The Europe seduction

There are times I find myself staring at a map, just lost in the possibilities of the world and all of its wonders. Then, the wanderlust begins to bubble up … to slowly seduce me into a world where backpacks, trains, hostels, waking up in a new city are the norm. Are romantic. These littleContinue reading “The Europe seduction”

Celebrating Passover in Chiang Mai

Rabbis clad in the Orthodox suits stand upon chairs, clapping their hands with smiles on their faces as our makeshift congregation of travelers and expats clap along.   “Day-day-enu, day-day-enu, day-day-enu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu,” we all sing together, accents melting into the chorus of the Passover song. It’s the first night of Passover, the firstContinue reading “Celebrating Passover in Chiang Mai”

The blessing of Chiang Mai

Living in Chiang Mai, I am constantly treated to spectacular visual beauty, thanks to the hundreds of temples and religious activities which regularly occur here. Any given morning, en route to work, I get to see people praying to monks and offering alms to them to bring back to their respective temples. The beauty ofContinue reading “The blessing of Chiang Mai”

A cigarette and a view: the coupling of smoking and travel

I sit, tuckered out from a long day of travel. Situated on the former Olympic Steps in Sarajevo, surrounded by green mountains dotted with homes which used to be in the middle of a war zone, I take it all in. Then, I light a cigarette, inhale deeply, and really begin to take a lookContinue reading “A cigarette and a view: the coupling of smoking and travel”

10 things traveling solo taught me about life

Today is March 7 … exactly four years ago today I boarded a flight to London and embarked on a seven-month solo backpacking adventure through Europe and parts of Africa. For months before I booked the trip, I teetered … I dreamed of traveling, but was it the right time to quit my job, mid-career,Continue reading “10 things traveling solo taught me about life”

The fat girl in Thailand

This post is a part of the year-long Comfort Zone Project. “Oh, why you so pom pui?” People ask me. Strangers. Friends. You name it. Pom pui. You’d think one of the first words I would learn in Thailand would be how to ask someone’s name, or how to ask for directions. But, nope. OneContinue reading “The fat girl in Thailand”

Daily Wanderlust: happy elephants

Happy elephants aren’t always easy to find in Thailand. A quick look at the current Travel Blogger Calendar and the related blog posts can give you insight into why this happens. (Note: you can win a trip to Thailand through them!) For me, working at Save Elephant Foundation, I am treated to happy elephants wheneverContinue reading “Daily Wanderlust: happy elephants”

The Comfort Zone Project

“Life’s not about living happily ever after … it’s about living.” That is the tagline for my blog, and was the motivating factor in the major decision I made nearly four years ago to quit my job in public relations and take a career-break and head out for a solo travel adventure. It’s the sameContinue reading “The Comfort Zone Project”

5 ways to beat the Expat Funk

Just like hitting the Travel Funk, as an expat, I’ve come to learn, you hit the Expat Funk, too. Know what I’m talking about? It’s that shitty feeling when you wake up in the morning and you can’t be asked to go about your daily routine. When the things you once found charming, like theContinue reading “5 ways to beat the Expat Funk”

Spring in Chiang Mai

I wake up and walk out of my air-conditioned room. I step into the teak upstairs of my home and am hit. A blast of steam, of hot, humid air so powerful my cool flesh immediately begins to bead with sweat. March in Chiang Mai. Coming from the desert, I am well-equipped to deal withContinue reading “Spring in Chiang Mai”