In this episode, we sit down with Kayla, the writer behind Home Abroad, to talk about 15 years of life in Thailand, raising a third‑culture kid, the realities of island living on Koh Phangan, and why her family is preparing to relocate to Valencia, Spain. Kayla shares her journey from Japan to Bangkok to Mexico and beyond, how she built her Substack community, and the personal experiences that shaped her focus on “home” as an expat. We also discuss her new Global Peace of Mind Binder—her digital organization system for anyone living or moving abroad.
⏱ Timestamps
0:00 – Koh Samui vs. Koh Phangan & livability in Thailand
0:33 – Who Kayla is + Substack origin story
1:13 – From “Girls Guide to Living Abroad” to “Home Abroad” & the idea of “home”
2:12 – Kayla’s background: Canada → Japan → England → backpacking → Thailand
3:03 – Wanting to leave Thailand & why Valencia, Spain
4:24 – Changing Substack strategy: authenticity, connection, and growth
6:27 – How Kayla met her husband on Koh Phi Phi (“The Beach” island)
8:53 – Moving to Koh Phangan & starting a villa development company
11:53 – Having a child, giving birth in Scotland & raising Hudson in Thailand
13:03 – Hudson asking “Why do we live here?” & choosing Europe for him
14:05 – Island limitations for family life (schools, activities, movie theaters)
15:02 – Language: Thai & Japanese vs. learning Spanish
17:11 – Living in rural Japan on the JET Programme
20:00 – Western men, dating dynamics & scams in Thailand
23:43 – Best places to live in Thailand? (Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Koh Samui)
29:23 – How many places she’s lived abroad (Japan, UK, Thailand, Mexico, etc.)
30:16 – Why Valencia won over other Spanish cities
33:56 – Favorite places in Southeast Asia (Lombok, Perhentians, Siem Reap, Hanoi)
39:03 – The Global Peace of Mind Binder: digital system for important documents
42:39 – Where to find Kayla: Home Abroad on Substack & @kayladallas on TikTok
You can also find a video of this podcast on YouTube if you’d rather watch there 😃
Find Kaila here!
Global Peace of Mind Binder
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