in my favorite setting: tropical island paradise!

10 Ways SE Asia Changed my Habits and Lifestyle

For the past 17+ years, I’ve spent most of my life traveling, living and working around SE Asia. Not surprisingly, the region has greatly impacted who I am as a person, my habits, outlooks on life and lifestyle choices.

At the same time, I have also retained many American habits and outlooks – perspectives that I hang on to despite being surrounded by people with very different beliefs and customs. I guess that now makes me a kind of hybrid person – part Asian, part American in my thinking, mannerisms and habits.

Here are the 10 most significant differences I’ve noticed in myself and my lifestyle due to spending most of my adult life in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and, to a lesser extent, other countries of SE Asia.

Lash trekking at Mt Bromo, Java, Indonesia with Javanese hikers

1. I stopped feeling obligated to answer peoples’ questions

As a solo female western traveler, I’m continually asked intrusive questions by complete strangers. Common Qs include:

How old are you?

Are you alone?

Where are you staying?

Oh yeah, which hotel?

Where are you going?

Where is your husband/boyfriend/friend/child?

Now I don’t know about you, but as an American woman I find these questions much too personal, some even potentially dangerous. I always want to avoid answering them.

Over the years I gradually realized that there’s actually no rule stating that I have to answer every question that every human being asks me. Nor answer truthfully, if I do. In fact, I don’t really have to answer any questions if I don’t want to.

Yet we Americans are raised to always answer peoples’ questions. And to answer them honestly, to not lie. Not doing so is considered rude.

But stop and think about it for a minute. Why is that so? Why should anyone feel obligated to answer other peoples’ questions all the time? Especially if those answers could work against them, financially or safety-wise. Isn’t it really a choice whether or not to answer peoples’ questions, and in which manner?

After that realization, I figured out several ways to deal with intrusive personal questions.

I answer vaguely: “I’m going over there.” “Sorry, I forget the name of my hotel.”

I ask them, “Why so many questions?”

I make jokes or give ridiculous answers: “I’m from my mother.” “I come from Nigeria.”

… or simply ignore my interrogator.

my beach-side suite at Casa del Mar – In a place like this, I make use of my room’s private safe

2. I Stopped Cleaning and Laundering

One of the great little-known perks of a nomadic lifestyle is never having to clean.

In SE Asia I make my temporary homes at small budget hotels, bungalow resorts, home stays and the occasional hostel and luxury resort. Quite thankfully, staff at such traveler accommodations have the in-enviable job of cleaning. They clean everything: lobbies, kitchens, bathrooms, showers and even guests’ rooms.

As for laundry, once a week or so I just drop my clothes off at a local laundry service, pay a few dollars and pick the whole load up a day or so later. Voila, fresh clothes!

I just love it. I like living in a clean, tidy home environment and wearing clean clothes. But I do not enjoy doing the cleaning or washing. If I never have to spend another hour of my life cleaning, that is just fine and dandy by me.

Lash hiking Dragon’s Backbone near Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia

3. I Stopped Exercising midday

In America, with it’s cooler climates, I used to prefer exercising midday when the weather is warmest and after my body is fully awake and strong.

But in SE Asia I make it a point to exercise in early mornings, late afternoons and evenings. Tropical countries are so hot and humid that humans can easily suffer heat-related illnesses if not careful. The best way to avoid that is to refrain from heavy exercise between about 10 am and 4-5 pm.

4. I Lost my Fear of Riding Motorbikes

This is one habit that took me the longest time to change. I’d been terrified of motorbikes my whole life. Riders just seem so vulnerable sharing the roads with much heftier cars, trucks and buses.

In SE Asia, I was eventually ‘forced’ into using motorcycles.

It all started when I was visiting a Thai friend at his home in very remote, rural area of South Thailand. He wanted to show me the special spots in and around his home town. There were Thai temples, a lake with migratory water birds, an evening market and a beautiful beach on the sea.

The only way he could do that was to take me on his motorbike. I reluctantly, and quite fearfully, hopped on the back of his bike. I held on for dear life and we headed down the road. As the day wore on, I gradually realized I didn’t need my death grip on his shoulders and hips. Eventually, I realized I didn’t actually need to hold on much at all.

After that quite pleasant and surprisingly non-scary experience, I began hailing motorcycle taxis in small towns around Thailand.

hugging my motorbike!

Finally, one year while teaching scuba diving in a remote region of Bali, I was forced to rent and drive my own motorbike. That was the only way to get to & from work. So a local dive shop staff taught me how to drive. I practiced an hour or so in front of the shop, then was off on my own.

Since then, driving motorbikes has actually become one of my favorite ways of getting around rural areas of developing countries. I must admit that I’d never see the day when I loved riding a motorbike. I even wrote a post about it: My New Favorite Mode of Transportation

5-10 More Habits:

For 6 more ways I changed due to living in SE Asia, check out my article on Matador Network:

6 American Habits I Lost When I Became a Nomad in SE Asia

You might also enjoy:

My Guide to Day Tripping Around Penang, Malaysia

My Favorite Guest Houses in Bali

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