I ended 2017 with a big fat exclamation point by spraining my ankle while hiking to a really cool gorge (and then jumping 15 meters (50 feet) into a rock pool with said sprained ankle… but that’s a story for another blog post!). Anyway,
Bali may have claimed the spotlight for Indonesia, but there are at least 18,000 other islands and countless other destinations worth exploring in this country.
Komodo National Park is one of them.
I don’t know about you, but when I lay eyes on a photo of a devastatingly gorgeous landscape, that place tends to catapult to the upper reaches of my bucket list.
I’ll admit, I did a lot of things wrong on my first trip to Indonesia. I didn’t go down to the rock pools in Uluwatu even though I was right there.
I waffled awhile on whether I’d continue my monthly recaps after my year on the Australia Work and Holiday visa ended. I really enjoy writing them and reflecting on my life and travels, so I think they’ll be here to stay.
Fresh off a year where I got to frolic on countless Aussie beaches, and a week where I was surrounded by the iconic rice fields in Ubud, I wasn’t quite sure which type of beautiful landscape I was seeking next.
One thing you quickly learn when traveling around third world countries is that they play by an entirely different set of rules than what you’re used to. Routine motions like going from A to B or making simple transactions can be frustrating enough to make you want to punch a durian.
2015 was such an incredible year. I spent the entirety of it in Australia, save for a 3-week jaunt to Indonesia. It was a beautiful blend of routine and adventure that saw me settling down anywhere from a few days to a few months at a time, exploring my surroundings and then going on roadtrips and excursions in-between.
About 12 years ago, I was just finishing up my first semester of college with a killer lineup of classes: math, mystery writing, psych 101, and – how’s this for fitting?
I realize that my choice of a blog name has somewhat pigeonholed me into a certain style of travel. Budget travel, backpacking, travel hacking, whatever you call it: I’ve always sacrificed luxury and comfort in the name of saving money and thus being able to travel more.