Welcome to Travel Journaling: Antarctica Entry 14 November

 This entry is the last full day on the ship and in Antarctica. 

14 November, 2025

National Geographic Explorer

14:47

We are about to go to the debriefing for how to disembark the ship. C.C. and I have mostly packed and our bags are the correct weights.

This morning the water was choppy, but nothing like going through the Drake Passage. C.C. and I rolled out of bed at 7:30 to the announcement that we were entering Neptune's Bellows. Humpback whales led us into Whaler's Bay. C.C. saw them. I did not.

Entering Whaler's Bay.

C.C. and I were in the second group to go out, so we listened to the ship historian's presentation on whaling in the southern oceans. He started with a brief history of whaling in general before going into detail on the southern hemisphere. 

The remains of a whaling station and processing plant.

16:08

Well now everyone is worried about their luggage. The rental gear has to come with us. C.C. had a plan and stuffed it in her bag. She is still underweight.

Our group went out to Whaler's Bay first in the second group. Whaler's Bay is on Deception Island and has an old whaler's station on it. The ruins are eerie looking and whale bones litter the rocky beach. The beaches are full of black rocks with dead krill. Only a few penguins popped up to join us.

The beach with dead krill boiled pink.

An ornery fur seal had found a spot next to an old rusted piece of equipment. The had to put cones out so we could keep our distance from him. 

He was not happy to have people around while he napped.

Chinstrap penguins have a rookery on the outside of the island, but gentoo were walking on the beach we were at. It was an incredible hike up to an overlook with a huge drop into the ocean. Incredible in that my calves got an amazing work out. I went slow and steady.

I nearly fell in due to bad footing.

I did see a dead seal on the island. It was sad.

Tons of birds flew around, though, and they looked cool in the wind. I got tripped up by a false penguin*.

This is not a penguin.

We are now signing our lives away to participate in the polar plunge. We get in our bathing suits and jump into the ocean. C.C. and I are getting ready to do it. We're just waiting for the announcement to go down to base camp. 

17:10

K and El confirmed we likely saw a minke whale last night. That's four whale species, five seal species, and three penguin species. (Listed below.)

• Whales
• Humpback
• Orca
• Fin
• Minke
• Seals
• Southern sealion
• Weddell seal
• Leopard seal
• Crab seal
• Fur seal
• Penguins
• Chinstrap
• Gentoo
• Adelie

22:02

The worst kept secret on the ship is the polar plunge. Both C.C. and I did it. S was dancing to an 80s music playlist while everyone lined up to jump. A bunch of us started signing along with "We Didn't Start the Fire". 

C.C. jumped before me. Her pictures are really funny. The did not attach anything to us. We jumped from a zodiac and had to swim to a platform. I felt like I was underwater forever, but really it was only a few seconds. Everyone who took the plunge, was given a patch, a cup of hot thickened tea, and a shot of vodka (I skipped the vodka). 

When I went to dry off, C.C. noticed my knee was bleeding. Since the doctor was outside on the zodiac, the nurse looked at the cut and bandaged it up. I was told to apply a new bandage after I showered. Da also scrapped his knee on the platform. I guess we both left a bit of ourself on the 7th continent.

I went up to the sauna to warm up a bit more. There were quite a few people in there as well. A quick shower later and we were all in the lounge for the recap and Captain's farewell speech. All of the crew were present and we learned the history of the ship.

I tried a zero-proof mocktail at the cocktail hour - a maple rum old fashion. It was pretty good if a little sweet.

Dinner was a buffet of grilled meats - Argentinian style. I tried black pudding and liked it. Dessert had a little too much alcohol in it for me (C.C. and El made some really funny faces when they tried it), so they gave me a non-alcoholic version. 

After dinner, we went back to the lounge for the trip recap with submitted photos in a 13 minute slide show. It will be sent to us after the trip. I stepped outside to see the sunset and the group from Washington University was there. Two of the guys were smoking cigars. It reminded me of my dad. Tomorrow will be the second anniversary of his passing.

I know I don't usually post pictures of people, but the captain agreed to pose with Teddy.

Until the next post. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like to hear from me.

*Antarctic Shag (also known as the king cormorant, imperial shag, blue-eyed shag or Antarctic cormorant) - they look like penguins when they don't stretch out or about to fly.

Welcome to Michigan’s U.P. Adventures

 At the end of the last Ice Age, the glacier that covered the current state of Michigan scraped across the landscape, leaving behind a very flat piece of land. The few hills and mountains that do dot the landscape (mostly in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or U.P. for short) are mere pimples compared to even the wise old Appalachian Mountains.

That doesn’t mean the few mountains Michigan does have are unimpressive. They’re just smaller than what most people think of as mountains.

The mineral rich land known as the U.P. is filled with National Forests, National Lake Shores, State Parks, and wilderness. There’s tons of opportunity to see wild animals (that deer population was a lot bigger this year than what I remember as a kid), take long hikes, see beautiful waterfalls (and maybe climb around or go down one or two - if it’s safe enough), and enjoy jumping into Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, or Lake Superior. That last one might be a bit cold.

It took me eight years, but I finally got up to the land of Yoopers (the name given to U.P. locals) a couple of weeks ago. 

My mom bought a tent for us to go camping and made reservations in the Porcupine Mountains for a site. Camping is a popular pastime in Michigan and has only increased in popularity since the 2020 pandemic began. If you’d like to camp anywhere in Michigan, you may need to make reservations 6 months to a year in advance.

Our campsite was in the western most area of the large state park (also known affectionately known as the Porkies) with some great waterfall trails near the site. There was also a beautiful, rocky beach to watch the sunset over Lake Superior. The camp didn’t have cell service, which was fine. However, there was some confusion when we did get a signal and our phones switched from Eastern Time to Central. There was also no running water in the camp (unless you counted the water pumps - which I don’t). 

We had my mom’s two fluffy huskies with us and they took to the great out doors like a duck to water (though we always kept them on a leash). Dog hair and muddy paw prints might have decorated everything by the end of the trip, but it was great having them.

Highlights from this stop included the waterfall trail near the camp, the rocky beach, a history trail of an old copper mine, and (most importantly) The Lake In the Clouds. The Lake in the Clouds is 133 acres of 12 feet (or about 4 meter) water high up between two ridges in the Porcupines. It’s very pretty.

Mom really wanted to go to the Stormy Kromer factory in Ironwood. Most famous for its hats, Stormy Kromer was established in 1903 and remains an American made brand committed to their life time warranty. Naturally, they have a pet section and somehow mom and I got the huskies to wear their really cute pet hats (with varying degrees of success).

And because we were in Ironwood, we also took a quick side trip to Hurley, WI. I only wanted to so I could finally cross Wisconsin off my states-I-have-visited list and mom wanted to show me where her college friends used to go for beer runs (Wisconsin’s drinking age was still 18 when my mom was in college - Michigan’s was not). Hurley might not be the best the state has to offer (so many bars), but at least I’ve been there.

My favorite part of the trip was a tour of a Copper Mine about 12 miles from Ontonagon. This mine I was actually able to go into…and they allowed us to take the dogs with us. There are several tours available (including one 6 hour tour that includes a hot pastie (rhymes with nasty) lunch and some repelling and rock climbing. It was really cool and started with a rollercoaster like ride in Swiss Army 3-axel Trucks. A (very) low budget fantasy movie, The Dwarves of Dragon Mountain, had been filmed in the mines with old props on display along with old relics from the minting days and junk from teenage parties. 

Today, the copper mine is only assessable by the taking a tour with the Underground Mine Tours - Adventure Mining Company - so named because that was the name of the first mining company to occupy the area. We had a very good guide and everyone loved having the dogs with us (though I’m not sure how happy the dogs were to be underground). If you go, be sure to were closed toe shoes and bring a jacket or sweatshirt - the caves are around 48F or 9C year round. Some of the kids on the tour had open toed shoes and were very cold (and wet as rain water filters into the area like natural caverns). We all wore hard hats with lights - something the miners back in the day didn’t have (they worked by candle light in the 1800s, which was terrifying when demonstrated).

Copper and other minerals are still abundant in the U.P. with copper being some of the best up there. Most recently a Sulfur mine was opened about a decade ago near Big Bay, Michigan. However, it’s unlikely that copper mining will ever really start back up again in the area like it had in the mid 1800s to the early 1900s (there’s a variety of reasons for this, none of which I feel like getting into).

By the way, if you are ever in a situation without any source of light, sit down. Without a light source, your brain starts to go a little crazy and you will experience vertigo-like symptoms. If you aren’t already sitting down, you will fall. This is a disturbing “fun fact” from the tour.

The last leg of our trip was in Big Bay Michigan - where the (critically acclaimed) film Anatomy of a Murder was filmed. We actually stayed at the same park where the murder took place (the book and movie are based off real events). I spent many summers in Big Bay. We would rent a cabin right on the banks of Lake Independence (a much warmer, though tinier lake compared to neighboring Lake Superior), visit the beaches of Lake Superior (possibly go in depending on the temperature), hike to waterfalls (and either go fishing off of or slide down said waterfalls), and go for Fish Fry Fridays at the historic Thunder Bay Inn (also in the movie). Mom and I also took one quick trip to Marquette, but we weren’t there very long.

There are plenty of adventures to do in the U.P. This is just what I did this trip. In years past we’ve gone to Tahquamenon Falls, St. Ignace, Sue Saint Marie, White Fish Point (and saw the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald), and Pictured Rocks (which have become a popular place for Instagram influences - don’t be like those people). Though I don’t think it counts as part of the U.P., Mackinac Island is also a fun side trip that I’ve made a few times.

If you like adventure and don’t mind the bugs (beware July with her mosquitos and black flies), Michigan’s Upper Peninsula may be the perfect trip for you.

But be sure to be wary of bears…and wolves. 

Also coyotes.

Deer can also be a nuisance.

Oh and moose. They aren’t an animal you want to meet in the wild.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Arizona

I recently went on a trip to Arizona. It was my first time in "The Grand Canyon State" as well as visiting the Grand Canyon. 

This lovely trip was a birthday present from my aunts. We flew into Phoenix from the different places along the East Coast and Midwest where we actually live and made it our base city. It helped that two of my cousins live in the downtown center of the city and one of my aunts went to school in the state (sorry - no dates will be revealed) and still has friends in the area. 

We then traveled all over the state, seeing the sites, and seeing as much as we could - along with a few more family members. 

My first impression of Phoenix was that it's huge - much bigger than I expected. My aunt and I drove half an hour from the downtown center and we were still in the city. I also enjoyed the fact that the airport is called Sky Harbor. Don't know why I find the name amusing - probably because I half expected to see the ocean (despite being in a landlocked state) around every mountain. 

My second impression of Arizona was...man is this state green!

Do y’all see the deer?

Now, I don't mean that in a clean energy or sustainability way (though I did see a windmill farm and lots of houses with solar panels on top). I mean this in the actual color. 

My (admittedly) stereotypical impression of Arizona prior to actually setting foot in the state was that it was going to be varying shades of brown, reddish-brown, and tan. There would be cacti randomly spaced about, but not much. Oh, and tumbleweeds. 

Granted Arizona has all of those things (though I didn't see any tumbleweeds), however, it is also very green with tons of flowering plants and even an area that gets enough snow for winter sports. Now, all this green might have been because I had been in the state at the height of spring, but it was not at all what I was expecting. 

I have long maintained that each State within the United States has a unique culture that can't be interchanged for one another. Oregon and Washington might both be in the Northwest and have tons of coffee shakes. But one has a culture of letting you camp anywhere and shooting a gun into the sand dunes (Oregon), while the other is a rainforest that closes their campgrounds at the end of October (Washington). This observation can also be true within states (never mistake the cultures of eastern/central Pennsylvania with the heavily influenced by Pittsburg western part of the state). 

Arizona has it's own unique culture and flavor that can't be found anywhere else in the United States. Prior to coming to the state, my only exposure to the desert was Las Vegas. I didn't like Las Vegas. I found it hot, bright (even at night), and gaudy. I recognize that Las Vegas is also only one small corner of Nevada, but it's still a representative of that State's culture. No where in Arizona felt like Las Vegas. 

The only city that I could compare to another in Arizona was New Orleans and Tucson - and that's a surface level comparison as I didn't spend enough time in Tucson proper (I was out hiking). However, the colorful houses, street art, and attitude of the residences (not the tourists) reminded me of the Crescent City, except instead of French influence it was Spanish/Mexican and the location was a desert instead of a swamp. As I wrote, its a surface level comparison, but that doesn't detract from the similarities in beauty that both cities have.

I also need to address the canyon in the state. 

The Grand Canyon is fantastic. I have never seen anything like it before. Pictures, documentaries, and descriptions have nothing on actually standing on the edge of the rim and seeing how unbelievably big and colorful it is.

There's a reason The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and it does not disappoint. 

If you end up going to The Grand Canyon, I recommend going to the National Park. The paths are mostly paved, there's plenty of places to grab a bite to eat (though wait times will vary), there's a free bus service, and there's still a small danger that you could fall off the rim (sorry no guard rails). It is well worth a visit and you can either stay in the park at one of the hotels or campsites, stay right outside the park and take the shuttle in, or (do what my family did and) stay in Flagstaff and drive up same day. 

Finally, I want to mention one of my favorite spots in Arizona. I didn't even know I was going to it until my aunts decided it would be a fun side trip. Jerome Arizona was an old copper mining town built into a mountain. The roads reminded me a little of mountain towns in West Virginia. A lot of the town claims to be haunted, but (for once) I wasn't interested in the ghost stories. I was more interested in the local art, mining history, and food. The town is incredibly quirky with tones of ruins (including the remains of an old saloon with toilets placed in the open basement - don't know what that was about), silly signs, and lots of skeletons (the kind you find at Party City). I loved it and probably could have spent an entire weekend exploring everything. Unfortunately, I only had an afternoon. 

Is this an art project??? I need answers!

Arizona isn't just a desert state dripping in sandy browns. It's alive with flowering cacti, cooing doves, wild horses, mischievous pigs called javelinas, and tiny deer. There's a lot more greenery than I imagined as well as color buildings. Native American culture is more prevalent/naturally integrated than in other parts of the country (*cough* east coast *cough*).  

If you plan on going to Arizona, I recommend some of the following: 

• Wear lots of sunscreen, no matter your skin type
• Have a sweatshirt or jacket handy for the cooler nights and higher altitude parts of the state (like Flagstaff)
• Have a hat, but mind the wind - especially at The Grand Canyon
• Have plenty of water
• Do not approach the wildlife
• Do not appropriate Native American spiritual beliefs and practices (unless you are originally from that culture)
• Go hiking
• Do not put your hands anywhere you can't see because a lot of the plant life has spikes/needles, there are a ton of venomous creatures (snakes, spiders, and scorpions)
• Wildfires can and do happen
• Check out a historic mining town
• Enjoy the local art

Have you guys been to Arizona? If so, what was your favorite part of the State? 

I love having the opportunity to travel, though the past few years have made that difficult. I hope to see more of my home country over the years as well as explore the world outside of the United States. Though there's no place like home, going to far off places is a wonderful adventure. 

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Wilderness an Hour from DC

 "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." - unknown.

Looks like a scene from My Neighbor Totoro

This quote has been attributed to a number of environmentalists and founders of conservation movements. A quick Google search claims it to be from John Muir, but a quick scroll down the search page shows that there are others who might have coined this phrase. 

But who said the quote doesn't make it any less important when you go to wilderness for an adventure. 

This weekend I went to the Shenandoah National Park and stayed in one of the three Lodges off Skyline Drive. It was so much fun (worth the scolding I got from my cat when I got home). I found the accommodations perfect, though they're more like motels or cabins rather than 5-star resorts. I had little to no cell service and the only area with wi-fi was the main lobby. The main lobby was incredibly inviting - excellent for bird watching or curling up in a rocking chair next to a roaring fire in the fireplace. 

I stayed in Skyland which had several trails within walking distance of my room. Some were very popular like Stony Man and White Oak Falls. Others had almost no one on them like Miller's Head (which led to a beautiful view on an old fire watch). There's also a stable for horses on Skyland with the option for horseback riding starting in late May.

I walked so much that by Saturday afternoon - when the weather took a turn to grey skies and rain - I found myself passed out for several hours before crawling out of bed for dinner. 

I've never hidden my love of hiking and getting lost in the wilderness. It's dangerous to go off by yourself, especially if you don't know what you're doing, but I've made it a habit to always let people know where I'll be going, knowing how to handle an emergency, and picking trails that will have some people around.

Thankfully, the Shenandoah National Park has an app with maps and resources for hikers. If you can't use the app, most trails have a map at the beginning of the trails that you can take a picture of. They'll also let you know the estimated amount of time to complete a hike, how much water you should have, and any other gear you will want to have on hand. 

One of my favorite investments has been my headlight flashlight that sits snuggly on my head and provides white and red light. It makes climbing up rocks easier in the dark without precariously balancing a flashlight in my hands.

As I don't have much service up in the Shenandoah, I don't have my headphones in. I can take in all the sounds of the woods. There are plenty of bird calls and songs, the sway of the trees, and the occasional howl of wind. Its in this atmosphere that I have nearly ran into deer, had a close call with a depth-perception challenged hawk, and a startling encounter with a bald eagle. There were a lot of deer this trip...and possibly a majestic peregrine (its a type of falcon). 

Surprisingly, the closest I have ever gotten to a bear was less than 10 miles from my house in New Jersey. It was while I was at my favorite hiking spot with two guys on our way to a place aptly named Bear Swamp. 

I didn't seen any bears this trip, but I'm sure they were around. 

Though spring is in full swing in and around Washington D.C., the Shenandoah mountains appear to be about a month behind. Certainly there were plenty of flowers (some of my favorites on this trip were little purple buds clinging to the eastern side of rocks). Friday and Saturday had hardly any trees budding, but this morning there were little dots of green everywhere. What a difference waking up in a cloud makes. 

Yep, that's right, last night I went to sleep on a mountain and today I woke up in a cloud. I could go five minutes of the road and see clear blue skies, but the next moment the wisps of water vapor were flying up the western ridges. It was eerie. It was beautiful. 

All of this is why Shenandoah National Park continues to be one of my favorite places in the world. I highly recommend it. There's plenty of hiking, amazing views, camping, and horseback riding (seasonal). There are great places to eat and park rangers to ask questions to. 

The wilderness is about an hour and a half from D.C. The next time you want to visit the capitol, might I suggest I short detour to the wilderness in Virginia...the Appalachian Trail is there.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Adventure Part 4: You Are The Tourist

The term tourist gets a bit of a bad rap. No one wants to be labeled as a "tourist". They're rude, often confused, jerks who stand in the middle of the road to take that prefect picture of an iconic building. Come summer you can spot a tourist by their khaki shorts and a polo with their phones and/or cameras glued to their hands staring wide eyed and slack jawed at the fantastic sights.

It’s not a flattering picture.

I am totally that tourist who takes picture of their food.

Even I can be heard muttering nasty comments (“[censored] tourists”) under my breath more often than not in my home city of Washington DC. Though, I do seem to be more forgiving of New York tourists (no real reason, just am). My tolerance for the oohs and awes of DC tourists is very low, especially during cherry blossom season. I just want them to stop being a nuisance and let me get to where I'm going.

Which is why my next piece of advice might throw you for a loop: I give you permission to be a tourist. In fact, I encourage it.

But wait, wasn’t I just complaining about tourists and pointing out how annoying they are?

Yes, I was. However, the number of rude, annoying, and straight up inconsiderate tourists is very small in proportion to the ones who are just curious about a new place. They want to experience a new culture, see the beautiful sights, and try new things.

If you prefer that I didn’t use the word “tourist”, you can interchange it with “adventurer”, “explorer”, or whatever term Airbnb is using in their ads now.

I might have been blocking other people to get this shot.

I can dress up the term all I want, when I’m traveling to a new place and it's not for work, I am a tourist. I’m there to experience a new culture, see the historic sights, and try new foods. I might try to blend in a little more so that I’m not marked as am “American Tourist” within the first five minutes of arrival (some places this is easier to do than others), but that doesn't change who I am.

On my recent trip to Japan and Hong Kong, I took well over 500 pictures. That’s something only a tourist or professional photographer does. As I am not a professional photographer (nor would I ever be casually mistaken for one) and was mostly taking pictures on my phone, it was fairly obvious I was a tourist. I might have even stopped in the middle of a pathway (not road - I'm not that stupid) to get a couple of really nice shots.

I’m certain someone was super annoyed that they ran into me, but for the most part people were really nice. They were happy to answer my questions and explain things I didn't understand very well.

It’s okay to be a tourist and make a few tourist mistakes, like eating at that expensive restaurant in the center of town with mediocre food. Just don't be that guy who complains loudly about a local customer and how "different it is than back home."

Personally, I find that the best way to be a tourist - and not get death glares - is to be aware of my surroundings. I watch the people around me and try to follow their example.

For example, next time you travel watch how people behave on public transit. In Japan, people are quiet and don’t make a lot of noise on the trains. They still talk to their companions or scroll through on their phones, but they aren’t very loud. In New York it’s okay to be loud. There are often designated quiet train cars because it’s so noisy.

If you don’t want to label yourself a tourist, that’s fine, but don’t let that stop you for doing touristy things. Sure tourists can be annoying, but most of us are just curious. They want to get to know a new place and culture.

Travel. Be a tourist. Explore. Go on an adventure. Be curious!

But also remember to be kind, understanding, and aware.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Adventure Part 3: Spontaneity

Last year, my aunt and cousin came to visit me in New York and I got to experience their version of a vacation. My uncle works for one of the major airlines, so they don't always know where they might end up when they take a trip. Essentially, they make it up as they go.

I am more of a planner, so to go on a trip without some sort of itinerary is a little daunting. However, I threw caution to the wind and followed along as my aunt and cousin had fun finding things to do "at the last minute".

It was great.

I've even started trying to do more things spontaneously.

For example, this past Friday I got an email from one of the Broadway ticket agencies. The play Burn This had a few tickets left for Sunday and, as I hadn't gotten the lottery tickets for Hamilton (again), I snagged a ticket. I did ask one of my friends if they thought it was a good idea (she said "of course" but she rarely says no to seeing a Broadway show).

Burn This is great, by the way. Adam Driver and Keri Russell are amazing. I went through a roller coaster ride of emotions, one minute laughing my butt off, the next wanting to run on stage and hug the characters (good thing I was way up in the balcony).

It's one thing to do spontaneous activities close to home. It's another to do so while traveling.

As I planned my trip to Japan, I sent my uncle a list of places I'd like to see. Some were places I had been before, others places I had heard about, and a few I found on travel recommendation sites. I told my uncle that I didn't have to see everything on my list, that I was open to different suggestions, and that I was flexible to changing my plans.

My uncle planned an amazing trip and we hit pretty much everything on the list I sent him. We only made a few small changes based on weather (which was only bad one day) or if my uncle had a different recommendation.

I had the best time!

My 24 hours in Hong Kong, however, were completely unplanned...and I was on my own.

I find that not having a plan is easier when I'm traveling by myself. I've written about solo travel before (click here) while I was in Iceland. I typically have some idea of what I'd like to do or see on these trips, but I'm always willing to make changes.

As I was on my way to Hong Kong, the weather took a turn for the worse. Strong thunderstorms delayed my flight by 6 hours and by the time I reached my hotel, all I wanted was food and a shower.

However, that didn't stop me from trying to explore a new city.

Originally, I thought I might just eat at the hotel and get an early start the next morning. But that didn't sit well with me. In a moment of pure curiosity, I asked the hotel concierge where they might recommend getting something to eat. They gave me a few suggestions, which I thought about, and then asked: "what would you like to eat?"

Without second thought I said, I'd like to try something local. The concierge smiled and said that I should take the subway one stop to the Wan Chai neighborhood to see some of the night life and try some local street food.

The mini adventure was worth it and I managed to get a taste of Hong Kong that left me wanting to explore the city more. I hope to go back sooner rather than later and hopefully convince my sister to come with me.

My 24 hours in Hong Kong weren't long, but I tried to do as much as I could. I managed to take the Peak Tram up to the top of Mt. Victoria and do a bit of hiking. Even in the rain, or maybe because of it, Victoria Peak is gorgeous. Part of me felt like I was stepping into the realm of the fae with how low the clouds were.

Exploring a new place without a plan is scary. Even when I'm not certain where I'm about to go or what I might do, I still take time to do my research. However, some of the best adventures happen when you stumble right into them without having any prior knowledge.

Some of the best adventures I've been on have been within an hour of my home and they usually started because I was bored and needed something spontaneous to do.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Adventure Part 2: Food - All the Best Food

One of the best things about the human experience is eating food. It's a human universal need to eat and how we eat can be influenced by our family, location, and culture. People can eat on the go or sit down for an hours long meal with over 20 courses.

I learned in Hong Kong if you order coffee or tea, you get a whole pot to drink.

How, where, and when people pause for a quick bite can vary for culture to culture. The United States, with all of it's regional cultures, does have a few cultural quirks to our eating habits. We occasionally eat on the go, fast casual restaurants such as Panera have risen in popularity, and dinner is our big meal of the day served around 18:00, whereas lunch is typically smaller and eaten as quickly as possible.

These habits are not as typical outside of the US. When traveling in Europe, I've often eaten dinner well after 20:00 and sometimes as late as 22:00 and the portions are a lot smaller than anything I get at a restaurant back home. In Japan, it's considered rude to walk around eating or drinking. If you buy a drink from a vending machine, you stand there and drink it before continuing on your way.

My favorite part of traveling is trying all of the new foods.

Katsu Udon for Nara is a little different from udon made in Tokyo

There are a lot of different types of food that aren't available in all parts of the United States, and even if they are available, they might not taste the same as where I first had them. A lot of international food that's brought to the United States has been modified for American tastes and the available ingredients. That's not even getting into the many regional differences in food from the original country. Italian food from northern Italy can be very different from the dishes served in southern Italy.

An example of Hong Kong dim sum

This is also true when traveling outside of the United States.

My first memories of going to Japan as a young kid was having pizza the first night for dinner. I was told that the pizza ordered was an "American style pizza". It had corn on it. I have never had corn on pizza in the United States. I didn't even know putting corn on pizza was a popular topping.

The corn on the pizza was yummy. This past trip to Japan I tried corn sushi (again, something I had never heard of). It was not the yummiest thing I had on my trip, but I can safely say I tried.

This is corn sushi...sweet corn, mayo, sushi rice, and nori

Honestly, 99% of the food I try is delicious. It's very rare that I eat something I don't like. Sure, it's scary to take a bite of something I might not know exactly what it is, but I find that it's a risk worth taking.

Takoyaki is so good. I usually don't like octopus, but this was amazing!

Though I do have a couple of dietary restrictions, they aren't life threatening and the foods can be avoided. I will admit that it can be challenging making certain I won't accidentally eat something that will make me sick, especially if the menu I'm looking at isn't available in a language I understand.

For people who do have dietary restrictions that are life threatening, it can be a challenge. Thankfully, a lot of airlines and hotels can help travelers out. I was able to per-order my airline meals to make certain that nothing would make me sick several kilometers in the air. I've also had luck at many of the places I've stayed from hotels, hostels, and even Airbnbs at asking people for good places to eat at that have food safe for me to eat.

Part of the adventure of traveling is trying new things, food especially. If you don't have any food restrictions, I recommend trying anything and everything. You might be surprised at what you end up loving. And end up not enjoying something you try, at least you can say you tried it.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to Adventure Part 1: I Can't Relive the Past

Happy Easter everyone. I spent the day doing some chores and trying to get back into my usual sleep schedule. I got off of a 15 hour flight just before midnight last night and somehow managed to catch the last train home. Though taking the Vomit Comet (as the last train around these parts is occasionally referred to as) wasn't really how I wanted to end my holiday, it was at least entertaining to listen to the drunk people at 2:00 in the morning.

In my last blog post, I wrote about how I was taking a break from social media. Well I lasted exactly as long as I wanted to (a week and a half), just long enough for me to take a trip to Japan and Hong Kong.

If there is one point in my life I wish I could relive, it was my trip to Japan when I was 11 years old. I spent six weeks with my aunt and uncle and it was definitely I major turning point in my life. It was my first major trip overseas and without my parents. There were a lot of good times and of course some drama (when isn't there when with family).

It took me nearly two decades later to return to Japan. A lot had changed, though riding a bike around the small city my uncle lives in brought back a lot of memories.

I remember bits and pieces from my first trip and this second trip was great, but it was very different from the first. It was just me and my uncle this time and he packed in a lot of trips all over the area. I didn't make it to Tokyo, but got to visit Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Nishinomiya, and Hiroshima again. I saw places I remember going to the first time, but most where new locations.

The Osaka aquarium is really cool and has two whale sharks

Kyoto is still one of my favorite cities and Osaka is probably one of the coolest places I've ever been. Part of me wishes I could have spent more time exploring Japan, but I don't have the same amount of free time I did as a kid. Work takes a priority.

One thing I've gotten better at since I was an 11 year old is travel journalling. My trip to Japan was the first time that I kept a travel journal. My grandmother kept one every time she traveled and I wanted to do the same. At first I didn't understand what that meant and my aunt thought my handwriting was awful. So every day my aunt would have me sit at the kitchen table practicing my handwriting and then every few days (when we were out and about) she would have me write in my journal.

Every trip since, I've kept a journal when I travel. Some of my journals have multiple trips recorded. My current journal is brand new (a gift from a Secret Snow Flake exchange) and now filled with the tales of my latest trip.

I also took around 500 photos.

I am not ashamed.

This trip I was in Japan in mid-April, just in time for the end of the sakura (cherry blossom) season. Everywhere I looked there were beautiful pink flowers. I went river rapid ride on traditional-style boats in Kyoto and I was able to see a whole mountain side of the blossoms. It looked like a water color painting.

And since it was cherry blossom season I was able to try sakura mochi. Mochi in Japan is very different than what I can get in America. Mochi is traditionally sweet rice smashed into a smooth bun and stuffed with a sweet paste (usually red bean). Sakura mochi is made from the cherry blossoms, dyeing the mochi pink and wrapped in a leaf soaked in salt water.

You can only get these delicious treats in April, while the cherry blossoms are in bloom.

Japanese food is amazing. It's not like Japanese food you get in America (a lot less salt for one thing). There are mostly mild umami flavors with lots of noodles, fish, and rice. Bento boxes are by far the best way to have lunch and street food in general is amazing.

My uncle some how gets me to try all the different food available, even when I'm a little nervous about what I'm eating. For example, I typically don't like octopus (it's a texture thing - not to mention the suction cups *shivers*), but I tried takoyaki or grilled octopus balls and loved them. They're a specialty in Osaka and I totally recommend trying them.

If you take the boat ride in Kyoto you can try grilled squid cooked right on the side of your boat.

Sushi is also a little different in Japan. Sure you have the usual tuna and shrimp, but there are some that I didn't recognize. By far the oddest was corn sushi. I tried it. I don't have to try it again.

I might not be able to relive the trip I took when I was 11, but I can keep traveling and revisiting the places I've been before. Everything and everyone is always changing. Japan 20 years ago is not the Japan of today and 11 year old me is certainly not the me of today.

And even if the toilets in Japan are super fancy (especially at the train stations - and so clean), there are still a few places where it's just a hole in the ground that you have to squat over.

There will be more about adventures next week. Until then!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Welcome to Solo Travel

My final post on my adventure in Iceland is going to focus traveling solo. I'll be honest, I was a little nervous about going to a new country by myself. Part of the reason I decided to go to Iceland was because it was highly recommended for first time solo travelers.

Solo travel might not be for everyone, but I definitely recommend trying it. I personally think that solo travel is best for people who like to spend a good amount of time by themselves. There were plenty of opportunities for me to talk to people, but the majority of my time was very quiet. I was able to just be imaginative for a while.

I had heard that doing a solo trip was something people should put on their bucket lists. I don't really remember where I heard this from (probably a travel blog on Facebook or from one of my really adventurous friends). Still I put it on my bucket list of things I should think about doing. Then I randomly brought round trip tickets to Iceland. Suddenly I went from thinking about doing it to actually doing it.

To prepare, I did a lot of research. I then chucked most of that research out the window when one of my friends got so excited for me that they basically became my travel agent. This friend had also never been to Iceland, but they had been on solo trips before. They helped talk me into staying at a hostel, which I'm really glad I did. They talked me into going to the Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle Tour. This friend later decided to also go to Iceland, so I've given them all my tips for when they are there in a few weeks.

I am so glad my friend gave me some of the pushes that they did, otherwise I might not have made some great new friends or done some of the amazing things I did (Golden Circle Tour).

My mom was also a big help finding out information and bouncing ideas off of. She has done a good bit of traveling and she said agreed with my friend on a lot of the things they told me. My mom also gave me the best price of advice. She said that its okay to not have a set plan until you get there because you might find an opportunity you wouldn't have known about until you get there.

It was really good advice for me. I ended up not booking anything (except the Blue Lagoon) until after I arrived. If I had made plans for each day I probably wouldn't have gone to Videy Island or found out about the "free" city walking tour. I only found out about them after arriving*.

I might have been okay with that (non)plan if someone had come with me, but it might not have worked out. Some people just need a plan when they go on vacation. It's not a bad thing to want a solid plan, but it's not for everyone.

So here is my list of why I enjoyed traveling solo. It might not be everyone's reasons for going solo and you can probably do some of them while traveling with one or two friends, but that's why it's my list.

1) Quiet reflection while letting the imagination go wild - I spend a lot of time in my own head just thinking and being in a new place really let my thoughts go wild.

2) Change plans without compromising - this happened several times while I was in Iceland (for example I got lost going to one museum and went to a different one instead). I also sometimes would stumble across an interesting place (the cemetery) and spend time there.

3) Make new friends and talk to new people - yes this can be done with a group of people too, but there's something fun about being asked if I'd like to hang out with someone I had just met.

4) Take my time - since I was setting my own pace I could take as much or as little time as I wanted somewhere. I could also have as much down time as I wanted.

5) Say I traveled solo - a few of my friends said that they wouldn't have had the guts to traveling explore a new country by themselves. It felt like an accomplishment to do it.

Again these are my reasons for taking a solo vacation. I definitely recommend trying it once in your life. You never know who you might meet or what adventures you'll find.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really passed you of) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Hopefully I'll be off on my next adventure sooner rather than later.

*I had known about Videy Island before going, but I wasn't sure if I would visit it or not. It wasn't until another person in my hostel room said that they were going too that I officially decided to go. We hiked for four hours and got some of my favorite pictures of the whole trip.

Welcome to the Land of Ice, Fire... and Rainbows?

I couldn't fit my trip to Iceland into one blog post. My time there was very short, but it definitely left an impact on me. Therefore this post  is an addition to last week's post, but with rainbows, lots and lots of rainbows.

I feel this is a good visual of Iceland's philosophy of life, but maybe I'm wrong. I was a tourist after all.

 On all of the tours I went on, Iceland was described to me as the land of fire and ice. This was reflected on all of the other tours I was offered, but didn't go on for one reason or another (time and money come to mind). There are active volcanoes like the one that went off a couple of years ago and grounded all the planes in Europe. There is the giant glacier that provides some of the best drinking water I have ever tasted. There are tours for people to explore both.

Iceland is full of natural wonders. I mentioned in my last post about my Golden Circle tour. The Golden Circle is advertised as a must see if you visit Iceland. There are several tour options, but if you rent a car they aren't necessary (and you can go at your own pace, though you might miss out on the history and geology lessons).

This waterfall on the Golden Circle Tour produced tons of rainbows.

I definitely recommend seeing the Golden Circle at least once if you visit Iceland, especially if you aren't able to go too far outside of Reykjavik. All of the natural wonders are beautiful and allow for some great hiking. I got to see them in my favorite season which added some really pretty colors to my experience.

If there was one natural wonder I think Iceland should add to its list of amazing wonders, it's the rainbow. I don't think I have been anywhere else that has so many rainbows. There was a rainbow the day I landed at the airport, there were tons of rainbows visible when I hiked Videy island, there were rainbows painted on sidewalks and houses, the water falls created tons of rainbows, and there was even a rainbow statue welcoming me back to the airport when I was leaving.

The rainbow when I landed, it rained the rest of the day.

Seriously I saw a rainbow in the sky everyday I was there (the weather is notorious for changing frequently and with little warning).

There might have been a lot of rain, but the city of Reykjavik always had a rainbow after.

Then there are the rainbows you can only see at night. Okay fine, the Norther Lights aren't actually rainbows, but they are a light show like no other and I didn't even leave the city limits. There were only two nights that I saw them. The first night was totally by accident and because another person in my room said you could see them in the park across the street. I personally found that to be amazing. They weren't the brightest from that location and I only had my phone to take pictures. The next night (which was also my last), one of my new friends offered to drive me and another person out to the lighthouse for a better look.

We arrived at just the right time. It was still pretty early and you could see the sun setting in the distance, but the night was alight with vibrant green streaks. I have never seen anything like it before and I truest hope I will see it again someday. I'm sure the lights are a whole other kind of sight if you are out in the middle of no where and don't have to battle light pollution, but for that hour I got to see one of the most amazing natural wonders our world has to offer. It was worth every second in the cold windy night.

Two streaks of the northern lights in the sun set.

 Maybe someday I'll also see the Southern Lights. Anyone want to go to Chile and Antarctica with me?

Along with the natural rainbows, Iceland is very proud (so I was told) to be very welcoming to the LGBT community and very pro feminist. I''m not kidding, there is an amazing example of how much they celebrate their feminist side in the Reykjavik city hall (I will not post pictures, nor will I elaborate). It is not something I would expect to see in a city hall in the USA anytime soon. One of the tour guides had a lot of fun telling us about how they also had the first gay Viking after someone put lipstick on their founder's statue during a celebration.

This wasn't the only house painted like this.

This is why I feel Iceland should add rainbows to its list of descriptive natural wonders (I''m not sure that makes sense, but it's the sentence I'm going with). You can venture into the depths of a volcano in the morning, walk across a glacier in the afternoon, see the northern lights at night, and in between see beautiful rainbows all over the place.

More street art!

 Please add Iceland on you list of places to see. The people are very friendly, the water is some of the best I have ever tasted, and the nature is one of a kind.

The statue outside of the airport.

And no I'm not being paid to say that.

If you enjoyed this post or if it pissed you off, please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. I'm off to my next great adventure and maybe, just maybe I'll find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Until next week.

Welcome to Vacation Time

Summer may still be a few months away, but that's no reason to not start planning for a fun vacation. The middle of the year is a great time to take a break and enjoy the sun. Unfortunately it's also when prices are extremely high and crowds are at their largest. Since I don't have kids, maybe a trip in September or October would be a better option?

Vegas baby!

If there's one thing I miss about being a student, it was all the vacation time I had. In college I had several long breaks throughout the year that allowed me to relax and get ready for more intense studying. It wasn't something I thought too much about. I always had a nice long summer, a couple of weeks off around Christmas and the New Year, a week in spring, and Thanksgiving.

A trip to a lighthouse in the middle of no where? Sold!

Now that I have a full time job, those long periods of time where I didn't have anything to do are gone. On the one hand, I wish they weren't. I miss having plenty of time to do whatever I felt like. On the other hand, I like being able to pick my days off and go during the off season when kids are in school. What they don't tell you is how to manage those few days off you get each year.

My family is spread out all over the place. Some people are closer than others. I wish I had time to visit everyone and go on crazy adventures all over the world. Unfortunately due to both timing and lack of funds, I have to carefully pick and choose how I use my time off.

Hello New York!

My time off isn't just for vacation either. If I'm sick and can't work, that's a vacation day. If I need to take a half a day off for a doctor's appointment, that's a half of vacation day. I know they aren't actually called vacation days, but it feels like they are when they are treated the same.

Time off requires a lot of planning and flexibility. It also requires good time management skills (something I am always working on).

I was lucky this year. I got to go on a vacation while I was between jobs. I also had to negotiate for that time off as I had planned that trip eight months in advance. Other years I haven't been as lucky and had to make arrangements with my job to work while I was out of the office (my last job was really flexible and allowed me to do so). Then there's always the possibility I'll get really sick. Normally if I'm sick, I just work from home, but what if I get so sick that I really shouldn't work?

Disney World!

There are days when I'm looking around the Internet at other people's travel blogs. They show a world full of excitement and adventure. I often wonder if I could quit my day job and simply travel all the time. Then reality hits me and I realize how stressful that would be. Sure travel blogs make the nomadic lifestyle look glamorous, but it's definitely not for everyone (myself included).

One day perhaps, I'll have a career where I can either travel all over. Or possibly a job with a fantastic vacation package. Maybe I'll become self employed or a money making writer (wishing and hoping only get me so far). Until then, I'll have to manage my time wisely, make sure my priorities are in the right places, and save as much as I can because I want something interesting to be in my obituary (knock on wood that that's a long way off).

Now, I must do some more research!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.