Why do I want to start a blog?
Whenever I meet other travelers, I always have so much to share about my experience. I love offering tips on how to be a thrifty traveler, finding genuine experiences while connecting with locals, and encouraging others to seek alternative paths. Some have asked me why I haven’t started a blog. The thought had crossed my mind, but I always came up with reasons not to do it. There are plenty of travel bloggers out there already. What if no one wants to read what I write? What if blogging about the serene secret place I had discovered and loved would ultimately change it forever?
I didn’t want to end the year without posting at least once, so here’s my half-baked 2023 recap of books I read this year. At the beginning of the year, I had a simple resolution of reading at least 5 minutes a day. I’m always envious of people who read 20+ or more books a year. Where does Obama find the time to read so much that he can have a favorites list with 15 books? That’s more than what I read in a whole year! I figured, I need to start somewhere and 5 minutes a day seemed easy enough.
A story about how poor planning can sometimes lead to surprising rewards
Something that annoys me about NYC is how far away everything is if you don’t live in the middle of Manhattan. It’s an understatement that all New Yorkers have a love-hate relationship with our transit system, the MTA. Most train lines easily connect to Manhattan, but if you need to go from Brooklyn to Queens, there are few options that won’t force you to traverse through half of Manhattan. Often times, when I’m sitting on these hour+ long train rides perhaps on my way to visit a friend in Queens, I find myself fantasizing a utopian version of New York where I can easily hitch a ride with anyone who’s already driving toward my destination.
In reality, that fantasy has no chance to ever materialize. You’d be hard pressed to find a New Yorker who would let a stranger borrow their cellphone, let alone stopping their car in the middle of traffic to pick up a stranger. Who needs to hitchhike anyway when the MTA runs 24/7 and almost gets you to your destination for $2.75?
One of the things I wished I could have done before I left for my multi-year trip was cancel some of my many recurring bills and subscriptions. On the top of that list was cutting the cable cord.
Do you have a pile of Asia Miles about to become obsolete? This may be an unconventional way to use them, but I’ll suggest it anyway: Donate your expiring Asia Miles to charity.
When I left New York back in October of 2018, I went in a hurry because I feared that if I lingered too long, I would lose the momentum and courage I had mustered to drop everything I had established at home to go traveling. I wrote my mom a check for five months of rent and gave her a separate check for two additional months in case I decided to extend my trip. I would have never imagined that five months would turn into two years and then some. Today Yesterday marked my two year travel anniversary! ✌️ Two years that I’ve spent abroad as a traveler turned expat. It’s been an incredible journey full of unexpected surprises.
With a little bit of effort, anyone can bulk shop in Yogyakarta, locally known as Jogja. Jojga is full of traditional pasars (traditional markets) that sell produce and groceries in bulk. In addition, as an artsy city full of bike lanes and a new generation of eco-conscious urbanites, there are at least five bulk shops and counting specifically committed to package-free shopping. As a foreigner, we just have to work up the courage to venture out of Superindo our comfort zone.
Since Indonesia lifted lockdown regulations and moved toward a “new normal,” I’ve been on the hunt for peaceful cafes with good free wifi. Shelling out as little as possible, where can I comfortably spend a whole day in a cafe with a laptop in Yogyakarta?
Ever since America disappointed the world with their terrible management of Covid19, the American passport pretty much went for a free fall in value. It’s pointless to mention that the US passport ranked 7th in 2020 according to the Henley & Partners passport index. For instance, although Europe partially opened its borders on July 1st, the US is notably left out on the list of approved countries. Gone are the multitude of travel articles luring Americans to exotic destinations. Nowadays, articles like NYTime’s “I’m a U.S. Citizen. Where in the World Can I Go?” reveal the glum reality – as an American traveler, it’s slim-pickings. The Points Guy listed 22 countries (two sort of’s) and threw in two US territories just to beef up the short list.
Hopping borders in the time of Corona
This shouldn’t even be an issue since we’re all supposed to stay put. As a traveler, I was lucky to have breezed through the first three months of the outbreak sheltered on Christmas Island. As much as I wanted to hide on a remote island until the whole thing blew over, the expiration of my 90-day tourist visa was fast-approaching. I reluctantly bought a ticket to Jakarta and braced myself for the risk of exposure while passing through a major travel hub of Asia. This is the life of the traveling nomad. We hop countries based on visa expiration dates.