where are you going?

Updated: 01/10/2018 | January 10th, 2018 On my first round-the-world trip in 2006, I planned everything out beforehand. I knew where I was going, staying, for how long, and how I would get there. And then half-way through I ditched the plan and went with the flow. Over the years, how I plan my travel has changed. Now, I’m a last-minute planner and rarely travel with any set itinerary. Years of long-term travel has made me much better at going with the flow. When plans change or things go wrong, I just roll with it. Life on the road works out in the end and mishaps are just part of the journey. Traveling without a plan gives you incredible flexibility. Since nothing is booked far in advance, you aren’t tethered to one itinerary and can pivot to something different when you change your mind or something better comes along. Letting the day unfold randomly can lead to exciting and unplanned adventures. I changed my plans to meet a friend on an island in Thailand and stayed for a month. A...

Updated : 3/15/2020 | Macrh 15th, 2020 Many years ago, I went to the Taiwan Lantern Festival. This annual event is hosted by the Tourism Bureau. Throughout the country, people build large floats and structures that are like oversized lanterns (hence the name). It’s one of the biggest yearly events and lantern exhibits are hosted throughout the country. I went with my guesthouse owner’s nieces and a Korean guy who, like me, was staying there long-term. As they walked, they mostly spoke Chinese to each other. They were discussing the boy problems of one of the nieces (teenage angst and romance you when you are 16 is universal). Though they were speaking a language I didn’t understand, I followed along a little. I laughed, I made some jokes, they understood, I understood. As we walked around, I thought about how one of the things people always ask you about travel: “How are you different?” It’s a hard question to answer because most changes happen...