travel that speaks to the heart
Two years ago this month, I set out from Central Florida with four other team members to Central Taiwan to take part in the Rotary International’s Group Study Exchange program. While I learned many things from our Taiwanese hosts, I gained an exceptionally unique perspective by traveling with one of my GSE teammates, Kyle Coon. Kyle Coon is an…
Justin and I inadvertently joined the world’s biggest water fight last year. After my extended visit to Taiwan, I flew to Phuket, Thailand to meet up with Justin and to visit a friend. My arrival just so happened to coincide with Songkran, the festival that kicks off the Thai New Year. Little did I know what was…
Amongst the mishmash of urbanization along Taiwan’s west coast, a small town keeps traditions alive and has become a fascinating little travel destination. One year ago this month, I was first introduced to Taiwan with a tour of the Lukang Township, located about a 2-hour drive south of Tapei. To commemorate my GSE Trip with…
As I look back on my 2015, I’m struck by the diverse range of experiences I had in the world of food. And because I love lists and record-keeping, I’m sharing my most memorable food experiences of 2015. I’d love for you to share some of your top eats, too! EATING IN ASIA DRINKING FROM COCONUTS IN…
With a culinary heritage from its Chinese, Japanese, and aboriginal ancestry, Taiwan boasts an extraordinary food culture that every world traveler must experience. From smoky barbecue squid to steamed taro cakes, gooey oyster omelets and broth with pork liver, from deep-fried sea creatures and crispy chicken to candied strawberries on a stick, the variation and creativity of…
On my last day in Taiwan with the Rotary Club, I visited one of the tallest buildings in the world: TAIPEI 101. After it opened on December 31, 2004, Newsweek Magazine listed the elegant superstructure as “One of the New Seven Wonders of the World,” and I could see why. She’s a real beauty! A COMMERICAL CENTER Taipei 101 stands…
Just a stone’s throw away from the colorful Grand Palace of Bangkok rests a really big Buddha. Barely fitting his massive and lanky body under one roof, Wat Pho is home to the largest rendition of Buddha in Thailand. The Reclining Buddha, or Phra Buddha Saiyas, is a lacquered and gilded Buddha image in brick and…
The most popular tourist destination in all of Thailand is not a beautiful beach paradise, but rather a royal compound and spiritual haven located in the bustling city of Bangkok. The Grand Palace attracts 8 million visitors to the Southeast Asian capital each year and ranks the third most-toured royal site in the world, according…
A magnitude-7.8 earthquake turned the nation of Nepal into a disaster zone on April 25, causing severe devastation throughout the region. Many of Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites were flattened and now lay in piles of brick and dust – unique pieces of history lost forever. Even worse than the destruction of these historic landmarks is…
When I was a kid, I came across an old copy of the 1982 May issue of National Geographic. Since that moment, I have never forgotten the enigmatic stone face glaring out from that magazine’s cover and the fantastical images of the jungle-run ruins of Angkor held within its pages. While planning a two week trip to Thailand, I…
On a blistering hot afternoon in the Cambodian countryside, we walked into a landmine. A landmine museum, that is. About 25 km outside of Siem Reap resides the Cambodia Landmine Museum. This little complex has a big heart for healing war-torn Cambodia and a mission to care for and educate children who have been directly affected…
On a new adventure I soon embark. My heart, full of joy and gratitude, looking forward to this foreign place: Where East and West collide to create a modern fabric of ancient traditions, A sweet potato surrounded by rolling waves, A land of old and new, whose rugged physicality mirrors a turbulent history. I am…