Happier Abroad Forum Community

Everyone on HA that is still stuck in unhappy countries, I suggest you go out into the world and explore: From the time I was young, I was always abroad in some sense: whether it was traveling abroad with my parents throughout Latin America as a child, to when I was traveling through Europe as a young man in his early twenties in the United States Air Force, to when I traveled with my family to Thailand, Korea, Canada and the Dominican Republic. And, now, I'm in China, I realize how lucky I have been compared to the average Westerner whose never even been outside of their home countries, I count my blessings that I've seen quite a bit of the world--with more countries yet to be experienced!

For all the complaining I do on the forum, I see the many benefits of traveling and living abroad, and it has done wonders for my self-esteem and my perception of life: all of it positive and highly rewarding. That is why I continue to post on HappierAbroad because I believe in it's credo and mission statement: Go abroad!

Great post

Nice but it might take more than that to get Winston out of his comfortable armchair. I'm so longing for him to go do some more traveling and write "10 reasons why Thailand is the best country on the planet".

One night last year I was in a nude gogo bar and while Winston was emailing me "10 reasons why X is better than Y", I was living the dream.

China was a tough place to live, but I miss the humid evenings spent with my strange friend - we would sit outside the juice bar and watch dozens (more like hundreds) of pretty students as they went shopping for fruit and dried noodles.

China felt all about work, but the night I got to Thailand I drank 8 cans of beer and felt a huge weight off my shoulders. This was party country.

Malaysia was also cool (er, hot) - in one week there I took more photos there than in my entire 6 months in Thailand.

I had an awesome time traveling last year, but now I'm back home I worry I'm now too red pill to fit back in here.

Not buying a TV again has been good though - I have so much more time.

I am starting to get the travel bug again - I wouldn't be surprised if I go to Asia again in the next couple of months, and this time it will be on a much longer term basis.