The seven days I spent in Tibet haunt me. I dream often of thick clouds of incense smoke settling heavily on air that is thinned by extreme altitude. In my dreams, I am light headed again, I can’t catch a breath, and my heart is pounding with the sounds of monks chanting to the thrums of the drums and …
I’m not an overly experienced diver, but I have been lucky enough to complete more than 30 dives in some of the most beautiful locations in the world. I earned my SSI Open Water Diver certification in Thailand, and I received my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification in the Red Sea in Egypt, which are both …
As I perch on a single piece of temple stone that seems lonely for the wall it was once a part of, its fellows carted away long ago by ancient Khmer villagers, I sense the forest around me—moist, strong, and distinctly alive. I swear I can see the forest slowly encroaching before my eyes, ready …
Khao Lak is the sleepy little Thai town 80 km north of Phuket that became famous when it was literally swept off the map during the 2005 tsunami. What is amazing today is that the resilient Thai people have rebuilt Khao Lak into a world-class beach town once again, aided by the fact that Khao Lak’s natural …
“Rebecca, your liver is rupturing and we have to perform an emergency C section to get your baby out immediately. Do you give your consent?” the doctor looked at me tensely. I knew that my baby was just barely 29 weeks and already measuring 3 weeks behind, but I also knew that there was no … Continue reading
In honor of St. Paddy’s Day, I thought that I would share my favorite Ireland experiences with you. The Ireland I love is mossy single-lane roads, small pubs where the whole town comes out for the live music, overgrown roofless castles, and soda bread with every meal. I keep going back to Ireland, because every time … Continue reading
Since yesterday was the anniversary of the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, and Japan has been on my mind, I decided to share something close to my heart. I lived in Japan for three years and moved just months before the disaster. I will always remember how I felt as I watched the television in horror … Continue reading
To me, Tibet is the most mysterious, unforgettable destination in the world. The majesty of the Himalayas, the unique cultural treasures, and the beautiful and warm Tibetan people combine to create an achingly overwhelming experience. When you add the sudden lack of oxygen and resulting lack of sleep, the result is dreamlike and surreal. I … Continue reading
Only 36 km from the China-Vietnam border, and a overnight train ride from Hanoi, lies the quiet mountain town of Sa Pa, which straddles the misty, rice-terraced highlands of Vietnam. Sa Pa is home to migrant lowlanders and a great diversity of ethnic minority peoples, primarily Hmong and Dao. The villagers from areas surrounding Sa … Continue reading
The sound of China will remain forever in my mind as the cacophony of pounding hammers and shovels scraping rock as men build skyscrapers with crude hand tools. What is so astonishing is that the same act in America would be accompanied to the roaring of teams of excavators and electric saws. In China, you … Continue reading
I often hear that travelers avoid Phuket, Thailand, like cats avoid water. Yes, there are plenty of reasons not to go to Phuket, such as the hordes of speedo-wearing, backpack-toting tourists and the polluting and seedy overcommercialization. But if you look beyond the grit and longtail exhaust, Phuket offers landscapes of astounding beauty, fantastic food, and wonderful culture. So … Continue reading
Just a three-hour bus ride from Hanoi is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay, the azure home for 1,200 limestone islands called karsts. The magic of Ha Long Bay is the stuff of legends. According to ancient folklore, Ha Long was the resting place of dragons sent by the gods to defend … Continue reading
All this talk of snow storms has me dreaming of snowboarding in my favorite place: Japan! If you don’t know how incredibly amazing the skiing in Japan is, this list of 8 reasons to go skiing or snowboarding in Japan is just for you…teaser: the snow monsters are real! Snow. You may not know this, … Continue reading
February is one of my absolute favorite months to travel, because it provides perfect weather at some of my favorite destinations, but it also offers the cost benefits of low season in others. As Mark Twain puts it so aptly, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by … Continue reading
This Wild of Mine 