I got reposted by CosmopolitanUK

Good evening from Chiang Mai, Thailand! 🇹🇭

The weirdest thing happened recently:

CosmopolitanUK reposted my tweet on Instagram… which I’m still not sure what to think about lol.

I’m not a woman.

I’m not British.

And somehow I ended up on a British publication for women lol.

(They actually reposted my tweet a few weeks ago, but I didn’t notice until yesterday morning after Googling my name for something)

It wasn't even about travel or business or any of the stuff I actually write about. It was about Christmas trees. That's what got featured 🤷‍♂

I have no idea what this means for my personal brand, but I'm choosing to see it as a win.

Anyway… moving on lol.

This newsletter you couldn’t wait to open? It runs on beehiiv — the absolute best platform for email newsletters.

Our editor makes your content look like Picasso in the inbox. Your website? Beautiful and ready to capture subscribers on day one.

And when it’s time to monetize, you don’t need to duct-tape a dozen tools together. Paid subscriptions, referrals, and a (super easy-to-use) global ad network — it’s all built in.

beehiiv isn’t just the best choice. It’s the only choice that makes sense.

Start free today. No credit card required

Hi friend,

I crashed a motorbike this weekend.

Well, technically my boyfriend crashed it. But I almost crashed it 10 seconds earlier, so maybe we’re both on the hook lol.

Let me back up.

Last weekend, we were up in Chiang Rai visiting his brother near the Thailand/Myanmar/Laos border (the “Golden Triangle” as they call it).

Beautiful area - mountains, temples, the kind of views that make you understand why people move to Southeast Asia in the first place.

Now, while we were there, his brother lent us his motorbike so we could ride up to an old temple on a hill.

And let me just say, the brakes were… not great.

Nevertheless, we figured it’d be fine for a short trip. How bad could it be?

Going uphill turned out fine. But coming back down was a different story. I squeezed the brakes hard… harder… and we were barely stopping.

*Skweeeeeeek*

Just this slow, terrifying realization that I wasn't slowing down (actually my hand slipped and I sped UP slightly).

Not sure what to do, I tried to steer into the dirt on the side of the road. And somehow, through sheer luck, glided to a stop without hitting anything.

After getting off the bike, hands shaking, I immediately asked my boyfriend if he could drive the rest of the way down.

He's better at this stuff.

Safer choice, right?

(FYI I've only had my Thai motorbike license a few months, so I figured he'd handle it better.)

Except 10 seconds later, no joke, we skidded down the mountain and ended up tipped over on the ground. Both of our hands slightly bruised, sitting in the dirt, wondering what just happened.

Yes, we’re both completely fine.

And that’s the funny thing.

Before I left for Asia, people warned me about exactly this kind of thing. "You're going to get hurt." "It's too dangerous." "What if something happens?"

And yeah, something happened.

The "dangerous" thing everyone warned me about actually happened, and it was... not that bad.

Scary in the moment? Sure. But recoverable. Fixable.

Meanwhile back home, people are stressed about things that might not crash you into the dirt, but will absolutely grind you down over time:

But building something for yourself is the risky choice?

I think we have a weird relationship with risk. We're terrified of the unlikely stuff (crashes, scams, getting lost in a foreign country) while accepting the guaranteed suffering of the default path.

Sitting in traffic for two hours a day will hurt you. Student loans will stress you out. A job you hate will drain you.

But those risks feel normal, so we don't count them.

The crash happened once and it was scary for maybe ten minutes total. Then it was done and we laughed about it and went to get food.

But the safe, responsible path grinds on you every single day. It's not one dramatic moment you can point to… just a slow accumulation of days, doing things you don't care about, for reasons you're not even sure of anymore.

Both are risks.

I'd rather take my chances with the motorbike 😉

Joshua

The newsletter recommendation above is an affiliate link. I only promote newsletters I genuinely read and think you’ll find valuable.

👨‍💻Beehiiv: The newsletter platform I use to write and send Outside the Lines. Easy-to-use interface, great analytics, and built for creators.

🚑 SafetyWing: Travel medical insurance designed for nomads. Covers you in 185+ countries and lets you pay month-to-month instead of per-trip.

🔐 NordVPN: The VPN I use daily to stay secure on public wifi and access content from anywhere in the world.

💰 Wise: The best way to send and receive money internationally without getting destroyed by bank fees. Essential for digital nomads.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

These resources are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase. These are all services I currently use and love, and helps keep Outside the Lines free (at no extra cost to you).