“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” -Rosalia de Castro
Time to Hit the Road: Summer Plans
In the back of the school store is bulk bins. Inside these bins is everything, from gummi candy, to dried cherries to cookies to dry fish. It’s a snackers paradise. But as the school year winds down, the bulk bins dry up and eventually close, not to reopen again
UNESCO in China and my New Goal
UNESCO is an international organization that recognizes places all over the world that have either unique natural properties or a special culture. Once they are on the list the places get a special level of protection (and access to special funds) but it is up to the individual countries
The Humble Administrators Garden is Anything But
With our winter vacation already begun, and three weeks till our trip back to the U.S. we decided to have a mini travel adventure. So we braved the Spring Festival crowds and headed to the ancient water town of Suzhou. Suzhou is close to Shanghai and is famous not only
Rolf Potts Traveled the World. What Did You Do?
What seems like just a few weeks ago, I was reading about Rolf Pott’s decision to travel for a long time no luggage. He was preparing to travel the world, the entire world, for 6 weeks with not a stitch of luggage. No backpack, fanny pack or even a plastic
We're Back!
We survived 22-hour train rides, bus scams and heat-index temperatures of 120 degrees during our summer travels and have arrived home with tans and bags full of dirty laundry to prove it. It’s good to be back (especially in an air conditioned room) but had a great time seeing some
My Most Embarrassing Travel Moment
I was recently reading this blog entry about a very embarrassing travel moment. If you have traveled anywhere you have one (or many) of these. In fact, we all have embarrassing moments in our lives, but somehow doing something stupid in another country is even worse because you know you
"Smoka Ganga?" Our Time in Dali
Dali, China is a small walled city in Yunnan province. The streets are cobbled and cozy, the air is crisp and clear, and the city is sandwiched between a giant crystal blue lake on one side and looming green mountains on the other. It was love at first sight. Dali
Chengdu: Mission Accomplished
I had a few humble goals for this month-long trip and as of today, I have accomplished almost all of them! And it hasn’t even been a week yet! Here’s a quick run down with photographic proof that I have achieved these goals: Goal #1: Seeing Giant Pandas. Yep. And