“Well,” Dave said, letting out a deep sigh. “This has to be one of the biggest letdowns of my life.” I nodded in quiet disappointment as I stared out at the bleak scene ahead of me. Instead of a snow-covered paradise, I was standing in what felt like a construction …
Finding a home has been a long process. When I embarked on this open-ended journey back in 2011, I anticipated being away for a year, but secretly dreamed of making it to two. At that time, travel blogging wasn’t a viable career for most, and I made tentative plans for …
It took me six years to get to Japan. Why? I didn’t think I could afford it. Every time I seriously looked at visiting, I would wince at the high cost of the train passes, read about how the hotels were super-expensive, and then fly to Vietnam instead. Or Taiwan. …
I can never resist checking out a themed restaurant when I travel. During trips to Taiwan, I visited a hospital-themed restaurant, Hello Kitty-themed cafe, and Barbie-themed restaurant. In South Korea, I checked out both a dog cafe and a cat cafe. In Thailand, I even had lunch at a condom-themed …
Talk about a change of scenery! When I left you last, I was soaking up the sun in gorgeous Bali, and making the most of my last remaining weeks from this stint of travel. As I write this now, I’m sitting at my desk in a bright and shiny apartment with …
There are a handful of neighbourhoods I’ve fallen in love with over my seven years of travel. They’re places that have me feeling at home from the second I arrive, spots I continually crave living in, and areas that are crammed full of cosy cafes, quirky bars, thriving food scenes, …
At the end of every trip I take, I like to sit down and take stock of my experiences. As I write this now, I’m beaming from ear to ear. I’ve just completed an epic six-month jaunt through Asia and Oceania and, despite a few hiccups, my brain is overloaded …
My trip to Borneo was one of the worst I’ve ever taken. How did it all go so wrong? I’m not entirely sure. When I left you last, I was tiring of Kota Kinabalu. I had just spent three weeks in the city and while I initially adored everything about …
I feel awful. As I write this, I’m in Vava’u, Tonga, and I feel exhausted and malnourished and stressed and irritable and depressed. I can’t stop grinding my teeth. Occasionally, I burst into hysterical peals of laughter until I feel as though I’m deteriorating into madness. All I want to …
I’ve got quite a few of these going now. There’s Koh Yao Noi (my Thai island paradise), Otres Beach (my Cambodian beach paradise), Tofo (my Mozambican beach paradise), and now I’m throwing Ha’apai, Tonga into the mix, because after seven years of travel, I think it’s the prettiest place I’ve …
One of my greatest fears in life is shitting myself on a plane. What? That’s totally a natural, healthy fear to have. Call it Travelling in the Tropics for Too Long Syndrome because the more time I’ve spent on the road, the more aware I’ve become of what my bowels …