Welcome to week twenty-nine of the backpacking diaries. I’ll be updating you weekly on where I’ve been, what I’ve been getting up to, and most importantly, how I’m really feeling about this insane decision I’ve made.
As you probably know, I’m currently backpacking through Asia after quitting my job and leaving London for good.
I want to remember every moment of this experience, and document as much of it as I can, just like I’ve documented everything else in my life post-18 on this website.
You can keep up to date with my travels on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube but for now, enjoy week twenty-nine of the travel diaries!
If you missed the first twenty-eight weeks of backpacking diaries, you can catch up here.
Top tip: for mobile data around Asia, we used the Jetpac eSim. This was super handy and easily installed onto our phones as soon as we arrived in Japan! Get $5 off your eSIM package when you use my referral code: ORLZRLN2.
Day 197: Monday 30th September 2024
Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Dear travel diary,
It’s the final day of the yoga and meditation retreat! I’m going to be reunited with himself and my phone!!
The day started with a 6am wakeup as always (I am very much looking forward to a lie in tomorrow) and yoga and meditation at 7am.
After our final practice, it was time for our final breakfast spread. The food is one of the things I’m going to miss so much from the retreat. I’ve never eaten so well.
This morning’s final breakfast spread was waffles! Vegan chocolate and coconut waffles with all types of fruit toppings, chocolate sauce and coconut shavings.
And we were even allowed to take our phones back to grab some pictures too!
After breakfast, we could wander around the campus for the final time and take some photos to remember everything once we leave. This was my opportunity to grab some content as I was here to post about my experience on socials.
I packed up my room and said goodbye to my little oasis, and also said a sad goodbye to the library before saying goodbye to all of the new friends I’d made.
Then it was time to head back to The Urban Hotel to see himself and be reunited with civilisation.
RELATED blog post to read: The Best Hotel to Stay in Siem Reap, Cambodia
The first thing I wanted was a Starbucks. I’d been without coffee for six days, and was craving a hot mocha.
We walked to Starbucks, caught up on everything about the retreat and I opened my laptop to assess the damage in my email inbox.
It’s strange to be technically unemployed but since I’m also giving content creation a go, I have a very steady inbox and work calls during the week, so I was nervous about switching off for six days in case I missed anything important.
Is this the life of a self-employed person?
We ended up spending the rest of the day in Starbucks working, and then headed for some pie and mash for dinner.
Yes, you read that right. Pie and mash in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
RELATED blog post to read: Siem Reap, Cambodia: How to Spend 4 Days Here
Since himself had been on his own in the area for the past six days, he had sussed out some good spots to eat and work. And the pie place was his favourite since it was New Zealand rugby themed.
It was a very good pie, I must say.
We headed back to our hotel to chill for the evening before an early bus back to Bangkok tomorrow morning. And I was reunited with TV again which was a dream.
RELATED blog post to read: The Best Places To Eat In Bangkok Michelin-Style
Unashamedly, there’s nothing I love more than watching an episode or five of a good TV show in the evenings.
Day 198: Tuesday 1st October 2024
Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia & Bangkok, Thailand
Dear travel diary,
Today was another long travel day.
We were up and checked out of the hotel early, to catch our bus back to Bangkok. The bus left Siem Reap at 9.30am and we were back in our Bangkok apartment at around 7pm.
We had a very different immigration experience this time around, going back into Thailand. It was much busier than coming the opposite way and I’d say we queued for around one hour.
There were three people on our bus that were held back for questioning, and then one of them ended up not being allowed entry into Thailand.
RELATED blog post to read: Ultimate South Thailand Travel Route: Phi Phi, Phuket & More
This put us back an hour or so, but we felt terrible for the girl that wasn’t coming with us. There are rules about the number of times you can cross into Thailand via land and air, so one to look into if you plan on backpacking and travelling a lot around Southeast Asia!
Once we got back to the bus centre, we took a taxi back to the apartment, ordered some dinner and chilled out on the sofa before heading to bed early for a good night’s sleep.
RELATED blog post to read: How to Travel From Laos to Thailand by 2-Day Slow Boat
Day 199: Wednesday 2nd October 2024
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Dear travel diary,
It felt good to wake up in Bangkok again. Our little apartment here really does feel like a home, so it was very nice to wake up to no alarm clock, but the sun coming in from the window.
We were having a chilled day, just around the apartment. Grabbing groceries, coffees from the coffee shop downstairs and working on our laptops while some reality TV played in the background.
Bliss.
Nothing much to report from today, but we finally tried a new healthy food spot order on Grab and it was delicious.
We had pesto pasta and a fajita bowl with so many vegetables and salad leaves! It makes such a change from our last stint in Bangkok when we had to order fast food every night because there was nothing nearby.
I have a feeling we’re going to be eating quite well this time around – thank God. Especially after the incredibly vegan food I had at the retreat, I need my vegetables.
Day 200: Thursday 3rd October 2024
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Dear travel diary,
We woke up at 4am today. To get concert tickets. For Oasis.
In Los Angeles.
Are we crazy? Yes, we are.
If you remember, we were in Japan when we tried to get tickets for the UK Oasis tour, but like a lot of people, couldn’t get any.
So, next they were announcing their USA tour. Since LA is the closes to Australia, it seemed to make sense at the time.
Plus, California road trip anyone?
I mean, we have absolutely no funds to support this dream of ours, but we managed to secure tickets to the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles next year, so who knows?
I might be on the west coast of America around this time next year. Now that would be mental.
Oasis are also announcing Australia dates very soon, but apparently himself couldn’t take the risk of not getting tickets to any gigs.
So we’ll probably end up trying to get tickets for Australia too.
We did go back to sleep for a while afterwards, and then got up to attack the day and spent it working from Central Embassy.
I’ve missed my little (huge) office in the city, so it was good to be back. We also tried a new spot in the basement for dinner and it was incredibly tasty. And as always, incredibly cheap.
We spent the night catching up on Great British Bake Off since it’s started back home. Is there any other show that gets you in the autumn/fall mood as much?
Plus, you know the countdown to Christmas is on once GBBO starts!
RELATED blog post to read: How to Spend Christmas in New York City
Day 201: Friday 4th October 2024
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Dear travel diary,
Today was another day working from the apartment.
The coffee shop below our apartment building is so cheap, so we’re trying to balance our days in the city with days working from home.
I’ve been putting off editing YouTube footage for the longest time. I love it when I get into it, but the thought of starting a vlog from scratch always puts me off.
But today, we’re doing it. I’m editing my Kuala Lumpur video – it’s time.
We ordered from another new healthy spot on Grab for lunch today and had so many vegetables! We ordered a wrap to share which was ginormous and a tomato and chickpea salad to go along with it.
I was so happy with how healthy it was! We’ll definitely be ordering from here again.
We’ve started watching the Mr. McMahon documentary on Netflix. Himself was into WWE when he was younger, but I literally have no clue who anyone is or anything about it.
But I love a good documentary, so I was intrigued.
The show is wild. We’re only a few episodes in but I would highly recommend watching it, even if you’re not into WWE/WWF in the slightest like me.
It’s crazy!
In the evening, we had a movie night since it’s Friday. Wild Friday night, I know.
I’d been looking to watch the Anyone But You movie since it came out, but didn’t have Netflix so it was finally my chance.
Plus I’d heard it was set in Sydney, and I could also consider it as research for our upcoming move.
It was a cute romcom, and laugh out loud funny. Obviously predictable, but aren’t all good romcoms?
Day 202: Saturday 5th October 2024
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Dear travel diary,
Another day in the trenches (our Bangkok apartment).
We spent the morning in the coffee shop downstairs, working on our laptops, and then tried out the co-working area in the apartment building for a few hours for a slight change of scenery.
The co-working space is on the 30th floor of the apartment building, so some incredible views. On top of that, we were the only people in the room so had the entire space to ourselves and were able to get a lot of work done together.
I suppose it is also a Saturday, when people probably aren’t working but are off enjoying a brunch in the city. To think that used to be me, but instead I’m doing emails on a Saturday morning.
The rest of the day was very similar. Moving between locations to work and edit YouTube vlogs, with intermittent pauses to grab coffee from the shop downstairs.
We ordered some more healthy food for dinner, watched the final episode of the Mr. McMahon series and started to watch Eat, Pray, Love.
I read the book a few years ago, but have never seen the movie before. We made it through the Italian section of the movie before falling asleep, so we’ve still got India and Bali to go.
We’re going back to Bali in a few weeks, which I’m so excited for! We’ll be using the movie as some slight research.
RELATED blog post to read: The Best Private Villa to Stay in Canggu, Bali
Day 203: Sunday 6th October 2024
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Dear travel diary,
We were back in Central Embassy today, so it wasn’t very exciting. As you can tell from these diary entries, we’re very much in Bangkok to work and catch up on content.
It was a blog-heavy day for me and I managed to write and schedule six blog posts for the month of October, so I can try and get a little bit ahead of myself.
We worked from our usual coffee spot first thing, then walked a few yards to the Sizzle Burger restaurant because they sell Coke Zero. We had some tater tots and curly fries for lunch, before moving another few yards to our usual second coffee spot for the rest of the afternoon.
When it was time for dinner, we headed down to the basement of Central Embassy to have another bowl of duck, wontons and noodle soup for a cheap dinner.
We’re getting a little bit predictable, aren’t we?
When we got back to the flat, we still had some more work to do and then started watching the Mendenez show on Netflix.
The first episode was a bit wild, but we’re going to give it a go. The night finished with us watching the most recent episode of Great British Bake Off in bed.
A wholesome enough Sunday.
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