I moved my family from Utah to Thailand to work remotely. 8 months later, we came home.

Braydon Barrett moved to Asia with his family in 2024.

Eight months later, they decided to move back home to Utah.

Provided by Braydon Barrett.

Braydon Barrett left Utah for Asia with his wife and their young son in 2024.

They set out to build a long-term life in Thailand , but one mistake sent their plans in an unexpected direction.

The move gave them a new perspective on what it takes to build a life abroad.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Braydon Barrett, 32, who moved to Asia with his family in 2024 but moved back to Utah eight months later.

It's been edited for length and clarity.

Living abroad was never really on my radar until I got married.

My wife had always wanted to travel and live outside the US, and as I looked into it more, it started to feel like an experience we should try together.

We talked about it for years, but never followed through.

Then, after our son was born in 2023, we felt it was the right time to finally give it a try.

My wife is a stay-at-home mom, and since I run an online fitness coaching business , I could work remotely.

Barrett runs an online fitness coaching business, so he was able to work remotely from Asia.