Build your foundation. Connect with empathy. The digital diary of a solo traveler.
Hello! Sorry for the brief absence. It's difficult to keep up on blog posts while traveling. I go through waves of writing motivation and then periods where I prioritize being present with the people around me, creating experiences. But I'm back and catching up! New posts for Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia... Continue Reading →
Following Hiroshima, this would be my last stop in Japan, and happened to serve as more of a pit stop than a last "hoorah." I arrived late in the evening, and the most exciting part of my night, post check-in, was my visit to the Japanese laundromat. An excerpt from my phone notes during my... Continue Reading →
September 4th marked exactly 9 months of travel. It feels likes I’ve just gone through the gestation period of my own personal growth...birthing new energy and a deeper understanding of myself. My experiences and relationships in Asia have taught me a lot. Here are some of the lessons I’ve gathered over the past few months.... Continue Reading →
I came in with a "let's do it better" mentality, and was met with a different set of challenges.
It was like so much had changed but at the same time nothing was different.
In 8 days, Ryan and I covered well over 1,800km of northern Philippines on motorbike. I say "Ryan and I" but I did zero driving. I can drive a motor scooter but I have no idea how to handle a semi-automatic bike. My role was to wear my big backpack filled with our stuff, and... Continue Reading →
The month I spent there was a blissful escape from the backpacker life. I settled in to a slow lifestyle, and by the end of my 3-ish weeks I felt completely at home.
March 7th-18th I arrived to Kuala Lumpur in the afternoon, and just as I walked up to my hostel, the sky opened up and vomited a thunderstorm. It's safe to say I've lost my Oregonian immunity to rain, and the desire to stay dry outweighed any interest I had to explore the city. Later that... Continue Reading →
I’m a little over 4 months into my journey though Asia and suddenly I’ve hit a wall, my mentality is shifting gears, and I can’t think of another idiom but basically I’m on the cusp of change.
**forewarning, there are a lot of photos woven in this post. You'll have to do some heavy scrolling. At the end of January I left Laos on an overnight bus to Bangkok. It was about a 20 hour journey in a reclining seat (cheaper than a sleeper bus) but I was surprisingly well rested when... Continue Reading →
Bridge Over Distance 