After we cooked ourselves a Christmas breakfast feast in our hostel, we finally got around to composing our thoughts about the second half of our Indonesia trip. We had so much more to say about our month there! After all, Indonesia is Mica’s favorite country so far (and here is why). This post will cover our time on the islands of Lombok and Bali. For a...
We just finished spending a full month across four different islands in Indonesia—our longest stint in a single country so far. Despite the time here, however, we really only scratched the surface. Indonesia is vast. It has more people than America and features a sprawling diversity across its 17,000+ islands. It is an archipelago in every sense of the word. We...
When we landed in Osaka, our first stop in Japan was Kyoto. While the city is filled with beautiful temples and Shinto shrines, we struggled to adjust to its totally foreign rhythm and culture. We were staying at an isolated Airbnb without the benefit of a hotel concierge to call places in Japanese or make local recommendations. However, by the end of our 5 days in...
Victor and I are fitness junkies, so in between climbing peaks, staying active has been a central part of our travel. We are better travel companions for one another and more energized observers of culture when we’ve spiked our endorphins and stretched our muscles. For the first month of our gap year, I kept my beloved Classpass subscription which allowed me to...
I spend an inordinate amount of time considering food. I scour blogs and reviews to select restaurants we will visit in each city we travel to. I read menus with slow, careful attentiveness to each side dish and preparation. I reflect on my workouts to consider what treats I’ve “earned,” and the variety of dishes planned for the upcoming days...
Queenstown, New Zealand is jaw-droppingly beautiful even from the first glimpses you get as your plane lands. It is nestled in the Remarkable mountain range on Lake Wakatipu, and provides the perfect jumping off point for exploring both Mt. Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. We spent 5 days in Queenstown and were instantly enchanted by the gorgeous mountain views...
Within 2 days of our arrival, I declared that Indonesia was my favorite country. Victor balked at this hasty decision, but after a month here, I stand by my initial declaration. Here are a few reasons why I love this equatorial archipelago: The Nature From the endangered orangutans in the jungles of Sumatra to the rim of the volcano on Mt. Rinjani to the unspoiled...
We had 12 days in Vietnam, but it felt much shorter. Maybe this is because it was wedged somewhat awkwardly between our time in Laos and visiting friends in Singapore (Mica) and temples in Siem Reap (Victor). Or perhaps it’s because Vietnam felt so large and spread out along the coastline. In either case our visit flew by, and we had just enough time to hit...
The unofficial motto of the Democratic People’s Republic of Laos (Laos PDR) is “please don’t rush.” If you looked at our itinerary for this land-locked country you might think we ignored this advice. We motorbiked, ziplined across jungle gorges, overnighted in a canopy-level tree-house, celebrated Oktoberfest, and...
My first 5 surf lessons crushed me. It was my first time in a while trying something wholly new–not like tasting a new cuisine, but putting myself in a physical situation where it would clearly take repetitive failure and much practice in order to glimpse a modicum of success. I had never wake-boarded, snow-boarded, or participated in any similar sport, and I...