Let the Countdown Begin!

Monday, Oct. 18 was my 23rd birthday and two-year marking point — one that seems fitting to officially begin saving for my next round-the-world adventure at the ripe old age of 25.

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The Best in Southeast Asian Food

The abundance of food in Southeast Asia is not something to be ignored. Rather, it's something to embrace and experience as frequently as possible, ensuring you get the best smattering of the local cuisine. There is something innately charming about the tiny, yet slightly grungy-looking metal street-cart set up on a small soi surrounded by lawn ottomans and chairs as makeshift tables. The knives are filthy, the water undrinkable and the stove hasn't been washed in ages.

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What I’ve Been Reading on the Road

Nothing is a better cure for a never-ending bus trip or lazy night in the hostel common room than a good book.

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How to Deal: Budgeting (Part II)

Weeks ago, I published one of my most successful posts yet on how I budgeted myself throughout Southeast Asia. It wasn’t meant to be a comprehensive guide on how any subsequent Southeast Asian vagabonds should travel, but just a rough outline of where I spent the most and what I spent my money on. Since then, I’ve been compiling my best tips and tricks (and those of other travel bloggers) for Part II of my budgeting extravaganza.

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How to Deal: Budgeting (Part I)

When I finally decided to tackle the budget questions I receive in a proper post, I decided I didn’t want to offer a definitive guide on how to budget a backpacking adventure. So many travel blogs and websites offer strict rules for saving and spending for backpackers to abide by, but those don't work for everyone — myself included.

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Ch-Ch-Changes [in Travel Plans]

I’ve met a lot of people on the road doing some pretty awesome things — teaching English, running their own businesses, blogging, volunteering — and realized I really wanted to be one of them. So I’ve chosen to stay in Bangkok for the time being to work toward that goal.

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Cambodia’s Bright Future

Working at FLO is my most rewarding aspect of traveling yet. The unconditional love these children offer, despite the many hardships they have seen is inspiring and often brought me to tears. As I said in my previous post, Cambodia and especially Phnom Penh is full of recent horror. Its future has yet to be written and constantly teeters on the seesaw of success and failure.

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Genocide and Poverty in Cambodia

The situation in Cambodia, and especially Phnom Penh is dire. After 25 years of war and horrific genocide, the city was left with deep wounds and is still working to rebuild after the complete breakdown of society. The people are exceptionally poor; impoverished to the point that the country’s own currency, the Riel, is not accepted because it has been so devalued. Cambodia’s currency may as well be the American dollar as even their ATM machines dispense only that.

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