update
Finally UN Suspended from Facebook
At least for now, my Facebook suspension has been lifted. By spending more than 2 weeks in one place (Koh Samui, Thailand), FB was able to temporarily verify my location and then label me as a legitimate person, until I travel somewhere else.
I'll be posting plenty on my
Wandering Earl FB account over the coming weeks, both about my recent travels to South Korea, Taiwan and Palau and from my time here on Koh Samui.
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Koh Samui Routine
The reason for my decision to come to Koh Samui, Thailand and book a room near the beach for 1 month was simple. Routine.
After almost 18 months of non-stop travel, I needed to throw my stuff down and focus on a few important aspects of life that I'd been neglecting.
And it worked. Within a few days of arriving, I was in the therapeutic routine I needed. Every day goes something like this:
- Wake up around 8:30am
- Coffee and fresh fruit at 9:00am
- Spend 2 hours at the beach (with a fresh mango shake)
- Go to a cafe for lunch and a few hours of work on my laptop
- Return to my hotel and exercise for 1-1.5 hours
- Relax and read for an hour
- Head out for a sunset walk on the beach and then dinner in town
- 1 hour of evening work time
- Watch a movie or read before going to sleep
That's really it. Occasionally, I mix it up with a watermelon shake instead of mango or I work in the morning and go to the beach in the afternoon. And I'm also not 100% anti-social. I've hung out with some friends, joined a meetup on the beach and socialized a little. But overall, my days consist of little more than the simple list of activities above.
AND I LOVE IT.
*Koh Samui is a relatively chill island, with many beaches to choose from. I chose
Lamai Beach, which is a long, beautiful stretch of sand. It's quiet, there are plenty of accommodation and food options, some light nightlife and it's only a 20-30 minute scooter ride into the jungle filled interior. I'm very happy with my decision as this area suits me perfectly.
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Books I've Read
I went from struggling to read one book in 6 months to having already read 4 books in the past 2 weeks. Here's what I've been reading:
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (by O. Burkeman)
- A different, more realistic take on 'life hacking' and productivity, all based on the idea that life is very, very short.
The Secret Life of Groceries (by Benjamin Lorr)
- It's the fascinating story of the American supermarket and the people and processes that make them function so well.
The Architecture of Happiness (by Alain de Botton)
- A look at the role that our environments - and in turn, architecture - have played in influencing our happiness over the centuries.
How to Be Perfect (by Michael Schor)
- A straightforward, and slightly humorous, examination of how to handle the many moral questions we face in our daily lives.
