Picked a slow ferry over a fast flight in Thailand and it completely changed my pace

Last month I was in Koh Lanna and had to get back to Bangkok. I could either take a 1 hour flight for $80 or a 12 hour overnight ferry for $22. My first instinct was the flight, you know, save time and all that. But I decided to try the ferry because I was tired of rushing between wifi spots and coffee shops. Honestly, that boat ride gave me more uninterrupted thinking time than I'd had in weeks. I sat on deck watching islands pass by, and I actually sketched out a whole new project plan without a single notification popping up. Only downside was the foam mattress felt like sleeping on a wet sponge, but that's a small price for clarity. Has anyone else traded speed for a slower travel option and gotten more work done because of it?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora_wells5813d ago

People act like staring at the ocean for 12 hours is some kind of profound life hack. You sat on a boat and didn't get notifications for a day, congrats. Could have just turned on airplane mode at Starbucks and saved yourself the wet sponge mattress. This whole "I found clarity on a slow boat" thing feels a bit dramatic for what is basically a cheap ride with bad sleep.

fionarodriguez12d ago

No, but you're actually touching on something bigger here which is how people treat "disconnecting" like it's some kind of ritual instead of just a normal choice. I have friends who plan digital detox retreats and spend more time posting about it than they ever did actually being offline. It's like we turned the simple act of not checking your phone for half a day into a whole lifestyle brand when really it's just admitting you needed a nap and some quiet.