07/4/12

Long Term Travel Thoughts: Working on My Traveler Bod’

I did some push-ups yesterday. They were much harder than I remember… It’d been awhile. At the beginning of the trip, my friends and I had a joke about going to the gym, which was, in reality, wherever there was space. We’d “hit the gym” by doing some push-ups in our bungalow or hotel room […]

06/27/12
long beach on perhentian islands

Am I Being Too Lazy? Long Term Travel Questions

It’s looking like a lazy day at the hostel. Air con is so nice, the internet is zippy, the 2nd season of Breaking Bad is heating up and I really don’t feel like moving much today. But you’re on a gorgeous tropical island where the sun is shinning. You’re staying in a city that’s a […]

06/19/12

A Motley List of 15 Observations on Myanmar

Most people’s first stop in Southeast Asia is Thailand. Next comes Malaysia or Vietnam, and way down that list is Myanmar. Well, although the two countries share a border, a long one at that, Myanmar is no Thailand. In fact, it’s totally different from anywhere and everywhere I’ve ever been, which brings me to this […]

06/4/12

Bangkok’s Copycat Problem: I Visit the Museum of Counterfeit Goods

At first, I thought it was amusing. You could find a copy of anything. Do be honest, the fake item was probably easier to locate than the genuine one. Any street market could take care of all your needs. Ray-Ban sunglasses? Check. A slick new pair of Vans? The Lonely Planet of your next destination? […]

05/21/12

The Heat of Southeast Asia

After over two months of being fine without it, I gave in and got a room with air conditioning. Siem Reap finally did me in. It’s low elevation along with its large distance from the nearest ocean create a dry environment this time of year before the monsoon rains can cool it off. It was […]

05/3/12

Why No Backpackers Cook Their Own Meals In Asia

I miss cooking. In college, I couldn’t cook a thing, but once I moved out into the real world I soon realized the value of the skill. I found cooking skills attractive in girls, so it seemed only fair that I be capable as well. Plus, its good on your pride, your personal taste buds […]

04/25/12

Traveler Street Cred the Hard Way

I sometimes joke about a important step in becoming a true traveler. A crucial and, really, inevitable step, food poisoning. It’s just a part of traveling in foreign lands and if you haven’t had it, two things. You’re lucky, and it’s only a matter of time. When it unavoidably does come, it will be at a very inopportune […]

04/11/12

Not Too Tight of a Travel Budget: Scuba Diving

I’m on a tight budget. Because I want to travel for months on end, I can’t act like I’m on a two week spring break and let lose financially. Saving a few dollars is worth passing on the western food, and walking an extra few sweaty blocks with my backpack to find a cheaper accommodation is commonplace. I […]

04/9/12

Books on the Road: My Reading List

One of my favorite things about traveling is how there is suddenly time to read, a lot. Back home, I’d have to make time for even the best of books, but on the road, opportunity always seems to present itself in the form of a long bus ride or, even better, an inviting hammock. Here […]