My week in Malaysia was probably the most stressful and painful of my whole trip. If I've been able to talk with you in person I'm sure you've already heard about the beach incident, but I'll recount the whole week here. I was looking forward to traveling to Malaysia. I had heard great things about the country as a whole. Because of seasonal rains and a lack of planning, I decided…
I've been back in the US for almost six weeks now trying to readjust to the real world. Each of those six weeks had a distinct goal and, looking back, it seems like it was a good way to get back into the swing of things. Considering that I was in Asia for only three months, a month to get back into things might seem excessive, but when I arrived in…
Among the many reasons that I decided to take off and travel was my need to find something that truly makes me happy. I was having trouble finding that in DC. I also found myself too focused on what is happening next in my life; great when I started travelling and needed to plan ahead, not so much fun when the return flight is in sight. After a trip to Malaysia…
If Patches O'Houlihan is to believed, ESPN8 "the ocho" ought to start filming dodgeball games in Southeast Asia. No crosswalks, no traffic lights or signs, and sidewalks that exist solely for parking; as of this writing, I have not seen an accident or near miss. The difference seems to come from a recognition by drivers that the road is not personal property. It is a space shared by cars, motorbikes, bicycles,…
I'm one of the few Americans who does not particularly enjoy Thanksgiving. I find it stressful, I'm not a huge fan of traditional Thanksgiving foods, and it is placed so close to both Veterans Day and Christmas on the calendar that I think it would be more useful in March or August when you've been in long period of no days off. I haven't met many Americans so far in Cambodia…
The only hard dates that I had for this trip was 9-23 Dec I had a massage course in Chiang Mai. I had almost three weeks from when I left Bangkok until the start of the course so my original plan was to spend a few days in Phnom Penh, another few days in Siem Reap (near Angkor) then the rest of the time in Laos. It always seems like there…
Full disclosure: the Hangover 2 formed almost all of my pre-arrival perception of Bangkok. Thankfully, that was not my experience. I came to Bangkok to eat and get cheap massages. I succeeded on both counts, and was pleasantly surprised by the rest of what Bangkok had to offer. My first full day was spent sightseeing: the palace, Wat Poh, Arun Wat. Everything was so shiny that it was hard to see…
Cal, the master of promoting all things Cal, wanted to me to clarify that this week in Hong Kong is not actually part of my sabbatical, but rather, my sabbatiCal. (He's been letting me crash on his couch so I'm not in a position to deny this request). Now onto slightly less Cal related things...Given that I really needed a chance to recharge after a hectic couple of months, easing into…
After a year or so of growing restless I finally took the plunge and decided to get out of DC. This was a tough decision because I actually like DC. Of all the cities I have traveled to, DC has always felt the most comfortable and home like to me. I didn't dislike my job, friends, or life in general. The problem was that for the past three years I have…