"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined." -Henry David Thoreau
Heart racing. Shivers. It’s so cold. Hold the brake. Honk the horn. Lean in to the curve. I’m so glad I have gloves. Motorbiking northern Vietnam was a series of abrupt thoughts and cool weather. Having spent the last month in the tropics, I wasn’t used to wearing socks to bed or needing a windbreaker …
The first half of my six-week Southeast Asia adventure was spent doing personal reflection and volunteering. The second half of the trip was spent visiting friends who have moved to Asia from the United States. The trip was unintentionally split up this way, but looking back, I'm glad it was. In the first few weeks, …
Volunteering was a big consideration while I was preparing for my six-week Southeast Asia adventure. After all, I was taking the trip to recharge from feeling professionally stagnant and personally over-committed. So I asked colleagues in conservation for their recommendations on environmental nonprofits or wildlife sanctuaries that would be worth visiting or supporting. I also …
When someone mentions Bali, you think of paradise, right? Well it was. And it wasn’t. The Indonesian island is truly vibrant with beautiful beaches and scenic mountains, but it also has trash. Tons of it. The boom in tourism within the last 20 years was a shock to the remote island and its infrastructure simply …
To begin my Southeast Asia Adventure, I found myself in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It’s not a very popular destination for Americans, but you can find plenty of tourists there. I knew little about the city and country going in, but trusted my Lonely Planet guidebook to show me some highlights. After five days in KL …
Maggie Dewane 