不赶行程、不打卡：中年外派泰国后，我们在罗勇认真生活了一年

中年之后再被外派，说实话，最开始是没有什么“生活感”的。刚到罗勇那会儿，满脑子都是工厂进度、团队磨合、政策流程，白天在厂里跑，晚上回到住处也只是洗个澡倒头就睡，一天像被压缩过一样。

Being sent abroad again in midlife—honestly, it didn’t feel like “life” at first. When we first arrived in Rayong, all we could think about was the factory’s progress, team coordination, and bureaucratic procedures. Days were spent rushing around the plant, and nights were just a quick shower and falling into bed—each day compressed into a blur.

时间一天天过去，人是站稳了，项目也慢慢顺了，但总觉得少点什么。直到在罗勇生活满一年，才突然意识到——原来不是这座城市太慢，而是我们之前一直活在“只剩工作”的状态里。

As time passed, we found our footing, and the project gradually fell into place. But something still felt missing. It wasn’t until a full year had passed in Rayong that we realized—it wasn’t that the city was too slow; it was that we had been stuck in a mode where all that was left of life was work.

不是来旅游｜是真正生活

Not Here to Tour | Truly Living

很多人一听我们在罗勇，第一反应都是：“这地方是旅游吗？”其实我们自己最清楚，这一年从来不是来度假的。每天上下班走的都是固定路线，去得最多的不是海边，而是工厂、会议室和各种办事窗口。

Whenever we tell people we’re in Rayong, the first reaction is often: “Oh, are you there on vacation?” But we know best—this past year has been anything but a holiday. Our daily routes are fixed, and the places we visit most aren’t beaches, but factories, meeting rooms, and government offices.

也正因为这样，慢慢才体会到什么叫“生活在一座城市里”——不是拍照打卡，而是知道哪条路不堵、哪家店顺口、周末不需要刻意安排也能把一天过完。罗勇给人的感觉就是这样，不喧闹，也不催促，你只要待得够久，它就会一点点把生活还给你。

And yet, that’s precisely how we came to understand what it means to actually live in a city—not ticking off photo ops, but knowing which roads are never jammed, which local restaurant hits the spot, and how to spend a weekend without needing a plan. That’s the kind of feeling Rayong gives you—quiet, unhurried, asking nothing from you. But if you stay long enough, it slowly gives life back to you.

周六自然醒｜楼下就是尚泰

Waking Up Naturally | Central Mall Right Below

周六早上醒来，没有闹钟，也没有必须赶去的行程，窗外已经是罗勇惯常的明亮天气。洗漱完下楼，才发现这种“什么都不用想”的周末，和住在哪里真的有关。公寓就在罗勇市中心主干道上，出门几步就是 Central Rayong，星巴克、Tops 超市、大牌零售一字排开，想买什么、想吃什么，全靠当下心情决定。马路对面是 Big C，过个天桥就到，Makro 也不过两百米的距离。以前周末还要专门开车去采购，现在更像是顺路散步，把生活慢慢填满。

Waking up on a Saturday without an alarm and without anywhere to rush off to, the sky already bright with Rayong’s familiar sunshine. After a slow wash-up, we headed downstairs and realized—this kind of stress-free weekend has everything to do with where you live. Our apartment is right on the main street of downtown Rayong. A few steps away is Central Rayong—Starbucks, Tops Supermarket, and brand-name stores all lined up. Whatever you want to eat or buy, it all depends on your mood. Big C is right across the street, just a pedestrian bridge away, and Makro is only 200 meters further. What used to require a car trip on weekends now feels more like a casual stroll, slowly filling your life with ease.

一顿普通午餐｜但很治愈

An Ordinary Lunch | But Surprisingly Comforting

中午十二点多，随便选了商场里的一家日式餐厅，也没特意研究评价，点了两份套餐和一杯小食，一共五百泰铢，折合人民币一百多一点。菜端上来那一刻，并没有什么“惊艳”，但坐在那里慢慢吃完，反而觉得很舒服。没有赶时间，也不用算性价比，只是单纯把一顿饭吃完。这样的午餐在国内可能稀松平常，但在外派的一年里，却变成了一种难得的松弛感——原来日子不用每一顿都精打细算，生活也不必时刻紧绷。

Around noon, we picked a random Japanese restaurant in the mall—not because of any reviews—and ordered two set meals and a side dish, all for 500 baht, just over 100 RMB. When the food arrived, it wasn’t anything fancy or stunning, but taking our time to finish the meal felt surprisingly peaceful. No rush, no calculating value—just finishing a meal for what it was. Back home, this kind of lunch might be nothing special, but for us, in our year abroad, it’s become a rare form of relaxation—a reminder that life doesn’t always need to be budgeted or tightly wound.

住得舒服｜才有松弛感

A Comfortable Home | Brings Inner Calm

午饭后也没急着出门，在公寓里慢慢晃了一圈。下午的公共区域很安静，有人刚下班在健身房运动，也有人在泳池边坐着发呆。我们找了个能看到城市的角落坐下来，什么都不做，只是看着天色一点点往傍晚走。那一刻突然觉得，下班之后不用立刻回房间关上门，本身就是一种放松。

After lunch, we didn’t go out right away. We strolled leisurely through our apartment building. The shared spaces were quiet—someone just off work was exercising in the gym, others were idly sitting by the pool. We found a spot overlooking the city and just sat there, doing nothing, watching the daylight slowly melt into evening. At that moment, we realized—simply not having to retreat behind a closed door after work is itself a form of unwinding.

住在这里久了，会慢慢习惯这样的节奏——工作结束，有地方走一走、坐一坐，把白天的状态一点点放下。周末也不需要刻意安排，看看电影、在公共空间遇到熟人聊几句，时间就这么过去了。比起以前那些只是“能睡觉”的房子，这里更像是让人真正住下来、把日子过顺的地方。

Living here for a while, you slowly get used to the rhythm—after work, you have a place to walk, to sit, to gradually put the day behind you. Weekends no longer need to be planned out. Watching a movie, running into familiar faces in the common area—time slips by naturally. Compared to places we once merely “slept in,” this feels more like somewhere to live, where life can find its flow again.

傍晚去海边｜罗勇的真实

Evening by the Sea | Rayong’s Authenticity

傍晚五点左右，我们开车往海边走，十几分钟就到了 Laem Charoen Beach。这里和很多人印象里的“度假海滩”不太一样，没有精致滤镜，也不是专门为游客准备的地方，但气氛很舒服。

Around 5 p.m., we drove to Laem Charoen Beach—it only took about ten minutes. It’s not like those “vacation beaches” many imagine. There are no filters, no frills, and it’s not catered to tourists. But the atmosphere is incredibly comforting.

海边一整排餐厅、海鲜市场、咖啡馆和小商店，天一暗下来，人反而多了起来，大多是本地家庭出来吃晚饭、聊天、吹风。沙子不算白，却很干净，几乎看不到垃圾，坐着看看海、感受海风就很满足。这里不太适合下水玩，更像是让人把一天慢慢放下的地方，而这，恰恰是我们最喜欢的罗勇。

A stretch of seafood restaurants, local markets, cafes, and small shops lines the beach. As the sky darkens, the crowd grows—mostly local families having dinner, chatting, or enjoying the breeze. The sand isn’t white, but it’s clean. There’s barely any litter. Just sitting and watching the sea, feeling the wind—it’s enough. It’s not a beach for swimming. It’s a place to lay the day to rest. And that’s exactly what we’ve come to love about Rayong.

一顿海鲜｜边吃边看海

A Seafood Dinner | With a View of the Sea

我们还是去了那家已经吃过不止一次的 Paya Seafood Shop。门口摆着一桶桶活海鲜，可以自己挑，虾、蟹、贝类一应俱全。点了花蟹、琵琶虾、海螺、蛤蜊汤，再配两道蔬菜和一份虾饼，一共七个菜，1600 泰铢。菜没等太久，边吃边看海，风吹过来，人自然就安静下来。这样的晚餐，不用精致，也不用刻意安排，只是刚好把一天接住了。

We went back to a place we’ve visited more than once: Paya Seafood Shop. Buckets of live seafood are displayed at the entrance—you can pick out what you like. We chose flower crab, mantis shrimp, sea snails, and clam soup, along with two veggie dishes and shrimp cakes—seven dishes in total, 1600 baht. The wait wasn’t long. Eating while watching the sea, with the breeze blowing, we naturally fell silent. It didn’t need to be elaborate or carefully planned—it was simply the perfect way to end the day.

火烧云｜傍晚的意外惊喜

Fiery Sunset | An Unexpected Gift

菜刚上齐没多久，天色突然变了。原本偏蓝的天空，被一层一层橘红色推开，像是有人在远处点了一把火。海面反射着光，整片天看起来不真实，却又安静得让人不想说话。周围吃饭的人也慢慢停下筷子，抬头看了一会儿，又低头继续聊天，好像这种画面在他们的生活里并不稀奇。

Just as all the food had arrived, the sky began to shift. What was once a pale blue was slowly overtaken by layers of orange and red, as if someone had lit a fire in the distance. The sea reflected the light, and the whole sky looked surreal—so quietly beautiful that no one wanted to speak. People around us paused their meals, looked up for a while, then quietly resumed eating, as if this kind of sky was nothing unusual for them.

我们坐在海边，吹着风，看着天空一点点暗下来，心里反而很平静。不是刻意安排的行程，却撞见了最舒服的时刻。那一刻会突然明白，所谓的松弛感，其实就是生活偶尔给你的这种“顺带的美好”。

We sat by the sea, watching the sky grow darker, feeling a deep calm. It wasn’t a scheduled outing, but we stumbled into the most peaceful moment of the day. And then it hit us—relaxation isn’t always something you plan. Sometimes, life gives you a little beauty just in passing.

夜市与榴莲｜日子的甜

Night Market & Durian | A Sweet Slice of Life

周末很短｜但日子很长

The Weekend is Short | But Life is Long

慢慢才发现，中年被外派这件事，真正重要的不是把所有时间都填满，而是给生活留一点空间。认真工作，也认真生活，把日子过得舒服一点、踏实一点。对我们来说，在罗勇安下来的这一年，大概就是从这里开始，生活不再只是工作。

Bit by bit, we realized: being sent abroad in midlife isn’t about filling every moment. It’s about leaving space for life. Working hard, but also living well—making life a little more comfortable, a little more grounded. For us, settling into Rayong began with this realization: life is no longer just about work.