Jason Law

For my first post, I’d like to introduce myself to you all. I feel like I could write a book about the life I’ve led, but doesn’t everyone feel that way? Each of our lives are so unique and interesting in their own way.

Since I was fifteen years old, I knew I wanted to see as much of the world as possible. Being a teenager in secondary school, I had the same crisis that a lot of people face at that age, having to decide, “What do I want to do with my life?”.

After scouring the internet for advice on what to do with my future and how to make a decision, I came across a blog post that suggested I write a list of things I would like to achieve before I die. I’d never thought about being on my own deathbed before, but nonetheless, I sat down and wrote a list.

The other items on that list are far too personal to be shared on a supposedly professional website, but one thing I was certain of was that I wanted to experience as much of the world as possible. I wanted to travel. At that point I had no idea how I’d do that.

Skip to eight years later, in 2014, and I was graduating from university with a first class honors Bachelor of Science, in Media, Communications & Culture, and Psychology.

I still had no idea what to do with my life, but I knew if I wanted to travel I’d need the same thing that anyone needs to do anything – money. So I took one of the first job offers I received – working for the local council.

Working for regional government in a customer facing role was boring to say the least, but it allowed me to save up for seven months while I stayed at my parents’ house.

By January 2015, I had saved up a relatively small amount of 5000 GBP, and decided to head out into the world without much of a plan in place.

I visited my sister in Austria for a week, before taking a one-way flight to Delhi. I didn’t know what I wanted to see or how; I only knew that I wanted to experience something I’d never experienced before.

I spent the next eight months travelling through India, Nepal, Thailand, and Cambodia.

I drove a motorbike for the first time across Rajasthan, through rolling hill, arid deserts, and crowded cities.

I mounted a camel and headed to the Thar Desert to watch the sunset and sleep under the starry night-sky, free from any light pollution.

I celebrated the vibrant and sacred Holi Festival in Pushkar, India.

I partied on the beaches of Goa and explored the remnants of colonial-era Indian cities.

I witnessed the power of nature and the suffering of the Nepali people when the 2015 earthquake struck Kathmandu, and did what little I could to help.

I trekked to Annapurna Base Camp and stood on the highest point I’ve ever laid foot on.

I paraglided over the awe-inspiring Himalayan Mountains and lakes.

I spent ten days meditating in silence in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. and discovered a spiritual part of me that I didn’t know existed.

I explored the natural beauty of Thailand’s mainland and it’s islands and truly felt what it meant to be in “The Land of Smiles”.

I ended up accidentally running a small hostel/bar in Cambodia.

Throughout this time backpacking, I met some of the most interesting and inspiring people I’ve ever met, and made friends from around the world, all while learning more about myself.

After running low on money, I decided to head to Australia to work and save again. In true nomadic fashion, Kerouac-style, I showed up in Perth broke and walked around looking for work.

Within days, I’d found a job in sales and another at a local music venue/bar. I fell in love and we moved into our luxury apartment. I made a home there and immersed myself in the Australian lifestyle.

We later moved up to Broome and I worked at the most popular tourist destination in Western Australia, Matso’s Brewery. I also worked under the scorching sun on a pumpkin farm at the same time, saving for the next adventure.

After a year in Australia spent having the time of my life, and saving money all while meeting colourful, diverse characters, I left the country alone and headed for Vietnam.

I spent three months motorbiking from Ho Chi Minh City up to Hanoi, truly experiencing Vietnam’s rich culture and characters, and fell in love with the country.

Once reaching Hanoi, I needed to decide what to do with my life, once again. I looked into volunteer work and made the choice to teach English. I’d never done it before, but thought hey, why not give it a try?

I loved it, but I needed to visit home and travel some more before settling down in Hanoi.

I flew home, before spending a month in Portugal helping to build a house, and then four months exploring Malaysia, Thailand (again) and Laos. I finally returned to Hanoi in May 2017 and after obtaining a teaching qualification, I started teaching as a full-time job.

I spent a year and a half there, working my way up to better teaching positions, perfecting my English skills along the way. I used my home base of Hanoi to visit Taiwan, Hong Kong, and different parts of Malaysia and Thailand.

I fell in love again, and we saved up for a big trip to South America.

By December 2018, we had saved enough to visit Burma, then our respective homes in Sweden and London, before heading to Argentina.

We bought a van and converted it into a small home and spent five months driving around Argentina and Chile, covering over 10,000km of roads across seemingly endless deserts and towering, icy mountain ranges.

We were forced to part ways in July of 2019, and after a short stint in London seeing friends and family, I returned to my beloved Hanoi once again.

I have been in Hanoi since then, teaching English and working my way up to better positions. I currently work at one of the best private schools in Hanoi teaching English to high school students.

COVID put an extremely drawn-out hold on my plans, with schools being closed for the better part of two years, but I’m now working on moving onto the next step in my life journey.

I’ve decided to move away from teaching and onto freelance writing! 

The path towards professional independence and the ability to work from anywhere is a difficult one but I’m determined to walk it. 

I recently was fortunate enough to land a job working for an expat newspaper, The Vietnam Times. I am learning a lot through my position there, and am feeling evermore inspired to write and travel yet again.

So there you have it, those are what I believe to be the most important stages in my life, which have brought me to where I am today.

This website is a central hub for everything I write, and to compile everything digital that details my life and self. As I begin my journey towards being able to write professionally, while travelling, all that I produce will be centralized here. Whether you’re a potential hirer, or just somebody interested in my life, this website is a showcase for me, my work, and my life.