For me, learning a language offers a much-needed insight into a new country, and I personally believe you can never truly understand a new culture unless you learn the language. (more…)

One thing that keeps the feeling of living in Thailand alive is transportation, which seems to take on a life of it’s own in this country. At one second, you’re thinking you never expected a cruise across town could be so much fun; the next, you’re seriously wondering if you’ll make it there alive, especially if you’re not the one driving. (more…)

As I prepared to leave Thailand and head for my next exotic destination, wherever that would be, I felt a panic surface in my stomach. I was ready to see something new and learn about a whole new culture, but could I really give up the luxury of feasting on cheap, delicious Thai food every single day? (more…)

It’s no secret to most people that Thailand is known for go-go bars and massage parlors. The average Western male comes here with ideas of red lights and grinding hips, and all that follows. As a result, many have the completely wrong idea about what Thai girls are all about, and it’s important to keep some perspective. (more…)

One of the things I am best at in a new culture is stepping right into it and busting right through all the barriers. I’ll walk into a crowded room of people who don’t speak my language and just start mingling, and before I know it, I’m the life of the party. (more…)

I came to Thailand about 2 years ago, thinking it was about time to go see the world. This was my first stop—thought I’d cruise around for a few months, figure out how to make some internet cash, and then head off to see the rest of the world. Well, as it turned out, I ended up staying for a while longer. I keep telling myself I’m leaving this month—been saying that for a while—and I think this month I mean it. (more…)

Believe it or not, as much as I love this place, I’m human. And culture shock still plays a large role in my life. A huge part of this is how much I’ve immersed myself in the culture. Most people I’ve seen here live in little America, confining themselves to the tourist pockets, going golfing with their buddies, and spending the better part of their lives on a bar stool with English-speaking bargirls at their side. (more…)

One of the most disturbing things to many eco-conscious travelers arriving in Thailand is the poor standards for combating pollution. I remember when I first arrived by boat at the small island of Koh Tao and watched an island boy walking out onto a boat finish his last gulp of water and carelessly throw the bottle over his shoulder into the incoming surf. (more…)

Living in the mountain ranges somehow makes me feel closer to home but I miss the ocean like crazy. I love the smell of the salt water, the sensation of sand between my toes, the expanse of blue before me as the wind sweeps my hair, and the humbling feeling of standing before something that could crush me with one breath. I love candlelit seafood dinners while watching the sun fall into the ocean. Swimming, scuba diving, and snorkeling. (more…)

While Viang Vieng is known to backpackers as the ultimate party destination, it is also an adventurer’s paradise–if you can stomach the crowd and the 24 hours showings of “Friends,” that is. The isolated town is in the northern mountain of Laos, and the landscape is absolutely breath-taking–with Limestone karsts jutting up from the valleys and plains like monuments to what is possible for natural beauty. Because of the abundance of limestone in the area, the mountains are simply riddled with caves and caverns of all sizes. (more…)