Off-Grid Voices - A Chat With Kaitlyn Ramsay
Sharing others' experiences with living a life outside the norm
Off-Grid Voices is a series of written interviews with others who are out there living their best lives, living lives that are a little outside the norm, a little different. Iām hoping this series will inspire some of you who may be thinking about living a life off the grid, travelling the world, doing #vanlife, or anything else that you may be considering. Hope you enjoy exploring these lifestyles with me. š
This month we get to know Kaitlyn Ramsay, who is writing for Loving the Dark Parts and currently lives in Thailand.
Letās start with learning a bit more about you, Kaitlyn.
Iām Kaitlyn, writer and astrologer at Loving the Dark Parts, where I write about real life through the lens of astrology. Some common topics include living abroad, sobriety, cyclical living, and relationships. I currently live in a small town in Northern Thailand, with my dog Lady, who I adopted here five years ago.
Tell us a little bit about your lifestyle. On your Substack I read youāre a Canadian expat living in Thailand. Would you mind sharing a bit about what made you move and why you chose Thailand?
It wasnāt actually my intention to move abroad long term. In 2016 after a breakup, I decided to quit my corporate job and travel on a working holiday visa to Australia. I sold my things and packed a backpack with some belongings and set out on what I thought would be a one year adventure.Ā
While I was living in Australia, I found myself craving a new cultureāas Australia is really similar to Canadaāand ended up in South East Asia. Eight years later, Iām living in a town that I had meant to be travelling to for only two days. I fell in love (with a man and the place) and never left! I was living in a dorm for about a year until I realized it was probably time for me to rent a house and secure more solid roots.
You mentioned that before you moved to Thailand you did a bit of travelling. Where have you travelled and whatās your all-time favourite travel destination?
I started travelling when I was quite youngāmy first trip was to St. Maarten with my dad as a child, then to the Dominican Republic and Cuba on other family trips. In high school I was fortunate enough to go on a class trip to Europe and explored parts of Italy, France, Monaco, and Vatican City. I got bit by the travel bug early in life, and little did I know that it would turn into my lifestyle as an adult.
Later in life, when I quit my job in Canada, I travelled to Australia to explore on my own. When I felt complete there, I went to Bali for a quick R&R stop to practice some yoga for a few weeks. The yoga teacher mentioned the town Iām now living in, which is wild to think about. I wrote more about it in a story of synchronicities on my personal Substack.
After leaving Bali, I travelled to Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. And this year I went to Malaysia and Japan. The beauty of living here is that there are so many accessible countries nearbyāand with local visa requirements, Iām often required to leave the countryāthis year I decided to make some trips out of it.Ā
My favourite travel destination so far has been Japan. The culture is something Iāve always been intrigued by, and the food is absolutely amazing. The care that Japanese people put into everything they do is really inspiring. I also went near cherry blossom season and it was beautiful to see.
If you had to explain your current lifestyle in a couple of words, how would you describe it? What would be the main aspects of living life your way?
My current lifestyle is simple. I donāt have many things, and I have embraced a slower pace of life. Coming from the corporate world, it was tough (and still is, at times) to trust the slow life and to learn how to push less. Iāve learned to live more cyclically, in alignment with my own natural ebbs and flows, which has been challenging and equally as rewarding. During the time I quit drinking alcohol in 2020, I started studying astrology, which guided me inward and inspired me to live more according to the seasons. My sensitivities now exposed, without the numbing of alcohol, had me restructuring my life to support the new change. Iāve become more connected to my menstrual cycle and I structure my life to support the phases of each monthāby the moon and my own menstrual cycleāresting during the times I donāt have energy, and pushing harder through ovulation and near the full moon. Looking at the larger astrological cycles have been helpful for me, too, by inspiring me to give myself more grace and pointing me to the areas where I should focus my energy at any given time.
I live in a small northern town in Thailand, where it takes about 3 hours and 762 curves up and down the mountain to get to the nearest city. I have a history of moving to more isolated places, and this is no exception. The town is small and very community minded, which is something I can appreciate in the current climate of the worldāwe donāt all have this opportunity.
Most of my days are filled with some work online, coffee at one of my favourite cafĆ©s, and time with my dog, Lady. I live quite simply in my homeāmy toilets flush with a bucket of water, I just got hot water for my shower last year, and I travel to the laundromat by scooter with my laundry bag between my legs to wash my clothes and come home to hang them on the line in the sun.
Iāve taken up dance classes and practice Muay Thai some weeks. I spend some days writing and painting, and I essentially have more freedom to do what I want with the time I do have.
Iād love to learn a bit more about the benefits you have seen in your own life from adopting this type of lifestyle and moving to Thailand?
The biggest benefit of moving overseas has been experiencing how other people live.Ā
Sometimes we assume that everyone has similar mindsets, goals, and ways of living, but by moving abroad Iāve come to appreciate that we all value different things. The definition of success that was instilled in me from my home country never really resonated with me, and by moving abroad I came closer to who I truly am and how I define success. Iāve been able to see how others live, and adopt new ways of living that suit my own values. I care a lot less about what I have, the clothes I wear, and what I drive than ever before.
Living in a new country (especially one with a different language and culture) will test you to your limits, but the things Iāve learned about myself and the world around me is something I will always treasure.Ā
We all know life isnāt just about the positives, and making changes can come with challenges and frustrations as well. What would you say is your biggest challenge of your current lifestyle or moving abroad - how are you overcoming these challenges?
There are definitely many challenges that come along with my lifestyle! One of the most challenging is being far from family. Itās hard to watch my family grow and experience life without meāthere are some family members that Iāve never met because Iāve been away since theyāve been born. Sometimes I feel as though Iām on the outside looking in. It can get lonely, especially around the holidays when nostalgia kicks in. Trying to recreate the holidays is something Iāve tried to do, but doing it without family around is hard.
On the more practical side of things, language barriers can be difficultāespecially when it comes to basic needs. It can be hard to get practical tasks done, like buying food, setting up internet, doctorās visits, transportation, or even finding places to stay. Charades can get you far, but it can be a pain to get your point across and to understand those around you.Ā
Language barriers can also be challenging when trying to build deeper connections, like friendships and romantic relationships. Communication is hard enough in intimate relationships when we speak the same first language, but to have the extra barrier can be difficult. It takes more effort to build long lasting and fulfilling connections. Sometimes I find relationships can only go so far, even though I speak, read, and write Thai, and many people here speak good English, but itās not at the level of fluency and true flow. Acts of service go far, and food is a love language in Asian culture. Iāve learned new ways to express myself without needing to use words, and I think this is a valuable skill I will carry with me throughout the rest of my life.
My biggest challenge right now is not knowing whatās next. I have a sense that I wonāt be in Thailand much longer, but Iām not sure where I will go next. Iāve grown so much here, but Iām not sure that it is my forever home.Ā
What advice would you give someone who is looking to move overseas / adopt this type of lifestyle?
My advice is to just do it. If itās something that sparks your interest, itās worth it. It can be challenging, but through the challenges you will learn so much about yourself. Try to learn a little bit about the culture and the ways of life beforehand, and be open to things being different than in your home country. Practice living in a similar way to the locals, and be respectful of the traditions and way of life for the best possible experience. Make local friends and learn the language, oftentimes the language holds much of the culture within it. Eat local food and donāt be afraid to try things you havenāt experienced before.Ā
I would wholeheartedly recommend it, even if itās just for a season of your lifeāremember the decisions you make donāt have to be forever. Iām not sure how long I will continue to live here, but itās helpful to know Iām not stuck in it, and I can choose to leave at any time if Iām ready for a new experience.
Thank you so much Kaitlyn for sharing your story with us. I loved learning about your journey. For anyone wanting to learn a bit more about Kaitlyn, go check out her substack. Definitely check out her story about the notebook and synchronicity, it's beautiful ā¤ļø
Something that inspired me this week
Iām keeping it simple this week with a reminder of one of my favourite quotes.
Sometimes we can get so worked up about things and we feel we need to have an answer to everything that comes our way. This quote reminds me that ānot saying anythingā is a perfectly acceptable reply. I donāt have to have an opinion about everything that comes my way.
This is what you can expect from me every week! A long-form article related to a reflection or life lesson on personal growth and one thing that inspired me this week. If you liked this, donāt keep it to yourself; share it with your friends:
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I love this Marcus Aurelius quote, Sophie! What a perfect message for the lunar eclipse today š„¹ā¤ļø thank you for allowing me to share part of my story with your readers.
I loved knowing more about your story, Kaitlyn! Thank you for writing this Sophie š¤ š„°