Last Week of Vacation Blues

Hey everyone! I’m heading home later this week. Woohoo! I’ve been away for almost 6 weeks and am anxious to get home. Travel is fun, but I’m completely worn out. We spent the first 3 weeks traveling around Japan. It was exhausting, but we had a great time. After that, RB40Jr and I flew to Thailand to visit my dad. He is building a house in Bang Saen, a beach town.

Unfortunately, there was a ton of delay with the construction. Apparently, contractors are the same everywhere. Everything was supposed to be done before we arrive. I hoped to stay at our beach shack, but we had to stay in a hotel instead. Cheap hotels in Thailand have terrible beds. I have back pain from sleeping in these hard beds. We could stay in a nicer hotel, but this one is right next to our house. It’s the most convenient place to stay.

We haven’t done much in Thailand. We went to visit families and explored the local area. It was fun, but pretty low-key. Basically, we spent a lot of time at the beach and going out to eat.

This is Khoa Sam Muk, a hill nearby with many monkeys. They behaved pretty well and didn’t bother us much. It was neat to see so many monkeys roaming around.

My dad purchased durian and a big bag of mangosteen from a roadside vendor. One durian cost about $12. Durians are pretty expensive these days because they are popular in China. Mangosteen was more affordable. They are my favorite fruits. If you see mangosteen for sale, be sure to try them out. They don’t ship well and I only eat them when I’m in Thailand.

The Bang Saen Aquarium. This aquarium has been here for many years. I visited several times when I was young. They improved tremendously over the years. It’s a neat place to visit when you’re in town.

Lastly, we got RB40Jr a pair of spare glasses. It cost $58 total. This is way cheaper than his current glasses. The one we got in the US cost $200 after insurance. Before insurance, it would have cost $600. The cost of living is pretty crazy at home.

Alright, we are getting ready to go home. I just need to get a haircut ($3) and pick up some local snacks to bring home. Next week, we’ll get back to the regularly scheduled personal finance posts. I can’t write about personal finance while I’m on vacation. My head just isn’t into it.

I hope you’re having a great summer. I heard back-to-school sales already started. Summer is dwindling quickly. Enjoy it while you can!

Please follow and like us:

The following two tabs change content below.

Joe started Retire by 40 in 2010 to figure out how to retire early. After 16 years of investing and saving, he achieved financial independence and retired at 38.

Passive income is the key to early retirement. This year, Joe is investing in commercial real estate with CrowdStreet. They have many projects across the USA so check them out!

Joe also highly recommends Personal Capital for DIY investors. They have many useful tools that will help you reach financial independence.