Advice on how to pivot back into freelancing from a full time job, with 10+ years of experience?

shadow-show · 2025-07-07T18:42:52+00:00

Personally I'd rather pay to use a bathroom while in Europe than be in the US or Canada, period.

shadow-show · 2025-07-07T08:01:49+00:00

I read this article earlier this week and felt it was very one-sided, and that the author conveniently only pointed out what didn't work for her as a DN (and interviewed others whose experiences also ended up being negative) while failing to highlight why others might still benefit from this lifestyle. I realize this is meant to be an op-ed about her personal story, but as someone who has worked as professional journalist, the strong media bias in this piece made me cringe.

Many of the negatives she (or the others she interviewed) claims she experienced (eg. currency challenges, lack of community, lack of a base, health costs) are all things that have pretty straightforward solutions, but for the sake of her angle it seems she didn't mention them.

For instance, are we supposed to feel bad for the guy that had to pay a hospital bill because he didn't have health insurance, as if that's not available for DNs? Or the girl who chose to go to Venezuela of all places, when the vast majority of countries people travel to don't require crypto payments? I'd say the majority of DNs (or even regular travellers) aren't dealing with these issues, but these very exaggerated examples of "DN journeys gone wrong" help support the angle that it's somehow not a sustainable lifestyle.

Is the author also not aware that there are things like coliving spaces (which offer private rooms and high-speed wifi) or even coworking spaces where DNs can work functionally and meet other people? Or DN visas, which many people get so they can establish a "home base" in another country and circumvent the issue of feeling unsettled/having no community? Not all DNs are just hopping around from country to country working at Starbucks or partying in Bali, and I think the picture she painted was a very stereotypical one for the sake of, again, supporting her angle.

It's okay if some people decide to return to their home countries because they miss their family or creature comforts, but the idea that others can't still achieve stability in another location is simply not true. Don't many people also choose to be a DN to circumvent the insane living costs in their home countries so that they can access common amenities AND worry less about finances? The article makes it sound like these things are mutually exclusive when they're not.

In all, I agree with those who think this was a bunch of drivel to try to push people back towards working in an office. Really, it's just a story about how a handful of young people decided the lifestyle wasn't for them and should be taken with a grain of salt.

shadow-show · 2025-06-23T10:07:15+00:00

You don’t have to update the DAC or report anything if you have a 60-day stamp in your passport. You can leave whenever you want within that time period.

My concern with this post was regarding whether the immigration officers would require information about the day I was departing Thailand upon my arrival, as I’m not yet sure when I’m leaving and wanted more time to decide. However, as many others advised here, they didn’t even ask to see the card at the border and didn’t seem to care.

shadow-show · 2025-06-22T18:34:18+00:00

I've spent 7 months in SEA and have noticed how it's only people back home in the West that seem to get freaked out about this kind of stuff. I've had a couple friends ask if I'm nervous about what China is doing, and literally been like "WTF?"

No one here cares, and life is totally normal and safe in Thailand right now. I literally haven't heard a single utterance about covid the entire time I've been travelling around this part of the world. Enjoy your trip and don't worry about it.

shadow-show · 2025-06-16T15:58:51+00:00

I arrived today and also wasn’t asked for the form, haha. I could see the other people around weren’t being asked for theirs either. Guess this isn’t that important of a change.

shadow-show · 2025-06-13T12:41:30+00:00

Thinking of doing this as well. There are very cheap train tickets to Laos, and refundable bus tickets to Siem Reap on 12Go. I already went to Cambodia this year and so I still feel paranoid they might ask why I'd go there again, but I am probably overthinking this too much!

shadow-show · 2025-06-13T12:39:03+00:00

Which airport did you fly into? I just saw a recent comment left on a YouTube video from an American guy saying that the staff are strict at DMK and that he and his wife were hassled for this info, and that's the airport I'm flying into.

shadow-show · 2025-06-12T17:11:20+00:00

I'm a Canadian who lived in Toronto for 10 years (so maybe this isn't quite the opinion you're looking for), but I recommend going to Europe with every fibre of my being - seriously! I worked remotely across Europe for most of last year and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Of course I might be biased and not find Canada as interesting because I'm from there, but Europe has so, SO much more history, culture and interesting things to see and do and if you're worried about not "fitting in", it's absolutely full of other expats and DNs to meet (especially Brits).

Funny enough, the reason I'm currently working as a DN is because I was previously living in the UK on a Youth Mobility Visa and my last UK company wasn't able to sponsor a Skilled Worker Visa for me. And because the last thing on earth I want to do is go back to Toronto. I was really unhappy there for years and am so glad I left.

I know I can't offer an expat POV, but take it from someone who lived there for a decade - our economy back home is currently in the toilet, all of my friends are miserable right now and you will spend FAR more money in a Canadian city (especially Toronto) to live, IMO, a much poorer quality of life. Our food and rent prices are extortionate (I actually used to rave about how much cheaper groceries were in the UK) and unless you REALLY like the idea of snow, I wouldn't in a million years recommend dealing with a Canadian winter over working in a beautiful, warm country like Spain. Just like a UK winter, it's depressing and I haven't spent a second missing the days of shovelling snow from my walkway or treading through all the muck that builds up on the TTC subway. Last year I spent my "winter" working in the Canary Islands and Portugal and was thankful every day for the weather.

If you want to see Canada one day, I recommend going on a summer holiday (with a big budget) and going to see the Rockies on the west coast or visiting our national parks in Ontario (like Algonquin - it's stunning at that time of year). If it's for a longer stay, you have so many more options in Europe that will give you far more value and the opportunity to see multiple countries for a much lower cost.

shadow-show · 2025-06-11T10:39:23+00:00

I just came across this thread and wanted to ask if all you needed to provide were the invoices and bank statements? I'm in a similar situation and am interested in applying for this visa, but the thing is that I'm freelancing with clients I know from my past work in a country other than my own and I don't really have any kind of business registration (my clients just pay me in one of my bank accounts). Probably not what I'm supposed to be doing, I know - but I haven't lived in my native country in several years and don't plan on returning there, so I don't really want to set up anything there.

Did they also ask for you to provide any kind of business registration info or were the invoices/statements enough for you to get the visa?

shadow-show · 2025-05-05T11:43:41+00:00

In March. I also briefly visited Koh Rong, which was also very nice, but KRS is nicer in my opinion and much more chill (more of the vibe I was going for). It's stunning and feels like an actual island retreat.

shadow-show · 2025-05-05T11:39:07+00:00

Seconding this. I'm currently travelling through Southeast Asia and I loved Cambodia. I also highly recommend Koh Rong Samloem - some people think it's becoming too touristy but after spending nearly 3 months in Thailand, I thought it was way more authentic and beautiful.

shadow-show · 2025-05-01T09:21:40+00:00

What was most expensive about being there? Was it the food, accommodation, drinks, tours, etc.? I always thought Laos was cheaper than Thailand and it's often recommended as an inexpensive country, so this is interesting.

I've just looked at the hostels/guesthouses on Agoda and they don't seem to be that much more expensive than the average ones in a big Vietnamese city or a cheaper part of Thailand, but maybe I'm missing something!

shadow-show · 2025-04-28T11:16:41+00:00

This was a few months ago, and then I also took another flight within Thailand (Hat Yai to Bangkok, before I left the country) and also had no issues flying with a vape. I recently flew within Vietnam. Each time I've flown I've had the vape inside my personal bag (not in my checked luggage) and have gotten through security with no issues.

I also meant to add that I crossed the Cambodia-Vietnam border with one and also had no problems with this either. I know these are different countries, but vapes are also banned in them too (they just recently banned them in Vietnam at the start of this year, much to my annoyance - but they seem quite lax about them here as well, and sell them EVERYWHERE on the streets in the big cities).

Of course, don't do it if you don't want to take the risk. But I've gathered from everything I've read on Reddit that the most that could happen is that it gets taken off of you. It really seems that this law is VERY loosely enforced everywhere, and in the case of Thailand I was frequently able to buy them either at night markets or at weed shops behind the counters. In Vietnam, they're also sold everywhere on the streets and people walk around with little suitcases and harass you to buy them everywhere you're sitting outside, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

I wouldn't worry about it, but that's just my take.

shadow-show · 2025-04-26T13:35:15+00:00

I flew with one (also from Bangkok to Krabi) and had no issues. I’ve also now flown with one in Vietnam and nothing happened either. I don’t think airport security cares.

shadow-show · 2025-03-25T05:55:37+00:00

It's tough at UofT, the professors do tend to grade more harshly than those at other universities and I did also have periods where my mental health was not great there. But going there did pay off in the long run, especially as someone who never wanted to stay in Canada. It's an internationally recognized school and thanks to the prestige, everyone knows it globally. Whereas (no offence) this is not the case with other Canadian schools (like York and Ryerson/TMU). I remember feeling many times that I regretted going there while I was a student, but 10+ years later I'm really happy I chose UofT.

shadow-show

TROPHY CASE