For the Love of Monday

Building a life where Monday doesn't suck.

Choosing Favorites: 15 Shots from a Spin Around the Globe

I decided to do the impossible, and challenge myself to make a list of my top 15 favorite photos from our trip around the world.

Originally I was going to make a top 10 list, but it became nearly impossible to narrow it down. Since we took over ten thousand pictures throughout the past year, I gave myself some slack and bumped the number up to 15.

To make the process easier, I set some ground rules for myself. This meant that I could only choose two animal photos. Without this rule, it is guaranteed that the entire list would have consisted exclusively of images of elephants and orangutans, with the occasional cow or pig shoved in there for good measure.

I tried my best to pick images that I haven’t used too much on this blog or on my Instagram (which was also hard and I did not succeed at this).

These pictures are some of my favorites, but depending on my mood I would probably pick a completely different crop if I did this same exercise tomorrow. Not only do I love these pictures, but they also represent moments over the past year that were special and stuck out to me for one reason or another. Mostly, it was just an excuse for me to look through our pictures again.

In no particular order, here are my top 15 favorite travel pictures.

 

1. The Julian Alps

 

Location: Slovenia

Why I chose this picture: On the third day of our trip, Al and I went on our first hike in the mountains of Slovenia. We had no plan, and no idea where we were heading as we meandered into center of the the Julian Alps. To find our way, we followed random paths as they appeared before us. One of these paths led us to the most stunning clearing where we found ourselves surrounded by unbelievable mountain views and wide green hills (pictured above). The whole experience was magical, and I was in awe the entire time.

 

2. Game of Thrones

 

Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Why I chose this picture: Being in Dubrovnik was such a fun experience for me. Al and I got to share it with two of our best friends, which made it even more special. The four of us heard rumors of a bar where you could sit along the cliffs of Dubrovnik and watch all the brave (or crazy) people dive off the rocky cliffs into the sea. We even briefly considered joining the ranks of these jumpers, but once we reached the cliff bar, the weather started taking a turn for the worse and we decided against it.

Instead, the four of us sat on the edge of the bar nursing cold beers, watching people plunge into the sea. We watched as 50ft waves rose up and crashed against the fortress walls dating all the way back to the 7th century. The dark skies mixed with the thrashing wind and rough sea made me feel like I was on the Game of Thrones set. Moments after this picture was taken, the rain started pouring down and we ran around the walled city laughing and looking for a bar to take cover in. The above picture reminds me of what a great experience that whole day was.

 

3. Dreaming of an Orange Christmas

 

Location: Sandakan, Malaysia (Borneo)

Why I chose this picture: Christmas Day 2016 was one of the best days I have ever had. Al and I spent the entire day watching orangutans in the wild. I’ve already gone into detail about this experience on a previous post, so I won’t rehash it all here. After the family of orangutans finished up their dinner, they left the feeding platform one-by-one, and climbed a rope that was located directly above my head in order to reach a more secluded tree. I snapped this picture of one of the older baby orangutans as he weaved his way across the sky. He was so active and playful, I almost felt like I was watching an actual human child run around. I love how you can see the curve of his foot and the fringe of his hair silhouetted in this image.

 

4. Kravica Falls

 

Location: Kravica Falls, Bosnia

Why I chose this picture: The first day our friends Nina and Zach arrived to travel with us in Bosnia, we drove 30 minutes outside of Mostar to visit these gorgeous waterfalls. We spent the day drinking beers, swimming, climbing the falls, and (for Al and Zach) even jumping off of them. I love this picture because it catches the moment right before Al goes underwater, as Nina watches from nearby. It reminds me of how fun and carefree the whole day was.

 

5. Irish Blessings

 

Location: County Claire, Ireland

Why I chose this picture: I probably could have chosen every single picture for this list from our week in Ireland, that is how much I loved our time there. One of my favorite days from the week was our visit to the Cliffs of Moher. That morning, our Airbnb host gave us secret directions on where to park and how to avoid the crowds, the only catch being that we would have to walk about a mile down the road pictured above. I ended up enjoying this walk almost as much as the cliffs themselves, and could not stop taking pictures the entire time. I love this one of Al casually heading back to the car, surrounded by the beauty of Ireland.

 

6. The Elephants

 

Location: Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

Why I chose this picture: Because, look at them! I am continuously amazed and fascinated by elephants. One of the reasons that Al and I went to Sri Lanka is because they have one of the largest populations of wild elephants in Asia, and I wanted to get a glimpse of them for myself. Our trip to Yala was really special, because we lucked out and had a safari truck and guide completely to ourselves for two days in a row. We spent hours silently watching these elephants together. I snapped this one of a baby following her mother around the plains and it ended up being one of my favorite pictures from the safari.

 

7. Lovely Day for a Guinness

 

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Why I chose this picture: On our first full day in Dublin, we went to the Guinness factory with my mother and father in law. I love this picture, because it was right after I asked the bartender for a glass of wine for my mother-in-law, Patti who isn’t much of a beer drinker. The bartender laughed at me and suggested I try somewhere other than the Guinness Beer Factory for a glass of wine. I brought her this pint instead, and she was such a good sport and enjoyed every drop. This picture reminds me of how much fun we had laughing and talking with each other all while standing on this crowded rooftop overlooking Dublin. We were in such good spirits, and this picture really captures the feeling of the whole day.

 

8. Waiting to Exhale

 

Location: Koh Mak, Thailand

Why I chose this picture: We spent two weeks on this beautiful, quiet, untouched island. During our time here, I could feel myself totally detaching from the world around me and any type of reality that existed outside of me, Al, and this little island. We spent hours reading our kindles on this beach. Once I discovered I could comfortably lay on this swing, it became my favorite place to read. I remember thinking often during this time that I was so lucky to be having this experience. I love this picture Al captured of me and my swing, because it reminds me of that gratitude.

 

9. Feel the Rhythm, Feel the Rhyme

 

Location: Sarajevo, Bosnia

Why I chose this picture: When we arrived in Sarajevo, I came across a blog post that mentioned there was an old abandoned bobsled track from the 1984 olympics (hence the Cool Runnings quote above). Naturally, I had to see it for myself. Al and I drove around following obscure directions until we finally stumbled upon it. It was such a unique experience walking along the abandoned track, taking in the old war graffiti, while imagining the athletes who had once flown down the exact path I was walking on.

 

10. The Luck of the Irish

 

Location: County Claire, Ireland

Why I chose this picture: The cliffs of Moher are so unique, because you have no idea that they exist until you’re actually standing on top of them. You’re walking along a path surrounded by what seems like endless green Irish country, until all of a sudden, the entire earth just completely drops off into the sea.

Ever since I was a kid, I have loved climbing and sitting on the edge of cliffs, much to my parents dismay. As an adult, not much has changed.

I chose this picture because of what it captures, but also because of a memory I had the moment I sat down on this rock. My oldest sister, Lauren, moved to Ireland almost 15 years ago, back when we were all just starting to use digital cameras. She sent home some pictures, and one of them was an image of her hanging off of a cliff, with her hair blowing in the wind. I remember thinking Ireland seemed like such a far off exciting world, never dreaming that I would one day be in the exact same position. I love when moments of your life unexpectedly overlap like that. You can see that picture here.

 

11. Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

 

Location: Kotor, Montenegro

Why I chose this picture: The mountains and landscape surrounding Kotor are unreal. In this picture, we were well on our way to our Airbnb in Kotor, when Nina realized she left her favorite sunglasses at the last scenic detour we had taken. Al and I waited for them to return at this beautiful spot, and quickly became lost in our surroundings. A few minutes later, Nina and Zach returned with her glasses, and we were on our way.

After about ten minutes of driving, Al realized he left our nalgene of fresh water behind, and we had to turn around once again to retrieve a forgotten item. Proof that when the scenery is so beautiful, you tend to forget yourself.

 

12. Along the Tracks

 

Location: Ella, Sri Lanka

Why I chose this picture: Sri Lanka was so full of life. No matter what part of the country we were in, I was mesmerized by the energy of the people. During our days in Ella, Al and I spent a lot of time walking up and down these (active) train tracks. So much happened along these tracks, and there was always something interesting to see.

In this image, a group of women are walking to a nearby water pump where they spent a few hours each day washing clothes. They always had umbrellas in hand to shield them from the harsh rays of the Sri Lankan sun.

 

13. Peace and Peacocks

 

Location: Ohrid, Macedonia

Why I chose this picture: This monastery sits about a half mile from the Albanian border, standing on a high, rocky wall right at the edge of Macedonia’s lake Ohrid. It is surrounded by forests and fountains, and filled with wild peacocks that roam the grounds. This place was one of the most tranquil and serene destinations I have ever encountered, and I love this picture because it reminds me of how peaceful it felt to wander around such an ancient part of the world.

 

14. Float On

 

Location: Hvar, Croatia

Why I chose this picture: Another one of my all-time favorite days from our trip. Al and I rented a boat to explore the surrounding islands of Hvar. We would find a desirable cove, anchor our tiny boat, and swim our hearts out. I love this picture because Al looks like the most happy and content person on the planet.

 

15. Vietnam Vibes

 

Location: Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Why I chose this picture: I guess it is fitting that my last picture on this list is a sunset. Besides the obvious beauty of this picture (the colors, the water, sky, boat, and silhouette of a fisherman hard at work, etc)., this memory is special because it was our last day together after spending over a week bouncing around Vietnam with our best friends Christie and Dan.

An expat-turned-local we met the previous day recommended this section of the island to us, and it did not disappoint. The four of us lucked out and had an entire beach, and beach bar to ourselves to watch the sun go down over the ocean. It was perfect in every way and this picture captures it.

—

 

Around the World in 80 Kicks

About three weeks before we left on our trip, I was out for a run and in the middle of mentally checking off everything we still needed to get done before our departure, when a song called ‘There Will Be Time’ by Mumford and Sons popped up on my Spotify playlist. As I listened to the song, I felt an overwhelming sense of excitement wash over me. The checklist dropped out of my head, and was replaced with visions of us traveling around the world together. Various scenes that were yet to happen started flashing through my head as the song picked up, and I knew that I wanted to make a video to chronicle our trip using that song.

I wanted to take videos of us doing something in front of our favorite spots while we were traveling, but I didn’t know what. Al and I are absolutely terrible dancers, so we knew to immediately eliminate anything in that category. We settled on the only thing we could think of doing: The Montana Waltz. This may sound like a dance but our interpretation of it most definitely is not. Our version of the Montana Waltz more closely resembles two adolescent kids rapidly kicking each other in the shins.

Either way, that’s what we did. Every time we were in a particularly beautiful or interesting place, one of us would inevitably say, ‘Should we do our kicks here?’ and then would whip out the GoPro. Each time was different. Often strangers would be around and start cheering or laughing, sometimes neither of us were into it and the result was a slow and painful half-assed attempt at doing the waltz. There were times the terrain was particularly difficult to bounce around on, and one of us (usually me) would end up falling. There were even weeks when we forgot to do it at all. But in the end, I’m so glad we did it, because we’ll have this video to look back on for the rest of our lives.

So here it is, our final travel video: two fools kicking each other around the world.

 

 

So Now What?

We have been back in the U.S. for a bit now, and I have sat down to write a post reflecting on the end of our trip and the transition home about 100 times. I usually end up giving up, finding myself unable to string together the right words, or collect my thoughts in an articulate enough way to pull it all together.

Part of the reason for my lack of wrap-up is that we haven’t stopped moving since we have gotten back. Just days after we arrived home, we unexpectedly found ourselves back at the airport. In the weeks since we have been back, we have squeezed in trips to New Orleans, Savannah, St. Augustine, Atlanta, and Chicago. We also have been lucky enough to spend some time celebrating friends and family members who are going through their own big life changes.

Life has continued to do what it does best, which is go on. And it all feels so weirdly normal.

 

It wouldn’t feel normal without the weirdness of my family.

 

Streets of NOLA.

 

This trip and the inevitable upheaval of our carefully built life in Chicago previously filled in all of the empty spaces of my mind and my heart. Before the trip, when I would be walking somewhere to complete some random errand, I would be thinking about traveling. At night, when I couldn’t fall asleep, I would imagine Al and I wandering around somewhere in the world. When I was stuck waiting in a line or sitting with my mouth propped open at the dentist’s office, I would pass the time by day-dreaming of all the adventures we would eventually go on.

And now, after all that, it is done. We did it.

We completed a long-term goal together, hiked a bunch of mountains, splashed around in various oceans, saw some new countries, ate and drank in front of different world backgrounds, and met some new people. But…So what?

 

I mean, yeah I got to pretend like I was a giant smashing tiny mushroom villages but SO WHAT?!

 

Now that the dust is finally starting to settle, and the reality has sunk in that the trip is over, I have asked myself some of the following questions: Did it really make that big of a difference? Do I really feel any different than I did a year ago? Won’t I just slowly go back to doing the same things I was doing before now? How does this really matter in the long run?

I don’t ask myself these questions to belittle anything that we did or have done, but I ask them because I realize this point in our transition is an important one. It would be all too easy to have an experience like the one we had, come back, and continue to go on with life as if it was all a distant dream. If I am unable to identify and internalize what I got out of this experience and how I want it to use it to impact the rest of my life, then I might as well have not done it all.

If all I wanted out of all of this was a collection of cool experiences, then a few really fun vacations would have accomplished that. Our trip has already started to slowly fade into its new place as a past memory, settling comfortably into the coveted ‘best times of my life’ category. As difficult as it was to watch it change from a current experience into a past one, I have come to accept it (because what other choice do I have?)

 

So smug with her giant beer and perfect view.

 

So… what happens now?

Now that we have returned, it has been a challenge figuring out how to sort it all out. How do I even begin to process what just happened? It can become overwhelming, and the urge to ignore it and just move on to the ‘next thing’ starts to win over.

I shared this dilemma with my parents, and they presented me with a challenge.

They asked me to come up with three different words that would describe and summarize my experience. The first word would correspond with how I felt prior to going on our trip, the second word would summarize how I felt during our trip, and the final word would correlate with where I am now, now that it’s all over and I have accomplished everything I set out to do. I could only choose one word to describe how I felt during each phase.

It sounds like a simple exercise, but it wasn’t easy for me to boil down so much emotion and experience into a single word. It was the perfect way for me to cut through all of the chaos and various emotions that were flying around, and get to the heart of what this whole thing means.

 

Pre Trip: Hopeful

 

Walking out the door on our way to the airport, to get this whole thing started. The smile says hope: the protruding neck vein says fear.

 

I wrote this post the day we left on our trip, and I asked the question that had been floating around in my mind at the time:

What if it isn’t what we thought it would be? What if the dream of this trip is better than the reality?

We were deliberately choosing to uproot ourselves and take an uncertain road. I knew from experience that choosing to take these huge dramatic leaps in life do not always pan out the dreamy way you hope they do. I also knew I would miss my friends, my family, my cats, and even having a steady paycheck. My life as I knew it at the time would change forever. But when it came down to it, I could see a clear picture of what I really wanted my life to look like, and it was nothing like the life I was currently living.

I hoped that it would be worth it, but I also knew that there was no way I could know for sure unless I just got up and did it, already. I knew that we would have some difficult times, and that we would likely have to start back over in building our lives when we returned.  I felt so stuck with where I was, but I could no longer ignore the pull to do this trip. I figured that it was better to move without having the answers or all of the pieces in place, then to stay stagnant in a situation that was most certainly wrong for me.

So, before the trip I was hopeful, but there was still fear. I would even say my fears and apprehension were making me cautiously hopeful, but since I was only allowed one word, I settled on hopeful.

 

During the Trip: Free

 

 

 

On the third day of our trip, Al and I were on a drive from Ljubljana to Maribor, when we unexpectedly got stuck in a two hour traffic jam. The second that our car pulled to a halt in the line of traffic, every single person in the cars surrounding us opened their doors and stepped outside. Instantly, everyone started chatting with each other.  Some people went on walks with their dogs, others pulled out a deck of cards or opened up the back of their trunks to hang out of their back seats. Al and I couldn’t believe what we were seeing. At first, I was so taken aback by this that I was convinced we somehow got caught up in a giant family reunion caravan. What is wrong with these people?! Why aren’t they angrily honking on their horns, or pulling out their cell phones, or shouting at each other complaining about how busy they are and how they don’t have time for this?!

When my instant reaction during a traffic jam was to be annoyed; Slovenians used it as an opportunity to accept their reality, and relax into it. I decided to follow their example, so I opened up the book I was reading, and hung my feet out of the passenger window. Al pulled out a puzzle and went to work on it. Occasionally, I would stand outside of the car to feel the sun, or to stretch my legs.

This day was when the feeling of freedom first truly hit me. In a traffic jam of all places. I realized that I had no reason to hurry anywhere, and that life was happening to me right now. I felt completely content with the moment I was in, and I knew that time didn’t matter. Eventually we would get where we were headed. Somehow, here I was in SLOVENIA, on a road trip with my husband. I had nothing ahead of me but freedom, adventure, and choice.

This feeling continued to radiate throughout the rest of the trip. I attribute my focus and awareness of this feeling to the reason why I was able to enjoy every moment, and every destination, no matter what went wrong along the way.

What I failed to consider prior to leaving on our trip, was the possibility that it could actually be better than our dreams. The reality-version actually somehow outperformed the dream-version. No matter what happened or where we went, I was free.

 

Post Trip: Grateful 

 

Daily trips to the beach and family are definitely things to be grateful for.

 

When my parents asked me this three-word summary question, I had to really think about the word that best described the post-trip period. It was still so fresh, so I struggled with how to capture it in one word.

As I was thinking, I looked out to the right of our table, and saw nothing but white sand and a shining ocean staring back at me, and my first thought was: I can’t believe this is my life. 

Just the week before that moment, I was walking through tea fields in Sri Lanka, and watching families of wild Asian Elephants roam through grasslands. Now here I was sitting at an oceanside restaurant with my family, talking about life.

I felt so thankful for where we were in that moment, but even more so for the chance I had to see so much the world and travel freely on my own terms.  I felt so thankful for the hundreds of memories Al and I created together and will now share for the rest of our lives.

But time has passed from that first week back and now, and things have shifted as the trip moves farther away from the present. I haven’t stopped being grateful, but it feels important to say that even with all the good, it has not all been perfect or easy.

Doing something like this does not come without challenges and hardships. There has been what may seem like a never-ending montage of beautiful places and adventures, but along with that, there are difficult times that manage to wedge their way in more often than I would like. In coming home, there is doubt, frustration, isolation, and heaviness that inevitably attach themselves to this huge life transition. These feelings can be hard, even when they are a result of a self-inflicted change. This is the time when things start to get bumpier, and when life begins to really challenge how well we can apply the lessons we have been learning along the way.

What I have realized now is that this trip is actually not about the hundreds of memories we collected, or stories we now share together, nor is it about the mountains climbed or the destinations we discovered.  The impact from this trip is not going to come from those things, but instead it comes from the fact that we did it at all. 

When you really commit doing something in your life that feels scary, uncertain, or risky, it becomes the first move in a series of shifts that can impact your whole life. It is the choice of courage over fear, which are basically the two options we are faced with when making any type of decision. Now that Al and I have done this together, we have set a precedent for the choices we make in our lives moving forward. We can now move more confidently in choosing courage over fear every single time, regardless of the difficult things that may come along with it.

Post-trip life has been all about handling transition, but I chose grateful as my word because it is the only word that can describes what it feels like after months of living out a dream.

 

 

 

So, that’s where we are at now. As far as what comes next, I’ll save that for another post (which basically means that I have no idea).

 

Six Months on the Road: Sri Lanka

The time has come for our final month wrap-up video. I get all the feels just thinking about our trip abroad coming to an end.

January brought us to Sri Lanka, in what was our last month abroad. We could not have picked a more perfect destination to go out on. The country had just the right combination of everything that we love about traveling: delicious food, an interesting and unique culture, kind people, stunning wildlife, and endless opportunity for adventure.

This video is my favorite one of all, because it represents the realization of a dream. If I could give some unsolicited advice (which I will, since this is my blog), it would be to work as hard as you can every day of your life to do the things that matter to you. Do the things that make you feel alive. Each day of this trip was not perfect, but we were still happy every.single.day because we were doing something that we loved.

This trip was the best gift we have ever given ourselves, and for the rest of my life I will be thankful for the opportunity we had to see the world together.

So here it is, month six:

 

 

Wild Sri Lanka

In case I haven’t made it obvious enough by now, I have a thing for animals. After chasing wildlife in Borneo and Thailand, I couldn’t resist squeezing in one last chance to see some more of these beauties in the wild.

After leaving Ella, we took a taxi a couple of hours south, to Uda Walawe National Park. Sri Lanka is home to quite a few wildlife National Parks, with Yala National Park being the most popular. We chose Uda Walawe over Yala for a few reasons, but the main one being the amount of tourism. We read that Yala gets so crowded, you often have dozens of jeeps crammed together, fighting for a spot as close as possible to the wildlife. We imagined this as being something that would be stressful for the animals and for us, so we opted out.

Another reason we chose Uda Walawe, is because it is home to a population of over 400 wild elephants, almost guaranteeing a glimpse of them. The park is 119 square miles, with a huge water reservoir spanning the interior of the park (and a favorite spot for elephant hangouts).

We went on two excursions at Uda Walawe: An evening and morning safari. Once we arrived and booked our safari, Al and I were beyond thrilled to walk out of our hotel room to see an open-air jeep waiting for us, completely empty. The lack of other visitors meant we had the jeep all to ourselves, our very own private safari.

 

 

The park itself had a magical, earthy feel to it. We entered in on a long bumpy red dirt road, with miles and miles of open grassland rolled out before us. With the sun burning a bright orange and hanging low in the sky, it almost felt like I was back in Africa again.

We were lucky enough to see dozens of wild elephants, water buffalo, jackals, crocodiles, and what felt like hundreds of different species of bird. We spent the entire four hours in silence, only speaking to point out a new sighting, or to pass the camera back and forth. We both left with a strong craving to go home and watch The Lion King (does anyone know when this comes out of the Disney vault?!)

After our time in Uda Walawe, we headed to Mirissa, a beach town at the very southern tip of Sri Lanka. Mirissia is well known in the Sri Lanka backpacking circle for its surf culture, but we were there for one reason: the whales.

The Indian ocean is warm, and apparently ideally located for whale migration. We read that you can see almost every type of whale from the shores of Mirissa.  We chose Raja and the Whales as our tour company, because they are the most reputable and conservation focused whale-watching company in Sri Lanka.

We set out at 6:30am, coffee in hand and ready to see some whales. About 90 minutes in, things started getting rough. Really rough. We were warned about the rockiness of the Indian ocean by the crew and company several times prior to leaving (as well as when we booked our ticket). They strongly suggested sea sickness pills, but it seemed that nobody (myself included) chose to take them seriously.

Without being too graphic, I will just say that at this point in the journey, about half of the boat was unable to hold down the colorful fruit plate that was so generously given to us that morning, leading the second half of the boat to try as hard as possible to ignore what was happening all around us.

Sea sickness aside, all of it ceased to matter as soon as we saw the first explosive spout shooting out from the ocean. That day we saw 8 blue whales, the largest animal to ever live on the planet (as far as we know).

Pictures will do a much better job of illustrating our experience seeing these amazing animals, so we picked out our favorite shots from both the safari and the whale watching trip.

Enjoy!

To view the images, click on the elephant and enable fullscreen using this icon: 

Also, a heads up that these are much easier viewed on a computer!

 

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Sorry, Buddha, This Seat Is Taken

Al and I are in our last month, on our last country, on the very last leg of our trip. Our final destination of choice: Sri Lanka.

To be totally honest, I probably would not have been able to tell you where Sri Lanka was without looking at a map just two months ago. After Christie and Dan left us in Vietnam, we knew we were going to use our final few days to book out the remainder of our travel days. We had already decided on Malaysia and Borneo, but felt we needed something special to round out our trip. Our original hope was that we would be able to fly to Australia for our final weeks to visit my sister and brother-in-law, but insane flight costs painfully took that option off the table.

I remember feeling discouraged as I sat staring at my computer in our tiny Phu Quoc hostel room. I was trying to accept that we would have to fly straight to the US from Kuala Lumpur. The thought just didn’t sit right with me, so on a whim I decided to get on Skyscanner.  My favorite function of this site is the ability to search cheap flights out of your destination to anywhere in the world by selecting ‘everywhere,’ (which, by the way, may just be the most fun thing ever if you love travel).

Kuala Lumpur is notorious for cheap flights to various places in Asia, and after entering in our dates, multiple destinations instantly popped up. I scrolled through the top 10 destinations, sorted by price, and stopped immediately when my eyes fell upon a $65 flight to Sri Lanka.

 

Hmm Sri Lanka…where is that again? Why does it sound so familiar?

 

I quickly consulted Google Maps and realized,

 

Oh right, the teardrop below India.  

 

Not actually India. Which I originally thought.

 

I searched my brain for any recognition of the country; I conjured up fuzzy memories of the 2004 Tsunami, along with various headlines of a recent civil war.  I decided to do a little research, and as I fell down the rabbit hole of Sri Lanka, my heart started to flutter a bit as I read:

The most concentrated population of wild elephants in all of Asia. The best place in Asia for whale watching. Hiking through mountains, waterfalls, villages and tea plantations. Beautiful train rides across the country. Amazing beaches. Endless vegetarian food options.

That was enough, I was sold.

I said nothing to Al until we took our evening walk to the beach and pitched my new idea. He readily agreed (there was really no need for convincing) and we applied for our Sri Lankan visas an hour later. The next day, we were accepted, and our flights were booked.

And now, here we are, 9 days into Sri Lanka, and 9 days away from getting on a flight back to the US. I already have so much to say about our time here, but as an attempt to keep myself focused, I will start at the beginning, with our first leg.

 

COLOMBO – KANDY – ELLA

 

 

COLOMBO

 

We arrived to the Colombo airport at about 8:30pm, and drove to our hostel in the back of an Uber, with only the moonlight to view our surroundings. I typically love the first few hours of arriving to a country, watching a new place roll by in a blur through my taxi window, so I always feel a sense of disorientation and mystery arriving at night and being forced to wait until morning to see where I actually am.

Right away, I was struck with something that has only grown stronger the longer we have been here: Sri Lankan people are the friendliest people I have ever met. Like, scary nice. It took a bit of adjusting for Al and I to let our guards down without assuming that everyone was trying to take advantage of us. Every single person smiled at us, said hello, asked if they could help us get anywhere or if they could help us find anything. We naturally assumed they wanted money, but it turns out they were just being helpful. It was a hard concept to grasp.

After we shook off the shock of genuine kindness, we settled into our hostel. The next morning, we woke up and the first thing I did was open the shades to orient myself. I was pleasantly surprised to discover we were right by the sea.

 

Our first glimpse of the country.

 

We decided to head out in search of our first taste of Sri Lankan food. We left our hostel and began to walk up to the street, and at that moment I wished I had an extra head to take in more of what was around us.

Compact tuk tuks with rounded tops of all different colors whizzed by, and a group of elegant women dressed in gold and emerald saris casually chatted while waiting at a traffic light. A temple made up of hundreds of tiny wooden Buddha carvings rose up in front of us, and on the corner, a wrinkled Sri Lankan man sat bent over with his legs wrapped tightly over each other, quietly weaving prayer necklaces for anyone who stopped by. My nostrils stung with the scents of unfamiliar curries and spices from nearby vendors. Being the only foreigners in our area, nearly everyone stared at us.

I felt myself filling with lightness: Oh my god, we’re not in Southeast Asia, we are in SRI LANKA! The realization washed over me and made me giddy with all of the newness that was surrounding us. I hadn’t realized how easily we had fallen into comfort in Southeast Asia: it was like we had been wearing the same cotton shirt for months, and now all of a sudden someone had handed us a strip of cloth instead, and just said figure it out. It was awkward and uncomfortable and different, and we loved it.

Things only got better once we had our first meal. I wish I could tell you what it was, but I don’t remember. All I know is that we were in flavor heaven the entire time.

 

We also loved just eating with our hands. Somehow it made the food taste better.

 

After we ate, we wandered for hours around downtown Colombo:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought these were rickshaws, Al says they’re tuk tuks.

 

Our time in Colombo was short; used primarily as a stopover to get our bearings before moving on Eastward, to the country’s second biggest city, Kandy. We had read that the best way to get here was by the local train. We did very little research on how the trains work, because everything we were finding turned out to be really confusing or contradictory. This experience deserves its own section.

 

THE TRAIN RIDE: COLOMBO – KANDY

 

Traveling by train in Sri Lanka is affordable, scenic, and slow. There are 3 classes: (1st, 2nd and 3rd, obviously) and you can reserve seats in advance for select cars in 1st and 2nd class. Once those sell out, you have to buy unreserved tickets the day of your journey, and seats are not guaranteed. As some journeys can exceed 7 hours and become very crowded, this can lead to an uncomfortable experience.

We walked up to the train station hoping to buy reserved seats for the next day’s journey to Kandy. We realized very quickly that this was not going to be an easy task. We got redirected to a different window and were given different information about 10 times before we realized that we were never going to get a straight answer. What we gathered from all the people we talked to was this: the trains were sold out, and we  would have to buy tickets the day of; we would have to try our luck and fight it out for seats on an unreserved 3rd class train.  We would come to find that getting a seat in this situation is comparable to winning the lottery.

We arrived to the train station the next day at 7:00am with our freshly purchased tickets in hand, completely unsure of what to expect. I mentioned that Sri Lanka has some of the nicest people we’ve ever met. The country is also about 75% Buddhist, which I believe probably contributes to an overall sense of happiness everywhere we went. This has held true nearly everywhere we’ve gone in Sri Lanka, but for whatever reason, all bets are off when it comes to the trains. There is no room for anyone, including Buddha, on a 3rd class unreserved train.

As we walked up to the platform, we could already see an ocean of heads crammed together, clamoring for a spot as close to the tracks as possible. As we tried to weave through the packed crowds, our giant backpacks weighed us down and repeatedly pulled us back, making our efforts to get to an open spot feel like we were trying to sprint underwater.

We managed to mash our way through to a small clearing, when a nice Sri Lankan man introduced himself to us. I think he must’ve sensed that we were train virgins, because he quickly started giving us advice on how to get on the train and score a seat. He told us we had to be aggressive, or we didn’t stand a chance. We told him we actually had seat numbers, hoping this would give us an advantage. He simply laughed saying, That doesn’t matter. Not in this country.

As soon as we heard the whistle of the train pulling into the station, the energy became electric. It was similar to being in the middle of a field while football players desperately clamor over each other for the ball during a fumble, except in this situation there were 600 players all trying to fit into the same tiny doorway before they could actually reach the ball. It was insanity.

Our new Sri Lankan friend looked at us and shouted GO, GO, GO! As he jogged alongside the train, but we could barely comprehend what he was doing before it was too late. The crowd started to sprint at once, with our Sri Lankan friend leading the pack. He grabbed onto the door handle of the still-moving train, and actually shoved several others out of the way to swing himself onto the steps. While he did this, all the other people were pushing and elbowing each other out of the way, fighting for the closest open door onto the train. Al and I somehow became caught in the crosshairs of this entire scene. We were being pushed along with the masses through no effort of our own.

That moment, I was reminded of something I witnessed on the bathroom wall of our hostel in Koh Mak: what seemed like hundreds of little ants converged together to surround and lift a beetle ten times their size in order to move it into a small hole in the wall. The beetle lay helplessly, his tiny legs twitching frantically for some sort of surface that might help him regain control, but he had no hope against the crowd of ants who were all focused on one goal.  I was the beetle now, and the Sri Lankans were the ants lifting me into this hole.

Once I got on the train, people were throwing bags everywhere, climbing in through the windows, and trying their best to get to any last remaining seats before they were gone. Through the crowd, I saw our new Sri Lankan friend waving me down, trying to hold a seat for me with his backpack, while everyone in his vicinity attempted to remove his backpack and replace it with theirs. I managed to get to him, and while being pushed in all directions, lifted my giant backpack overhead to stuff it in the overhead compartment, only to watch in horror as it slipped from my hands and tumbled below me, landing directly on the heads of two Sri Lankan women who had managed to secure a seat. I apologized and squeezed my way into the seat, realizing I had somehow lost Al in the process.

I easily spotted his blonde head at the end of the car, bobbing a foot above the others, as he accidentally elbowed a girl in the head while struggling to store his bag while fighting for an inch of standing room. I couldn’t help but laugh at the two of us on this train, fumbling our way through it all like two confused (yet giant) toddlers.

I thanked my new friend repeatedly and told him we would have been completely lost without his guidance and help. As the train began to pull out of the station, I began to relax as he told me all about life in Sri Lanka, and gave me some more advice for our next train experience. After two stops, he stood up and called Al over to take his seat, and disappeared off the train.

After our train angel left, Al and I were free to enjoy the rest of the train ride. In seats.

 

 

This view would not have been possible without a seat!

 

 

Flying through the country.

 

KANDY

 

We scheduled two days in Kandy, which is famous for being home to The Temple of the Tooth, one of the most sacred locales in Buddhist worship circles. It is said to hold the tooth of Buddha – one of Sri Lanka’s most important relics. Since Sri Lanka is predominantly Buddhist, it is a pretty big deal in the country. You can’t actually see the tooth – it is kept in a gold casket within a protected complex, but I guess you’re just supposed to trust that it is there. I couldn’t really get a straight answer out of anyone (or the internet for that matter) on how they know it is actually Buddha’s tooth, but in the end it makes them happy so I guess it doesn’t really matter either way.

We used our time in Kandy to explore, eat the local food, and learn more about Buddha and the role of Buddhism in Sri Lanka (which I’ll spare you from writing about).

 

The streets in Kandy were packed at all times.

 

 

Who needs wheels when you’ve got a head?

 

The holy lake next to Temple of the Tooth.

 

 

Kandy from above.

 

 

This is when we spotted big Buddha and decided we should go there.

 

 

So we did!

 

The sun sets on our last night in Kandy.

 

THE TRAIN RIDE: KANDY – ELLA

 

Two days after we arrived in Kandy, it was time to face the trains again. Once again, we were unable to get a reserved seat in time, and would have to duke it out against our fellow travelers for a precious spot. I could feel my pre-train anxiety start to set in. This was a high stakes train journey. It was no Colombo-Kandy beginner ride, we were facing a 7 hour journey; our first had only been 2 ½ hours. Getting a seat would be paramount to our experience. Not only that, but we were told that only one side of the train allowed you to see the views, so it was important to get on the right side. I started mentally panicking at the thought of spending 7 hours standing up with zero personal space, unable to see the beauty of world passing only feet from where I stood. We had no choice. We had to get seats.

When we got to the station, it was once again packed; but this time with both western tourists and locals. Al and I had a serious debate about which group would be easier to take down. We landed on going after the western tourists, arguing that they would be more orderly and adhere to the rules of their own countries (waiting for people to get off the trains, respecting common rules of lines) thus easier to overtake. I’m being sarcastic, but not really.

Once we made our decision, we started sizing up our competition; which consisted almost exclusively of white European or North American couples exactly like us. We knew we could take them. We strategized a plan. Al would be responsible for securing the seats and getting on the train first, while I would be in charge of bringing all 4 bags of our luggage on behind him and getting them stowed away. This would allow Al to be more mobile without his 15kg backpack holding him down, thus increasing our chances for success.

This time, when we heard the train whistle blowing, we were prepared. The train rushed into the station, and Al immediately lead the pack and grabbed the handle of the moving train just as he had seen our Sri Lankan friend do in Colombo. Al jogged alongside of the doors, prepared to jump in and grab a seat before the existing passengers had unloaded. My heart pounded as I saw the train slowly come to a stop, as one tall blonde girl aggressively stepped in front of Al, blocking his entry to the train, refusing to move as the passengers trickled out. I heard my brain think, This is no time for politeness, blonde girl!  I could already see people pouring on from the other side of the train, grabbing the last precious seats as Al struggled to get on the train in front of the nice blonde tourist.

I decided to act, and ran up to a window with an empty seat, shoving one of our giant backpacks through and onto the seat from the outside of the train in order to save it. I had seen several other Sri Lankans use this method successfully. I had almost gotten my entire bag secured into a seat, when a Sri Lankan man walked right up to my bag from the inside of the train, looked at me straight in the eye, and shoved the entire thing back out of the window and onto the pavement with a thud. I couldn’t even be mad. I understood the ruthless train rules at play. I looked up to see that Al was no longer at the door and had made it on the train, but I still did not know if he had gotten a seat.

I gathered our bags, and got on the train. To my relief, I saw Al smiling and waving at the end of the train car, from a window seat. He had done it. He had taken down blonde tourist girl, 500 other Sri Lankans and travelers, and won us a seat. Success had never tasted sweeter. I asked Al how he managed the impossible task of securing us a seat and he described the ordeal from his end:

“I did everything the man told me to do. I had the best position to get on the train but that blonde girl wedged between me and the door. I saw that she was going to wait until every soul was off that train. Precious seconds were ticking by. I knew I couldn’t let that happen…so I shoved her aside. She resisted at first and said “woah, excuse me, EXCUSE ME!” and as I pushed past her arm I mumbled something like, “I just can’t wait any longer” like she should understand. Whatever. We got seats. I don’t feel bad.”

Proof that all rules are out the window when it comes to the trains of Sri Lanka. Thanks to Al’s perseverance, the next 7 hours were unreal.

 

Hanging out of the train with the air blowing and endless stretches of beautiful scenery.

 

It was one of the most fun and freeing experiences of my life (have I said that before?). All of the windows and doors were open to let in the breeze as the train wove through some of the most indescribable scenery I have ever seen. Occasionally, vendors would jump on selling vegetable samosas and fresh mango to whet our appetite. We rotated from the window to sitting out of the open door of the train, our feet hanging freely. So freely in fact, that at one point Al and a group of Sri Lankan men watched as his right sandal flew off of his foot and into the mountains of Sri Lanka, never to be seen again.

 

 

There must be something universal about the freedom and simplicity of hanging out of a train, with fresh air blowing and the world in front of you that makes you feel alive with the energy of a child. Every single person on the train, old and young, from every type of background all over the world, had a huge grin on their face and seemed to be locked in their own state of bliss watching Sri Lanka go by on that train.

 

 

 

 

 

Al was forced to wear two different shoes due to the loss of his sandal and his inability to find his other shoe. A Sri Lankan man took a picture of him and shouted “I’m putting this on facebook!” as the train rolled away.

 

Before we knew it, the train ride of a lifetime was over and we were in Ella.

 

ELLA

 

Ella was filled with tourists, so prices were a bit higher than everywhere else in Sri Lanka (but still cheap by US standards). The good news is that you really don’t need much when you’re here, because there is so much natural beauty around to entertain you. Ella is famous for its sweeping mountain views, hiking opportunities, and many tea plantations. We had a little house overlooking the mountains, where we could watch farmers plant vegetables, and listen to various birds singing. Our hosts even brought us fresh local tea each morning. After breakfast, we would walk along the train tracks to our chosen hiking destination.

 

Walking to find a good hiking path.

 

Our first hike: Little Adam’s Peak

 

Views from the hike

 

 

Monk Crossing

 

Our second day: Up to Ella Rock, a famous spot in Ella.

 

 

The Rock

 

On our last night in Ella, Al and I sat on our balcony as the sun went down, watching the distant train lights wrap around the edge of the nearby mountain, and we both remarked at how amazing it was that we were sitting in the middle of a country that we knew absolutely nothing about just weeks before. I think the possibility that sits in the unknown and our ability to shape where we go and what we do has been one of the greatest joys of this trip. That, and winning the fight for train seats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Year Of Doing

Last year, I wrote this post to summarize 2015: A Year of Waiting. 

Looking back at what I wrote at the end of 2015 brings to light just how much has changed in the past 365 days. If that was my year of waiting, it can only mean that 2016 was my year of doing. 

Almost everywhere I look on the internet, everyone is rejoicing in the fact that 2016 is over – and I will agree that it was a really really weird year for the world. But for me personally, it was the best I have ever had. This was the year I stopped doubting myself. I practiced thinking less, and doing more. This might not make sense for many people, but as a chronic over-thinker and over-analyzer, it was exactly the adjustment I needed in order to move forward from where I was.

One of the biggest light-bulb moments in 2016 for me came from my father. In early 2016, Al and I were still going back and forth about making the leap to go on this life changing trip around the world. We hadn’t fully committed to a concrete plan, and we were still considering alternative, less extreme options. We were even tossing around the idea of pushing the trip off for another year. I was still agonizing over all the ‘what ifs’ of quitting our lives in Chicago, and just could not bring myself to pull the trigger. One evening in late April, I decided to FaceTime with my Dad for advice. After listening patiently to my worries for what was probably the dozenth time, he just said simply,

“You need to make a decision and move on. What you are doing right now is not working for you, so you need to either accept it, or change it. Make the decision and stick with it, but don’t keep questioning yourself once you do. If it is not working out, you’ll know, and you’ll adjust your path again. The important thing is that you try, but when you do, make sure you fully commit to it.”

I don’t know what it was about this specific advice, but it was the exact thing I needed to hear. It was like an immediate weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I realized I already knew the answer, but I was making things so much harder than they needed to be.  After I got off FaceTime with my dad, Al and I booked our first hotel stay abroad, and the following day we booked our first flight to Ljubljana, Slovenia. I have not looked back or doubted our decision since that day.

I have used this thought process for almost everything we have done this year. From choosing what countries to go to, to what activities we do, to where we go for dinner. I allow myself to think about it briefly, and then make a decision based on what feels right. I do not let myself go back and forth any longer than is necessary, and it has been the catalyst I needed to let go of all of the fear and doubt, and move into my year of doing. Because my dad is right. If it is not working out, I can always change it.

It feels rewarding to look back on that post from last year, and realize that I have made some strides towards accomplishing the goal I set: to start enjoying and appreciating life now, and stop waiting for things to happen. I know 2017 is going to present a whole new crop of challenges to overcome and lessons to learn, but I have 2016 (and wise words from my Dad) to thank for giving me the strength to go into it head-first.

I will end with my favorite picture from 2016; the one that I feel best sums it all up:

 

Dancing and laughing in Ireland in the exact town of my ancestors, with my best friend and husband. A perfect moment I never could have imagined happening just a year prior.

 

Wishing everyone a happy 2017 full of growth and happiness! 

 

 

Jungle Bells: Christmas in Borneo

When people would ask me where in the world we  planned to be for the holidays, my best guess was usually Thailand or Vietnam. As the holidays drew nearer, I did some quick flight searches on Air Asia, and was stunned at how low the airfare was to fly all over Southeast Asia.  I began to realize what a unique opportunity we had in front of us: we could go anywhere in Asia we wanted for Christmas. I think I repeated this phrase to Al (but more for myself) about 20 times before it finally started to sink in. It wasn’t long before the familiar stirring of travel planning euphoria started to kick in, that feeling of excited anticipation that comes right before booking a new trip.

As an added bonus, planning something special for Christmas was a helpful diversion to dealing with being away from our families over the holidays. We tossed around a few different destinations, and spent time thinking about the type of experience we wanted to have.  Al and I have a shared love for the environment and animals, so we knew that we wanted to incorporate both into our holiday. It also needed to be a unique experience in a place that was new for both of us, but also somewhere where we knew our money could make a positive impact. Once we identified what we wanted, the answer was pretty obvious.

Borneo.

 

Borneo is the unlabeled island right in the middle between Indonesia and Singapore. The blue dot is right where we are! The gold stars are just places we’ve stayed so far on the trip, and I was too lazy to remove them.

 

This magical island checked all of the boxes on our wish-list. Some basic facts that I find really interesting about Borneo:

  • Borneo is not a country, but is split into three sections controlled by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. We visited the Malaysian side of the country.
  • The rainforest in Borneo is believed to be over 130 million years old – the oldest in the world.
  • Borneo is the last place on earth where wild elephants, tigers, rhinos, jungle cats, crocodiles, and orangutans exist together
  • Borneo is one of only two places on earth where wild orangutans exist (the other is Sumatra).
  • It is estimated that Borneo has lost over 70% of its rainforest (or an area equalling the size of Germany) in the past 50 years due to logging and palm oil plantations. It is disappearing at a rate that doubles all the other rainforests in the world, and is estimated to be nearly gone by 2025.
  • The last wild orangutans in Borneo are likely to be extinct within the next 10 years in relation to this deforestation (as well as animal trafficking in the area).

These facts are all really depressing, and unfortunately are not exaggerated, as we saw the effects of every single one of them firsthand when we arrived to Borneo. Once we got to Sepilok, we drove for nearly three straight hours and saw nothing but Palm Oil plantations (meaning it was formerly rainforest that was burned down to make way for the plantation) or just miles of scorched earth.

We visited the Sepilok Orangutan and Sun Bear Rehabilitation Center, both of which do amazing work in conservation in Borneo, but we were confused when we heard the cries of elephants coming from somewhere in the center that was blocked off.

Shortly after, we happened to run into the owner of the Sun Bear center and used the opportunity to ask him everything we could. He did not sugarcoat the situation for us, and when I asked about the elephants I was hearing, he said simply, ‘We get elephants who are orphaned. They’ve lost their herd or their homes or both, usually after their habitat has been burned down. Sometimes they’re shot at by the plantation security while they search for food and are brought here riddled with bullets. We don’t allow the public to see them because the elephants are so traumatized.”  He told us that just this year, they had to take in 16 Pygmy elephants from the wild due to deforestation. This may not sound like a big number, but it is when you realize there are only 1,500 Pygmy elephants left in the world.

I asked him if they are ever released back into the wild, and he said “We try our best, but no. They usually die because they are too damaged, or cannot survive without their mothers. Sometimes I get so depressed when I see these animals and what is happening to them.” Even though this man has dedicated his life to saving these animals, he still felt like it wasn’t enough.  I wish I had been able to find the words in that moment to tell him how meaningful his work is, and how thankful I am for what he does.

In coming to Borneo, we wanted to see this beautiful rainforest, or what is left of it, before it is erased from the world for good. As horrible as it all sounds, I left Borneo feeling some hope. The owner told us that the remaining rainforest is slowly becoming more legally protected, and that there has been an increase in tourism in the centers, which helps fund the protection of the wildlife. It is reassuring to know there are good people doing everything they can on the ground to help the situation, and to see with my own eyes that some of these animals are still out there surviving in spite of our best efforts to extinguish them. And as small as the area now is, I was thankful to see that this ancient rainforest still exists in some capacity.

We split our time in Borneo between 3 destinations: Our first stop was the busy capital of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu. Afterwards, we flew to Sepilok, the location of the famous Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Sun Bear Rehabilitation Center, and the Rainforest Discovery Center; all dedicated to maintaining the rainforest and wildlife of Borneo. We ended our time by going deeper into the jungle in search of wildlife, where the last remaining acres of true rainforest still live.

 

Kota Kinabalu

 

Al and I had a string of bad luck in Kota Kinabalu (KK). We didn’t get into our hotel until after midnight, and once we arrived, the very first thing I did was accidentally rip the door handle to our hotel room out of the door. It wasn’t a very good omen for what was to come over the next few days.

Right away, I didn’t feel a big connection with KK. It also didn’t help that there was a KFC and a Pizza Hut around every single corner. Not exactly the Borneo jungle experience we were after.

We decided to rent a motorbike on our second day to get out of the city and drive to Mount Kinabalu, which is the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia. Halfway to our destination, in the middle of nowhere, our motorbike just gave up on us. We had no choice but to leave our bike and walk a few miles to the nearest town, while attempting to wave down cars as they passed. Fortunately, luck was on our side here, and we got picked up by the nicest man in the world who drove us all the way back to KK, where we got reamed out by the bike rental company for our attempt to ride the bike up a mountain. After that, we decided it was time to put our motorbiking adventures to rest for the remainder of the trip.

The next day, we hoped to redeem our experience and hopped on a speedboat to visit the nearby island of Mamutik. Unfortunately, the water wasn’t swimmable, so we passed the time lazily swinging on a hammock and playing ‘Heads Up’ on Al’s phone.

We tried to make the best of the few days we had in KK, but both of us were more than ready to move on by the end. It was nothing personal, but sometimes you just do not connect with a place, and Kota Kinabalu was that place for me.

 

View of Kota Kinabalu city from the ‘observation deck’

 

 

Not a bad place to hang out for a few hours.

 

Mamutik Island

 

Sepilok

 

Our Borneo experience turned around once we got to Sepilok. We did 3 things while we were here: hiked through the Rainforest Discovery Center on Christmas Eve, the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre on Christmas Day, and the Sun Bear Rehabilitation Center on our final day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hard to believe this rainforest has been around for millions of years.

 

 

Al in nature heaven on the RDC canopy walkway.

 

Christmas Day at the Orangutan Rehab Center was the highlight of our time in Borneo. We woke up Christmas morning planning to go straight to the Orangutan center at 8:45am, so we would be there in time for the morning feeding. The center absolutely does not guarantee orangutan sightings, as the orangutans are semi-wild, and on their way to being released back into the wild. They are fed twice a day at 9am and 3pm, and if they choose to show up, you can view them from a distant platform.

When we woke up, it was pouring rain, which meant that we wouldn’t be able to see the orangutans, since they tend to stay deeper into the forest during heavy rains. Luckily, the rain stopped in the afternoon, so we decided to try our luck for the 3pm feeding. Around 1:30pm, we walked over to the center, only to find it crawling with families and children. We had completely forgotten that it would be a holiday for everyone in Malaysia. Walking up to the center, I had the unmistakeable feeling of lining up to go to the zoo, and I forced myself to lower my expectations for how the rest of the experience was going to be.

Once we got to the platform, and I had my first glimpse of the orangutans, I completely forgot about my annoyance towards the loud, pushy crowds. As time went on, the crowds eventually became restless and bored, and it was only me and Al left alone to observe the orangutans.  We were in heaven. The orangutans moved with such a calm grace, that I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude just being in their presence. It was one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had.

Warning: You are about to see more orangutan pictures than you ever thought you’d see in one sitting:

 

we’re finally here!

 

Before going into the center.

 

 

There were two sets of moms with babies, and the four of them stuck together the whole time.

 

The center puts out the same food twice a day-this encourages the animals to go out and find their own food once they become bored of the bananas.

 

His little foot on his mom’s knee – I loved seeing how connected they are!

 

 

Proof that no matter what species: Mothers. Are. Everything.

 

 

I love this picture so much. That orange hair – those baby eyes!

the expression on their faces are so amazing. I also love the curve of his foot in this one.

 

 

 

In one second, this baby fell from a branch and without missing a beat, the mother grabbed him by her foot. This is the exact moment she grabbed him from falling. You can see the terror on his face!

 

 

After casually saving the life of her baby, it’s time to feed everyone with coconut milk. You can see the baby attached to her chest if you look closely.

Everyone waiting for a sip, you can see the coconut milk dripping.

 

The outstretched lip.

Now little guy’s turn to go for it.

I love the look on his face, and how his mom is hunched over like she’s speaking to him.

 

The face of that baby just breaks my heart!

 

I love this shot; just a typical family spending time together on Christmas.

And then they retreated back into the forest, babies secured safely on their chests!

 

As soon as they left, this guy creeped up to the platform and ate the leftover bananas like it was his last day on earth.

 

No stop. Must banana.

After the orangutans left, a scrappy group of long and short tail macaques came to ravage whatever was left.

They were fun to watch, and completely different from the orangutans. They fought each other for food, and moved at a fast, anxious pace whereas the orangutans quietly and calmly shared everything while moving much more fluidly.

 

Then it was time for the sun bears! The world’s smallest bear.

 

This little one was rescued as a baby from being sold at a market as a pet after her mother was killed for the perceived medical healing properties of her gall bladder; a common and terrible fate for the sun bear.

 

 

They have long nails and super long tongues which help them find insects to eat. They also love honey and help spread seeds around the forest which is really important for the ecosystem. These guys are, of course, endangered as well.

 

Just a bear doing bear things. We loved the sun bear rescue center! They have saved over 60 sun bears from deforestation, becoming pets, or being eaten.

 

Kinabatangan River

 

Our final stop was a river adventure along the Kinabatangan. This river is the second largest in Malaysia, and a popular destination for spotting wildlife in Borneo. My ultimate hope (like most people who come) was to see Pygmy elephants, but we were told the herd had already moved far from our spot on the river.

 

Regardless, it was an amazing experience. Each day we would jump on our little speed boat at 6am and cruise down the river, filled with anticipation at what new natural wonder we would see next. We were lucky enough to see crocodiles, proboscus and silver monkies, hornbill birds, and capping it all off with the most stunningly beautiful male orangutan.

 

Setting off down the river.

 

 

Female long tailed macaque monkey.

 

 

Newborn baby with her mom and family.

 

 

the male Proboscis monkey: we learned to identify the alpha male by his long flat nose.

 

 

 

The women sported longer, pointier noses.

 

 

 

These monkeys seemed to fly across the jungle – no distance was too great. Here is a mother flying with her baby attached to her belly.

 

 

 

An effortless landing.

 

 

 

I loved watching the ways they sat along the trees. Here is one of my favorites.

 

 

Our first real wild orangutan sighting. Look how long and shaggy the hair is on this one.

 

 

Al and I had been talking the whole week about the orangutans with ‘flat faces’ or ‘flanges’ and wondering about them. We both could not believe it (and actually gasped in surprise) when this male turned around and revealed his. Random fact: Orangutan means: Man of the Forest in the Malay language.

 

 

Life along the river: Always looking to the tops of trees to see if there are any sudden movements.

 

When I look back on this Christmas, I will always remember standing with Al, watching a family of orangutans effortlessly glide into the jungle one by one as heavy rains began to fall. Afterwards, Al and I began the walk back to our dorm, huddled under a single small umbrella, unable to wipe the smiles off our faces. We were still riding the high of our experience, and could not stop talking about everything we had seen. Although we never planned to spend Christmas in Borneo, there was so much of this trip that we left open to possibility, and it has led us to some of the most wonderful and unexpected places on this beautiful planet.

 

Top 10 Favorite Memories from Vietnam: A Post from AL

When Megan and I booked our road trip through the Balkans, I felt I was doing something unexpected. Who leaves their job and travels to the former Yugoslavia? I took pride in the notion that this area of the world is largely unexplored.  However, it furthered my excitement by not truly knowing what our first few months were going to look like. I felt like an adventurer who took a leap of faith on six countries and found myself leaving them with a whole lot of knowledge, a sense of perspective, and a love for a region I will remember forever.

As we headed for our stint in Asia, I was a bit more apprehensive. Will I find something as special as I did in the Balkans? In a place that has been so well travelled, will I find my own experience and tap into the beauty that I’ve heard so much about? Everyone goes to Asia, what did you expect?

Our first month in Thailand was eye opening. I felt as I was  pulled between two different worlds existing together; an age-old Thailand and another that wanted me to feel comfy as a traveller.  We had an amazing month exploring Thailand and we pushed ourselves to find the root of why it is so special but I was still waiting for that “This is Asia” moment.

As our time in Thailand ended, I was anticipating our time in Vietnam to be very similar. I figured there would be the noticeable cultural differences, but the experience as an outsider would be relatively the same.

A month after we arrived in Vietnam, I am happy to say I am in love with this country. Vietnam has surprised me in so ways that I almost feel bad for doubting it. Please forgive me, Vietnam! 

Knowing how much I loved it here, Megan asked me to recap my favorite memories during our time here.  I had a hard time coming up with concrete examples of why I loved our time in Vietnam but here they are.

I present to you my 10 best experiences in Vietnam.

 

1. Motorbiking through the mountains in Sapa

 

Riding a motorbike will never get old. I know this as a fact.

We’ve ridden a fair amount of motorbikes during our time in SE Asia. Once we got the hang of it, we reveled in the freedom it provided us; to be able to hop off and hop on whenever we like to take pictures, eat food, grab a smoothie, etc. Throughout Thailand, we felt comfortable in the chaos of the city and along the long stretches of country roads.

My love for motorbikes was finally put to the test when we rented them for a day in Sapa. Sapa is located in northern Vietnam and is known for being a place where you can experience all four seasons in a single day. The weather can change on a dime and given the topography of the valley, you can experience winter on one side of a hill and summer on the other.

If you are wanting to experience more of the region, you have to either hike for hours, book a tour, or rent your own motorbikes. We opted for our preferred mode of transportation and set out one foggy and dismal morning with two pretty crappy motorbikes and a vague plan on where we were going. We took the main road west of Sapa in hopes of seeing the wondrous views of the rice fields the area is so well known for. What we were met with was fog.

 

Beauty as far as the eye can see…

As we drove, the fog thickened.  As we wound through the mountain pass, there were times we couldn’t even see the cars and trucks in front of us. In addition, it was absolutely freezing.  The wind swept across the across the road and there was absolutely no escape from it; our bodies huddled on our bikes as we began to curse our decision to leave our cozy hotel room for an “adventure” in the Sapa countryside.

 

One of many attempts to thaw my hands.

 

“Should we just scrap it?” We kept asking each other. “Just a bit further to see if it lets up.” We would halfheartedly mutter under our frozen breath. After about 1.5 hours of hopeless frozen riding through twisting mountain roads, we noticed a slightly less grey patch of sky ahead of us and we decided to press on. What we were met with was this.

 

Sun. Warm, glorious sun.

 

 

 

2. VR in Hanoi

 

What I love about traveling is the unexpected. After our arrival in Hanoi, we followed our routine of tracking down a nearby vegetarian restaurant and meandering our way while we take in the local sites. After our amazing meal at this 100% vegetarian restaurant (hard to find but a welcomed treat!), we walked passed an internet cafe called Neverland. Since gaming cafes are a very popular with the younger crowds here, they don’t typically stand out, however, there was something about this place that stood out to me. They were advertising that they stocked an Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

For those of you who don’t know (probably most, since I’m the gaming nerd) but these two devices have been recently released as the best and most cutting edge virtual reality devices on the market.  I’ve read about them for a very long time and even daydreamed about purchasing one once I won the lottery.

However, I’ve never actually gotten my hands one.

Once I saw this sign on the outside of Neverland cafe, I knew I had to try it. I had convinced Megan that it was only a short experience (roughly 30 minutes), cost pretty cheap, and we could switch off in order to both experience it. We played two games, my favorite being one where you shoot arrows to defend your castle another where you fended off hordes of zombies.  It’s difficult to explain, but what makes VR fun is you feel you are INthe world. Using the two handheld remotes,  you notch the bow, pull back the arrow, and release. There is much more going on the screen (and your mind to make the environment to seem real) but the experience is unlike anything I’ve had before. As words are seemingly failing me, here is a video of Megan defending herself against zombies.

 

Watch Meg in VR

 

Anyway, as we finished I simply thought, “I just experienced VR in a Hanoi gaming cafe.” And that’s why I love traveling.

 

3. Rice field hike in Sapa

 

Sapa is nestled in the northernmost region of Vietnam, close to China. I knew very little about the region prior to us booking our stay there, but I was excited when I learned that Sapa hosts the idyllic rice field hills that I’ve long associated with Vietnam. Since our previous three weeks were spent in Hanoi and on a remote island, we were hankering for some hiking to balance out the thousands of mai tais and mojitos I had.

We strolled outside of town along the chaotic road filled with motorbikes and found a non descript dirt path. As we continued to walk, we passed numerous rice fields and the houses of the families that worked them.  We often wondered if we were trespassing but were eased by the friendly smiles and waves from the farmers as we tip toed passed their homes.  As we hiked, we marvelled at the beauty of these hills that have been cultivated for hundreds of years. Animals of all kinds; pigs, chickens, waterbuffalo, ducks, dogs had all recently had babies which made the experience that much more adorable.

We had booked our stint in Sapa the last minute and were unaware we were visiting during the offseason. While this may have its disadvantages poorer weather, chillier etc. it proved to be ideal for hiking such a popular spot. We were completely alone. Not once did we intersect another tour, which added to the feeling that we were someplace special nobody from the outside has witnessed.

 

Vietnam in all its glory

 

 

Local Hmong women working

 

4. Ice Coffee and Banh Mi

 

I’m not a huge foodie. When I find something I like, I tend to stick with it until something better comes along. This led to several weeks where my main staple was a banh mi and an iced coffee.  Banh mi is  a Vietnamese sandwich that traditionally holds meat pate, pork, vegetables, soy sauce, chili sauce, occasionally an egg and a few added garnishes in a mini baguet. Everyday we would search around for a stand that appeared to have large amounts of vegetables and eggs so our bahn mi’s weren’t just bread and soy sauce. Once we selected our stand, I would casually and in a non threatening manner, step behind the stand and direct which foods I wanted on my sandwich. Each stand owner responded differently to my act of sharades and basic english commands but the women tended to laugh it off and roll with it.

 

 

Ordering coffee was lesser of an ordeal once we learned the proper way to say ice-coffee-milk. This small but delectable drink is consumed on a daily basis.

 

Yum!

 

5. Floating markets in Can Tho

 

There are two main markets you can visit near Can Tho and we settled on one that was a bit closer and knew nothing about. All of us had heard this was a great way to spend your time here but we had absolutely no idea what to expect. I had imagined hundreds of little boats tied together selling manufactured goods to tourists that have come to visit. I left that in my mind and decided to not look into it further.

We asked our airbnb host the best way to get to the floating market in Cai Rang and she nonchalantly said she would call us a cab for 4:30am, which is when the vendors begin their day. Since we all wanted a bit more shut-eye, we settled on 6:00am. There were many boat operators welcoming us when we arrived at the pier and given the early hour, none of us tried to haggle or compare prices. We arrived in our taxi and were moving up the river within roughly 3-5 minutes.

The river itself is quite disgusting but the activity on the water is something to marvel at. As we arrived to the market, a small boat approached ours and the vendor yelled, “Ca Phe? Ca Phe?” Our half awake selves treated this man as our savior and ordered four delicious Vietnamese iced-coffees.

 

Our early morning savior

Our driver then slowly drove us around the different boats and we simply watched humbled as vendors approached each other, kindly shared words, and begun exchanging goods. The beauty of it was that they all went about their business as if we weren’t even there. This was a market for them and not for us. We just had the simple joy of watching all of this happen while we sipped on (several) iced-coffees and munched on pineapple.

 

Lettuce is serious business

 

 

 

 

Pho by boat.

 

 

Driving a hard bargain

 

6. Island hopping off of Phu Quoc

 

With Dan visiting us when he turned 30, we wanted to book something special that would allow us to see the beauty surrounding Phu Quoc. We found a highly rated, expat run tour company called Jerry’s Jungle Tours and decided to book through them. Due to an unfortunate case of food poisoning, the birthday boy was forced to stay home in bed while the three of us ventured out with Jerry.

We left our hotel at 8:00 in the morning and drove to the southern tip of the island where Jerry had his boat captain waiting. We boarded a small, nine meter boat and set off into choppy waters to our first destination on the third island from Phu Quoc called Hon Thom. We pulled up to Paradise on Earth and Jerry ordered three coconuts for us to sip on while we pinched ourselves.

 

Good for the soul

 

 

Ice cold beers in front of our boat

 

 

Paradise

 

The entire day was filled with smaller islands where we swam, snorkeled, drank cold beer, and we even enjoyed our lunch in a locals home as we waited out a torrential downpour.  Our tour guide Jerry was also half the fun of the day. He told us his life story of how he ended up on Phu Quoc and pioneered tourism on the island. He was open to any and all questions as we berrated him with inquiries about the locals, life in Vietnam, his favorite hidden spots, and everything inbetween. As the day came to a close we were exhausted, our faces were sunburnt and our lips were salty. We took in so much beauty above and below the water that we all slept soundly and dreamt of paradise.

 

The troupe

 

7. Riding motorbikes on Phu Quoc

 

This memory is simple. There is absolutely nothing more enjoyable than exploring an island on a bike with your wife and two best friends. Nothing.

 

Member of Hell’s Honkies

 

8. Walking around Hanoi

 

We arrived in Hanoi after a very long day of traveling from Thailand and we were welcomed by chaos.  It’s hard to convey the reality but imagine the busiest intersection of motorbikes, cars, buses and trucks, and then take away every traffic law that exists.

During our trip from the Airport to our Airbnb, I quickly learned that very few rules apply here.  The traffic lights are completely ignored, many drive onto oncoming traffic, pedestrians dip and dive in a realistic version of Frogger, sidewalks are used as alternative routes, and everyone uses their horn. EVERYONE. In addition to the traffic, alleyways and sidewalks are flooded with locals dining, drinking tea, socializing, buying goods, tending to chickens, and simply living their lives as Vietnamese.

 

My attempt to capture the mayhem

 

When we made it to our AirBnb we ditched our bags and headed out to explore. Walking around Hanoi, I felt like a stranger. I finally felt like an outsider who knew little of the customs, food, language, and expectations.

The freshest

 

Street band entertaining the locals during weekend festival

It was a welcomed feeling after Thailand, where I felt that the entire country wanted me to feel comfortable.  In Hanoi, nobody cared. Nobody knew I was there. The people were so consumed with their own activities, I could finally sit back and observe.
Megan and I spent each day walking the hectic streets while we peeked in shops, ate delicious food, drank tea, and hoped that each crosswalk didn’t end in a horrific disaster. It was remarkable.

9. Markets in HCMC

 

I have a love/hate relationship with markets. I love the energy they exude accompanied by the feeling of finding a gem but I often hate how utterly exhausted I feel after a short period of time. With that said, if there is a market that is a must see, like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, I will suck it up and drink lots of coffee.

Our friends had just arrived in HCMC and the next morning Christie, Meg and I took a cab to see the Ben Thanh market. When we arrived, we loaded up on fruit and headed into the main market to peruse the shops. I tend to go to markets to simply look, but on this day I wanted to see if they sold this Chinese chess set I’ve seen the local Vietnamese men play everywhere. I found an empty storefront and walked in to take a gander. I was immediately targeted and approached by the female shopkeep. I told her what I was looking for and she eagerly showed me her stock of Xian Gqi (the game). She set the price ridiculously high and I calculated in my head the conversion to USD. I hadn’t intended to barter with the women but five minutes later, I had talked down the price and walked away with the set at 65% off.  She didn’t seem too happy with my resilience to her counteroffers, but I shrugged her attitude off and we left to explore more of the market. We were quickly exhausted and decided to grab beers and chat. My love for markets grew a little bit.

 

 

 

 

10. Our Final Sunset

 

Megan and I were giddy with anticipation of Dan and Christie’s arrival. We had a miraculous week of catching up, exploring, and experiencing Vietnam together and before we knew it, it was over. On our final evening together, we rode our motorbikes to one of Jerry’s special spots and grabbed two lounge chairs along the waters edge. As the sun began to fall, we had intimate conversations about life, friendship, and traveling as we cheered often to simply acknowledge the once-in-a-lifetime week we had together.

 

Bliss and boatman

 

Framily

I sometimes don’t realize how lucky I am to have friends like Christie and Dan.  The four of us share a mutual love of life and I feel blessed to be able to explore the world with them. As always, we talked until well after the sun went down before we decided to head back to our hotel. You often don’t realize when you are in a moment that you will hold it closely in your heart forever but as we rode on our motorbikes in the darkness, I knew I just had one of those moments.

—

 

Four Months on The Road: Thailand & Vietnam

Well, here I am posting another video, which means that somehow, another month on our trip has flown by.  This month, we slowed it down and split our time between two countries: Thailand and Vietnam. We left the north of Thailand and headed for the warm beaches of Koh Mak for a couple of weeks.  After we had our fill of sun and sand (just kidding, that will never happen…) we headed to North Vietnam for adventures in the crazy city of Hanoi and treks through the rice fields in the Sapa Valley.

Our fourth month was filled with a lot of slow travel; taking long overnight buses between destinations, and really settling into every place we went. Each day of this month, we woke up and reminded ourselves just how lucky we are to be doing this.

So, cheers to month four, it has been the best one yet.