I have this dream in life.
I’ve had it for a long time. I’ve relived it in my mind so many times that you might even say it’s become a fantasy.
First, the fantasy involves me quitting my job (of course). But instead of just offering my two week’s notice and not showing up the following Monday, I do it Office Space style, telling everyone off, stapling my boss’ tie to his shirt with a red stapler, flipping the conference room table on its side, sending the donuts flying, and then, stealing a copy machine on my way out the front door before racing away so fast, my car tires are squealing.
Quitting the 9 to 5 grind and giving my middle finger to “The Man” is the easy part, but then what the hell am I going to do with my life?
The dream evolves from there as I hit the Power Ball lottery (of course), buy a plane ticket for some tropical foreign island, and then open up a chill little beach bar in paradise.
So far, it’s just mostly a fantasy (although I did give my middle finger to the 9 to 5 life in 2011 and I’ve lived abroad ever since), but if I did actually do this, the beach bar I’d open would look a whole lot like the Drifter’s Beach Café in Naa Jomtien, Thailand.
Naa Jomtien is a few miles along the beach past Jomtien, which is a suburb of crazy Pattaya that’s getting busier by the day, pushing quiet and peace-seeking foreigners even further out. Only a few years ago, there wasn’t much at all in Naa Jomtien, but know there are some burgeoning communities there now, with a modest condo project or two popping up.
And right on the beach (literally, its wooden deck floor is over the sand, so the waves go under the floorboards at high tide!), you’ll find the Drifter’s Beach Café.
I went there with my local buddy, Big Scotty the Body, and his girlfriend, Noisy Noi, one afternoon. I found that I really liked the place and it was worth hanging out for a few hours even though the weather ranged from almost partly sunny to full on rain during that time.
But I can only imagine it would be perfect on a bright sunny day when you can take shelter in the café’s shade, sipping a cold beer, or even sit out on one of their beach chairs on the sand. I just had coffee that day because I had work (I quit my 9-to-5 only to get a 6-to-8!) and a spicy seafood salad. The seafood was fresh and delicious, although it was laced with fiery chilis even though I’d asked them to tone it down for me. They also have brick oven pizza and some Mexican entrees like fish tacos. The food is a little over-priced, but what can you expect for a wooden bungalow beach bar that sits right on the ocean – and with wi-fi!
I highly recommend that when you quit your job, hit the power ball, and move abroad to Thailand, you come to spend an afternoon – or a few years – drinking and enjoying the sun and sea a the Drifter’s Beach Café!
About Norm Schriever
Norm Schriever is a blogger, Amazon best-sellling author, cultural mad scientist, and enemy of the comfort zone. His work appears in the Huffington Post, Business.com, Good Morning America, The Anderson Cooper Show on CNN, NBC, MSN, Yahoo, Hotels.com, and media all around the world.
Norm grew up in Connecticut and graduated from the University of Connecticut, where he was never accused of overstudying. After expatriating to Costa Rica in 2011, he started traveling the world and documenting what he saw. He now lives in Southeast Asia, writing his heart out and working with local charities.
