Category: Life (Page 7 of 8)

Same Same But Different On Koh Samui

August 12, 2019 / Eric / 4 Comments

There’s a Thai tourist slogan that applies to nearly everything. The catch phrase Same Same But Different can be seen on t-shirts and other items in any souvenir store. We even stayed near a restaurant named after the saying on Koh Phangan. While I haven’t actually heard it spoken yet, it’s clearly part of the culture, at least in tourist areas. The idea is that they have whatever you’re looking for, but it might be just a little different. You want a Louis Vuitton bag? They have those. Is it authentic? Yes, same same but different. (So that means no, but it’s a good fake and you can’t tell. Plus, it’s priced right.)

Adjusting To Island Life On Koh Phangan

July 27, 2019 / Eric

In contrast to our activity packed days in Bangkok, living on Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand was highlighted mostly by relaxation. I might even go so far as to call it a bit boring. Not that I’m bothered by that. I enjoy the idea of having nothing to do nor anyone to answer to. In fact, I’m getting really, really good at the leisurely breakfast. I have been waking up around 8:00am and putting on a baseball game from the night before. (Sometimes this baseball game from the night before is happening live. Time zones are weird.) During the game I drink a few cups of tea and eat some amazing fresh fruit. It’s a pretty stellar way to start the day and I highly recommend it.

Two Weeks In Bangkok Wrap Up

July 17, 2019 / Eric / 8 Comments

We just spent two weeks in Bangkok, Thailand to kick off our early retirement travels. The plan was to spend 15 nights, but our flights were delayed due to weather in the US, so we arrived a day late. Nevertheless, we did a lot of exploring around the city, including seeing many markets, neighborhoods, temples, and parks. Below I’ll share the highlights of our time there, where we stayed, and how much money we spent.

Wax On Wax Off

May 7, 2019 / Eric / 6 Comments

A few weeks ago, The Karate Kid marked its 35 year anniversary. To celebrate, the studio decided to have a special re-release in select movie theaters nationwide. Considering that it’s quite possibly Katie’s favorite movie of all time, we decided to break our multi-year theater fast and head to the cinema two towns over. Knowing that this would be a popular event, we purchased advanced tickets for a Sunday matinee.

Stumbling to the Finish Line

April 6, 2019 / Eric / 8 Comments

When preparing for a marathon, most runners follow a strict training program. Starting a few months ahead of time, they begin with runs of a few miles and eventually build up to a peak of around 18 miles before ramping back down before race day. Unlike people running a shorter race like a 10k, it’s not recommended to actually run the full distance while in training. That 26.2 miles is too hard on the body and requires too much recovery time. The idea is that when race day comes your legs will ache, your lungs will burn, and your feet will scream, but you’ll rise to the occasion using adrenaline and willpower to get through the final stretch to the finish line.

What’s In a Name Anyway?

February 19, 2019 / Eric / 6 Comments

It’s surprisingly hard to pick a domain name for a personal blog. Some of this difficulty stems from the fact that it has a sense of permanence to it. Whatever is chosen, that name will be attached to me for somewhere between years and the rest of my life. As such, I view it as an absolute requirement to pick something that I like, as well as something unique. It would be way too boring and forgettable to pick something like Eric and Katie’s Travel Blog or I’m Gonna Retire Early dot com. That’s not me and it really doesn’t reflect my vision or reasons for writing.

A Random Day Off

February 12, 2019 / Eric / 8 Comments

As someone who loves to travel, I have always cherished each and every vacation day. I view them as precious gifts. They are definitely not to be wasted, misused, or arbitrarily cashed in. Using one at home means that I can’t stay that extra day in France or Mexico or Vietnam. As such, I can’t remember the last time I burned a vacation day that wasn’t connected with a trip. But considering that I will have no use for these in the very near future, I broke my rule the other day. For the first time in at least a decade, I took a random weekday off for no real reason. And it was glorious.

The Year of the Dragon

February 5, 2019 / Eric / 6 Comments

Growing up we didn’t eat out often, but when we did my family liked to go out for Chinese food. In particular, my grandpa Herbie was fond of it. I’m not 100% sure if my dad liked the food as much as we did, but he was always willing to go because it allowed him to crack the joke that “if you fart, you’re hungry again” after the meal. When you add in the fact that it was reasonably priced, tasty, and of course came with free cookies, it checked all of the boxes to keep both the adults and the kids happy.

Saving Money Through Lifestyle Design

January 23, 2019 / Eric / 6 Comments

I recently heard that I could register my vehicle as farm equipment and get a tax break. Do you know if that’s true? That’s what the doctor asked me while making conversation after learning I was an accountant. I told him that I was not a CPA and therefore not qualified to give tax advice. He continued anyway. He had his eye on an Audi. Another doctor friend had told him if he bought a full-sized SUV, that because of the weight of the vehicle, it could be classified as farm equipment in order to save on taxes. That was news to me, and while I was skeptical about the legality of this method, it seemed like a terrible idea with or without it. I told him as much.

A Series of Fortunate Events

January 14, 2019 / Eric / 14 Comments

It was the winter of 2003, just before Christmas, and the decorations were out in full force along the Magnificent Mile. All of the stores displayed the top gift items of the season in their impressively decorated front windows. Street musicians and carollers filled the air with festive tunes. I was still a young man, fresh out of college, only 18 months into my career. Each weekday I exited the subway and walked down the iconic Michigan Avenue to my cubicle on the 19th floor of the John Hancock building, where I had gotten a job working for the 3rd largest insurance brokerage in the city. And I was about to be laid off.

Category: Life (Page 7 of 8)

Same Same But Different On Koh Samui

Adjusting To Island Life On Koh Phangan

Two Weeks In Bangkok Wrap Up

Wax On Wax Off

Stumbling to the Finish Line

What’s In a Name Anyway?

A Random Day Off

The Year of the Dragon

Saving Money Through Lifestyle Design

A Series of Fortunate Events

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