“Goals are dreams with deadlines.” ― Diana Scharf When I spoke to one of my friends before traveling to share details about my upcoming trip, he said, “I think what you’re doing is great. So many people just go through life doing things, but not really experiencing life. They are almost like human-doers, doing things and not really thinking about why. But when you take a trip like this, you can really be a human-being, and “be” what it means to be human. You can live in the moment and get … [Read more...]
September 5, 2013 5 Comments
September 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
Four strangers on a train
Note: I wrote this post before leaving for my trip but never had the chance to post it. This weekend I went home, to spend some time with my parents and some friends before my trip. To get to the airport, I took the most convenient commute I’ve ever had in any of the 4 cities I’ve lived, walking just two blocks to get onto train for a 25-minute commute to the airport. The train seems to never be crowded and always feels like it has just been cleaned—in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they … [Read more...]
September 4, 2013 2 Comments
How to plan an “unplanned” trip
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” –- Jawaharial Nehru // How do you plan an unplanned multi-month trip? Don’t go with a tour group, travel on your own, and skip the set itinerary. Seem overwhelming? It's actually easier than you think, if you keep the following guidelines in mind: Pick a region of the world - First, decide on what region of the world you'd … [Read more...]
September 3, 2013 8 Comments
Indians, Chinese, Arabs … and Prada and Gucci – a day touring around Singapore
"Singapore is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend going there." -- paraphrasing Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller's Day Off // This weekend I had a chance to tour around Singapore, which was awesome. On Saturday, I woke up and headed to Tiong Bahru, a stop on the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) green line, to grab breakfast witha friend of a friend living in Singapore. Tiong Bahru is a bit off the tourist track, in an area without as many of the tall skyscrapers that pepper the … [Read more...]
September 2, 2013 4 Comments
What I learned from my cat about travel anxiety
“Accept each challenge as an opportunity to transform yourself. Never allow yourself to be discouraged.” – Paulo Coelho // It is interesting how you can find meaning in normal things that happen in your daily life when you are looking for it. A few weeks before starting my trip, during a day when I was feeling a bit of travel anxiety, I took our cat Porridge to the vet for a check-up related to a small scab on his chin. Bringing cats to the vet is always an ordeal, because they need to be … [Read more...]
August 30, 2013 2 Comments
Pack everything you are bringing the day before you travel
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” -- Saint Augustine // With weeks of planning and hours spent considering and reconsidering what to bring on my 3-month trip, how is it that I still was scrambling up until the last-minute before leaving for my trip, such that I almost missed my train that would get me to the airport on time? The short answer is, that is a great question. And the relevant advice I can pass along, is that if you are traveling for multiple … [Read more...]
August 27, 2013 Leave a Comment
6 tips to avoid jet lag during travel
"Usually, jet lag is not this big of an issue for me. I'm not sure why I'm so disoriented this time. It could be due to the amount of chocolate and french fries I've eaten in the last two and a half weeks." -- April Winchell // I'm currently at the Narita airport just outside of Tokyo, with a short layover before boarding my flight to Singapore. In case I haven't yet mentioned, I'll be doing some project work for my current employer while in Singapore, which starts tomorrow morning. I'll … [Read more...]
August 18, 2013 2 Comments
An intentional approach to multi-month traveling
"A simple practice of intentionality: When I do it, my life is different. More purposeful, more consciously lived, more content with any action" -- Leo Babauta // I plan to be intentional in my travel experience. That does not mean that I will figure out everything about my trip and itinerary in advance. In fact as I write this, all I know for sure in terms of a trip itinerary is that I depart the USA in late August and fly into Singapore, and leave from Bangkok for home in late … [Read more...]
August 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
6 shots and 100 pills to healthy living overseas
This morning I got my 6th and last shot needed for my upcoming trip to Southeast Asia. In total, I needed to get a TDAP shot (which you apparently are supposed to update every 5-10 years), a 3-series shot for rabies, and a 2-series shot for Japanese encephalitis. The shots have not been painful, but given my prior experiences traveling I did not expect to need many more vaccinations. I was wrong. On top of that, I have 100 anti-malarial pills as well as other medications to, amongst others, … [Read more...]
August 12, 2013 Leave a Comment
How to pick the right electronics for an extended international trip
When you are traveling with the intent to learn something about yourself, the question of what electronics to bring becomes very important. Electronics can provide a lot of things to support you in your trip. For me it has been helpful to think about what I am trying to accomplish with these devices, and then back into what devices to bring, since some devices can serve different roles. For interest an iphone can be a e-reader, video and photo camera, GPS, phone, blogging device (albeit with … [Read more...]
