We have loved Thailand for a long time. We first came to Thailand for my 30th birthday. I wanted to do something that seemed impossible. I had only been to Japan for a short trip the previous year, so travelling abroad felt like travelling to the moon. We had an incredible time, and Thailand has had a hold on my heart ever since. Tracker visited Thailand a few times for work after that.
For our 10 year wedding anniversary in 2024, we decided it was time to go back to Thailand. We booked an entire month so we could really take our time visiting more places and getting a better sense of Thai culture. We spent time in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pai, and Koh Samui. We really fell in love with Chiang Rai. It's the northern-most city in Thailand. The city itself is flat, but there are mountains that surround the city and are a short drive away for exploring.
We had talked a lot about wanting to retire in Thailand, but we started talking about not waiting until retirement and moving sooner rather than later. Why wait? We had accomplished our goal of building an off grid homestead, and experienced what that lifestyle requires on a daily basis. We were feeling ready for new challenges and the more we thought about it, the more excited we felt about what a life in Thailand would look like for us.
So, when we returned to our homestead in Vermont in January we started taking steps to transition our lives to the other side of the planet. We sold or donated most of our posessions, I quit my job and put all my energy into getting the yurt ready to sell, we broke the news to all our loved ones and family members, did a lot of research to find the right apartment for us in Chiang Rai, and sold our beloved homestead.
We moved to Chiang Rai on August 1st, 2025. Since landing here we have been buying all the things that an apartment needs like towels, bedding, kitchen supplies, etc. We are within walking distance to a vibrant mall that has two food courts, a grocery store, movie theater, and everything you could need or want. There is a discount store called The Big C nearby, which is similar to a Super Walmart. We are really happy to be living in a place where we don't have to own a car. When we lived in Burlington, Vermont we biked year round and we loved not having or needing a car.
Our apartment is quiet even though we're close to so many amenities. Tracker has his own office in our apartment, so he can close the door when he's on a call or is working late. We have two bedrooms so we can host friends or family when they come to visit. We have access to a large salt water swimming pool and a gym. Getting food or household goods delivered here is easy and inexpensive.