So I took a trip to the beautiful and wonderful Thailand recently.

And wow I wish I could tell you everything I encountered whilst I was there but sadly this isn’t a travellers blog! 😉

The trip did have an overall positive effect on me however, and I observed some things that I believe have changed my outlook on life and have motivated me towards my future goals.

Then I thought, oh awesome these are the things my lovely readers should definitely know more about!

So here are some lessons and learnings I’ve taken away from observing this amazing country and it’s awesome people:

#1 - The Essence of Hard Work and Hustle 💪

I went to three regions of Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. Each had their own uniqueness, but all had the same undertone amongst the locals and that was hustle!

Boy are these people hard working!

As soon as you touch down in Bangkok, you are immediately overwhelmed by bustling streets full of hardworking people selling stuff to you.

Of course they are mostly catering for tourists, but I also observed many locals with little road side stalls selling food and produce for the local Thai people.

Now I don’t know much about the economy of Thailand, but what struck me as a difference between Thailand and typical “first-world” countries was that it didn’t seem like there are many barriers to trade for the people.

It seemed like anyone could pretty much set up a stall or shop on the street and sell something.

I know everyone has to make a living somehow to survive, but the sheer creativity of some the people was inspiring. For example, I saw one man selling toy animals he’d made from rope twine!

As a dev I’m always thinking of ideas for new apps, and then quickly shut them down because I fear no one will be interested.

Observing people like that man has now made me think that you shouldn’t be afraid to use whatever skill you may have to create something and put it out there - there’s a market for absolutely everything these days!

#2 - The Ecosystem of Mutual Support 🤝

Another inspiring thing I observed on top of the hardworking people was how many of them worked together.

At times it was almost as though there was this big ecosystem of commerce that us tourists just fall into - and it wasn’t always obvious.

Let me explain…

So we all know one of most touristic forms of transportation in Thailand are the crazy Tuk-Tuks. They are supposed to be a cheap (although not so much these days) and quick way to get from A to B.

Now one day a lovely Tuk-Tuk driver offered to take us around to a few locations we had on our itinerary and he would only charge us 100 baht (just under $3).

Now that’s dirt cheap! I almost thought it was too good to be true.

Little did we know that for every place the driver took us to, he would get either a tip or a petrol token from the owner of the business.

So on the surface, what seemed like a good deal for us, was an even better deal for him, and also for the locations and businesses we stopped at if we happened to buy anything from them.

It was a win-win-win!

It made me think about the wonderful developer community as whole.

It’s amazing how if one dev shares their problem online, and another one solves it, a third dev (or hundreds!) can now see that solution and solve their own similar issue.

If we support our community everybody wins, so I intend to continue to do as much of that as possible!

#3 - Nature's Call to Reconnect 🌿

Thailand has earned it’s place as a tropical paradise 🏝️.

Especially in the more rural areas. The nature, plants and trees took my breath away at times.

I always wanted to be outdoors!

There’s something about being surrounded by beautiful tropical flowers and fresh fruit that just puts you in a happy mood.

Being around and observing this nature gave me a newfound appreciation for the outdoors and put the importance of work-life balance back to the top of my priority list.

I always knew the benefits of taking breaks, however I can now testify that reconnecting with nature can boost productivity and creativity in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

I especially can see the benefits in relation to coding and project development.

From now on I intend to observed nature more, whether it be indoors with fresh flowers and house plants or outside in a garden or park.

Just by being present and observing nature for a short time and can reduce stress and reset the mind.

#4 - Peace, Spirituality, and Temples 🧘

If you go anywhere in Thailand you are never too far from a Buddhist Temple.

There are over 40,000 temples in Thailand some of which are almost 700 years old!

Not to mention they are absolutely stunning and amazingly crafted with bold designs and statues, some even look like they are made from gold!

Now whether you’re Buddhist, religious or not, if you visit these Temples you can’t help but feel an immediate sense of calmness and tranquility.

As with being in nature, being peaceful and sitting in calmness is a great way of relieving stress.

I used the opportunity whilst being in Thailand and visiting the Temples to cultivate my spirituality and to meditate and practice being in the present moment.

Regular meditation has been vital for my mental health, but I admit I don’t always keep up with it as often as I know I should do.

Monks will meditate for hours on end, if only I had such practise and discipline!

But nonetheless, I intend to make more time for it, even if it’s only 5 or 10 minutes a day.

Being at a screen for hours on end tends to fry my brain, so taking the opportunity to just think about nothingness for a few minutes is so refreshing.

#5 - A Cuisine for Healthy Living 🍜

Before I even went to Thailand, I would always say my favourite food was Thai food.

So naturally I couldn’t wait to try all the authentic Thai cuisine straight from the source itself!

And let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed!

Thai food is full of flavour and textures which is one thing I love, and we had the pleasure of taking a cooking class in Chiang Mai to learn how to cook some of the classic dishes.

Before the start of the class, we were taken around a local market as well as the farm the class was located on to look at some of the ingredients we would be cooking with.

It was eye-opening to see all of the delicious and fresh ingredients, many of which I’d never seen or heard of before.

Overall, the class was fun and informative, and it made me question some of my own food choices for the future.

Nothing tastes better than fresh ingredients and non-processed food.

By eating larger amounts of fresh fruit and veg over our trip I noticed an overall change in my energy levels.

We often had really long days packed full of excursions, but my body never felt exhausted like it usually does after just sitting at a desk all day!

Therefore I learnt that if I want to continue to keep my energy levels up and maintain a powerful dev-brain, I need to eat right!

Conclusion

There you have it, a small insight into incredible trip to Thailand! 🇹🇭

I hope reading about some of my experiences has given you some useful takeaways that you can apply to your own lives, whether than be adopting a better work ethic, being more supportive of our community, reconnecting with nature or looking after your health and wellbeing.

Whilst I mainly write about development and code, I think it’s important not to get too consumed in our craft that we forget about other aspects of life. After all, coding is just one part of the overall picture.

Travelling to new places, experiencing different cultures and pushing outside our comfort zones allows for invaluable self-growth and reflection.

My time in Thailand has taught me the importance of balance.

And I don’t just mean work-life balance, I mean balance in all areas - an equilibrium between hustling towards goals yet also stopping to breathe; being outdoors yet also sitting in contemplation; eating for fuel yet also for taste; supporting others yet relying on oneself.

Maintaining this balance is an ongoing practice, but my hope is that by sharing my lessons learned, you’ll feel inspired to evaluate your own lives and make any tweaks necessary to optimise your satisfaction and contentment.

This trip has motivated me tremendously for the future. I’m excited to use everything I’ve observed into my goals and next projects.

Khob khun kha!

From your fellow ever-growing dev,

Cherlock Code

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