In 2005, I graduated from VCU with a degree in mass communication and $50k in student loans. I spent the past 7 years working as a copywriter in the US and the past 2 years following the Dave Ramsey plan. After achieving debt-freedom, I decided to move myself overseas, selecting Asia due to curiosity more than anything. I’d like to find someplace to stay for a while – you know, get an actual address and a full-time job – but finding the right agency is key. In the meantime, I’ll continue posting what I see, do, notice, think, etc. Thank you for reading!
**April 2013 UPDATE** I’m taking a break from Asia to visit my college roommate in Lima, Peru. I am looking for ad jobs here, so if I find one, I’ll stay and if I don’t, then I’ll move this party along! (Back to NYC, on to Shanghai or possibly a total curve-ball like Antarctica. I hear they have a pretty chill corporate culture down there…)
O hi, Asia! 
love your blog! I’m traveling to Saigon soon and your post on Vietnam are really entertaining.
Thanks! It’s pretty safe, I think. Worst that’ll happen is a pocket-pick or attempted bag snatch. I’ve been here a week & don’t think it’s as thiev-y as the internet would lead you to believe. Message me with any questions! I’ll be here for at least a month.
Hi! seeing that you’ve stayed at the long hostel for a couple of weeks now can you give me your “2 cents” regarding Long hostel or can you recommend a better one?
Isabel, I strongly recommend Long Hostel! They are so sweet, genuine and speak English really well. Also they won some TripAdvisor award for 2012. I’ll be staying at this hostel again when I circle back from Mekong Delta. If you can, get a single room on the 2nd or 3rd floor – not the dorm on the 5th floor. Single rooms are $15/night if you book straight with them. The dorm is $9/night, so for me, the savings isn’t worth it. (The dorm room sleeps 5.)
nice blog
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Glad you are debt free before your move to HK. Paying student loans in US dollars with a HK salary would have been really hard. Just saw your blog for the first time today but will check it out from now on.
Thanks for reading, China Newz. Just curious, why would paying off debt in HK have been hard? Would I have not made a decent salary there?
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Hey Purple Sam!!!! I got your postcard!!! This is awesome! I was giving the cat some treats just before I read it! Call me, message me, text me or email me! Can’t wait to see you next month!!!
HELLO MY FRIEND!! I know you probably didn’t expect a message from me, but I just had to leave a message for you!! It’s your childhood friend, Anna Watson – now Shaw. Would love to hear from you…I will be definitely following your blog….very interesting and so totally the Susan I remember!! You have definitely grown up to be a very beautiful woman with a personality to match!! Love you…so great to see you are loving life. > remember that halarious pic of me, you and Sara playing the sax, flute & violin?
Glory be, Anna Banana! I’ve asked about you over the years and you’re like a phantom – no one knows where you went! So glad to have you here and super-looking forward to meeting up with you on my upcoming trip! xoxo Btw, you know who the “Shannon” is in the comment above yours is, don’t you?! Quite the coincidence.
WHHAAATTT? you know when I read the blog, I wondered if that was her, but I thought, nahh – so crazy!! She must be thinking about me….Haven’t seen her in a while either – now all we need is Sara to pop up!!! hahaha!
Oh, you haven’t seen Sara? We all just thought she was with you. 😉
HAHAHA! you’re so crazy…last I heard she married Danny Lewindowski….did I spell that right ?? Well you remember him don’t you? We were all apart of the G.L.Wiley Crew…hahahahahahah – oh I’m just laughing so hard right now!! Remember that big long lunch table we sat at with all our friends?? oh that was sooo fun…remember Mr Gamble & “SKIIIIIID ROW !” I think I was on skid row almost everyday…hahahah
LOL!!! Shanna/Anna!!! Hey sista! Yep, Mr. Gamble is still around…does work for my Dwayne (yes girl, Dwayne Johnson…Jamon and Glenn’s brother…we’ve been together for quite a while now!). I miss you Anna!!!
This is creative! I like it! Hi Anna Watson-Shaw 🙂 Yes My Shan Shan got me on here peeping this lol. Seriously how is Asia this time of year, Susan? I got a degree in Mass Comm also….what are you doing with it in Asia?
Oh, so NOW you write me, hm? Go look at your fb messages from October 1st and see how long you ignored me! You’re on my list, Dwayne…on my LIST!
LOL…he probably over looked it. 😉
Oh yea yea shug lol….I talked to you in my head lmao
We love following your blog as we deal with so many people like you, who left the west for an Asian adventure. Good for you!
I have nominated you for a Liebster Award! Check out my site for details http://www.prayerpunk.com
Thanks, Jareth!
Love your blog!! 🙂
Also, I’ve noticed you have the Liebster award badge on your blog … do you happen to have the code so I can put it on my blog?
Thanks girl, can’t wait to read more!
Thank you and welcome! Search google images for the Liebster badge you want displayed. Then add it by going to dashboard > appearance > widgets > image. Basically, you upload it to a page on your site, then the sidebar displays what’s on that page. Hope that makes sense! xo Susan
I went to school in Cincinnati. I’ve been all over Asia and I live in the Republic of Georgia. Nice website. I haven’t been back to the Naughty Nati in a while, but I am back in Chicago for the time being.
Did you go to U.C.? That’s my alma mater as well.
Near there, not UC though. I would have stayed there, if good work was easier to come by. I’m sure you know that your options are limited in the Rust Belt, unless you have connections or an in demand skill.
Thank you for sharing 🙂 At least you are free now and that is a very big deal. What brought you to Peru by the way and what you found it like? (I saw your post on toemailers blog, and am asking out of sheer curiosity :))
My college roommate lives here with her family and I decided to take her up on her invite to “come stay as long as you want!” I’ll give it another month and see if I can secure work here. If not, moving on!! xo Thanks for reading!!
I am stuck here in Canada and have a deep desire to travel, so I travel via computer…. You are fortunate to be able to do this, I look forward to hearing more.
Thanks for reading, Lily! Many of my friends don’t travel for one reason or another, so I hope to give them a sense of what faraway places are like, especially to say, “See? You’re not missing much!”
Is that VCU in Richmond VA? congratulations on getting out of debt – that is true freedom to live as you please. Glad you decided to experience the world instead of staying put in the known corner of your universe….
Yes, the ol’ Rams! Haha. You’ve got a number of pics from VA on your site, so if you don’t live there now, I’m sure you have in the past. It was nice to have beach and snow skiing both within driving distance.
I do live in Virginia, in the Western Mountains, far away from all the cities….
If there are any people out that way, I bet they’re interesting characters! We never got farther out than Wintergreen. We had season passes for skiing and snowboarding there.
Think Appalachian Mountain culture meets lots of retired city people who have escaped the big bad city (DC, Richmond, etc.). We are all one happy family of been here’s and come here’s…. sort of….