About This Blog
Purpose of Blog
This blog is a place for me to record my time spent in Southeast Asia. It is somewhere that I will be able to look back on, in years to come, and relive some of my memories.
It is also a place where people who are interested in what i’m up to, can follow along upon my journey.
ABOUT ME
My name is Michael Callis. I was born in Bolton in the UK. I went to infant school in Westhoughton. At the age of 8 my family moved to Morecambe. There I went to primary school in Torrisholme until I was 11. I then went to secondary school in Skerton, Lancaster, and left school at 16.
I moved to Scarborough when I was 17, and lived and worked there for 9 years. I was into the Punk scene for a number years and frequented Scarborough’s famous rock club, “The Penthouse”. Here I saw such bands as the The Damned, The Sex Pistols, The Stanglers, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Police, Doctors of Madness, Dr. Feelgood, to name but a few.
I then moved to Manchester where I lived, and worked, until I retired at the end of 2022. One of my favourite jobs there, was working behind the bar at the Robin Hood pub in Stretford, in the late 1980’s. After that I worked as an electronics/software engineer for a company that manufactured and maintained CHP units. I did this job for about 31 years.
I am currently living and travelling around Southeast Asia.
Retirement
It had been my plan for a number of years, that when I finally gave up work, I would start a new work free life on the opposite side of the world. Where I can wake up every morning in a much warmer climate, and wear t-shirts and shorts everyday.
By the time 2022 came along, I decided that I had enough of working for the company that I had worked for since 1991. I looked at my finances and decided that if I put my mind to it, I could retire to Southeast Asia at the start of 2023.
Making the Move
I chose a target date of mid December to leave my home country. I wanted to spend Christmas and New Year 2022 as part of my new life abroad.
In November I gave in my notice at work, and I also gave notice that I would be moving out of my flat.
By the middle of December 2022 I had disposed of just about everything I had ever owned. The only stuff I had left now, was what would fit in my suitcase. It was now time to set off on my travels.
Travelling Around
I don’t really have a final destination in mind where I may settle down and call home. There are 11 countries that make up Southeast Asia, so the plan for now, is is to keep travelling until somewhere stands out as the place I want to be. I may have to revisit that place a few times, before I decide to settle.
Then again I may decide never to settle, and just keep travelling.
Exciting Adventure
The most exciting thing about this new life is that I haven’t got a clue where this adventure is going to take me. The only plan that I had, was to start my retirement abroad and to travel around Southeast Asia. Starting my journey in Thailand.
What wasn’t part of the the original plan was having a Thai girlfriend. But after meeting Pani online, and later in person, this has now happily become the case.