Act as if

Day 4: Thongsala, Koh Phagnan, Thailand

Jim Young: There's an important phrase that we use here, and think it's time that you all learned it. Act as if. You understand what that means?
-Boiler Room

Well, why not? This quote has been running through my head at different intervals, usually when encountering temptation in it's various guises on my travels. It's so easy to say to yourself, 'I'm on holidays, it's okay to let go a little' and eat a bit more, drink a bit more, spend a bit more than you normally would if you were in your home environment.
And blow the budget.
And the waistline.
And the motivation to follow the path of why you embarked on your travels in the first place...
That's why I think it's really important that if you do have an agenda or desired outcome for your travels (such as coming home wiser and in better shape than when you left), it's a major advantage to act as if.
In this case I think it's important to act as if you are never going home, that this is your lifestyle and you aren't ever going to stop travelling, which is a reality for the lucky 'location independent' workers of the world.
There really is no barriers to keeping fit and healthy on your travels, one of the first businesses when you get into Koh Phangan's Haad Rin port on the ferry from Koh Samui is the Jungle Gym.
The amount of Muay Thai schools on the island is astronomical, I'm currently training twice a day at Choenrit Muay Thai school, training harder than I ever did back home.
The Thai food over here is nutitious, cheap and delicious. You can start the day with a fruit platter, lunch on a tuna salad and dine with some fresh seafood, not to mention the delicious snacks of fruit and nuts you can get from the hawkers on every street corner.
In essence, I have made the decision to act as if I will return to Australia fitter, leaner and more switched on than I have ever been in my life.
Everything is created twice, once in your mind and then in reality.
This truth is self-evident.