There is simply no way to put this mildly or sugarcoat this in any way, shape or form:

My Blog Sucks!

It has sucked for a while and I’m desperately hoping to revive it like a phoenix from the ashes :p In recent months, I’ve done everything that I would NOT recommend one do in order to create a successful travel blog. Lately, I’ve been treating poor old Nomadic Sammy like a neglected friend that needs one heck of a big bear hug. It’s been ages since I wrote a proper lengthy post, quirky travel story, photo essay or update regarding my state of affairs.

I’ve been really thankful for some excellent guest post contributions covering Teaching English in China, living overseas as a location independent digital nomad and visiting underrated destinations in Europe. Although I recently posted about my controversial and traumatic experiences in the army, that post was written several years ago and revamped for the first time on this blog; in my mind it’s not fresh off the press.  Aside from stuffing my beak and getting out of shape, I have no excuses.

What’s the deal then? What have I been up to?

In late December I finished teaching English in Korea for what is most likely (I never say never) my final contract in the former Hermit Kingdom. For those who have been reading along for a while, I’ve spent more time in Korea in my adult years than I have back home in Canada. Thus, closing this chapter in my life is quite a significant step for me.

I’m over the moon that I’ll finally be taking off the training wheels and trying to make it as a digital nomad on the road. My attention has been on trying to create some more passive income streams that will allow me to fulfill my dream of being my own boss. These ‘extra’ projects have swamped my daily schedule of late, but I’m thrilled that the ‘grunt work’ appears to be over and that I’ll have the time to post more frequently again.

Anyhow, getting back on track, after completing my contract in Korea, I went home to visit my family in Canada for several weeks. Contending with good ‘ole Canadian Jack Frost wasn’t easy (it got down to -35 for several days!) but I embraced it as best I could, doing old-time fun and familiar activities, such as taking in hockey games, skating, snowshoeing and playing shiny.

It’s a minor miracle I was able to stay at home for 6 weeks and not pack on the pounds. My Mom is an excellent cook and between all of the family dinners, Christmas baking and festive meals with friends, I sure had to keep my ass in gear (quite literally) in order not to start looking like a rotund little elf. Although it was hard to push myself away from the table at times, I’m pleased to announce my 100 day weight loss challenge has overall been highly successful. I’ve shed 20 pounds, eliminated some bad lifestyle habits (while adopting positive new ones) and felt a surge in energy and creativity given the positive changes I’ve made. I’m going to write a more comprehensive and detailed post on this weight loss subject sometime soon.

Several days ago, I arrived back in South Korea to meet up with my girlfriend Audrey of That Backpacker. She’s mere days away from finishing her one year teaching contract in Korea. In essence, that means we’ll be trading in our rulers, collared shirts and pens for backpacks, bandanas, dodgy t-shirts and shorts. From teachers to backpackers. I reckon it’s like we’re transforming from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. Although we’ve appreciated our time in Korea we’re ready to walk on the wild side. We’re thrilled that this year of delayed gratification (working tirelessly as teachers and online) is going to allow us to travel indefinitely.

Where are we going first?

I’m going to let the cat out of the bag and announce right here and now that we’re heading to Malaysia first! I’m really excited to be heading back to one of my favorite countries in SE Asia. I wrote several months ago that I thought Malaysia was the most underrated country to travel to in South East Asia. With such diverse landscapes, food, culture and people I know Audrey is going to love being there for the first time.

With backpacking shenanigans awaiting us in just mere days, my promise is that I won’t neglect this humble little travel blog again. There will be smorgasbord of stories, photos and videos seeping onto the front pages soon enough and I hope you’ll stick around to share in the adventures.