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Welcome to my blog and newsletter with articles on financial independence, expat travel, and personal growth strategies.

Hi I'm David - a blue-eyed, left-handed American who's self-employed, works online and lives abroad.

I got my start working for PWC after college and the Air Force. After 60 hour work weeks for a year I quit and went abroad to teach English in Thailand for a few years.

While abroad in Thailand I built a location independent online income. I now share what I've learned along the way.

Drinking tea in China.

What's the story behind the name?

I got the idea for the name from a poem (in the Outlaw Bible of American Poetry) by Christopher Louge called come to the edge:

"Come to the edge. We might fall. Come to the edge. It’s too high! Come to the EDGE!

…and they came, and he pushed, and they flew
."

I enjoyed the underlying meaning of this poem that there is no security in life beyond your ability to adapt and that you should actively look for that edge because that’s where the growth is, but also trouble too.

So no it's not because my content is intentionally "edgy" or anything like that, but I guess things kind of turned out that way.

Smart people find an edge and enjoy life.

This blog is about success abroad as an expat. Building up your finances, your mindset and body.

Health, wealth, travel, choice in life and fulfilment.

To jump straight to some of the most popular articles, see below:

Financial Independence - Make money, build wealth

Bitcoin is The Invention of Money and You Can Buy Some (For Now)
I like Bitcoin because it finally led me to some answers for a few questions I always had as a boy growing up. I first bought Bitcoin back a few years ago because I don’t like not understanding something. I’m not Ramit Sethi where I smugly think I know everything:
How To Work For Yourself as an Expat
It’s the best of times and it’s the worst of times. It’s the best of times because you can live a life that was impossible even 20 years ago. With enough luck, hard work and intelligence, you can live better than any king. It’s the worst
Gemini Credit Card Review - 1 Year Later
The Gemini credit card. Is it the best cash back credit card available? Let’s find out.
How I Make Money Online - Become a Wealthy Expat Instead of a Peasant English Teacher
First off, I got my start as an English teacher in Thailand so I don’t mean to disparage English teaching. It changed my life forever and for that I’m thankful. However, I’ve seen too many men get stuck as English teachers in Thailand and elsewhere. They quickly go from being
How to Quit Your Day Job: Un-Talked About Concerns
The purpose of this article is to guide you through the steps necessary to go from: a) working at a job that turns you into a zombie you’re not happy with to b) beginning self-employment. What this guide is not: The following is not meant to teach you how
How to Invest Money - The Monetary Ranks
Welcome to your free crash course on how to invest your money. This guide is going to cover everything you need to know as a total beginner. It starts off with assuming you’re in debt and goes through what to consider doing as you start to make money and build

Personal Growth Strategies - Develop your mind and body

Life Advice for Young Men - 19 Things You MUST Know
19 things no one tells 19 year olds.
26 Reasons Why You Should Never Have a JOB
I used to watch this show called The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch while at University (I’m dating myself now!). I loved the stories of people doing something creative to make more money than they ever did before. This show was a source of hope and inspiration for me
Dream Killer - Doing What You’re Supposed to Do
I’ve wasted a lot of time in my life doing what I’m supposed to do. * I went to college because that’s what you’re supposed to do. * I got a job to sit in a cubicle for 8 hours a day because that’s what you’re supposed to do. * I
Hell is When You Meet The Person You Could Have Been.
At some point, you’ve probably had the idea of a multi-universe reality where there are multiple versions of yourself. Some doing very well, other versions... not so much. Where are you at? I just wrapped up a wonderful 1-month trip visiting my family and one painful realization set in that
7 Simple Ways To Set Yourself Up for Success in Your 30’s
Welp, I’m no longer in my 30’s. So far life has only gotten better as I’ve aged. Life gets better when you get better as I like to say. Not that everything is perfect, things could be much better obviously, but things could also be a lot worse so I’m
43+ Books Every Man Should Read - My Essential Reading
Book for men. This my continually updated list of of book that every man should read.
Understanding Men: What Drives Us
Trying to understanding men always boils down to understanding what drives us. If you want to understand the men in your life and why they do what they do, then keep these two points in your head: First, men are simple. Second, do not project how you think or feel

Expat Travel - Advice and strategies for living abroad

Thailand vs Vietnam - Long Term Living Breakdown From an Expat
I lived in both countries for years, not weeks. Here are my thoughts on Thailand vs Vietnam.
The Teacher Trap - Going Abroad and Getting Stuck as an ESL Teacher
I’ve been on both sides of the coin; a broke AF English teacher in Thailand making $1K a month to now being a self employed guy making a very good income while living abroad. It took years to make it happen, it was stressful (at my worst I was $7K
The Ha Giang Loop Vietnam - Yep It’s Really That Incredible
Ha Giang is a stunningly beautiful, northern most province in Vietnam where you can find the border with China. It used to be quite a dangerous drive through the mountains, but over the last 5 years it has developed into one of the most beautiful, scenic motorcycle adventures I’ve done
11 Remote Working Tips For Expats Abroad
I’ve been doing the digital nomad, remote work lifestyle thing for 10+ years now. As the concept has only grown in popularity since I started (passport bros is now a thing), I thought I would share a few hard-won tips to help you be successful, happy, safe and productive.
Bangkok vs Chiang Mai Compared by an Expat
I’ve lived in both as a digital nomad so I have a unique perspective on the pros and cons of each places. If I had to pick one or the other however I’m choosing Bangkok. Chiang Mai vs Bangkok Both these places are awesome and you should totally live
Cost of Living for Bangkok Thailand
Alright alright, I’ll get the generic statement out of the way first. Yes, your cost of living depends on your spending habits, your current debt and any credit card payments. It also depends on what you would find acceptable and what you would consider to be a sacrifice. Done.

Controversial articles

8 Reasons Why Connecticut Sucks
I was watching this YouTube video of Joe Rogan talking about why Connecticut sucks and I nearly spit my coffee out all over myself laughing because it was so funny and so spot on (but obviously over the top). “CT sucks” and “Connecticut sucks” are pretty popular search terms because
Real and Raw Dating Advice for Women (Must Read)
I’m deeply concerned about the future population crisis we could be living through in the not to distant future.
A Few Things That Surprised Me About Jakarta (Girls, Food, Travel)
Jakarta Indoneisa. I solo traveled there for 5 days and wow, what a great city. In this post I’m going to document my short experiences there. Yes, this is going to be kept private because I’m talking about topics I don’t want publicly available so subscribe (you can cancel anytime)
7 Age Gap Dating Realities as a 40+ Year Old Guy
Alright fine, I’ll step my foot into the bear trap.

Enjoy friends.

-David

PS - Be sure to follow me on Instagram and YouTube - both @edgeofdavid