Ruth Richert
I’m a 20-something Canuck who recently moved to Thailand with my long-suffering husband. I recently finished a Master’s degree in the Social Sciences, and *shockingly* find myself to be underemployed. This blog chronicles my (mis)adventures in gettin’ a life and gettin’ a job in The Global Pad Thai Epicentre (aka: Bangkok). Sometimes I get serious, but don’t worry: I’ll always warn you first.
You can work pretty much where you want to – on the road, do you find it hard to work or do you just have fun and work when you come back home?
So far, I've just been taking short trips around Thailand, so it's been pretty easy to save the blogging for when I get home. I don't want anything to get in the way of my in-the-moment curry and beer consumption. When I start taking longer trips in the region, this will be a more pertinent question - how to balance a regular blogging schedule with living in the moment.
Do you feel many people are envious of your lifestyle?
Yeah, there are definitely people who are envious of my life, but that's partly because they don't see the whole picture. Based on my blog, it looks like all I do is have endless adventures in the tropics, accompanied by my hunky and good-natured husband. In reality, adjusting to life in a new country is really challenging - it's a great adventure, but it's not easy. The blogging is fun, but it takes a lot of time (that I should probably be spending trying to find an actual paying job).
In which countries have people recognised you, even when you thought nobody would?
Haha. I'm fairly new at the travel blogging thing, so I can't say that I'm struggling with celebrity-style privacy issues yet. On a smaller level, though, a bunch of teachers at my husband's school read my blog, and know all about my life. I, on the other hand, haven't even met some of them. It is a strange dynamic.
Which three items would you never travel without?
1: I always said that I wouldn't be "that person," but I have to admit: I love my iPhone. I don't have the best sense of direction, and it has gotten me out of a lot of directional mishaps.
2: My journal. I don't do the best job of keeping a regular journalling schedule, but it is great to have on hand when I need to spill my soul. There is something about travelling that dredges up all sorts of emotions. Some of these show up on my blog, but the journal gets the unfiltered version.
3: I do sometimes travel without him, but I like having the hubs along with me. He's always a good time, and I don't have to worry about fending off creepy dudes with him around.
Are there any specific souvenirs or other things you collect from the places you go to?
My collecting patterns are pretty sporadic - I like to comfort myself that I collect memories instead of stuff, but who am I kidding. Sometimes I come home with tons of stuff, sometimes I come home empty handed. There are a few things, though, that suck me in every time: crocodile memorabilia and clothes.
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