Quirkbag Collection #19 – 31.10.25
More Than A Holiday In Phuket
I went to Phuket with two friends. In fact, I only returned yesterday. It’s been about two weeks since the grand finale of my military service (see here). This trip to Phuket was a celebration. It was an adventure I had with them. It was cartharsis and relief.
But it also meant freedom and responsibility over our own time and activities. It felt like more than a holiday in Phuket.
Cue the plane ride.
A Surprise For Us
The number of Thai nationals and Singaporeans visiting and returning from Phuket barely made up half of the plane’s capacity. The majority of the remainder were Europeans (with some Russians and Australians). That’s some 100+ Westerners on a plane with about 250 people.
Fancy that.
It was so diverse, yet so homogeneous at the same time.
Even in Phuket, practically every other person we saw on the street was a foreigner. Most commonly, it’s someone speaking a foreign European language. (And being that Singaporean overseas, I had to play the guessing game of what language.) We were constantly reminded that this was a tourist vacation spot every few minutes.
I had expected for far less tourists considering the time of the year. Tourism comes in waves but I guess there is always water by the shore. If you were to visit Phuket, I’d suggest avoiding the monsoon season (it rained ⅔ of the trip), especially if you are a beach potato like me.
Still, better bring your sunblock along. Don’t let the Phuket cloudy day fool you.
The Most Touristy Thing
Of course, any tourist would visit the usual sites, eat the well-rated food (with good reasons) and try the most common activities. Indeed, there are must-dos. And I did them. But there are also pretty mediocre tourist activities to avoid.
Let’s start with the obvious touristy things. You can fill in the blanks yourself here.
- Wat Chalong
- Patong Beach Walking Street
- Old Phuket Town (Flooded with European and few Asian tourists)
A giant temple, in all its glory.
A very crowded street, with a very busy road.
One of the best decisions I made during this trip was choosing to ride a jet ski at ridiculous speeds. Gliding across the water at 70km/h with no brakes, the voice of fear and urge to stop only grows in tandem with the thrill in your blood.
But it was an exhilarating 25 minutes.
My hands were shaking at the end after gripping the handles tightly against the waves. But I wouldn’t trade that experience back.
An Unforgettable Experience
The best experiences, an unforgettable experience, come with a mix of fear, anxiety, satisfaction and thrill. But only if you overcome that mental hurdle and hesitation to make the unconventional or uncomfortable choice. It’s not easy. It’s your current self pulling you back into your comfort zone. But I am glad I took a step out.
There was a Muay Thai boxing match in a local stadium. It’s an obvious tourist attraction. Now, being me, an overcrowded boxing match is not my thing. I passed on this initially because I was quick to stay in my comfort zone. But I did go eventually.
On hindsight, I doubt it was ever a regrettable choice. In fact, I had every reason to see it (for your sake, I shall not be listing every reason). I had never seen a live boxing match before. It’s not a global stage, nor is it a national or regional one. It’s a local tourist stadium.
Being in Phuket, with friends, with freedom of choice and a conveniently scheduled match displaying the local martial art was a sign. It was a subtle one. But there wasn’t a more authentic and unique experience to consider.
This was the “test”. That small crossroads that forces you to choose who you want to be more of.
Would I choose to explore something new for the experience and story, or return to the usual type of activities I am all too familiar with when overseas?
I kept thinking about it. And it felt like a sign. So I decided to go. I have no regrets.
These moments are the ones where you pick to either continue living like your old self, or pick to create someone you want to be. Your ideal-self does not self-actualise. You create the person by becoming the person. It doesn’t happen overnight, and definitely not with a single choice. But it does happen over time, compounded by each and every choice.
The Closing of A Chapter
The trip ended with a walk in the rain to the airport. But the end of this trip meant the end of a chapter in my life. This was more than a holiday in Phuket.
It’s farewell to an old life, and to the people that I saw every day in that life. It’s an ode to the freedom I always looked forward to, but also a taste of the responsibility and empowerment that comes with it.
We easily blame circumstances and a lack of freedom for not being who we want to be when it is really our own subconscious choices to stick with our old selves. There is an unspoken fear of change when the change involves our identity or personal lifestyle choices.
I love this frame from Alex Hormozi (his content truly consumes me more than I consume it):
“The last chapter of our lives is already written. We die. And so you might as well fill the rest with epic stories of daring greatly and doing what you’ve always wanted to do until that day comes. Because we only really regret the things we never try.”
It’s our choice to make when we have the free time to do the things we want to try but are too afraid to. It’s our choice to let another opportunity pass by. There aren’t any do-overs or re-rolls when it comes to time.
Make the bold choice, try even if you fail, because if you live to tell the tale years later, even if it’s only to yourself, it would have been worth the moment of fear, anxiety or shame.
If not now, when?
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