Browsing Category : Experiences

Expat depression and anxiety

On expat anxiety and depression


An honest conversation about expat anxiety Let’s have an honest conversation about expat anxiety and depression. When you live alone in a foreign country with no family support, things can get tough. I experienced no anxiety or depression before moving to Hanoi in 2016. Well, that’s not exactly true. I’ve had a few anxious moments — sometimes days and weeks…

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How to be a freelancer in Vietnam - Travelling Homebody

How to be a freelancer in Vietnam


Freelancing in Vietnam Thinking about jumping on the bandwagon and freelancing in Vietnam, or using the country as a base if you’re a digital nomad? In this post, I’ll tell you the one thing you absolutely, positively need to know if you want to be a freelancer in Vietnam — and it’s the one thing that no one tells you.…

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Travelling Homenbody - Three Stages of Being an Expat

3 stages of being an expat in Vietnam


I have a confession to make. At 53 years of age, I had never lived outside Australia. I’d raised my daughter as a single parent and, well, had neither the time, money or inclination to move overseas. Hell, I didn’t even start travelling internationally until I was 47. The first country I visited? Vietnam. When I was in my twenties,…

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Things to do when you travel solo

51 things to do when you travel solo


When I travel alone, people often ask me: don’t you get lonely? To which I reply: absolutely not! Far from it. There are always people to chat to, even if it’s just for a couple of minutes. Being an English speaker means that I get to speak to people from all over the world — travellers like myself — some…

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Scambodia: the Tonle Sap Lake scam - Travelling Homebody

Scambodia: the Tonle Sap Lake scam


Everything you need to know about the Tonle Sap Lake scam (and why I will never go back to Scambodia).  There are a few locations in Asia that have been on my bucket list for ages: Myanmar, Luang Prabang (in Laos), Chiang Mai (in Thailand) and Siem Reap/Angkor Wat (in Cambodia). I decided to remedy that this year. In May,…

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These are the things I liked and didn't like about using Airbnb.

3 things I liked about using Airbnb


Following on from my post a while back about what I didn’t like about using AirBnB, here’s what I did like about using the service. 1.  Filter according to budget One of the main things that is an AirBnB drawcard is price. Because listed accommodation is mostly privately owned, there aren’t the overheads associated with running a hotel e.g. staff and maintenance costs.…

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Find out why you should never travel without a properly stocked travel first aid kit.

Travelling without a first aid kit? Think again!


When I went to Bali in January of this year, I brought my travel first aid kit with me. It’s a kit I put together myself and contains items such as Hydralyte, Citravescent, Alka-Seltzer, Imodium, ibuprofen, paracetamol, Phenergan (10mg and 25mg), band aids, Compeeds, antiseptic cream and a broad spectrum antibiotic (I get a script from the GP and fill…

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break up in bali

A break up in Bali


Just a holiday fling? I arrived back in Bali full of expectations. I had met Made while I was here in November, and we hit it off immediately. Or so I thought. Y’all know the story of how we met, so I’ll just give you a little reminder: he was the airport driver sent by my hotel to pick me up from…

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bali highlights

Bali highlights and lowlights #BaliDisey


After the end of every trip I do summary of sorts of my experiences—what I loved, what I didn’t, what I’d do differently. That sort of thing. Here are my Bali highlights and lowlights: Bali Highlights Meeting Made on Day 1. In the three(ish) weeks we spent in each other’s company, he gave me access to a Bali I would…

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Virgin Australia Airlines

I hate you, Virgin Airlines Australia!


My review of Virgin Airlines Australia I hate Virgin Airlines Australia almost as much as I hate Qantas and Tiger Airways. And despite popular opinion, being stuck in Bali because of volcanic ash is no fun. Add Virgin Airlines to the list of airlines that I will never fly internationally with again. After having my flight out of Bali cancelled…

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Sharing Bali writers retreat

My “Write a Bestseller” Retreat @ Sharing Bali


The whole reason I came to Bali—Ubud Writers and Readers Festival and holiday romance aside—was to attend Jacq Burns’ five-day Writer a Bestseller retreat at Karen Willis’s Sharing Bali in Singaparang Village, in the north of the island. The retreat first came to my attention on Facebook, in a group I’m in. The price was excellent and included the retreat,…

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Ubud

Last day in Ubud #BaliDisey


Made had his driver hat on today, but it was kind of like mixing business with pleasure. I was being taken to key spots around Ubud. We started off with suckling pig (babi guling) for lunch, followed by The Elephant Keep, followed by the Water Temple, followed by more tea tasting with a gorgeous view of ravines and rice terraces.…

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Ubud – the next 48 hours #BaliDisey


After Tanah Lot, Made dropped me back to the Sens so I could have a shower and freshen up. A half an hour later, I was astride his motorcycle, sans helmet, careening through the streets of Ubud. All I can say is that my time hanging out with semi-biker dudes in the 80s has paid off. I was balanced, poised…

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Flying Virgin Airlines Australia - Travelling Homebody Review

Flying with Virgin Airlines Australia


This is my review of flying with Virgin Airlines Australia. It was not the most pleasant flight, mainly because of the staff, but you get what you pay for. I’m a Singapore Airlines girl. Have been since I flew Qantas to China in 2011 and the fiasco wrapped in a debacle that that turned out to be. I vowed that I…

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