My focus this year, back in Bangkok, was on repairing the apartment in Phra Khanong. While it was undergoing physical renovation, the mental process led me to reconceptualise my life’s foundation so that I can realise the next phases that are still unclear in my mind. Hopefully, writing this post will help me crystallise my vision and strategise next moves.
Revising Attachment
Since I bought the property in 2013, I have revised my attachment to the apartment along with my life path. First of all, it provided this first-time homebuyer the confidence and sense of security that had subsided during the Sydney years. The diverse and vibrant communities of Phra Khanong also fascinated me. I fit in well in the neighbourhood, especially with drinking mates. Work-life balance fell into place. That lifestyle lasted for two years, though.
A career move to DC in 2015 turned my life into a migrant bird, flying between the two capitals. The apartment became a retreat from work and a sanctuary from a shared house in Mount Pleasant. During those years, it went through some repairs. Rain leaked from the ceiling weeks before leaving for DC. The living room floor tiles were cracked and replaced. Anyhow, covering rents in DC while paying the mortgage was not financially sustainable.
In 2019, I had a mind shift and decided to put it out for rent. My attachment to it became a landlord. Until COVID-19 hit both times. Tenants stopped paying rent and disappeared twice. When I returned from the digital nomad venture in 2023, the room was left in unlivable conditions. It reached the point that I wanted to let it go, but it needed major repairs. The same agent was assigned to run the renovation. But it was on hold because we couldn’t find a builder to work on the kitchen area. So, I decided to sell it as it was unfinished and left it to the agent because my inner voice was calling for DC.
Well, while I was overseas, the agent also disappeared. So, my intention for 2025 shifted to deal with the apartment once and for all. Ten days before I arrived back, the earthquake caused some cracks in the walls. The shake seemed to be a synchronicity that reinforced my will.
After a year away, my attachment to the apartment was revised again. On the first day of reunion with the room, I saw it in a different function. Despite unfinished renovations and cracks from the earthquake, it showed potential as a working space. Hence, I envisioned the renovation accordingly.
It took about a month for the contractor to finish the repairs. Anxiety and stress kicked in, a challenge I need to face.
Reacquainting Neighbourhoods
While the apartment I’m renting is in the On Nut area and the gym is in Ekkamai, my Phra Khanong apartment is between the two—a perfect midpoint. Once the utilities were reconnected, a simple working space was set up. This routine between the three BTS stations is similar to the one in 2021, but with less alcohol temptation. Besides, Bangkok’s infrastructure for remote work/digital nomads is one of the best in the world.
I reacquaint myself with these old ‘hoods (last time in Bangkok in 2023, I lived in Asok, further in the city centre) and realise that these communities that I got me attached to, not the apartment. These inspirations give me a good reason to hold on to the condo. My intention to sell it sways.
Now, the apartment has been repaired and advertised. The main question remains—reconceptualising my life’s foundation.
Residing Here, There, or Anywhere
Since September 2019, when I left the apartment, I have resided all over the place: the USA, Thailand, Türkiye, Spain, Georgia, Colombia, and Morocco. The travels got me detached from the room. On some occasions, while on the road, I was asked, “Where is your HOME?”. My latest answer in Colombia was “For now, it’s where my heart is”. I can be here, there, or anywhere.
As I have regained a sense of ownership, the apartment is gradually improved, either for work or to live. But to be honest, I really don’t know what my home will be like. I know that I will have to take better care of it as the foundation for future ambitions.