After moving abroad in July 2014, I started compiling monthly roundup posts about life as an expat in Southeast Asia and all the nitty gritty that goes on behind the scenes here at Travel Lush. Check out my most recent monthly roundup posts March, April, and May. This is going to sound weird, but I was really nervous about…
It’s no big secret that I have a thing for tropical islands and beautiful beaches. I guess it’s a good thing I’ve spent the majority of the past four years based in the tropics! And in that time, I’ve had the chance to visit quite a few of what I think are some of the best islands in…
As I wrote in a previous post, Nha Trang tends to get a bad rap for being too touristy and too inauthentic. I’ve talked to so many people who have skipped Nha Trang altogether based on other travelers’ reviews. I did the same thing during my first backpacking trip to Vietnam in 2006. But what I’ve…
Around this time last year I put together a similar post looking back at my year in expat life and travel through my Instagram photos. So I figured I might as well stick with the tradition for a second year. It was actually really fun to go through my old snapshots and see what a jam-packed year…
After moving abroad in July 2014, I started compiling monthly roundup posts about life as an expat in Asia and all the nitty gritty that goes on behind the scenes here at Travel Lush. You can find all of my previous monthly roundup posts here. July, for me, was an all-around amazing month. First off, I literally just realized…
When I first traveled to Bali it was more out of convenience than desire. I first landed on this little Indonesian island back in 2013. I had just spent a month traversing the island of Java. And given its proximity to Java, Bali just seemed like the next logical stop. While most people would be…
It’s weird. I feel like time has just been flying by since I arrived in Beijing. Life in Cambodia seems like, well, a lifetime ago. It’s hard to believe it’s only been a few months. It’s hard to believe, too, just how different my life is now than it was in January. A few short…
There are many things that keep luring me back to Southeast Asia. The food, the temples and the culture all play significant roles but, for me, the beaches are a huge part of the draw. It’s true that Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s best beaches (and best islands!). But contrary to what…
A little over a year ago I was sitting on my bed in a beach bungalow on the island of Gili Trawangan, Indonesia. With my laptop balanced on my legs I started tinkering around on Wordpress.com and began scrawling a list of possible blog names in my notebook. After mulling it over I finally settled on The…
It’s safe to say that this year has been the craziest of my life. Last year at this time I was living the dream as a backpacker, doing things like island hopping around the Philippines, exploring ancient temples in Indonesia and eating my way through the culinary wonderland that is Malaysia. It sounds perfect, but the reality is that…