I Went to Thailand 4 Times. Now I Want to Leave America.

I spent six years watching other people go to Thailand. Then I finally bought a ticket. Four trips later, I'm wondering how much longer I can keep calling it a vacation. This is the journey from my first solo trip through Bangkok and Phuket to wanting a life beyond the one I know in America. Street-food discoveries, missed breakfasts, 7-Eleven dessert runs, hotel changes, a river cruise, and a Thai cooking class: these are the days that made the idea of moving abroad feel real. At first, I couldn't tell whether I loved Thailand or just loved being on vacation. So I kept going back. Eventually, I stopped imagining the next trip and started imagining an ordinary Tuesday. I haven't figured everything out. I still need a way to support myself. But I'm done waiting for someone else to give me permission to want a different life. For me, moving out on faith means trusting God—and taking responsibility for the work ahead. Four trips. Bangkok to Phuket and back. One question that got harder to ignore: what would it mean to stay? CHAPTERS 00:00 The Thailand I kept coming back for 01:39 Six years of waiting. My first trip. 16:47 Bangkok to Phuket 24:11 One last night in Bangkok 25:47 Was it Thailand—or just a vacation? 29:58 Imagining an ordinary Tuesday 32:15 The fourth trip: trying on everyday life 48:21 From ordering Thai food to cooking it 54:35 What it would take to stay What's keeping you from the life you keep imagining? Subscribe to follow what comes next—travel, life abroad, and honest conversations about changing your life before every answer is clear.    / @meetrafael   Instagram:   / afilmdirector   Filmed across four Thailand trips, 2024–2026. Presented in 4K. #Thailand #MovingAbroad #Bangkok