After leaving her corporate job to take a break and travel, Ellen discovered the possibilities of living and working from anywhere, and gradually went about creating her ideal lifestyle. She now keeps a base in Thailand while she pursues personal projects and travels internationally as a freelance management consultant.

Most Memorable Location-Independent Experiences
Having to wear a veil and an abaya in Saudi was very strange and will stay with me. Being in Thailand for the military coup was very unnerving. And getting my mum on the back of my scooter in Chiang Mai when she came to visit for a month was great fun!

Biggest Surprise along the Way
What I’ve discovered about myself. Taking myself out of the corporate environment (I was a management consultant in London for 12 years before leaving) gave me the space to discover a lot more about myself, for example, that I like blogging, writing, and yoga (I’ve spent six months a year for the last couple of years at a yoga school in Koh Phangan, Thailand). Getting work has also been easier than I realised—having an area of professional expertise meant I could transfer it to SE Asia and get work out here and in the Middle East, if I was prepared to travel, which I am!