn - what have I been doing in the last ten years???"

If I had known this country during my student time, I would have done almost EVERYTHING differently...

I think I discovered Thailand at just the right time, in my late 20s - not too early and not too late. Thanks to Thailand I found out a new lifestyle that really suits me. When I made my 1st and 2nd trip to the LOS, I was living in Japan and read many books on Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. I learnt about a phenomenon called sotokomori - some Japanese people work part-time in their home country for a few months and spend the other part of the year in Thailand (or Laos, India etc.).

I admit that I stopped drinking in Thailand, too (OK, maybe I'll have a bottle or two of Singha beer when I'm back in January but I don't feel the need to go on the booze any more ). If I only could lose my weight...

We should all have a USA to leave.

we should all have a thialand to come to

Today I think that all students should be sent on a one year world travel to discover and see everything there is too see about the world.

This was a tradition among rich families some decades ago, and I think it should be reintroduced.

I quote myself on that - I now decided I will definitely save money and pay my children a world tour when they will graduate.

At least six months on at least 4 different continents, and at least 2 weeks in each place up to one month, at their discretion.

What do you think are the most contrasting and interesting places in the world?

I would offer: northern europe, southern europe, northern africa, russia, china, japan, black africa, india, australia, brazil, caribbean, california, new york.

Today I think that all students should be sent on a one year world travel to discover and see everything there is too see about the world.

This was a tradition among rich families some decades ago, and I think it should be reintroduced.

I quote myself on that - I now decided I will definitely save money and pay my children a world tour when they will graduate.

At least six months on at least 4 different continents, and at least 2 weeks in each place up to one month, at their discretion.

What do you think are the most contrasting and interesting places in the world?

I would offer: northern europe, southern europe, northern africa, russia, china, japan, black africa, india, australia, brazil, caribbean, california, new york.

I think that would do!

Seriously, your children are lucky.

Not really a change or 'reset' for me, as I was born and raised in SE Asia. Lived broadly throughout the pan-Asian Pacific nearly all my life. As a 'Westerner', I don't find the situations to be foreign nor different....

Esc

Good topic.

I'm in the throes of trying to divest myself of my life, house, possessions, etc with the aim of resetting in Thailand in the first few months of next year.

Threads like this offset the ones about the BiB, the Reds and Yellows, crime and so on and make me a little more comfortable with my decision.