Imagine what it would have been like if you were stuck in Thailand when the pandemic hit the world and could witness gorgeous sunsets every day, as the sky got painted with all shades of scarlet & crimson!
Sounds dreamy, doesn't it?
Well, it's the reality of an intrepid American couple who had sold off all their possessions to be on the roads, exploring every single country in the world, until we were all forced to take a pause and restrict our movements. This is the story of Annette & Daniel, who call themselves 'Full Time Travelers' chasing epic adventures across the globe and have traversed through several countries in the last 3 years, before they got stuck in Thailand in 2020 and have been living there since then.
And that's not all! This cool couple recently gave birth to a baby boy in Krabi and became proud parents of another cute li'l traveler, who's now getting ready to join his parents in their future endeavors.
Where did it all begin?
You must be wondering how this couple traveled all the way from the United States to Thailand and got stuck there, isn't it? Well, there's quite an interesting story behind it.
Back in 2017, Annette and Daniel realized that they weren't happy in their respective jobs and were done with the monotonous '9-to-5' life. It was a mere desperation to break free from the mundane, and to live a life of their dreams, together - where they could explore the world, hike through the unknown trails, meet new people, experience cultural diversities and enjoy each day to the fullest. That's when they decided to sell off everything (including their wedding gifts!) and set out for Thailand with a one-way ticket!
As they say, life brings you to a full circle! Years later, after having seen several countries, they coincidently happened to be in Thailand when WHO declared a pandemic in March 2020 and they started living in their favorite country.
To put it in the words of Annette & Daniel, "We’re fortunate that when the pandemic struck, we were in Thailand, one of the few countries in the world that was unscathed by the pandemic."
How did they actually end up in Thailand?
As I mentioned earlier, they have been traveling for quite some time and had explored countries like Cuba, England, Japan and Australia in the earlier days. In the past couple of years, they were backpacking in Southeast Asia, covering The Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and South Korea.
From attending a royal Indian wedding at Rambagh Palace to eating Kathi Rolls in Kolkata in India, from kayaking in the turquoise waters of El Nido (The Philippines) to hiking on the trails of Mt.Fuji (Japan), from near-death experiences at Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam to celebrating New Year in Shanghai - they've done it all.
Oh yeah, you would be amazed to know that they were exploring China in the beginning of 2020 (when Coronavirus had already started spreading there!) but somehow luck favored them and they managed to escape the country even before the world knew that a catastrophe was on its way!
Annette & Daniel were in Siargao Island when their plans started getting cancelled due to Covid and that's when they decided to head off to Thailand (where they have been before and knew some people from their previous trips).
As the world came to a standstill, they were living in a jungle home in Koh Chang, fostering 10 puppies in their backyard.
What lockdown life in Thailand has been like?
Other than fostering the pups, Annette & Daniel decided to utilize their lockdown time to the fullest and concentrated in creating & editing YouTube videos for their channel - Chase For Adventure, as well as worked on their website by the same name. They also designed and sold a set of travel face masks, living their dream of having a boutique tailored especially for travelers. Annette started to take online ESL (English as a Second Language) classes to sustain their livelihood while Daniel polished his video editing skills.
Once the restrictions were eased & domestic traveling in Thailand was allowed, they set out for a road trip from Bangkok and traveled to Kanchanaburi, Hua Hin, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Krabi. In the meanwhile, their happiness doubled as they got to know about the arrival of a little one!
Amidst the hustle of the pandemic and international travel ban, Annette & Daniel planned to give birth to their baby in Thailand, figured out their logistics and made the best use of their time.
By the end of 2020, they were in Chiang Mai, soaking the freshness of Northern Thailand and binging on the delicious food, other than creating amazing Vlogs on their journey around Thailand during the pandemic.
What the first quarter of 2021 has been like for this adventurous couple?
Annette & Daniel moved to Krabi around the last week of 2020, and kickstarted the new year in this gorgeous beach town.
Their resolution was to soak in the sunshine, hop along the beaches and gaze at the breathtaking sunsets, as they counted days to welcome their baby into this world. Along with that, they also started a Digital Nomad course called 'Worker to Wanderer!' - with the aim to guide and motivate all those people who are craving for an everlasting adventure!
In March 2021, they gave birth to a baby boy - Apollo, in Krabi. You'd be totally surprised to know that little Apollo (who's just about 2 months old now) has already joined his parents in exploring Thailand! They recently took a flight together to Bangkok, where they visited the USA Embassy to get Apollo's passport - so that they can soon start chasing adventures as a family!
Being stuck at home during the pandemic, I used to scroll through my Instagram feed to see the photos shared by Chase For Adventures and followed all of Annette & Daniel's stories as they documented their journey in Thailand - from fostering the puppies to road tripping, from chasing sunsets to giving birth to a baby in a faraway land from home!
They made me believe that the desire to fulfill our dreams can take us a long way & it's never too late to begin!
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