I built a payment page in 4 MINUTES, using Laravel, Stripe and PHP!

Are you looking at Programming PHP for the first time and looking for advice on whether to invest in a MacBook Pro?



I get it, there's soooo much information out there, it can be overwhelming.



First things first, relax, you're in the right place. Sit back, grab a drink, some tea and biscuits or whisky and enjoy the ride.



My name is <a href="/about/">Ross,</a> I've been writing PHP for over 10 years and worked with companies such as <a href="https://www.baxter.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Baxter,</a> a Fortune 500 company building Medical Grade Software which is <a href="https://www.fda.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA</a> approved and e-commerce software for <a href="https://www.fiveguys.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FiveGuys,</a> the burger chain with over <a href="https://www.fiveguys.com/fans/the-five-guys-story/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1500 stores</a> worldwide.



In this article, I'm going to walk you through why I use a MacBook Pro and why I think it's the BEST for Programming PHP code.



<div class="wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents"><h2>Table of contents</h2><ul><li><a href="#h-1-unix-based-os" data-level="2">#1 - Unix Based OS</a></li><li><a href="#h-2-native-terminal-shell-support" data-level="2">#2 - Native Terminal / Shell Support</a></li><li><a href="#h-3-safari-support" data-level="2">#3 - Safari Support</a></li><li><a href="#h-4-windows-vs-macbook-pro" data-level="2">#4 - Windows vs. MacBook Pro</a><ul><li><a href="#h-crlf" data-level="3">CRLF</a></li><li><a href="#h-viruses" data-level="3">Viruses</a></li><li><a href="#h-registry" data-level="3">Registry</a></li><li><a href="#h-bootcamp" data-level="3">Bootcamp</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#block-abb0aaa2-7f36-4366-972d-9e934bc57fa6" data-level="2">#5 - Linux vs. MacBook Pro</a></li><li><a href="#h-6-the-negatives" data-level="2">#6 - The Negatives</a><ul><li><a href="#h-the-price" data-level="3">The price.</a></li><li><a href="#h-the-apple-way" data-level="3">The Apple Way</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#h-7-final-thoughts" data-level="2">#7 - Final Thoughts</a></li></ul></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-unix-based-os">#1 - Unix Based OS</h2>



MacBook Pro uses a Unix based OS.



Why is this important when Programming PHP?



Because most developers will use PHP on Linux based OS like Ubuntu or Debian and <a href="https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/unix-vs-linux/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Linux is based upon Unix.</a> So that means nearly all the commands are exactly the same when using each OS.



A good example is cd (Change Directory). On both Mac and all Linux flavours it's cd, whereas on Windows it's dir.



Let’s say in a different world, you’re developing on a Windows machine and of course, you’re running your website on a LAMP stack, so it’s Linux based.



It's irritating when you keep flipping between the two operating systems, typing the wrong command while you're in the flow, only to remember, wrong OS.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-native-terminal-shell-support">#2 - Native Terminal / Shell Support</h2>



Additionally, because a MacBook Pro uses a Unix based operating system, it supports terminal and shell, natively, this is huge when programming PHP!



Gone are the days of having to learn two scripting languages, batch and shell.



<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batch_file" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Batch being the Windows scripting language.</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_script" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shell being the Linux scripting language.</a></li>
</ul>



When you build your website, you usually need to have a few scripts to build initialise the site or manage some migrations. Whatever you want to do....



You can perfect that script in one language.



Shell.



In addition, you also have a package manager similar to <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/APT_(software)" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">APT in Ubuntu</a> and <a href="https://wiki.centos.org/PackageManagement/Yum" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yum in CentOS.</a>



Homebrew.



Homebrew is Mac OS X’s unofficial but very well supported package manager.



Installing composer, NPM, NodeJS, wget and all the other wonderful commands you wish you could easily setup on a windows machine are a single command away on Mac OS X.



On top of all that, you can easily setup Docker, Vagrant, Kubernetes, etc easily.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-safari-support">#3 - Safari Support</h2>



This is critical.



As a web developer, you need to test your website on all browsers!



Safari is used by 19.24% of the entire world according to <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/">stat counter</a>, as of November 2020.



Unfortunately, Apple are dicks on this one.



They have stopped officially supporting Safari for Windows and have never supported Linux.



So the only way to test Safari is to own a Mac.



I don’t why they have done this, maybe you can tell me in the <a href="#comments">comments</a> down below.



I’d love to know!



Yes... You can download <a href="https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/68836/where-can-i-download-safari-for-windows" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">older versions of Safari.</a>



However, as a web developer, you’re supposed to test your website on a device as close to the end user as possible. End users are usually using the most recent version because of auto updates.



Which kind of defeats the point.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-windows-vs-macbook-pro">#4 - Windows vs. MacBook Pro</h2>



From 14 years old, I wrote all of my PHP code on a Windows machine, starting with Windows 98, then XP, then 7 and finally Windows 10.



Avoiding those god awful operating systems called Windows Vista &amp; Windows 8.



PHP is not bad on a Windows machine, but it’s irritating and often time-consuming to solve really tiny issues that shouldn’t really be an issue.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crlf">CRLF</h3>



One issue you only get on a Windows machine is the annoying CRLF issue.



For those who don’t know, this is the line endings for text files, including your code. On Windows all lines end with \crlf and on Linux &amp; Unix it’s \lf.



<script src="https://gist.github.com/rossedlin/93db751923b71a013b90b89c3a9161d7.js"></script>



This causes an enormous problem in teams who use different operating systems.



When you download the code onto a Windows machine, it automatically changes every one of the potential 10,000 files in the code base, to use \crlf line endings.



Meaning every file has now changed on every line.



Good luck comparing code changes when everything has changed.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viruses">Viruses</h3>



Windows is known for getting viruses, which are basically none existent on a MacBook Pro.



You won’t wake up one morning finding your MacBook Pro full of viruses, you won’t have to install heavy virus protection software which slows your machine down.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-registry">Registry</h3>



The Windows Registry is essentially the main configuration for the entire operating system.



It’s a flawed design because of one major point.



Anyone can <a href="https://www.howtogeek.com/370022/windows-registry-demystified-what-you-can-do-with-it/">change the contents</a>.



That’s what viruses sometimes do when they attack your system, they mess around with the registry and reconfigure your machine.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bootcamp">Bootcamp</h3>



Worst-case scenario, if you have a MacBook Pro and you do need to use a Windows Machine.



Mac OS X supports <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201468">dual booting to Windows</a>, officially.



Once installed, all you need to do is shutdown your machine and boot it up holding the alt key, it’ll offer you the dual boot options and you can select Windows.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="block-abb0aaa2-7f36-4366-972d-9e934bc57fa6">#5 - Linux vs. MacBook Pro</h2>



If you’re strictly talking about Programming PHP, then honestly, Linux is the best.



My personal preference is <a href="https://ubuntu.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ubuntu.</a>



But, a MacBook Pro does a lot outside of just programming PHP that you will find essential in a business environment.



I spent a year of my life solely using Ubuntu 18.04 as my main operating system, day to day at work.



The primary reason it’s so good is because most web servers that run a PHP website, use a Linux flavour to host the website.



Ubuntu being one of them.



If I was to rank strictly on PHP...



<ul>
<li>Ubuntu would be a 10/10.</li>



<li>Mac would be 9/10.</li>



<li>Windows would be a 6/10.</li>
</ul>



However...



Try using simple things like Skype for Business or Microsoft Word and you immediately run into problems.



The number of times I had to pull out my phone just to have a business meeting because my laptop does not support Skype for Business was irritating.



The worst part was the embarrassment of not being able to share my screen and having to explain in a meeting of 20 very high up executives that I don’t have Skype for Business on my laptop was embarrassing.



Adobe is another huge issue on Linux, it’s just not supported either! Imagine as a web developer and not being able to use Adobe Photoshop…



This is devastating for anyone in the industry!



Photoshop is the industry standard photo editing software.



Imagine a client you’re working with, sends you a PSD file (Photoshop file) and you can’t open it.



You have to call them back and ask for it to be sent in a different version…



<ul>
<li>It’s embarrassing</li>



<li>It wastes time</li>



<li>Annoys the client</li>



<li>Potentially loses a client</li>
</ul>



This is the primary reason I bit the bullet and purchased a MacBook Pro, because I wanted the best of both worlds.



Something the industry supports and works extremely well when programming PHP.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-6-the-negatives">#6 - The Negatives</h2>



I like to be honest in my life, and so I'm going to point out a few negatives with buying a MacBook Pro.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-price">The price.</h3>



Oh my is it expensive.



I knew the day I went down the path of buying my first MacBook Pro it would be a costly endeavour.



I shelled out £2,400 ($3256 USD).



Admittedly I bought the most expensive one in the shop, the 15 inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and a bigger storage drive.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-apple-way">The Apple Way</h3>



This is a love hate thing, for me.



Apple controls everything about their products and there is little you can do to change it.



Unlike the PC which allows for simple changes or huge changes.



However, because of this, everything works first time on a MacBook Pro. So essentially, you’re trading the freedom to customise your operating system with the benefit of it working 99% of the time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-7-final-thoughts">#7 - Final Thoughts</h2>



I personally love my MacBook Pro and would never consider trading it back for a Windows Machine.



It might of cost me in a couple of areas, my wallet being one but it was well worth it in the long run.



I’d love to hear what you think!



What do you use?



<ul>
<li>Windows?</li>



<li>Mac?</li>



<li>Linux?</li>
</ul>



I look forward to hearing your thoughts.



Ross

Why I use a MacBook Pro for PHP Programming

Vietnam is a wonderful country with beautiful landscape, a warm climate, stunning beaches and very low cost of living. But is Vietnam good for Digital Nomads?



On the face of it, most people would say, yes! But like all places, it's not perfect.



As someone who's lived in both <a href="/thailand/digital-nomad-chiang-mai/">Chiang Mai, Thailand</a> and now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.



I can definitely answer this.



<div class="wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents"><h2>Table of contents</h2><ul><li><a href="#h-cost-of-living" data-level="2">Cost of Living</a><ul><li><a href="#h-overall-this-is-what-i-spend-money-on-per-month" data-level="3">Overall, this is what I spend money on per month.</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#h-the-hustle-bustle" data-level="2">The Hustle &amp; Bustle</a></li><li><a href="#h-internet-wifi" data-level="2">Internet &amp; WiFI</a></li><li><a href="#h-visa" data-level="2">VISA</a></li><li><a href="#h-where-to-find-the-community" data-level="2">Where to find the Community</a></li><li><a href="#h-transportation" data-level="2">Transportation</a><ul><li><a href="#h-grab" data-level="3">Grab</a></li><li><a href="#h-renting-a-bike" data-level="3">Renting a bike</a><ul><li><a href="#h-the-extra-mile" data-level="4">The Extra Mile</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#h-buying-a-bike" data-level="3">Buying a bike</a><ul><li><a href="#h-be-aware-of-medical-insurance-on-bikes" data-level="4">Be aware of medical insurance on bikes.</a></li></ul></li></ul></li><li><a href="#h-conclusion" data-level="2">Conclusion</a></li></ul></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cost-of-living">Cost of Living</h2>



Vietnam is good for Digital Nomads for many reasons.



Foremost is the cost of living, Vietnam is famed for its low cost of living, everyone knows this.



Personally, I live a very nice life with a $1,400 monthly budget. I know of certain friends who live for much less at around $750 per month.



But I like a little luxury.



I live in <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/qzkNQTqtt2uJFNBG6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Sunrise City View, District 7.</a> My place costs me 10.5 million VND ($453.14 USD) per month, plus bills which is usually around 1 million VND ($43.16 USD).



I have a really nice pool with a BBQ area which you can book for private events.



A modern gym, with table tennis, table football and big open areas for activities.



Downstairs you have lots of restaurants, a legit massage centre and shopping for groceries.



Day to day I spend about 450K VND on general food eating at nice places, with decent Wi-Fi, good AC and where the staff don't mind me staying for 4-5 hours while I work.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Song-Bistro-Cafe-1024x682.jpg" alt="Song Bistro &amp; Cafe" class="wp-image-2618"/><figcaption><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/4WhiD6qjXcTLNtUH7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Song Bistro &amp; Cafe</a></figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-overall-this-is-what-i-spend-money-on-per-month">Overall, this is what I spend money on per month.</h3>



<ul><li>10.5m VND - Rent</li><li>1m VND - Bills</li><li>13.5m VND - Food &amp; Daily life</li><li>2m VND - VISA</li><li>1.5m VND - Medical Insurance</li><li>3m VND - Other</li></ul>



Totalling 31.5m VND ($1359.43 USD) per month.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-hustle-bustle">The Hustle &amp; Bustle</h2>



What makes Vietnam truly a place to live as a Digital Nomad is the hustle and bustle.



In Vietnam, you are surrounded by people who are hardworking, always striving to improve their habits, make more money and take their lives to the next level.



You often hear the saying... You are the average of your 5 closest friends.



So if you surround yourself with hardworking, successful people. You will ultimately become successful yourself.



Their habits will reflect upon you, you will be influenced by them. Vietnam has this in spades.



You will often hear about people working from 8am - 8pm, Monday - Friday. Only to come into the office for Saturday morning.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Asian-Working-in-Office-1024x682.jpg" alt="Working late into the evening with a smile" class="wp-image-2621"/><figcaption>Working late into the evening with a smile</figcaption></figure>



As someone who comes from the UK and is much more used to 9am - 5:30pm.



It's inspiring... and a little terrifying.



Overall, I have found it makes me step up; it motivates me and pushes me to the next level.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-internet-wifi">Internet &amp; WiFI</h2>



At first glance, most people would say the internet is really fast in Vietnam. In my apartment I can safely get 80mb up and down, which is pretty decent.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Speed-Test-at-Sunrise-Friday-Evening.png" alt="Speed Test on Friday Evening from my Home" class="wp-image-2654"/><figcaption>Speed Test on Friday Evening from my Home</figcaption></figure>



But the problem for a Digital Nomad in Vietnam is a little harder to understand.



You have a big difference between Domestic Internet speeds and International speeds.



Unfortunately for Vietnam, they do not have a large capacity for international data.



You know those <a href="https://www.submarinecablemap.com/">undersea cables</a> that join the world together?



The entire of Vietnam has 7 cables, with the 3 for Ho Chi Minh City listed below.



<ul><li>Asia Africa Europe-1</li><li>Asia-America Gateway</li><li>Tata TGN-Intra Asia</li></ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Vietnam-Submarine-Cable-Map-1024x682.png" alt="Vietnam Submarine Cables" class="wp-image-2627"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.submarinecablemap.com/#/landing-point/vung-tau-vietnam">Vietnam Submarine Cables</a></figcaption></figure>



The result of this means most providers in Vietnam need to limit your speed for any connection outside of Vietnam.



Simply because you just don't have enough bandwidth for everyone. And the limit can be VERY slow sometimes, we're talking 2mb.



Compared to Singapore which has over 20 cables and a population of under 6 million.



vs.



7 cables with nearly 96 million population in Vietnam. You get the idea.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Singapore-Submarine-Cable-Map-1024x596.png" alt="Singapore Submarine Cables" class="wp-image-2628"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.submarinecablemap.com/#/landing-point/tuas-singapore" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Singapore Submarine Cables</a></figcaption></figure>



For me, this poses a problem late in the evening times. At 4pm Vietnam time, Europe is waking up so the communication between the 2 continents, increases.



Most of the time, it's NOT an enormous problem, it's more annoying, it's only an enormous problem when a cable goes down.



Which happens occasionally, twice just this year...



And when it does, it can be a few days to a few weeks to get fixed. So... forget sending large files to America or Europe in the evening times when a cable is down.



Remember, you require someone to dive to the bottom of the ocean, just to fix it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-visa">VISA</h2>



One of the big pains as a Digital Nomad is the entire issue around VISA's, that's where Vietnam comes in.



In other countries, you get your stamp or short term VISA for 3 months.



Awesome!



But...



Sometimes, the day you land and the day your VISA expires doesn't quite match up with your LIFE plan.



I remember having to skip out on Songkran in Thailand due to my VISA expiring 1 day before the festival (I'd already extended it).



A pain in the butt.



Vietnam currently offers you to extend your VISA as many times as you like, as long as you have a sponsor.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Passport-Stamps-1024x682.jpg" alt="Passport Stamps" class="wp-image-2656"/><figcaption>Passport Stamps</figcaption></figure>



Fortunately, many agencies will handle all of this for you.



I personally recommend <a href="https://snvi.com.vn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jane SNVI</a>, they're a dedicated Vietnamese VISA expert company in <a href="https://g.page/jane-snvi-hcmc?share" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City.</a>



I have used them every time I needed my VISA extending.



They pick it up from my apartment, sort it out, and deliver it back about 1 week later.



The cost varies from time to time, but my last VISA extension for 1 month was $70 USD. A 3 month VISA extension can be much more expensive at over $300 USD, so I often just go by monthly. And I've been here for nearly one year and have not left the country.



For the latest pricing, <a href="https://snvi.com.vn/vietnam-visa-fees/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">check here.</a>



This allows me to focus on what I want to focus on, instead of having to worry about VISA runs or leaving the country every 2-3 months.



A small caveat is I'm living here in 2020, so it's peak COVID-19 season, Vietnam is offering FREE VISA extension if you landed in Vietnam from the 1st March 2020, however I was in Vietnam before that date.



So with everything VISA related, it all can change at any point.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-to-find-the-community">Where to find the Community</h2>



I've often heard that it's hard to find a digital nomad scene in Vietnam.



I personally live in Ho Chi Minh City and would wholeheartedly disagree. I'm living here while covid-19 is in full swing and I've met lots of people making money online.



District 2 in Ho Chi Minh City has a sizeable community of foreigners. Specifically, in Thao Dien.



When I say... Foreigners. I don't mean Digital Nomads.



Thao Dien houses all types, Expats, English Teachers, Digital Nomads and the more wealthy locals.



Most Digital Nomad's, don't go to digital nomad specific meetups, they go to marketing meetups, networking events and general meetups for successful people.



And at these events you also have local business owners, sales representatives of big companies in Ho Chi Minh City, expats from all over the world, etc.



Thao Dien does house The Hive, a pretty nice co-working space which you will find Digital Nomads, as well as many other successful people.



But... That's the point.



It's NOT a digital nomad community, it's a community of varied successful people or people striving to be successful.



So I ask you...



Does that matter? What are you looking for?



Me? I'd say... Success.



And I'm talking genuine success, not those <a href="/digital-nomad/digital-nomad-scam/">scams</a> you hear about.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-transportation">Transportation</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grab">Grab</h3>



On my first full month in Vietnam, I purely used grab to get around.



And... I used a whopping £115 ($154.06 USD)!



The thing is, when it's a couple dollars for a ride, you quickly forget the mounting cost. You get a grab to go see your friends; you move location, then get a grab home.



You think... Oh's it's only 5-10 dollars a day...



Well 5 times by 30 is... 150 dollars.



Yup.



So I rented a bike.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-renting-a-bike">Renting a bike</h3>



First, I went to some locals, suggested by a couple of people I met on my first days here.



As much as I liked them, the quality of the bike was not up to my standard. Each one I visited had at least one significant problem.



Lights didn't work, breaks weren't strong enough.



Although I'm an experience rider... I was uncomfortable riding in Saigon traffic without a fully working bike.



So I found a western run company over in District 2.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-extra-mile"><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/1e85Hdx3s4TMirvD6">The Extra Mile</a></h4>



They offer a wide range of fully serviced bikes on a monthly fee.



You're looking at 2m VND ($86 USD) minimum. Which purely depends on the bike you rent.



At half what Grab was costing me and it meant I had full freedom... This was a significant saving.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-buying-a-bike">Buying a bike</h3>



Eventually, though, I decided it was time to purchase my own bike.



I'd been hesitant so far because in Vietnam, the blue card which is the proof of ownership of the bike in Vietnam is rarely transferred into your name.



It's often left in the original owner's name and then sold many times over before landing in your hands.



At first, this concerned me.



Until I found a proper reputable company selling bikes called <a href="https://www.tigitmotorbikes.com/">Tigit Motorbikes.</a> They explained to me that this is normal.



Along with the blue card, I was given a contract in my name, stating that Tigit was selling me the bike and it was mine.



According to Tigit, this is normal practice in Vietnam because changing the blue card is difficult to impossible.



As long as I had the blue card with the contract, it was valid.



So I purchased a Honda Airblade for $450 USD which they converted to VND (10,487,516 VND) and I paid using <a href="https://transferwise.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TransferWise</a>.



It was a really nice purchase, a solid bike that 8 months later is still going strong, at the time of purchase it had approximately 20,000 kilometres on the clock which is very low considering the age of the bike.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-be-aware-of-medical-insurance-on-bikes">Be aware of medical insurance on bikes.</h4>



Most travel insurances or medical insurances require you to have a bike licence from your home country, for me that's the UK.



Without it, it does not cover you in any situation for bike accidents, ever!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



So all in all, Ho Chi Minh City &amp; Vietnam is a good place to live as a Digital Nomad.



I'd love to here what you think about Vietnam as a Digital Nomad, let me know in the comments your thoughts and if you have any questions, I'll endeavour to get back to you soon!



Until next time.



Ross

Is Vietnam good for Digital Nomads?

Are all digital nomad’s liars, scam artists and broke?



No, but… some are.



I'm a digital nomad myself, a successful freelancer, I make money online by making my clients happy.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Working-for-my-Client-1024x682.jpg" alt="Me working for my client at a coffee shop" class="wp-image-2580"/><figcaption>Me working for my client at a coffee shop</figcaption></figure>



But…



I won’t lie to you, you have a lot of rubbish out in the world. Many people are pretending they’re much more successful than they really are.



The number of times I’ve seen people acting like they are living the “life” only to “go home” 3 months later because they're broke is staggering.



Now... I have absolutely nothing against people risking everything and trying out the digital nomad life.



In fact...



I support people taking risks, being a digital nomad definitely gives you a lot of freedom.



What I don’t support is people pretending they are much more successful than they actually are and THEN convincing others to do the same thing.



It’s wrong.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-the-digital-nomad-scam">What is the Digital Nomad Scam?</h2>



The Digital Nomad Scam is a magic pill.



It goes like this.



<ul><li>&nbsp;Quit your job.</li><li>&nbsp;Move abroad to a super cheap country.</li><li>&nbsp;Setup an online business and profit.</li></ul>



They make it sound SUPER easy, they'll bang on about how cheap it is, the VALUE you will get from being in the environment.



All true.



It is very cheap in countries like Thailand, Vietnam.



I've lived in both so I can agree. You'll also meet lots of other digital nomads, some... Successful.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Nomad-Summit-2019-1024x682.jpg" alt="Nomad Summit 2019" class="wp-image-2582"/><figcaption>Nomad Summit 2019</figcaption></figure>



Above is the Nomad Summit, I'm in this crowd... Somewhere... and I met a LOT of successful digital nomads at this event.



BUT!



Most people at this event would agree that step 3 is NOT easy, making money online is HARD. And this is where they try to SELL you an online course telling you how to do it.



They offer a blueprint to making money online at a small investment of 300-500 USD. They'll convince you that you'll make your money back using the techniques they'll teach you.



90% of the time, it's a scam.



This is the Digital Nomad Scam. It is HOW they are making money themselves.



So... Is everyone doing it?



No.



I've personally purchased a few courses from people I trust because I've met them in person and seen their results, or because it was obvious they are successful.



The ones that do understand what they are doing, do not offer a magic pill but instead offer advice which requires significant work behind it.



If you're curious who I personally recommend, scroll down to the bottom or <a href="#recommend">click here.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-youtube-hype">The YouTube Hype</h2>



One of the big problems that supports the Digital Nomad Scam is all the YouTube Hype.



When I first landed in Chiang Mai, Thailand back in 2017 as a Digital Nomad, a huge part of that reason was because of all that YouTube Hype.



I believed a lot of it.



Yeah...



I wanted it so badly that I ignored certain signs, avoided reading certain blog posts which pointed out what I’m writing about years later.



To put it bluntly.



A lot of the YouTubers are not as successful as they appear. And... when I say, not as successful... I mean, they’re running off of savings.



They’re not even earning $1000 per month, which is what you need to live in Chiang Mai, Thailand.



And yet, all over YouTube, they’re encouraging people to move to Chiang Mai and live as a Digital Nomad just like them.



I followed one particular YouTuber for quite some time back in 2016.



Now... he never outright lied. But he implied more success through only showing success.



But in reality, the entire of 2016 in Chiang Mai, he was barely surviving. He was not earning $1000.



I know this because when I landed in 2017, I met a few people who knew him personally. They told me he was using his savings and didn’t have a stable job making money for most of 2016.



He even got fired for his first job remote job.



And yet…



He was telling people to move to Chiang Mai, encouraging people and acting like he was successful. I personally felt like he was lying to his audience.



Acting like he was living the dream.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drop-shipping">Drop Shipping</h2>



If you google the word, “Dropping Shipping” and look at some of the online courses selling the dream of going remote, setting up a drop shipping store and making money.



You’ll suddenly see all these drop shipping adverts on YouTube, Facebook, etc…



“Stop!!!”



“Listen to me, I’m not lying”



“Look at my figures”



I swear it's literally hundreds of people selling you Drop Shipping courses, trying to sell you the dream.



I’ve met successful Drop Shippers. When you look at their numbers, they’re only making about 5% profit.



You hear the brag, $10,000 per month, profit.



To get that magic $10,000, you need to be grossing, $200,000 per month or $2,400,000 per year.



2.4 Million Dollars!



That’s not easy, not in the slightest.



I went to an event once in my early days of being a Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai. The speaker asked the audience to raise their hands if they had a drop shipping store.



Half…



Half the room put up their hands. We had about 100 people at the event. It sounded impressive at first, but then I went and spoke to some of these people.



I asked one question.



How much are you making??



The most common answer was: “Oh… Uh… I’m not there yet, I’m still in the early stages” This became a pretty typical response from someone who’s trying but not yet succeeded.



I’m not saying they won’t succeed, but apart from the speaker, I didn’t meet anyone at the event who’d even made $1000 total, let alone $10,000 per month.



Yes, I know people have made drop shipping work… But these people worked their arse off, 10 hours a day, 6 days a week and treat it like a true business.



This isn’t the 4 hour work week.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-anyone-successful">Is anyone successful?</h2>



Yes!



A lot of people I’ve met over the years are very successful, me included.



But the truly successful and decent people will tell you it’s not easy. And often don’t brag about their success all over YouTube.



I work significant hours, following a good routine, getting up at 7am most weekdays and aim to be at my desk by 8:30 to 9am.



Often working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I exercise and eat healthy because I know I’m paid on results, not hours.



The difference is... I get to choose my clients, I get to choose my hours, I get to choose my work.



And so... I enjoy my work so I don’t mind working those hours.



The best part about my job is the freedom. I choose my work place, whether it's my home, a co-working space or a cafe.



Another country.



The choices are endless...



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="recommend">Who do I recommend?</h2>



So now I've got all the negative out the way, I will list 2 people below who I've personally worked with and purchased their courses.



These really work, they're not a magic pill and require significant work to see results.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tom-anna-from-adventure-in-you">Tom &amp; Anna from Adventure in you.</h3>



They’ve created a roadmap for building blogs called the <a href="https://www.bloggingfastlane.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Blogging Fast Lane.</a> Honestly, this is one of the most comprehensive online courses I seen.



Adventure in You has over half a million unique visitors per month.



I’ve personally used their course and had excellent results. But they will stress to you, it’s not easy, it’s not a quick fix. They give you a year plan... Yes... a year!



That’s how long they think it’ll take to see results in blogging. They focus on "value" and being "strategic" about what you write on your blog.



They're also very active in their Facebook Groups, often doing live stream events with Q&amp;A's and answering every question people post.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-course-creator-pro-from-parker-walbeck">Course Creator Pro from Parker Walbeck.</h3>



Parker teaches you how to <a href="https://www.coursecreatorpro.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">create online courses</a> using knowledge from Full Time Film Maker.



He’s awesome.



His <a rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/pawalbeck" target="_blank">YouTube</a> channel has over 1 million subscribers, and he has tons of free content.



He's very active in their private Facebook group and many of his students have made significant money using the methods he teaches.



The other good thing is, Parker doesn't promote scam like methods, it's all long term, value based methods that require significant work.



Parker himself is an exceptional film maker and his first course, Full Time Film Maker shows people how to become a film maker.



He's also worked with countless big brands.



You only need to watch a few of his YouTube videos to know he's the real deal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



To finish this off.



Don't believe it unless you can see obvious results. Instagram pictures don't count.



I'm talking results from money side of things.



Have you met them in person and seen results directly? Have you been recommended by someone you truly trust?



Only then would I consider parting with my money.



I hope this insight has helped you to make better choices. Let me know in the comments if you've had a similar experience.



Until next time.



Ross

The Digital Nomad Scam

Quitting your job, leaving everything behind and becoming a Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai, Thailand.



That was the dream. That… Was the plan.



But reality never quite meets what our dreams want.



This is my story, my first 6 months of what it's really like in to be a Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai, Thailand.



It all started when I saw a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3TDEMftbD0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">video on YouTube by Riley Bennett,</a> the FBA guy as he is known.



It was the first time I heard about the term Digital Nomad and it blew my mind.



If you don't already know, a Digital Nomad is someone who works online using their laptop to earn money. They don't have a home base so can travel to other countries while still working and earning a full-time income.



It was scary, exciting and risky.



The hardest part was leaving my full time “comfortable” office job, knowing how much of a risk I was taking.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Lineten-Card-1024x682.jpg" alt="Lineten Card" class="wp-image-2561"/><figcaption>Goodbye Card by my Colleagues</figcaption></figure>



I was living in London, as a web developer, a Full Stack PHP Developer for a nice company call Lineten. This had been my home for 2 years, my colleagues which I was now leaving to go travelling abroad.



I had my family, my support network within 30 minutes from my home in London too.



And yet… All I yearned for was the dream of being able to work remotely…



To be able to travel the world… Experiencing exiting new places and meeting extraordinary people.



To become a Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai.



Well…



It all started back in April 28th, 2017. That was the last day of working and living in London.



The day I quit.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Lineten-Desk-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2558"/><figcaption>My Desk on the last day at the office.</figcaption></figure>



I spent a month with my family, seeing my friends before jet setting off with a one-way ticket to Chiang Mai, Thailand.



I had no income, no job, no support. All I had was my skills, my mind and a 6 month deadline.



£6000, that’s how much money I gave myself.



I locked away the rest, if I couldn’t do it in 6 months... Then I needed to have a serious re-think about the whole idea of being a digital nomad.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-day-one-as-a-digital-nomad-in-chiang-mai">Day One as a Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Ross-Edlin-Chiang-Mai-View-2017-1024x682.jpg" alt="Ross Edlin Chiang Mai View 2017" class="wp-image-2545"/><figcaption>Me overlooking Chiang Mai</figcaption></figure>



On 31st May 2017, I flew to Thailand, landing in Bangkok first before changing plane and heading north to the mountains of Chiang Mai.



I still remember that night I landed, 3 and a half years later.



It was quiet when I arrived, most people were inside hiding from the recent rainfall that just covered the north, I’d not experienced Asian rain yet so I was in for treat shortly.



After a good sleep, I went out exploring and searching for other Digital Nomads in Chiang Mai.



Surprisingly, it took me a couple days to find them.



The usual place, Punspace seemed dead, even though it was Thursday. I think the rain encouraged a work from home attitude that day.



After 2 days, I heard about the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/nomadcoffee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">local coffee club meetup happening.</a> It's on every week, which is fortunate for me.



I was determined to go, and it seeing as it's only a 25-minute walk, I decided to walk, a big mistake.



10 minutes into my walk, I experienced a full-blown monsoon.



I’d never experienced rain this hard, within 10 minutes the streets were 50cm deep in water and I was essentially swimming to my destination.



When I arrived, everyone was laughing at me, I was completely covered in water.



It was a wet welcome instead of the hopeful, warm welcome…



The event that was on that evening was all about making money on Udemy selling online courses.



I was particularly interested in this because of my 6 years experience, it’s something I could create a course on and actually know what I’m talking about.



However…



This is where reality started to hit me.



All my hopes and dreams about the whole digital nomad successes just hit me right in the face.



I’m not saying it’s impossible, I’m proof of that nearly 4 years later.



But…



I realised quite quickly that more than half the people in the room had not made any money yet.



Not a single dollar.



I calculated that to live comfortably, you need about 1000 dollars per month and I didn’t meet anyone at this event who came close.



But I remained positive…



The speakers at the event are successful. They make money.



Well…



They did but not as much as I was hoping for.



The most successful of the three, spent 6 months making his online course, 6 months…



Udemy take 50% of a sale at $15 and the top guy had sold just under 1000 copies of his course.



He was being hailed as a megastar, the super successful digital nomad.



But it only took a quick calculation in my head to realise that he only made about $7000 for 6 months work.



Okay, okay…



I admit I’m being very critical here but after all the YouTube videos I’d seen about how successful everyone is in Chiang Mai and when I finally arrived, the super successful speaker of the event, that everyone is looking to for advice is in survival mode still.



I was rather irritated and it didn’t fill me with confidence about the whole Digital Nomad movement.



After some reflection, I realised that the speaker is just like me, a developer trying to make money. He’s done a good job and made a success of Udemy.



The problem was much bigger.



YouTube painted a rather pretty picture of Chiang Mai and the success of people here.



So when reality hit, it hit hard.



I had it good back in London, and Chiang Mai was not going to be the saviour of my life.



I had to be.



Alas, I persisted with my plan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-month-one-as-a-digital-nomad-in-chiang-mai">Month One as a Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai</h2>



I spent the whole of the next month going out and meeting people, I quickly learned about Punspace weekly meetups on a Friday.



<a href="https://www.facebook.com/punspace">https://www.facebook.com/punspace</a>



Fortunately, Punspace seemed to attract a number of more successful digital nomads, more than half were developers like me.



Most were happy to give me advice on how to get started finding clients.



Essentially, I needed to work for free or extremely low prices on specific freelancing platforms, giving the best service possible in exchange for reviews.



This worked and after earning $5 for my first job, I had a 5 star review sitting on my profile.



I started to feel very positive about the whole digital nomad scene.



I had made my first dollar.



Now it was time to level up and make my first 100 dollars.



I had a couple more successes like this with 2 more reviews but again it was for small amounts of money.



I made $90 for a couple days work but then the review took about 2 months to come through.



At this point it was already the end of the first month and I’d made $100 total online.



Some people would see this as a success, but for me, it was not so impressive.



I was working like a slave and being paid peanuts, at least that’s how I felt.



4 years on though, I look back thinking how naïve I was, I jumped to another country and made $100 in my first month doing something that was essentially brand new.



I did pretty well!



But I’m pretty harsh on myself sometimes and often kept comparing myself to other much more successful digital nomads who made much more than me.



Comparison is the thief of joy - Theodore Roosevelt



All in all, the advice I was getting from people at Punspace was working, but you just need to have more patience... Which can be difficult when you have a hard deadline of 6 months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-month-two-as-a-digital-nomad-in-chiang-mai">Month Two as a Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai</h2>



Month 2 was purely travel as a friend came to visit, so I’ll skip this month, mostly.



I'll say this... By the end of it, I was seriously starting to feel the pressure of it all.



2 months gone, 4 left and I'd made $100. I was going to need to change things up if I'm going to make it.



Failure was NOT an option to me.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-month-three-to-five-as-a-digital-nomad-in-chiang-mai">Month Three to Five, as a Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai</h2>



Fortunately, this is where things started to turn around and be more positive.



I had the fortune to meet a guy name Phil, although we didn’t hit off on a friendship level, I think at the time he took a little pity on me because he could see my desire for success but didn’t know how to achieve it remotely on a significant level.



He connected me with another very successful developer called Tanveer who I invited to lunch, I’m glad he accepted.



When I met Tanveer, he seemed really down to earth and was glad to explain his process for finding clients.



He was like me 2 years previously, a developer, hungry for success but hadn’t found any remote work.



Tanveer fortunately found a resource which he used to great effect which guided him towards success.



<a href="https://freelancetowin.com/">Freelance To Win</a>



Freelance to Win, is a website dedicated to helping people just like me succeed on UpWork or other Freelancing platforms.



I was hopeful because Tanveer said he followed it and executed what Freelance to Win told him to do closely.



With patience and persistence, Tanveer succeed using the guide.



So…



I did the same.



Freelance to win basically told me a few main points.



<ul><li>Focus purely on solving your client’s pain, find it, understand it and cure it.</li><li>Trust is a huge issue, so you need to stand out, using pictures, videos and portfolios.</li><li>Be a specialist, don’t be a generalist.</li><li>Learn the process of hiring freelancers yourself, what you see first and what triggers you to click.</li><li>Upsell, upsell, upsell.</li></ul>



Once I adapted what Freelance to Win told me, I saw a 10x increase in my responses.



And within 2.5 months I did it!



A client paying me $30 per hour and offering me a consistent 20 hours per week of work, indefinitely.



$2400 per month.



And I had my free time to explore other options in my life.



<ul><li>Blogging.</li><li>YouTube.</li></ul>



Anything I wanted…



Unfortunate... The worst thing that could possibly happen… Happened.



It was like climbing to the top of the mountain, you’d just got to the top and achieved your ultimate goal…



And then someone pushes you off and you go tumbling all the way to the bottom.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-had-a-bike-accident">I had a bike accident.</h2>



It changed the entire direction of my life, which took 14 months to recover.



At the time of it happening, I had worked for my client for 1 week, a successful week, but alas.



It was only a week, so my reputation was not strong enough.



He was good to me but unfortunately, it just didn’t work out because of the accident.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



So, all in all, being a Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai was a great experience, you can definitely succeed and I’m proof of that.



I achieved the goal, within 4.5 months of being in Chiang Mai with the first 2 months just experiencing Chiang Mai and Thailand for all it’s glory.



So really, with focus, I got my client within 2.5 months.



It was just really unfortunate that 6 weeks before my deadline I ended up in hospital.



Sitting in the hospital, losing my client and money running out.



I accepted I was going home.



So I tried to enjoy the remaining days of Chiang Mai after all the hospital experience ended, it was tough but I tried to enjoy it.



And then on the 21th December 2017, I landed back in the UK, the darkest day of my life.



Figuratively and literally.



Having success ripped away from me after all my hard work and it not being my own fault, I was angry and depressed.



But seeing as I succeeded the first time, I decided I would return one day.



Let me know in the comments if you're interesting in hearing what happened after I returned a year later!



Hope to hear from you.



Ross

6 months as Digital Nomad in Chiang Mai...

Remote working is all the rage at the moment, everyone wants to work from home. The idea that you HAVE to go to the office every day is absurd to the new generation.



I can do all my work from home without distractions!



I don't dispute the benefits of remote working, there are many. But to say it's perfect is not accurate. As with anything you have some negatives. 



As a web developer with nearly 9 years of experience, I've experienced both sides of development, on-site &amp; remote working.



So here are 3 cons to working remotely as a developer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-communication">#1 - Communication</h2>



With all the modern ways of communicating, you'd think this wouldn't be an issue but in reality, it is.



How many times have you been in the office working on an issue for a customer, a client or a colleague and you needed to ask a question?



Something you need an answer for immediately. I bet it's countless, right??



It's great when they're in the same office building as you. You can walk over and ask them in person and get your answer straight away.



But we all know that if they're in another part of the building and you need to send an email, the likely hood of you getting a response immediately is unlikely.



This delay in response can really hinder your progress. When you finally get your response, it might not answer your question correctly and you need to clarify what you mean, taking up more and more time.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-about-a-phone-call">What about a phone call?</h3>



I totally agree, a phone call is much better than an email. That misunderstanding you had in the email will be resolved quickly on the phone.



But what happens if they don't pickup?



Are they busy? Are they ignoring you? Are they even at their desk?



They could be on lunch or in the toilet. But all you get is a voicemail.



Leaving you in limbo.



So what do you do?



Unfortunately, all you can do is wait for a response which might not come until tomorrow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-motivation">#2 - Motivation</h2>



Whether or not people are more productive at home is a widely debated issue. I've asked many of my colleagues about this.



Most claim they are more productive at home.



The reality is, it very much depends on the person, for some yes, they are more productive at home, but not all. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Statistics (opens in a new tab)" href="https://thetylt.com/culture/working-from-home-more-less-productive" target="_blank">Statistics</a> show that at the time of writing, 59.2% of employees believe they are more productive at home.



The problem is, the only person who is watching you is yourself. Some people thrive when alone, they are self-motivated, they want to get work done.



Others are not so motivated and need to surround themselves with other hard-working individuals.



So if you're the type of person who gets up and is at their home work station for <g class="gr_ gr_12 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style multiReplace" id="12" data-gr-id="12">9am</g> with no one watching. Then congratulations, you probably won't suffer from lack of motivation.



But...



If you struggle and wouldn't be on time unless you know you'll get in trouble. Maybe you need to re-think remote working.



You gotta be self-motivated.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-the-lack-of-bonding-with-your-colleagues">#3 - The lack of bonding with your colleagues</h2>



I ask you this.



Who are your closest colleagues??



I bet it's someone in the office who is physically close to you, maybe it's the person next to you. Or the person across the room.



But I will take a guess and say it’s NOT someone in another building and most certainly&nbsp;not a colleague in a remote team.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
Building relationships with our colleagues is fundamental to feeling inspired, safe and fulfilled at work, and that can be difficult, especially if you work with a remote team.
<cite><a href="https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek/posts/building-relationships-with-our-colleagues-is-fundamental-to-feeling-inspired-sa/10157153214241499/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Simon Sinek (opens in a new tab)">Simon Sinek</a></cite></blockquote>



It's fairly well known that you work better with colleagues you've bonded with and that can be difficult with remote working.



Not knowing how someone will react to a situation at work because of that missing bond can really hinder your abilities to perform, especially under pressure.



One of the ways Simon Sinek tackles this is by every week, getting everyone on a video call and asking them personal questions (non-work related). But this can be daunting when you suddenly have 10 people waiting to hear your response.



That passing conversation in the office kitchen when you talk about your dog being sick or your upcoming wedding you're excited about goes a long way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



I'm not against remote working, I recognise all the perks. But if you want to improve productivity at work with your remote developers.



First, you need to understand.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.
<cite><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/60780-if-i-had-an-hour-to-solve-a-problem-i-d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Albert Einstein (opens in a new tab)">Albert Einstein</a></cite></blockquote>



Once you understand something, only then can you find a real solution to your problem.



What are your thoughts about remote working? Do you suffer from any of these?



Let me know in the comments!



Ross

3 Negatives of Remote Working as a Developer

You're probably thinking, damn I hate this remote working, it's so boring and lonely.



I just want to go outside...



But... there is an enormous difference between what we consider remote working and what we're experiencing right now.



Which is isolated working.



So what's the difference???



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-freedom-of-choice">#1 - Freedom of choice</h2>



You are free with remote working.



Remote working allows you to choose your work place. Some choose to be isolated, they like the peace and quiet, the comfort of their own home. And that is perfectly fine.



It’s about choice.



Others, like myself, enjoy the freedom of going to co-working spaces, coffee shops and meeting with and working with other people. I’ve always enjoyed the office environment.



It’s productive, you are surrounded by smart individuals who you can learn from every day. But most of all, you don’t feel alone in the daily struggle of life.



Most of all, I choose my office.



Today might be home, tomorrow might be a coffee shop, and the next day might be in the office.



It's the freedom of choice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-mental-separation">#2 - Mental separation</h2>



When your workplace is the same as your home, it's difficult to mentally separate out what is play time and what is work time.



Normally after work, you would disconnect from thinking about your work problems, rest your brain, your body from work. You would stimulate yourself with friends, family, enjoyment, enjoyable things.



Reminding yourself why you work so hard!



Everyone has a different reason to work hard, but when all you do is work. It's sometimes difficult to find the reason why you get up every day.



You need that separation so you can reset and refocus.



But without being able to make the mental distinction between your work and home, your brain is constantly thinking about work.



So you get tired. You get exhausted and start to forget….



You forget… why you do this. Why you work hard every day.



And so your performance hits the floor.



<ul><li>You need to have physical distance between work and home.</li><li>You need to have a routine in the morning which says to my brain; you are starting work.</li><li>You need to have a place you can return home to and relax after a long hard day.</li></ul>



And you can’t do all this when you are isolated at home in the corona virus / covid-19 era. Which sucks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-people">#3 - People</h2>



Human beings are social creatures. We would not exist without connecting with each other, creating emotional bonds and having children.



Our brains are wired to release positive feelings when surrounded by other people who bring us joy, love and comfort.



When working form companies on-site. I loved walking to work in the morning, coming and seeing all these gleeful faces, smiling and laughing.



We’d have our daily morning 15-minute meeting to layout the daily objectives. It was exciting and invigorating.



It filled me with focus and purpose. But most of all, it made me feel connected with other human beings. Because despite all the hard work, we had the most important thing, laughter.



We enjoyed ourselves; we made fun of each other; we joked and asked each other about our days. It made me feel wanted and important.



It filled me with purpose.



But with that striped away, it can be very hard.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



The corona virus / covid-19 is not going away anytime soon.



That sucks.



But I thought it was important to highlight that remote working is NOT what we're experiencing right now.



This is isolated working.

Isolated Working vs. Remote Working, Covid-19

As a web developer, it's fairly natural for me to work remotely. I’ve&nbsp;done it on and off for many years, sometimes for months at a time. At times it’s tough, but normally it’s very productive, as long as I plan to be productive, the problem is...



We’re alone when we remote work.



This can for some be a blessing, the constant nagging from colleagues which can pull us out from our focus. The commute to work, sitting in traffic. Not feeling fully comfortable like you can in your own home.



However.



Others, like me, require human interaction in order&nbsp;to function at 100%.



We feel, lonely.



We miss working in an office environment, it’s where we’re most productive. Personally, I believe it’s down to laughter.



When I’m with someone, I can make a joke, I can feel my smile, I can feel their smile, this sends waves of positive emotions throughout my body. When I feel less stressed from thinking about work 24/7, I can function better.



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://info.totalwellnesshealth.com/blog/why-laughing-at-work-is-healthy" target="_blank">Total Wellness Health</a> &amp; <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/7-reasons-why-laughing-makes-you-more-productive.html" target="_blank">Life hack</a> wrote&nbsp;great articles on laughter and why it helps you be more productive.



Essentially, when you laugh your body releases endorphins throughout your body which fills you with pleasure. This relaxes you, it makes you feel less worried and like you don’t have the entire world on your shoulders.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Endorphins are chemicals produced naturally by the nervous system to cope with pain or stress. They are often called “feel-good” chemicals because they can act as a pain reliever and happiness booster.<cite><a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320839">https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320839</a></cite></blockquote>



So every time you laugh, your stress levels go down.



Well... That's difficult to achieve when you're stuck at home all day alone, "remote working".



I think remote working is great, but in small doses.



We all have those days when we just want to feel alone. But most human beings are a social bunch, we crave human interaction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-how-do-you-combat-this"> So how do you combat this?</h2>



Well, on the days I do work from home, I do the following...



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-plan-the-night-before"> I plan the night before.</h3>



Every night, I write down my tasks for the next morning, my routine, what time I get up, what I'll have for breakfast. I also plan my break times and what I'll do in my break. I'll plan the night before to eat lunch with someone, a family member, a friend.



I'll literally shoot a text to someone and say...



Lunch tomorrow at 1pm?



This helps me have focus and reduces stress on my brain thinking about what my day is going to look like but more importantly...



I won't be alone.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-have-a-designated-work-space"> I have a designated work space</h3>



This is critical.



Our brains are wired to perceive a specific location with specific feelings. Our bed is for relaxing and sleeping, the office is for high functioning tasks. The living room is for fun.



So if you work in the living room or bedroom, your brain will get confused. When you try to sleep, you'll think about working. And when you try to work, you will feel it hard to get your brain started.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-have-a-morning-routine"> I have a morning routine</h3>



I get up like I'm going to the office; I make my bed, I shower, shave, put on work clothes and ever leave the house and go for a walk, a mini commute if you like.



Part of my mini commute is making a point say good morning to people on my route, dog walkers and older people are often very talkative and love a quick chat.



When I get back home, I go straight to my designated work space and act like it's work.



This helps my brain is many ways but mostly it's what I'm used to, my normal routine when I need to work in the office, but I do it at home.



And when all my work is finished, I leave like I'm leaving the office and going "home".



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-work-from-co-working-spaces-or-coffee-shops">I work from Co-Working Spaces or Coffee Shops</h3>



As I write this, I'm sitting in a coffee shop. I often leave my home and find a coffee shop when I want to focus on a task for a few hours.



Or if I need something for a day, I'll find a Co-Working space.



Co-Working spaces have free coffee, clean working environment, you can leave your stuff there all day without worry about theft and they have FAST internet.



Most of all, they have other people in Co-Working spaces who you can have a chat with while on lunch or after work.



As most of you might be feeling right now while Covid-19 has forced us into the remote life. You probably miss that quick trip to the kitchen to have a coffee and speak for 5 minutes with a colleague.



You might even miss the morning meetings! I know I do sometimes.



Unfortunately, while Covid-19 is around, we can't go to coffee shops or co-working spaces, but as things will change in the future, it's good to know the options.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-your-routine">What is your routine?</h3>



I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on remote working.



Do you have a routine? Do you think you should? What is your routine like? And what do you dislike?



Let me know!



With Kind Regards, Ross

Does remote working make us lonely?

Chiang Mai is a wonderful destination, when I first arrived here I was immediately hooked. Within my first hour of being in the great city of Chiang Mai, I fell in love with the place. A vibrant city, low cost of living and an amazing community of Digital Nomads, Expats and Locals. 



Chiang Mai has many great sights to see and seeing as I ended up spending a year of my life here, I have learned a thing or two about what's good and what's not so good.



So here it is, 5 of the best things to do in Chiang Mai in 2019.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-doi-suthep-temple-viewpoint">#1 - Doi Suthep (Temple / Viewpoint)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/doi-suthep-view-chiang-mai-e1553755321460-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2272"/><figcaption>View from Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep</figcaption></figure>



Without a doubt the most obvious choice when in Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep, a huge mountain that you can see from the entire city.



Getting up there takes about an hour from the centre and by far the best way is by bike (although a bit dangerous). The ride to Doi Suthep is quite a thrill but I must warn you, people do get hurt riding up so please, PLEASE be careful!



You can also get a songthaew (Red Bus) from Chiang Mai Zoo, this costs about 60-80 baht ($2~) and will take you to the temple. Just expect the driver to pack that bus so tight that people are hanging off of the back of the bus (no joke).



Another 60-80 baht return.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-doi-suthep-pui-national-park-campsite">#2 - Doi Suthep–Pui National Park (Campsite)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/doi-pui-campsite-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2267"/><figcaption>Morning view at 7am</figcaption></figure>



Imagine spending a night camping in the mountains, 1600 metres above sea level and 10c colder than the main city.



Yes it can get quite cold at night, but that's the point.



Camping in the mountains is an incredible experience, and with everything in Chiang Mai, it's dirt cheap. 400-500 baht per night, per tent. Each tent can fit 2 people comfortably or 3 at a squeeze.



Waking up to the sound of birds, seeing the wonderful view of Chiang Mai and the mountains in the morning. The smell of the beautiful air, the clean fresh air that can only be experienced in the wilderness.



Just a little heads up, bring your own food, the only restaurant there is not the best. I'd advise bringing a disposable fire and food.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-grand-canyon-water-park">#3 - Grand Canyon (Water Park)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/grand-canyon-chiang-mai-1024x576.jpg" alt="Chiang Mai Grand Canyon" class="wp-image-2281"/><figcaption>Chiang Mai Grand Canyon</figcaption></figure>



Chiang Mai's Grand Canyon is my personal favourite.



Yes, you are looking at a water park in a natural canyon in Chiang Mai, I can not do it justice with words, this is something that you can only experience in person.



Just imagine those game shows like "Wipe Out" and you get the idea.



It's a total of 550 baht ($15) and you can spend the entire day here having the most incredible time with friends. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-jungle-elephant-sanctuary">#4 - Jungle Elephant Sanctuary</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/chiang-mai-elephant-jungle-sanctuary-e1553756948345-1024x576.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-2282"/></figure>



The <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (opens in a new tab)" href="https://elephantjunglesanctuary.com/" target="_blank">Elephant Jungle Sanctuary</a> is an experience you can not miss while in Chiang Mai, a NO riding day out with elephants that have been rescued from a terrible life in tourism.



One thing you must know about elephants in Asia, some places abuse them for their own personal gain. If you see someone riding them or offering you the experience of riding them, walk away...



Just watch this video about why you should not promote any sort of tourism (riding) of elephants!


<iframe title="youtube"
 class="wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"
 src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LZsnKmXDLPo?feature=oembed"
 allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"
 allowFullScreen=""></iframe>


That's why I will always promote the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (opens in a new tab)" href="https://elephantjunglesanctuary.com/" target="_blank">Elephant Jungle Sanctuary</a> as the choice to go. They actually care about the wellbeing of these wonderful elephants, they make sure they have a happy life and are treated with compassion, love and respect.



You get to spend the day walking around, learning, feeding, swimming and bathing these special creatures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-doi-inthanon">#5 - Doi Inthanon</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/chiang-mai-doi-inthanon-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2304"/><figcaption>At the top of Doi Inthanon</figcaption></figure>



Doi Inthanon is the highest spot in Thailand, at 2,565 metres above sea level, with that you get incredible views, chilly temperatures and one hell of a ride.



Best experienced using a bike, a proper bike.



You'll set off from Chiang Mai and head south-west past grand canyon (we talked about before). After about an hour you'll start to climb the mountain with many, many turns with some incredible stopping points on the way!



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wachirathan-waterfall">Wachirathan Waterfall</h3>



If you head towards Doi Inthanon, Wachirathan Waterfall is a must do especially since it's on route.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://www.rossedlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/chiang-mai-wachirathan-waterfall-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2305"/><figcaption>Wachirathan Waterfall - Near Doi Inthanon</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-at-the-top-of-doi-inthanon">At the top of Doi Inthanon</h3>



Once you get to the top of Doi Inthanon, you'll definitely notice the temperature drop, especially in the winter, it can get so cold up there snow will form, no joke.



The best thing about Doi Inthanon is you get to experience not just amazing views, but temples, great food, fresh air and my personal favourite, riding to the top!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finally">Finally<g class="gr_ gr_10 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation multiReplace" id="10" data-gr-id="10">..</g>.</h2>



If you like it, please let me know by leaving a comment and if you have any suggestions or questions, also, leave a comment!



Thanks Ross

5 of the best things to do in Chiang Mai (2019)

Getting up at 6am was never my strength, I was that night owl, the guy who’d be up on my computer late at night until 4am in the morning. The lack of sleep would finally catch up with me and I’d head to my bed and not get up until midday.



When I woke, I’d feel groggy, that feeling of being tired even though I had 8 hours sleep. My family would complain and call me lazy, I still remember my mother coming into my bedroom once when I was 17 years old.



She was angry and disappointed. Those dreadful words came out of her mouth...



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">It’s 12 o'clock, why are you still in bed you lazy boy.</blockquote>



I kept telling myself that I wasn’t lazy; I was only having 8 hours sleep which was true, but...



I felt lazy too, the feeling of getting up and seeing the clock and it’s halfway through the day, it didn’t make me feel very productive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-i-started-getting-up-at-6am">Why I started getting up at 6am</h2>



To achieve more.



I’d recently read The Bullet Proof Diet from Dave Asprey. The magic of Bullet Proof Coffee got me thinking a lot more about health and fitness and my mind wanted to find a solution to a long problem I had in my life.



Not feeling productive for the first few hours in a day.



I’d made a commitment to myself that&nbsp;I wanted to start a business, to become a self-made man. But the common message I was getting from my peers was simple.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">If you want to succeed, you need to start your day right!</blockquote>



Okay, so what did that mean...



Initially, I thought they meant getting up and doing work but it was much more than that. When I looked into the psychology, I found about dopamine.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-dopamine">What is dopamine?</h4>



It’s the “feel good” chemical released when you get a achieve something, but it’s also released when you use your phone or you’re on social media. When reading more, I found out that dopamine is highly addictive, it’s why we waste so much time on social media, it’s why we chase likes on social media, for that quick fix of dopamine.



So if dopamine is the feel-good chemical and it can be achieved in many ways, including doing productive tasks, let’s make the first thing I do in my day, release dopamine



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">If you want to succeed, you need to start your day right!</blockquote>



If the first thing you do in your day is a productive task that releases dopamine. Then you must make that a priority.



By doing so, you trick your brain into associating pleasure (dopamine) with productive tasks, not social media.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-i-get-up-at-6am-and-make-my-bed-straight-away">So I get up at 6am and make my bed, straight away.</h4>



By getting up at 6am, I already feel good because I got up, it’s the first task of the day. Then I immediately make my bed.



The first time I did it, I consciously felt the dopamine released and felt good.



It was 6am; I was up, looking at a nicely made bed, I felt good. I wanted to continually feel good and my brain was now associating the feel-good chemical with productive tasks.



It’s a snowball effect, you do one task and you feel good, so you do another, and another, and another. You keep going until you’re exhausted and you need rest but you feel so good because you’ve accomplished so much.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-i-started-getting-up-at-6am">How I started getting up at 6am</h2>



I won’t lie, this was difficult. But by using a few tactics I made it so I had very little choice.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-telling-everyone-what-i-was-going-to-do">Telling everyone what I was going to do</h3>



I heard about the power of accountability, that if people know about your goals and can see the results, you will feel guilty if you fail. This feeling definitely motivated me to get up.



I told everyone; I posted about it on my Instagram stories; I told my friends to expect to see a story.



When I woke up, my first thoughts are, damn, if I don’t get up now, all my friends will think I’m a failure.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-butter-coffee">Butter coffee</h3>



Yes, I’m one of those people who drinks butter with my coffee.



Sounds strange right...



I thought so too, but then I read the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Bullet Proof Diet by Dave Aspery. (opens in a new tab)" href="https://alifeofproductivity.com/killer-morning-habit-drink-water-right-after-you-wake-up/" target="_blank">Bullet Proof Diet by Dave Asprey.</a> It talked about the massive health benefits of drinking butter with high-quality coffee, but not just any butter.



Grass-fed, unsalted butter.



According to the experts, grass-fed butter is extremely healthy for you, whether this is the case, I don’t know. I added it to my morning routine, first thing after my shower, I pop the kettle on and start brewing. Every time I drink it, my brain gets a big kick of energy which doesn’t fade until around 6pm.



Best of all, I wasn’t hungry until lunchtime (benefits of the butter) so no need for breakfast.



I’m intending on getting several medical tests done to check I’m not killing myself with butter every day I take everything with a pinch of salt so when someone claims think is healthy; I don’t 100% believe it until I see medical data to back up the claim.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-cleaned-up-my-room">I cleaned up my room</h3>



I cleaned the room up, wiped the desks, removed everything from the floor and put everything in the cupboards.



Sounds a little silly but waking up to a clean room gave me a sense of pride and relief that I didn’t have “that task” todo today.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-prepared-everything-the-night-before">I prepared everything the night before</h3>



Packing my bags ready to be grabbed just as I’m walking out the door was a huge relief, knowing that I could simply get up, shower and get dressed and leave made it much easier to get up at 6am.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-charging-my-phone-alarm-away-from-my-bed">Charging my phone / alarm away from my bed</h3>



This was HUGE, I can not emphasis how instrumental this was.



For starters I could not play with my phone into the early hours of the morning. 



Secondly, when it goes off in the morning, I have to physically get up and walk across the room to turn it off. Since I’m up, it’s 10x easier to just drink the bottle of water I left next to my phone which gives you a massive boost in the morning.



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Read this article on why you should drink water when you wake up. (opens in a new tab)" href="https://alifeofproductivity.com/killer-morning-habit-drink-water-right-after-you-wake-up/" target="_blank">Read this article on why you should drink water when you wake up.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-good">The good</h2>



The benefits of getting up at 6am can not be understated, it was a huge game changer for me.



The first and most immediate effect was the sheer amount of work I accomplished, being up that early and already achieving multiple tasks that day (making my bed) filling me with positive feelings (dopamine) which propelled me forward.



By the time 9am hit, I’d already put in 2 hours of work and ticked off multiple tasks from my list.



Not being distracted by other people also gave me incredible focus since most people weren’t up or they were on their way to work. Most importantly, I was able to focus on my tasks and no one else’s.



A nice side effect was I lost weight, in my first 30 days I lost 2kg and since I put on some “extra”, it was the icing on the cake.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-bad">The bad</h2>



Although getting up at 6am had huge benefits, it came with some bad.



One of the biggest issues I found was if you have to get up at 6am in the morning, to get a proper nights sleep, you need to get to bed for 10pm to get your proper 8 hours.



So any social activities that go beyond 9:30pm either result in you not going or you having less sleep which can be a problem the next day.



This was frustrating when I was at the cinema and the film ran late, you end up getting back at 11pm. By the time you’re asleep, it’s nearly 12 midnight so you only get 6 hours.



Just imagine a night out drinking to late hours, not going to happen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-my-overall-feelings">My overall feelings</h2>



Overall, getting up at 6am was a huge benefit to getting work done. But that came with some sacrifice, so you’ll need to decide what’s more important to you.



Your evening or your morning?



For me, my morning, because I can achieve more in the day which fills me with immense joy and satisfaction. I can still socialise in the evenings and weekends but I need to be strict with myself about not staying out too late.



Anyway, keep learning and challenging yourself! Until next time.



Ross

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