When it comes to Northern Vietnam, it seems that Sapa has been deemed the most beautiful. Everyone I met said it was their favorite part of their trip. So it was a bit of a bummer when we arrived in Hanoi and heard it was pouring and freezing cold there. I’m a big believer in […]
Bali Backpacking Budget with Per Day Breakdown
Usually, my months are filled with cheap hostels and street food, but this month I was traveling a little differently. I convinced my mom to come visit me in Bali for a much needed month long vacation. Since we’d be traveling together, we chose to stay in homestays instead of hostels and ate at restaurants […]
Trying Laughing Gas Balloons on Cat Ba Island in Vietnam
I should start by stating that this post is meant for entertainment purposes only and is not an endorsement of this activity. While I want to share my personal experience, there are risks and dangers involved with trying laughing gas balloons. Everyone should do their own research before making an informed decision on whether or […]
Why the Halong Bay Overnight Cruise is Overrated
When it comes to travel in Southeast Asia, I always try to keep my expectations in check. Every once in awhile, that gets challenged. My friends, Lisi and Pat, flew out to Vietnam to spend my birthday with me, and we all decided to book a Halong Bay overnight cruise. We were shown an elaborate […]
Book Review: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
I was about to try my hand at mountain climbing for the first time (at the very modest height of 6500m) when I stumbled across the movie Everest on Netflix. After watching it and becoming terrified, I felt I wanted to read the true story behind the 1996 disaster that took place on Mt. Everest. […]
Book Review: Arresting God in Kathmandu by Samrat Upadhyay
Arresting God in Kathmandu by Samrat Upadhyay is a collection of short stories written by the Nepali-American author about everyday life in Kathmandu. The characters are full of flaws making them relatable in a completely uncensored way. It took me a while to finish the book because I’d read one person’s story, put it down, […]
Spending 3 Days & 2 Nights in a Nepali Hospital
As soon as we enter the hospital, everything is a mad dash. I give them my first name and my age. That’s it. It’s all they need to know. The dim hallways feel intimidating. Dirty footprints appear on the wet floors as soon as a woman finishes mopping them, undoing her hard work. The doctors […]
My Year in Review: 2017
I used to measure time with what I considered accomplishments. A raise in my salary. A job promotion. Which high end brands I could afford. However, this year was a little different. I stopped measuring time all together, and boy, has this year flown by and stood still all at once. I’ve learned so many […]
Nepal Backpacking Budget with Daily Breakdown
Nepal was one of the few countries I didn’t do research on before arriving. Most of my focus was on my Everest Base Camp Trek, which I’ll write about in another post, but exploring the rest of the country was kind of a surprise. I had no idea how much anything would cost. I hadn’t […]
Paragliding in Nepal: What It’s Like
I ran across the street in the downpour of rain. Within seconds my entire outfit was soaked. My friends and I all looked at each other and laughed while everyone in the bar was dry. The rain pounded the roof so loud, you almost couldn’t hear the live band. If we were going to be […]