For the past 7 years of living in Thailand, this website has been a huge part of my life, as I used it to make a record of some of the places I had seen and people I had met. So much has happened to me over these 7 years, I am really glad that I wrote a lot of it down and took thousands of pictures to document my experiences.
But now, perhaps the thrill is gone and this website has sat neglected for the last four months. Most of this time has been spent trying to get acclimated to a new life and a new lifestyle in Phuket. To be honest, I was not completely excited with the idea of moving to Phuket. The Phuket I know is mostly made up of Patong, aka Tourist Central. I have never been a big fan of the tourist spots. The more foreigners that are in one place, the less Thai that place becomes. And it's the Thai aspects of Thailand that make me want to live here.
But over time, Phuket has grown on me. I live in the middle of the island away from the tourist beaches, but I really do love being only 15 minutes away from them. It is easy to jump in the car and drive to the beach for a fresh seafood dinner next to the water at sunset. And of course the fresh ocean air is a welcome change from sooty, car-infested Bangkok. The pace is much slower here than the chaos of Thailand's capital as well.
I have to admit though, although Phuket has grown on me, it has not been an easy transition to make. But I feel like I am finally getting settled here and I am able to start focusing on the things that I enjoy -- both professionally and personally.
And perhaps I will even find some time to visit my long lost blog now and then and record more bits and pieces of Stuart's Life in Thailand...
