Iβm Justine, a 30-something freelance writer and California native who set out to travel aroundΒ Southeast Asia in 2013 and basically never left. Since then Iβve lived and worked in Jakarta,Β Indonesia, Phnom Penh,Β Cambodia,Β Beijing, China, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I now live in Dubai!
Seriously, this wasnβt the plan. But I suppose for those who know me, itβs not all that surprising. But just in case you want to know a little bit more about my story…here it goes:
In August 2013, my partner Aaron and I made the decision to travel the world, indefinitely.Β So we moved out of our house, sold most of our possessions, and bought two one-way tickets to Bangkok.Β We spent seven amazing months traipsing around Southeast Asia. Β We motorbiked around Thailand, floated down the Mekong in Laos, sipped fresh bia hoiΒ (beer) in Vietnam, went island hopping in the Philippines, gorged ourselves on street food in Malaysia, andΒ chilled out on perfect beaches in Indonesia.Β It was bliss.
After spending so much time traveling through Southeast Asia, we both came to the conclusion that it was time for a change.Β We agreed that we werenβt quite ready to throw in the towel; we didnβt want to stop traveling and return to βreal life.βΒ We were still itching to explore the world while we still had time and (a little bit of) money left.
In June 2014 we decided to begin phase two of our travel journey in Colombia.Β South America had managed to elude us for far too long and I was thrilled to finally be able to explore it.Β After spending six weeks falling head-over-heels in love with Colombia, Aaron received a job offer to teach at a university in Jakarta, Indonesia.Β It was a sudden, but very welcome, change of events.
And that was the start of this expat journey of ours. After a year in Jakarta, weβve since called Phnom Penh, Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City home.
This blog is all about my life as a perpetual traveler and serial expat. I have a regular series called βThis Expat Life,β where I dish about what itβs really like to live and work in Asia. I also travel a lot β mainly in Southeast Asia β so this blog is where I compile all of my travel stories, highlight my favorite destinations, and compose super practical blog posts that (hopefully) help others make the most out of their travels.
I basically love traveling and love talking about all things travel, so this blog is my outlet! And I genuinely enjoy giving advice on travel and expat life.
Iβm also a vegetarian, so I write a lot about food and traveling as a vegetarian, and Iβve been known to compose many a post filled with food photos and musings. I mean, eating is one of the best things to do in Southeast Asia, even if you are a vegetarian!
If you’re new to this site, here are a few posts to help you get started:
Living Abroad
- My Life in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon)β¦ So Far
- 36 Things Iβve Learned In 3 Years Living Abroad
- 11 Ways Living Abroad Has Changed My Life
Southeast Asia Travel
- 7 Stunning Islands to Add to Your Southeast Asia Bucket List
- Finding The βRealβ Bali On Nusa Penida
- 6 Kickass Places to Visit in Bali
Vegetarian Travel in Southeast Asia
- 10 Delicious & Popular Vegetarian Foods In Indonesia
- The Ultimate Vegetarian Guide To Bali, Indonesia
- Awesome Vegetarian Restaurants In Phnom Penh
I’m alsoΒ on Instagram, TwitterΒ andΒ Facebook. To keep up with my latest posts feel free to follow me onΒ bloglovin’. I promise you won’t regret it.
And, of course, you can always feel free to contact meΒ at thetravellush@gmail.com. Β Seriously ask me anything. I swearΒ I’m super friendly!
Thanks for coming on this wild ride with me!
Justine
Cool blog! Keep up the travels, and the writing!
Thanks. There will be some Colombia content coming soon!
Hi Justine…loved your blog!! I hope you enjoy South America, maybe you can stop by my country, Brazil π have a great week!
Thanks! So far I’m loving South America. I’ve always dreamed of going to Brazil. And I know I’ll get there someday!
Yes, Im sure you will make wonderful memories there! I hope you get there soon…when the World Cup is over the flight tickets will probably be cheaper! You can’t miss the Galapagos Island in Equator either π
Oh, I would love to go to the Galapagos. That’s another place on the top of my list!
Go and stay at least 2 weeks! You will never forget that place π
Sounds good to me π
uhuuu π
Hey there, awesome blog. I look forward to reading more!
Thanks!
Fellow vegetarian traveller here. It’s nice to find others! π
Yay, I love meeting other vegetarian travelers π
The bloggers of Unexpected Wanderlust have nominated you for a Liebster Award! You can find it here: http://unexpectedwanderlust.com/2014/07/11/liebster-the-third/ (Your nomination is towards the bottom of the post.)
π
Thank you!! I love your blog because it offers three unique perspectives on travel. And I’m so flattered that you guys thought of me π
Aw thank you!!! It makes us happy to know people like the concept, yay!
It’s a very original concept. I love it!
Hi Justine, lovely blog thanks for stopping by mine!
Thanks! I’m so glad to have found your blog π
We also, unexpectedly, loved Colombia. What an amazing place that is!
Totally! Colombia was even more amazing than I ever could have imagined. And there are still so many things I want to see there!