I Survived the Streets and Built a New Life in Thailand

Create the life you desire.

By Janet Yang, Wiki Web Warrior Staff

(This as told by essay omits names and contains fictionalized elements. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.)

My older brother died when I was just 15 years old. I’ll never forget that day if I live to be 100.

Growing up black in Chicago takes hustle and luck. Don’t believe anyone who tells you differently.

My brother Terence and I grew up with a single mother. Daddy split when I was 5 and Terence was 10. My mom worked long hours to keep us fed and clothed.

But that meant we fended for ourselves most of the time when she was at the office.

Gangs now play a huge part in life on the streets in chi-town – at least for black folks. And shortly after Terence turned 17, a local hood named Crossbones recruited him into that life. 

Survive the coming collapse

How the Streets Claimed My Brother

I saw less and less of Terence after that. And when I saw him, he seemed changed.

Once I found a bag of white powder in a sock drawer while getting ready for school. Terence flew into a rage when I confronted him.

“Don’t you NEVER go snooping into my things again,” he warned.

One night when momma came home for dinner, I could see she was crying.

Some police showed up later at our apartment in Washington Park. Someone shot Terence, they said. He died before he got to the hospital.

Put an end to anxiety

Building a Whole New Life

I decided to escape the streets that claimed my brother no matter what the cost. My chance came when a local church group gave me a scholarship for culinary school.

Cooking came easy to me since the days when I would stand next to my Grandma and then my momma in the kitchen and help cook Sunday dinner.

And cooking helped me travel far away from the streets that killed my brother. I traveled to Sydney, Tokyo, Mumbai and finally Bangkok.

Bangkok in particular struck me – and also Thailand in general. But more importantly, it was in Bangkok that I met Mai.

Mai stood just 5’7, a petite beauty with dark eyes. She wore her long straight hair up in a bun while working.

Attract the woman of your dreams.

Finding Love in A Distant Land

Beneath her white line chef uniform I imagined the secret curves of her body. And I longed to explore those curves some day! 

We worked in the same kitchen in a large hotel and were instantly drawn together. 

I stole glances at her standing at her station. And each time, I caught her looking back.

Once on break, I sat on the loading dock behind the kitchen eating a bowl of noodles.

Mai came and sat down next to me. May have some, she asked, smiling mischievously. I lifted my chopsticks to her lips and she slurped the noodles slowly into her mouth.

Seduce her today!

Discovering New Life Directions

She began coming over to my apartment and we played the sous chef and the health inspector. 

After that, we became inseparable. 

I soon knew I could never leave her. But life in the food service industry proved grueling and gave us no time to really be together or to travel as we wanted. 

Then one day I happened to see an ad on the internet for starting an online business from scratch.

I started by reselling software online in my spare time. I also used social media like Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends back in the states. So I soon began doing some social media marketing for a few clients until I was making enough money to leave the restaurant.

Make money while using Facebook.

Forging Our Independence

Mai soon got into the act as well. She became an online virtual assistant working from home or anywhere we happened to be. She also loved taking photos of our traveling adventures.

Soon she began selling these online to support our nomadic lifestyle as well.

We traveled to Tokyo, Kuala Lampur, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City.

We returned briefly to the U.S, to visit my mom and lay a flower on my brother’s grave. But it all proved too much for me.

I knew now that Thailand was my home and that Mai was my family.

We settled in a little village outside the big city where life was simpler and quieter. But our new home also provided us with Internet to run our businesses.

From here, we plan to continue traveling and building our lives together. Sometimes you need to create the life you want. And when you do, don’t ever look back.

(This post was created with the assistance of AI. We may receive affiliate compensation for some or all of the links in this article.)

Janet Yang is a writer currently living in Toronto where she supports the Toronto Maple Leafs and is an avid crossword puzzle and Sudoku enthusiast.