The story behind the blog
Travel consultant. Long-form blogger. Koh Tao resident since November 2021. Idaho originally, Thailand permanently.
01 — The short version
I'm Jennifer. I'm a Gen X American who left the U.S. in mid-2021, landed in Thailand in November of that year, and ended up making Koh Tao my home. I run Gal Goes Solo, part travel blog, part real-talk consulting service for solo travelers (and the people who love them) heading to Thailand.
02 — The longer version
I never set out to become an expat. The story I tell on the home page is the short version: COVID hit, life back in the U.S. cracked open in ways I didn't see coming, and at some point the safest thing to do felt like leaving. I picked Thailand because I'd always been curious. I picked Koh Tao because I needed somewhere small and ocean-adjacent. I planned to stay a few months. Four-plus years later, I'm still here, in a small hut overlooking Shark Bay in Chalok.
03 — What I actually do
Day to day, I do two things. I write — the blog covers Koh Tao deeply, plus the rest of Thailand, plus the occasional detour (Cambodia, Cozumel). It's not a "10 best" list shop. It's me writing the thing I wish I'd been able to read before I came. And I talk with travelers — people book a session, usually 30 to 90 minutes, and we work through whatever they're stuck on. I'm not a travel agent. I don't book anything for you. I'm a person who lives here and is happy to help you not waste your trip on bad information.
04 — Who I work best with
Solo female travelers planning their first Asia trip. Gen X and millennial women coming for a "reset" of their own. People who want diving. People who want quiet. Parents whose adult kid is heading here and who want a non-anxious second opinion. People who'd rather have one honest 30-minute conversation than read 40 forum threads.
05 — Where I'm not the right fit
If you want a luxury concierge who books your spa, books your hotel, books your dinner, I'm not it. If you want a 17-page hour-by-hour itinerary spreadsheet, also not it. If you want me to manage anything for you in real time once you arrive, also not it (the Full Itinerary Support pack includes WhatsApp text support, but it's me answering questions, not me running logistics).
06 — A note about why this is paid
Living on Koh Tao isn't free. The blog stays free, and that's intentional, it's how I introduce myself, and how the right travelers find me. But the consulting time is real time, and I treat it like real work. The price is meant to be accessible (one Quick Question call costs less than a single hotel night in Bangkok), but it's not free. That's also how I keep showing up here, year after year.