“The pumpkin spice flavors are coming out,” a friend back home told me over the phone. Caught off guard, I looked at the calendar asking, “Wait, what month is it?!” I’ve been living in perpetual summer since I started traveling and without a changing of seasons—or any kind of schedule, really—I’ve lost track of… Continue reading What I’ve Learned in 6 Months of Solo Travel
Tag: Travel
Monthly Recap: August
The last month has felt like I was Alice dropped down the rabbit hole, only instead of chairs and lamps flying past my head it was komodo dragons and rickety boats and volcanoes—oh, and flurry of mojitos. Needless to say, my first month in Indonesia has been a whirlwind. I haven’t blogged in a month… Continue reading Monthly Recap: August
I’m Going, Going, Back, Back, to Bali, Bali
The rush of a waterfall, a fresh mountain breeze. Lush green rice paddies, the fragrant smell of jasmine. Fiery sunsets and serenity. Memories of Bali wash in and out, like the gentle lapping of a calm morning beach. Two years ago I flew to Bali to escape the insanity of my life in Korea. Expecting… Continue reading I’m Going, Going, Back, Back, to Bali, Bali
Monthly Recap: July
Antibiotics are bad, but losing your leg to gangrene is probably worse, I reasoned with myself as I hobbled through the jungle today to pop those nasty pills that I know will ruin my stomach again. Then I swatted one of the dozen mosquitoes on my arm and prayed for no malaria. I’m currently… Continue reading Monthly Recap: July
What It’s Like to Learn Muay Thai in Thailand
A few weeks ago I didn’t know much about Muay Thai other than it’s some kind of martial art similar to kickboxing. Today, after two weeks of training in Muay Thai, I could punch you in the face, kick you in the ribs, and tell you all about it. (Just please don’t hit me back,… Continue reading What It’s Like to Learn Muay Thai in Thailand
A Week With Elephants: Volunteering at Elephant Nature Park
Scooping poop, chopping down a cornfield, and chucking around watermelons are not some of the more glamorous things I’ve done in my life, but it was all worth it to spend a week with elephants. Playing with elephants is one of the most quintessential things to do in Thailand so when my friends from… Continue reading A Week With Elephants: Volunteering at Elephant Nature Park
Monthly Recap: June 2015
The end of this month really snuck up on me! June was full of surprises and spontaneous decisions and most of it was pretty damn incredible. I wrote in last month’s post that Thailand was slowly stealing my heart and it’s true; after two months here, I’m head over heels for this country. But to… Continue reading Monthly Recap: June 2015
Canyoning (AKA Jumping Off Waterfalls) in Dalat
Have you ever wanted to jump off of a perfectly good cliff? Have you ever been inclined to hurl yourself into the churning base of an 80 foot waterfall? Have you ever seen a ledge and thought, gosh, I really want to hold on to a rope and lean backwards into the abyss? No? Well,… Continue reading Canyoning (AKA Jumping Off Waterfalls) in Dalat
Mermaid Life: Shipwreck Diving in Coron, Philippines
Like most little girls of my generation, I was moderately obsessed with The Little Mermaid. Splashing around in the pool pretending to have fins, arguing over who got to be Ariel, and passionately belting the words to Part of Your World was a staple of my childhood. But unlike most others, I never quite outgrew… Continue reading Mermaid Life: Shipwreck Diving in Coron, Philippines
Monthly Recap: May 2015
The Philippines is like that lover I keep coming back to. Vietnam is the one with everything I want but we’ll only ever be friends. Cambodia used and abused me, but I know I’ll still go back for more. Thailand, now, is in the process of slowly courting me. While it didn’t initially steal my… Continue reading Monthly Recap: May 2015
Falling in Love Under the Lanterns of Hoi An
Colorful lanterns swayed in the warm evening breeze above and around us, lending a warm and inviting glow to the crowded streets below. “All these lanterns make me want to fall in love,” my friend, Anne, quipped. We laughed and joked at how ridiculous that sounded, but she had a point. Every evening under the… Continue reading Falling in Love Under the Lanterns of Hoi An
Monthly Recap: April 2015
April has been a month of stuffing my face and adventuring through the country of Vietnam. I worked my way north to south, from trekking in the highlands to lounging on the beaches and everything in between. My body has inflated like a balloon and I’m like a walking cup of jiggly jello, but every… Continue reading Monthly Recap: April 2015