April 2026 Update

Da Nang, Vietnam 🇻🇳

In my last update, I mentioned heading to Da Nang, Vietnam 🇻🇳 to apply for a long-term Thai visa (spoiler: I got it 🎉, more below). This was my second time in Da Nang since 2018, and it’s much more popular now. It was the rainy season with multiple typhoons. I ended up staying two months and really enjoyed it. Two things stood out. First, the coffee culture is the best I’ve seen. Coconut, egg, salt coffee, endless variations, and more cafes than anywhere I’ve been. Second, people are up early. I’m out at 6am and the streets are already alive, people are exercising at the beach, and cafes are packed.

I even got a dental cleaning and X-ray at a modern clinic for $8. Vietnam prices are hard to beat.

Hong Kong 🇭🇰

From Vietnam, I headed to Hong Kong for the first time. I had no expectations and was blown away. It’s compact, dense, modern, and blends mountains and sea seamlessly. I went to a few events and met very interesting people. The expat crowd felt a different caliber than Southeast Asia. That said, not a place I’d live long term. Too expensive and housing isn’t great.

Home Base: Thailand 🇹🇭

Life in Thailand officially started at the beginning of the year. I got a 5-year visa, which was a big relief and confirmed Thailand as my base. After 10 days in Chiang Mai with friends visiting from San Diego, I moved to Bangkok and signed a long-term lease in Phrom Phong area. Having a proper apartment after a year of hotels and Airbnbs feels great. I’ve been enjoying Bangkok, but it can get overwhelming. I’ve been spending about a week each month on islands to reset. So far: Koh Chang (favorite), Phuket (not great), and Koh Samet (great weekend escape). Big advantage of Bangkok: easy, cheap access to paradise-like places nearby.

What I’m Up to

• Women Travel Tribe is growing fast and we’re selling out tours. Really enjoying working on this.
• Working on a new project to connect FIRE (Financial Independence / Retire Early) people. A community for people pursuing financial independence abroad. It’s very early. Feedback welcome: fireabroad.com
• Started learning yoga and padel.

What’s Upcoming

China 🇨🇳 is top of mind. After Taipei and Hong Kong, I’m very curious and excited to explore China. Canadians can now travel visa-free, so I’m planning a summer trip. I’d love to hear your recommendations.

Stuff I’ve Liked Recently

📚 Book: Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future: Best book I read in 2025. This is an essential read on understanding modern China. The core argument: China is an engineering state that can build and out-compete anyone on the planet, while the U.S. has turned into a society run by lawyers and regulations, struggling to get anything done.

💡 E-reader: Xteink X4: A tiny, pocket-sized e-reader that’s become my favorite gadget lately. I carry it everywhere and end up reading more because of it. When I was on the Kindle team at Amazon, this is the form factor I wish we had built.