The do's and don'ts of a South East Asian sabbatical
The do's and don'ts of a South East Asian sabbatical
We'll dive into practical tips, cultural insights, and budgeting strategies to make your journey unforgettable with passionate traveller, Mel Pike.
This week on Prime Time, we dive into the art of taking a midlife sabbatical with Mel Pike. At 53, Mel took extended leave from her public service role and spent five months living near Kata Beach in Thailand, using the time to decompress and rediscover what she wanted from the next stage of her life. We’ll explore her entire journey—from how she saved for it to what she did during her stay—and share plenty of insights along the way. It’s an inspiring story with lessons we can all take to heart.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST HERE:
Highlights of the show:
Mel Pike’s Sabbatical Experience: We explore how Mel’s planned three-month solo midlife sabbatical to Kata Beach, Phuket, evolved into a five-month stay, driven by her deep connection to the place and her desire to reassess her life’s direction.
Choosing Thailand: Mel shares why she chose Thailand for her sabbatical, drawing from her past as an exchange student. We discuss how this connection influenced her decision and the practicality of Thailand as an affordable destination.
Budgeting and daily life: We dive into the financial side of Mel’s trip, discussing how she budgeted for food, housing, and other daily expenses, including her unique approach to never cooking dinner during the entire stay.
Immersing in local culture: The episode highlights how Mel fully immersed herself in Thai culture, learning the language, attending classes, and integrating into the community. We discuss the meaningful connections she made and her plans to revisit.
Solo travel and personal growth: Mel reflects on why she chose to travel alone, how she consciously filled her days with relaxation and reflection, and how this time out helped her reset goals and find new purpose.
Practical Insights and Publishing: We cover how Mel funded her trip through long service leave and savings, with practical tips for listeners.
Publishing her book: We also touch on her journey to publishing her book, Doing Life Differently in Thailand, sharing her solo living experience.
You can get your own copy of the book here.
From Bec’s Desk
Mel’s experience gets me excited for the opportunities we all have in our Prime Time, if we choose them. Her courage as a solo female traveller is infectious — a disease I hope we all catch a little of.
This week has been a busy one. I’ve been working on a report with the Allianz Retire+ team called “How do we make retirements more epic?” that has been released this week, with a lot of media coverage and interest. It’s thrilling to see the retirement sector finally stepping up and interested in understanding the needs and wants of todays incoming retirees and Prime Timers, who clearly want to work, stay fulfilled and access their superannuation.
I wrote a column in the weekend’s The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that you might want to read about how retirement is changing, called “The truth about why we’re working longer in retirement”. Or if you’re more interested, you can download the full report free from the Allianz Retire+ website here.
Now, go ahead and start dreaming of a South East Asian sabattical with Mel Pike. She’s an inspiration.
Catch you next week, and in the meantime, make your Prime Time count!
Many thanks! Bec Wilson
Author, podcaster, guest speaker, retirement educator … Visit my website for more info about me, here