Floating in water clear as glass, palm bordered white sand stretching into the distance on either side of me, I lay back and eye the clouds billowing across the azure skies. I have to remind myself that this is my life now. It’s not a vacation, it’s not just a temporary respite from the… Continue reading Professional Beach Bumming: The First Week of my RTW Trip
Tag: Adventures
The Day I Became a Surfer
I clutched the back handle of the scooter and ducked my head behind the Swedish boy’s back to protect my face from the pelting rain. We whizzed through the jungle, carefully weaving around the landslides and dodging the lazy dogs in the road. Wearing only a bikini and t-shirt, I let the wind whip through… Continue reading The Day I Became a Surfer
Siargao: The Philippines’ Secret Island Paradise
Tucked away amongst the thousands of islands in the Philippines is a place where travel lore comes to life. It’s the kind of place that jaded backpackers dream of: off the beaten path, untouched by tourist development, with clean and pristine waters, where the visitors and locals still mix. It’s a place I’m afraid to… Continue reading Siargao: The Philippines’ Secret Island Paradise
2014- Highlights from an Awesome Year
I had wanted to write another “Ridiculous Moments” post like last year’s My 13 Ridiculous Moments of 2013, but then I realized that I couldn’t really think of very many strange experiences this year. This could be the result of one of two options: a) my life has become boring, or b) I’ve been in… Continue reading 2014- Highlights from an Awesome Year
Kitties, Kindness, and (Disgusting) Cream Puffs in Kuching
Trekking through the jungles of Bako National Park, Borneo in a constant downpour of tropical rain left me feeling (and looking) like a nearly drowned cat. Although I had loved my two days exploring the rainforest in search of monkeys, I was more than ready to relax and dry out in the nearby town of… Continue reading Kitties, Kindness, and (Disgusting) Cream Puffs in Kuching
The Magical & Mysterious Fairy Caves of Borneo
I’ve never been to a place for which photos do so little justice as the Fairy Caves in Kuching, Borneo. At some point during the planning of my Borneo trip I came across these caves and, along with the Bako National Park, they became the main reason I flew to Kuching for a few days.… Continue reading The Magical & Mysterious Fairy Caves of Borneo
Close Encounters at Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, Borneo
One of the main reasons I was excited to go to Borneo was to see the famed and endangered orangutans. My wish was granted on my first full day in Borneo after a quick flight from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan and an hour cab ride out into the jungle. Before embarking on our Kinabatangan river… Continue reading Close Encounters at Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, Borneo
The Realities of Hiking in Korea
Last weekend I was surprised to find myself hiking 20km up a mountain. I mean, I knew that I would be hiking; what was casually omitted by the friend who planned it was the length of the trail and the severity of the incline. Not that knowing in advance would have changed anything. I still… Continue reading The Realities of Hiking in Korea
Sunday Sunrise at Jirisan
Ok, so this picture was actually taken about two hours after sunrise. Oops. But after sleeping in a noisy mountain shelter we couldn’t bring ourselves to go outside at the literal crack of dawn. Anyway, because I have an affinity for alliteration, here are some other “S” words that described me and my day: Sunny as… Continue reading Sunday Sunrise at Jirisan
Adventures in Korean Skincare & My Favorite Product
Before Korea, skincare was never on my radar. I know, it’s an absolute blasphemy, but I was lucky enough to have been born with decent skin and words like “maintenance” and “prevention” never really crossed my mind. Then… dun dun dun… the wrinkles came. I’m 28 years old, which is too damn… Continue reading Adventures in Korean Skincare & My Favorite Product
Fall Colors and Lunch in a Cloud at Seoraksan
About a year ago I made a bucket list of the places I wanted to go in Korea and Seoraksan, Korea’s most popular mountain range, had been at the top of the list. Somehow, though, time slipped by and I finally came to accept that it just wasn’t going to happen. It was too far… Continue reading Fall Colors and Lunch in a Cloud at Seoraksan
WWOOFing on the Cutest Little Farm in Korea
My dear friend Emily is what we affectionately call “a total food hippy”. She ferments her own food, her eyes light up at the mention of bacteria, and she could talk for days about seeds and planting fruit trees. So, appropriately, one of the first things she did when she arrived in Korea earlier this… Continue reading WWOOFing on the Cutest Little Farm in Korea