Why Read:

If you have ever wanted to escape the rat race and wondered what life might be like outside of a 9 to 5 then I would say this is worth a read. This is a typical working day for me, I have not fabricated it at all, I simply took a camera with me on my usual route.

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The importance of Structure

Structure is important wherever you live, but even more so when living abroad. This is especially the case when, like me, there is no formal structure to be found from a 9-5 job.

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You remember the summer holidays back when you were a kid, things can fall apart very quickly into wasted days.

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Below is how I basically structure my days Monday through Friday. Sometimes this is disrupted if I am traveling but c’est la vie. Weekends vary drastically but I generally try and get out of Bangkok.

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Morning

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The Morning View From My Window

I usually rise around 7 regardless of what time I fell into bed the night before.

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The sun rises about 5 this time of year and the light is pretty intense around 7 so one is forced to get up.

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It does, however,  allow one the luxury of waking naturally without an alarm. Last night I was out playing pool with an American mate so wasn’t back in till around 1.30am and therefore gave myself an extra 30 minutes.

My Office

Straight out of bed I work at my mini office in the apartment I rent with my business partner.

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I spend the first few hours of each day looking over my rss feeds, writing blogs for thelifething.com and checking stats and social sites.

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I also watch a TED episode everyday to expand the old brain noodle and for inspiration. If you don’t already know about TED.com I cannot reccommend it enough. It is a place where you can hear the worlds best thinkers and doers talk about what they are passionate about…and its free. Make sure you check it out.

The Outdoor Roof Pool At My Appartment

Around 10am myself and my business partner go for a swim.

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50 lengths in the pool doesn’t seem quite so bad when you can watch the sun come out from behind the Bangkok skyline.

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Afterwards I tend to read for a while while drying off in the sun and then we get down to business. Depending on how we feel we either stay near the poolside or move into the restauraunt where its cooler. When ice cold drinks are only 18p you can’t complain.

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Business usually takes between 1-2 hours depending on what’s been going on.

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As most of our business is outsourced or run by others back in the UK we only really need to have a look at and control the bigger orders.

I currently am heavily involved with our American guys who are in the final design stages of our new fully streamlined website. With it in place, all orders should be pretty much automatic without requiring any input from us.

The PepperCorn Restaurant Soi 2

With business concluded for the day we head over to a great local cafe called The Peppercorn which does absolutely jaw droppingly good food…and its as cheap as chips. I usually get a soup and a main as you can see in the picture. The best tuna steak I have ever had and with soup and drinks costs about £2.

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Afternoon

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Cafe KAFA - Home Of The Blueberry Smoothie

After that James and I part ways and I head out with my laptop, ipod and a book to jump onto the skytrain to the other side of Bangkok to another little cafe I love.

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Personally I like to be far enough away from where I live so that I am not tempted to waste the afternoon with meaningless wanderings.

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I can also listen to podcasts on the journey. I haven’t read a newspaper or watched the news in over a month now and I can tell you, I don’t think it’s effected me one bit.

The cafe I like does a mean blueberry smothie concoction and I tend to spend 3-4 hours there writing my two novels.

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Sometimes I get distracted and start writing blogs again which is what I am doing now.

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This is not helpful for my authoring career.

Every so often, (like now actually), I get a call from my agents at a model agency I went to for a laugh when I first arrived in Bangkok. Ladies, please don’t get you hopes up, I think it is more because I am a white guy in Thailand rather then based on my looks. Sorry. Apparently they want me to do a TV ad for Dog food.

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There you go, the glamorous life of modelling. I am to be the face  of dog food.

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Still it pays pretty well by Thai standards and the other perk is that there are usually lots of other (good looking) models there.

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Evening

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The 90 Pence Meal and Drink

Around 5 or 6 I head away from the cafe and back towards Victoria Monument, which is where I live in Bangkok.

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Street sellers are usually good for a decent meal about this time or some fruit.

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A decent, good tasting meal like the one the photo cost about 90 pence with a drink. Fruit is about 20 pence and is amazingly juicy.

Local Massage Parlor

Once home I usually grab a quick shower and then head out for a massage. I have a lovely large jovial woman called Paula (I don’t believe this is her real name) that gives the best foot and shoulder/head massages money can buy…and it costs around £3.

Evenings vary but as its Friday night tonight I am meeting up with some other expats for an evening meal but then will head out with some other mates to a place called RCA.

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RCA is basically what would happen if God created a club scene.

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It is beyond incredible…and its open till 6 in the morning. It’s possible I won’t get up for wakeboarding in the morning.

Anyway, thats a little insight into my working day, I can tell you it definately beats the one I left in project management.

There I was in the office at 7.30 to be shouted at by everyone and his dog and then finally escaped around 6-6.30 to go home and collapse with exhaustion ready to do it all over again the next day.

No regrets leaving that. The below image is the sunset from my room taken just before heading out.

The Sunset before going clubbing

Hopefully this post hasn’t been too ego driven but I wanted to give an accurate account of how I am spending my days now in the hope that it might inspire others.

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I have been lucky, of this I know, and I am grateful everyday for the opportunities I have  but the same opportunities really are available for most people.

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If you are thinking about escaping the Rat Race maybe this is just the push you need. I hope so, please get in contact if you would like any advice that I might be able to give.

Thanks for reading and if you want to know what was the tipping point that made me quit my job and leave the country – it was Tim Ferris’ book “The Four Hour Workweek”

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Do yourself a favor and read it, it will be time very, very well invested.

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