Issue #74 | Subscribe

The daily commute. By Alex Gordillo.

I'm back from my 11-day trip to Thailand 🇹🇭, which was a refreshing experience.

I've always wanted to explore Southeast Asia, and this trip left me wanting to visit more places in the region.

While on our trip, we realised that taking the road less taken often brings more joy and wow.

How?

Take this as an example:

A popular itinerary for Thailand is comprised of places like Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Krabi.

But, while planning our trip, my wife found a small town in northern Thailand that seemed like a nice place to explore — Chiang Rai.

And going to Chiang Rai left us jaw-dropped at the sight of the majestic White Temple, Wat Rong Khun:

We had never seen anything like it before. It was like stepping into a different world.

And we had similar experiences in a hugely crowded place as well, Phuket.

While most people on our speedboat were busy swimming around the boat or sitting on board, we hired a traditional Thai longtail boat to venture into the sparkling emerald green waters.

Imagine being surrounded by marvellous landscapes, crystal clear water, and complete peace. 😌

And these little detours made our trip more enjoyable and memorable.

So:

If you usually follow popular packaged itineraries for your travel, try tweaking them up a little bit.

Digging through travel forums and personal travel blogs will introduce you to places you never knew existed.

Even in a highly travelled destination like Thailand. 🤩

Do a mix of popular and lesser-known destinations in your trip to maximise your next trip's wow factor.

What are some of your travel hacks? I'd love to hear. Reply to this email.

Now, sit back, grab a cup of tea, and enjoy this week's recommendations:

Book to Read

Bruised Passports

A fun read of the story of a couple travelling the world full-time and making a living out of it. Packed with life lessons for the new-age entrepreneurs.

View it on Goodreads
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Apps & Services

One Question A Day ➔

A thought-provoking question every day

Follow this shared calendar to receive one thought-provoking question daily that you can use for self-introspection or daily journaling. You can subscribe to this calendar via most major calendar apps like Google Calendar and Apple Calendar for free.
TopDrop ➔

Drag files to AirDrop or compose emails

This handy little utility app lets you drag and drop any file on your Mac to the top of the screen to quickly share it via AirDrop or add it to a new email. Available on macOS for a one-time fee of $6.99.
iA Writer 6 ➔

Create your digital garden

iA Writer has been the writing app of my choice for the last two years. I love how the interface melts away and makes space for jotting down my blog posts. And now, iA Writer has added backlinks support to the app. If you're familiar with "second brain" or "digital gardening", you'll feel right at home. Available on all major platforms and starts at $29.99.
Markwhen ➔

Create timelines by jotting dates in a text document

I love how easy it is to chart out timelines with this app. You can write dates or a date range with a description to render the event on a horizontally scrollable timeline. Handy for creating life, work, or travel timelines. Available on the web and is free to use.

Taking the Shortcut

Shift

M

Save your current edits as a version in the Lightroom macOS app.
•••

Interesting Reads

A Brief History & Ethos of the Digital Garden ➔

18 min read

We briefly discussed the digital gardening topic while talking about iA Writer in the app section. If you're new to this concept or curious to learn more, this guide will help you grasp the system with total clarity.
The Einstein Principle: Accomplish More By Doing Less ➔

6 min read

Handling too many projects at once? While it's wise to distribute your efforts over multiple areas to minimise risk, sometimes you need undivided attention to make significant progress in life. Use Cal's productivity purge technique to trim your current commitments.
Overworked? Good habits, not holidays, are the answer ➔

3 min read

Coming back from an 11-day fun break in Thailand, I can relate to this. While completely relaxed during my holidays, I still had Monday blues when it was time to return to the office. Optimise your schedule for frequent breaks rather than a once in a while big one.
Remaining Ambitious ➔

12 min read

A fantastic read on handling rejections at both ends — the giver and the receiver. I've had my fair share of rejections over the years, and I know it hurts. But, here's the thing: rejections shouldn't be the reason you lower your ambitions.

Thread

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