A woman who moved to Thailand without her boyfriend says it strengthened their relationship. Georgia Mann said: “Sometimes you have to be a bit selfish”.
The 27-year-old made the move to “fulfil her dream” when she was unhappy with her sales job. She wanted to return to Thailand after visiting for a project as part of her university course, and decided she would teach while out there to fund her travels, before breaking the news to her boyfriend of four years.
Georgia met George Keane, 26, while they were at university together. George thought it would mean breaking up at first but the pair decided to try long-distance.
Georgia, a client services executive, from Sittingbourne, said: “I knew I had to get out there and do something and fulfil my dream of going to Thailand. I’m so glad I went. It was the best thing I have ever done.
“He [George] knew how unhappy I was. Sometimes you have to be a bit selfish.” Georgia and George moved in together during the pandemic.
But Georgia was working in sales at the time and realised she wasn’t enjoying her job. She said: “I did a project in South East Asia and went to Cambodia and Vietnam. I really enjoyed that. I was working in sales and I wasn’t very good at it. I was quite unhappy.”
They had been together for two years when she decided to move to Thailand in October 2022. Georgia said: “It was a difficult conversation. When I initially brought it up he said ‘Well, should we break up then?’.
“I said ‘I’m not going to be out there forever’. It was a bold move looking back on it. People kept questioning it and asking what about George and I? I believe if it’s meant to be it will be.
“I thought ‘if I do this it’s going to heal a massive part of me’. I didn’t want to be this unhappy person in our relationship.” Georgia said the nine months in Thailand helped “push” her out of her comfort zone.
She said: “You find a different part of yourself. I feel since coming back I’m more of a positive person.” Georgia spent nine months in total in Thailand and had long weekends and a three month summer break to explore in between teaching.
George was able to visit her in March 2023 but the rest of the time the pair had to battle the seven hour time difference. Georgia said: “I think sometimes you go through difficult ti
