I poke. I push. I prod. I try to get people out of their cubicles and traveling the world. That’s what I do. That’s my thing. I show others that traveling doesn’t have to be expensive, that anyone can do it, and that your fears are unfounded. I try to be a living example for that. Judging by the emails I get from people, I think I’m successful at getting people onto airplanes and out into the world.

But last month I faced a fork in the road about what to do when my trip ends – do I move to New York City right away or do I move to Sweden for 6 months? Once you go down a path, there is no turning back and I was very torn on what to choose.

But I decided to choose Sweden.

The guiding principle in my life is no regrets. I don’t want to be on my deathbed saying “I wish I did….” and I think that if I didn’t move to Sweden, I’d always regret it. I’d always wonder what might have been. What would life have been like if just for a moment I finally got to live in Europe? What possibilities and opportunities did I pass up?

So in July, I’ll be getting on a plane to Stockholm where I’ll stay until January when my book is released. I’d leave sooner but I have some conferences and plans in the United States that I need to attend in the meantime.

I realized one night as I laid awake that if I didn’t move to Sweden not only would I regret it but I’d also be a hypocrite. After all, instead of facing my fears and reservations, I’d be taking the easy road. New York is easy. I know it, I’ve lived there, I have friends there. I don’t need to worry about visas, languages, or anything else. New York would be the easy, comfortable choice.

Instead of breaking out of my comfort zone, I’d be staying firmly in it. And if I did that, how could I ever again tell people to break out of their own comfort zones?

All you have to judge me by are the blogs I write and the information I share. Based on what I present, you decide if I’m trustworthy enough to listen to. I trust Trey Radcliff when it comes to photography because of his amazing photos, the fact that he only promotes the products he would actually use, and the people and news sources that vouch for him. I trust he knows what he is talking about.

And trust is the currency of the internet.

I can’t tell people to conquer their fears, live their dreams, and travel the world if I won’t even do that for myself. With so many sketchy websites on the internet these days, trust is in short supply. All you have online is your credibility.

So late at night I thought about all the e-mails I get from the people who have told me I ‘ve inspired them to take a trip. I thought about all the messages from the people whose fears I’ve helped vanquish. I thought of all the people who told me a blog post was exactly what they needed.

And then I thought about how deep down I knew I wanted to move to Sweden. There was nothing I wanted more. I want to learn the language, eat the food, meet the people, and explore the countryside. New York can wait six months. I’ll miss it — but it will always be there. Yet if there was no doubt in my mind, how come there was doubt in my mind?

Because I was too scared to make the leap and commit. It was easier to stay in my comfort zone – it always is. But I realized that I’ve helped so many people take a deep breath, close their eyes, and just go for it, that not doing it when it came for my own turn would make me a hypocrite.

And that realization removed my doubt and made me commit.

And so in July, I’ll move to Sweden. It may be great. It may be awful. I may come home early or I may stay forever. But at the very least I’ll have practiced what I preached. I can wake up everyday knowing that I did what I tell others to do – I seized the day, conquered my fears, and leaped into the unknown.

Because if I didn’t do that, I’d be a hypocrite.

And I’d never be able to look at myself the same way again.

Salisbury Cathedral on a sunny day in England

Anyone who says Christmas is the most stressful time of the year has never had a book deadline. My book on world travel is due in less than 2 weeks and, to be quiet honest, I’m not close to being done. At least, I don’t feel like I am. Other writers are telling me this stress is normal and everyone feels this way at one point but I’m not sleeping well, my eyes hurt from staring at my computer, and the book is taking up all my time. I wonder if this is what Bill Bryson goes through? I bet he is more organized than me.

I’ll make my deadline in time but it’s going to be a lot of work. I’m throwing everything and the kitchen sink into this book – probably more than I need to but I want to leave no travel tip unturned. This book is why you haven’t heard from me much the last few weeks and won’t until it’s finished.

This book has meant I haven’t been able to do the sightseeing in Cambodia I’ve wanted either. I skipped out on 3 days on a deserted island because I need to verify some prices on the Internet and there’s no Internet there. Or power. Depressing – there’s nothing I love more than an undeveloped island.

So there will be a trickle of posts and guest posts for a while but once the book is done, I have some great stuff coming. I have articles planned on Thai food, Cambodian daily life, an article on sex tourism in Thailand, Angkor Wat, my fears about going back home next month, and new ways to save money on the road. Expect a prolific March.

Lastly, I’d like to ask again that If you have used any of the companies I’ve recommended or any of my tips and they’ve helped you travel better and cheaper, I would like to hear from you.

There will be a section in the book quoting readers who have used my advice to improve their travels and I hope one of those readers is you! If you send me your thoughts, you’ll get a credit in the book for contributing. If you have a website, I will list your website too.

If you are interested in providing me a quote, e-mail me at:

nomadicmatt@nomadicmatt.com

Please title your e-mail “Nomadic Matt Book Quote”

So that’s my life right now – holed up in a hotel on coast here in Cambodia writing away. I hope yours is considerably less stressful.

A belated Valentine’s Day!

- Matt

This is a guest post by Alexandra Baackes.

Travelers in Thailand like to label their destinations neatly. Intricate island paradises are boiled down to one or two simple words or associations. Koh Phi Phi? The Beach. Koh Phangan? The Full Moon Party. Koh Tao? Diving.

Some of them are fairly well deserved. After all, Koh Tao (Turtle island)  is second only to Cairns, Australia when it comes to number of annual dive certifications. Travelers flock from all over Southeast Asia to take their first breaths underwater in the coral reefs fringing Turtle Island. And it’s easy to see why: the courses are cheap, the dive sites are abundant, the island is beautiful and the lifestyle is easy.

Prospective divers heading to the island are spoilt for choice when it comes to dive schools, dive instructors, and dive sites. But competition for business is fierce (there are over 50 dive shops on this small island!), so it definitely helps to have a few things in mind when making such a big investment of your time and travel budget.

PADI or SSI?

There are over 50 Scuba Diving training systems, but in Koh Tao the choice will almost always come down to two: PADI vs. SSI. Each organization develops their own teaching materials, sets their own standards, and awards their own certifications. However, differences are minimal and no matter what certification card you walk away with you will use the same equipment, see the same fish, and be able to dive at any resort. Certifications are interchangeable and recognized worldwide. No matter which organization you choose to certify with, the most important factors in the quality of your course will be your dive school and your dive instructor. However, there are minor differences you may want to take into consideration:

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) – PADI is the world’s leading scuba diving training organization with more than 6,000 dive shops and resorts worldwide. If you find comfort in numbers than the agency with nearly one million certifications per year might just be for you! The major benefit to diving with PADI comes at the professional level. For instructors and divemasters, PADI provides far more employment opportunities, and PADI instructors can work independently (while an SSI instructor must teach through an SSI-registered shop.) So if you have dreams of staying in Thailand for good to teach the backpacker masses and you want to be loyal to one agency, PADI is your best bet.

SSI (Scuba Schools International) – This group has over 2,500 authorized dealers around the world. For divers on Koh Tao, the benefit of doing an SSI certification comes down to best bang for your baht. An SSI course will typically cost you nearly 10% less than a PADI course. For those who come to Koh Tao specifically for it’s status as one of the world’s cheapest places to get certified, those extra baht can make a big difference.

What Is The Course Like?

The typical diving course is completed in three days. There are videos to watch, book chapters to read, tests to take, and of course, dives to do! It might sound intimidating, but the course is designed for students as young as twelve. The academics shouldn’t intimidate you.

A rough outline of what your course will look like this:

Day 1: Classroom work in the morning learning about basics skills, equipment, and the effects of diving on the body. Afternoon is spent in the pool or at shallow dive sites doing skills.

Day 2: Morning is spent in classroom finishing knowledge reviews and taking some quizzes. In the afternoon are Open Water Dives 1 and 2. Some skills will be practiced during the dives.

Day 3: You will go out on a morning boat and complete Open Water Dives 3 and 4. In the afternoon the final exam is taken. Congratulations! You are now an Open Water diver.

After three days of hard work and fun, you will receive a certification card that allows you to dive anywhere in the world with a buddy, independent of a professional, to a depth of 18 meters.

How Much Will It Cost?
A PADI course will typically run you 9,800 baht including 3 night’s accommodation, though at smaller schools you can often negotiate down to 9,000 baht. An SSI course will not go above 9,000 baht with accommodation. If you are arranging your own accommodation, you can wrangle a PADI course for 8,500 or an SSI for 7,500.

Many schools will have a videographer come along on dives 3 and 4 and make a 10-20 minute music-video style film of your day. At night ,the class will gather to watch it and depending on how many copies are sold you can take one home for anywhere from 1,500-2,500 baht. If you’d rather be behind the lens, most dive shops rent underwater still cameras for around 1,500 baht.

For divers who have already completed their Open Water course, fun dives cost around 700-1,000 baht each, depending on how many dives you will do and if you have your own equipment. Those on time and money constraints will want to make it a priority to visit at least one of Koh Tao’s premier dive sites.

What School Should I Choose?

Koh Tao ain’t called a mecca for diving for nothing: there are nearly 50 dive schools on this 13 square mile rock! This decision is the biggest when it comes to determining the quality of your diving course. For the most part they can be broken down into a few categories:

Big Schools: Bans, Big Blue, Buddha View, Crystal
These schools are ideal for someone who is confident about going under water (ie, doesn’t need extra individual attention) and wants to make friends and meet people in a big group setting. These schools have instructors for almost every language imaginable. However, groups can be a bit too large for comfort and Bans in particular does not take Open Water students to any of the premier dive sites around the island.

Medium Schools: New Way, Scuba Junction, Simple Life
Medium dive schools generally have the best of both worlds. They have a range of instructors and groups large enough to make friends in, but aren’t as prone to overcrowding or rushing through the course.

Small Schools: Sairee Hut, Roctopus
These schools are great at accommodating special needs and arranging great deals. For example, you might be able to negotiate discounted fun dives post-course. The extra attention with the instructors that small schools and groups allow is key for those who are feeling uncertain about heading underwater, or simply want to be spoiled with attention.

When picking a school and an instructor, there are a few things to consider.

• Do they have an instructor that speaks your language?
• How many students will be in the group?
• What time do they leave in the morning? Those eager beavers that want to be the first on the dive site might not mind being up in time for New Way’s 6am departure, while night owl’s might prefer Roctopus’s more relaxed dive times.
• Will my course include a visit to one of Koh Tao’s top dive sites? (see list below) Some of the Big School unfortunately do not sent Open Water divers there.
• Is the equipment up to date and in my size? Schools in Koh Tao have a good record for equipment range and maintenance, but it never hurts to ask.
• How qualified is the instructor? Some students may appreciate the enthusiasm and up-to-date training of a new instructor, while others may find comfort in a teacher with tons of qualifications and years of experience.
• Do you like the instructor?

What Are The Can’t Miss Dive Sites?

Chumphon

Chumphon is typically visited for Dive 3 of the Open Water course. The  pinnacle are covered in colorful sea anemones and surrounded by large schools of trevally, batfish, and baraccuda. Lucky divers will spot giant barracuda, scorpionfish, and even whale sharks. For those hoping to fun dive, Chumphon is almost always visited on the morning boats.

Southwest

Southwest is an alternative site for Dive 3 of the Open Water course. This is another dive site carpeted in anemones and the clown fish that accompany them. This is another site where barracuda and giant groupers are found. For those hoping to fun dive, Southwest is almost always visited on the morning boats.

The Wreck of the Sattakut

This former US Navy ship was sunk in June, making it Koh Tao’s newest dive site. Already sea life such as stingrays and a pufferfish have started to make a home here. Most schools will require you to be an Advanced Open Water Diver to dive here, or to do it as part of that course.

Shark Island

Fortunately for those with a shark phobia, this dive site is named for its resemblance to a dorsal fin. This dive site is often less congested than the others listed above due to its location on the West side of Koh Tao. Highlights include a myriad of different corals home to nudibranchs, stingrays, and moray eels. On the downside, Shark Island can have a killer current and very aggressive triggerfish.

Sail Rock

Sail Rock is an ocean pinnacle located between Koh Tao and Koh Pha Ngan. The dive site takes about two hours to reach from Koh Tao. Occasionally you can get lucky and complete dives 3 and 4 of your Open Water here for an extra fee, though generally this is a specialty trip costing anywhere from 2,500-3,500 baht. There are a handful of schools that take trips to Sail Rock but most only go once a week, so if you are interested start investigating the day you arrive

The Twins
This is a common training dive site used for Dives 1 or 2 of the Open Water course. It is just off the coast of Koh Nang Yuan, a tiny island north west of Koh Tao. This site is great for new divers thanks to its shallow depth and simple layout. One standout is the family of rare saddleback clownfish that live in an anemone that’s been clearly marked by divers with a ring of rocks.

White Rock

White Rock is one of the most commonly visited dive sites on Koh Tao, frequently for Dive 4 of the Open Water course. It boasts one of the largest areas of any dive site on the island and a range of sea life, from butterflyfish to angelfish to blue spotted stingrays. Lucky divers may spot a sea turtle passing through.

Green Rock

Green Rock is located north of Koh Nang Yuan. The standout feature of this dive site is it’s many “swim throughs,” which are caves or cut-throughs that divers can pass through. They are great for practicing buoyancy and finding shy marine life. This is also a popular breeding ground for the aggressive Trigger fish, so take care not to lose a chunk of fin!

Learning to dive in Koh Tao should be approached with caution, as it can lead to a very serious addiction to the diving hobby and lifestyle! Many a dive virgin has arrived by ferry with plans to stay a few days and get certified, only to find themselves months later calling the island home and working towards becoming a scuba diving instructor.

Diving is a lifetime skill that you can take with you around the globe. From the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to the Blue Holes of the Bahamas, from the shipwrecks of Micronesia to the Whale Sharks of Mexico, diving will allow you to explore more of the world than most people could think possible. Enjoy it!

Alexandra Baackes is an enthusiastic diver and underwater videographer, as well as an on-land writer and designer.  She blogs about travel, diving, and living in South East Asia at Alex in Wanderland.  You can find her on Twitter talking about fast food cravings and wanderlust at @WanderlandAlex.

Sunset in Sihanoukville, Cambodia