About 4 months ago I was offered a chance to live a long-standing dream and come to live and work in Asia.
Ever since I first stepped foot on Asian soil 6 years ago I have been captivated by the hustle and bustle of the big cities, enchanted by the local people and their culture, and amazed by the stunning scenery and architecture that Southeast Asia has to offer. So when I was offered the opportunity to work here I jumped at the chance!
So there I was, 2 June, boarding a flight to Bangkok to start my new life as Business Development Manager for Stray in Asia. It has been a whirlwind first few months with so much to learn, and I was a little apprehensive about Bangkok because of what I had read and heard in the news. In reality, there was no reason to worry, Bangkok is incredibly diverse and as safe as any other large city. Any protests or gatherings do not really affect tourists. In fact, the only thing that was affected was how late you could stay out at night because of the curfew, which was no bad thing with a job to do! The curfew has since been abolished and Bangkok is even more fun.
The Stray team in Bangkok were incredibly welcoming and made settling in a breeze. My first few weeks were spent meeting the crew, learning the routes and of course travelling around a fair bit.
As part of this, I was lucky enough to hop on Stray’s Cambodia Tour, the “Khmer” and experience first-hand what an amazing country Cambodia is. So different to Thailand! I have been to Cambodia before but it is not until travelling with Stray that I feel I have seen the real country and learnt so much about its history. It has really opened my eyes to how many solo travellers can miss out on – we went to places you simply would have no access to unless you were on a tour with a local guide.
So far, the job and living in Asia is every bit as amazing as I hoped it would be. If you are in Bangkok please come and say hi to me and the crew in the shop, we are open every day and happy to help with all your travel needs wherever you are heading.
I look forward to sharing some more stories in the future.
