Q1. Where did you move to and when?

Back to my home town in Kentucky, USA. June 2017.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

Three and a half years in various cities.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

Money. I was making good money in Thailand and really enjoyed life, but I wasn't making much progress toward planning for a future or a real safety net. I'm now in my mid-20s and the reality of not having a concrete financial plan and savings was starting to sink in.

Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?

I went back to work for the same company I worked for before moving away. So the money is good, I have a long relationship with the company, no hassles with visas and the uncertainty that goes with life in a foreign country.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

Everything! I miss the food, as cliche as that is. American food is just too heavy now. I miss how easy it was to travel, I miss the cheap cost of living, the laid back attitudes, my friends and the places I became familiar with. Three years isn't a very long time, but I can say that Thailand absolutely felt more like home than where I went back to.

Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?

Yeah. I moved there as a teacher and did my time to work up the ladder before eventually getting out of teaching. But I'm forever grateful to those years I spent teaching, especially as a 21-year-old looking for something new. I met good people, made great memories, and loved every second.

Thailand is what you make it. Some people aren't cut out for work there, whether it's teaching or whatever else.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Yes. My intention is to spend my time in America getting on solid feet financially and building my own work. I love living in Thailand but I am over working there. Ideally I would like to live there whilst still doing what I do now.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Teaching in Thailand was a great experience, as was working for other Thai companies. But one can easily fall into the comfort and the fun of living there while neglecting any sort of forward planning.

If you're young and looking to spend a few years abroad, or if you're older and at a point where work isn't necessarily a requirement, then I think it's a fantastic place to be.

I've struggled to re-adapt to life in America, but "going home" isn't actually as bad as I was anticipating. I truly love Thailand and I'm glad I took a step toward getting myself in a position to live there with less stress than before.