Dear readers, if you’ve found your way here, a hearty welcome to you. I haven’t updated this blog in a while, but please enjoy the words and photos herein. These stories are timeless and if you’re looking for travel inspiration, inspiration you will find. When I set out on a grand adventure to Asia in…
Tag: Travel
Thoughts of Nepal in the Wake of the Earthquake
I’ll never forget the first time I saw the Himalayas. I was in the middle of an excruciatingly long and bumpy bus ride, one of many I would take in the course of my six week journey around Nepal. I was gazing out the window (I always fought hard to get a window seat) while…
Video: Mastering the Longyi, the Traditional Dress of Myanmar
While the beauty of majestic Myanmar is fresh in my mind after the last post, let’s talk about the art of the longyi. The longyi, or longi, or longee, (pronounced simply lon-gee), is basically a long wrap skirt made out of one big piece of cloth. It comes in every color and pattern imaginable, and…
The Faces of Myanmar — A Photo Essay of a Remarkable Place
Dear Myanmar, You stole my heart from day one. From your majestic, dream-like landscapes to your colorful markets and big smiles. I will never forget you. Sincerely, Michelle Note: I will refer to this country as Myanmar because all of the local people I interacted with called it Myanmar. For example, they cheerfully told us we…
Your Ultimate Road Trip Kit: Gadgets to Bring on the Road
If you can get yourself a vehicle, driving can be a really great way to travel when overseas. Especially when you are in a big country with a lot of ground to cover, like Australia. It gives you the freedom to get up and go where ever you want on your own schedule, instead of…
Don’t Date a Girl Who Travels…Fall in Love With a Woman Who Wants to See the World
I’ve read some of the cute and corny and heavily-clichéd posts about dating or not dating a person who travels, and whether you like them or not the point is the same: For good or for ill, travel will instill certain qualities in a person. Independence, self reliance, adaptability, uncertainty, disinterest in material things, easy-going…
Literally Touching the Clouds: Paragliding Over Pokhara
My crazy Italian paragliding pilot told me there are two things he loves most about his job: flying next to big birds like eagles, and flying up into the clouds. After launching off the hill and gliding into the air, I immediately understood why. It was really amazing to ascend to an elevation of more…
Bukit Lawang: Must Love Orang-Utans. And Rustic Jungle Jams.
Sumatra. I just like saying the word. I like the way it rolls off the tongue; at once sounding mysterious, dark and exotic, igniting the imagination and stirring up all of the things that have driven me to travel to distant edges of the earth, that have inspired me to lift up the corners of…
Just Havin Some Fun at Angkor Wat
The glorious, sweeping complex of temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia was definitely a big highlight of the trip for me so far. You can easily spend hours wandering through the crumbling doorways, misty corridors, and sun-mottled courtyards of the many gorgeous temples — or you could spend them hiding in random dark corners and…
Backpacking in the 21st Century: Gadgets for Staying Charged While on the Road
Ladies and Gentlemen, today I present to you the first, and what probably will be the only episode of “Backpacking in the 21st Century.” Here Jamie and I reveal our secrets to keeping our devices powered up while traveling and staying in budget accommodations, which often have only one power outlet in the room. Here…
How to Negotiate with a Tuk Tuk Driver in Bangkok
Hey! Here are some quick, non-comprehensive tips for negotiating with a Tuk Tuk driver — many of these tips could apply anywhere, but Bangkok has some of the sheistiest drivers around. Tuk Tuks may not be the safest form of transportation, but they sure are fun to ride in! And they can weave through traffic…
In One Photo: Penang
It’s not easy to sum up the entire experience of a place in just one photo. It’s also hard to keep up with documenting everything you see when you change cities every few nights. Backpacker problems. So for now, when I don’t have time (or enough to say) about a certain place I’ll pick my…
A Permanent Blessing: Getting Sacred Tattoos at Wat Bang Phra
We sat cross-legged on the floor in a dim room with around 25 others patiently waiting for a turn before the monk. The monk looked fairly young and he didn’t speak a word to anyone. He barely looked up from his work, only occasionally glancing around at his quitely humming audience or up towards the…
Falling in Love With Gili Air
I never believed in love at first sight until it happened to me. Last month, I fell in love hard. With a place called Gili Air. The island of Gili Air off the coast of Lombok in Indonesia is one of the most beautiful places we’ve visited so far, and easily one of my favorites. I…
Adventures in Kerala
Before we move too much further in our travels, I’d like to reflect a bit more back on India. Specifically, on the very interesting time we had in Kerala. Expedia somehow mixed up the booking for our hotel at the Munnar hill station, which is a busy little mountain town a 5-hour drive from the…
THE WORLD AND BACK: Adventures in Southeast Asia and Beyond 