Hey, everyone! Well, it’s been just over a week since I’ve left Thailand and have returned to the United States of America. The ease of which I slid back into familiarity was surprising. While there has certainly been “sticker shock” with the prices of food compared to meals in Southeast Asia, I’ve been enjoying my time back in the States. I wanted to give an overview of the last three years, giving a recap of my adventures along the way. At the end, I’ll include my Rose, Thorn, and Bouquet.

A few housekeeping things:

1) If you’re interested in my art, have a look at my merchandise on RedBubble!
2) If wanting to read my first novel, Eclipse Me, you can find the link here.
3) Leave a comment at the bottom of the page and tell me what you think of this post!

Revisiting Australia

I look back at Australia and think of the country with such love. In a heartbeat, I would return to live in Perth.

I think of my first day arriving in a new country. Late at night, calling my parents to tell them I arrived safely. An early-morning walk through Kings Park, spotting kookaburras, bin chickens, and other strange birds.

Meeting Liam and Kory, who both selflessly guided me through the transition into their homeland.

Finding a job as a deckhand on the Swan River and working tirelessly, but making good money. Going out snorkeling and hiking whenever I had the opportunity. Kory introducing me to Australian culture through TV shows, slang, and confectionery.

The constant sunshine and summer heat, no air conditioning in my room. Boston & Korra.

Rottnest island, cliff jumping, Breadtop.

After six months, leaving Perth. Up to Coral Bay to snorkel for two weeks. Back to say a final farewell to Kory before flying to Tasmania.

And then: echidna, southern lights, bioluminescence. Wombats, Tasmanian devils, daily visits with the platypus of the Hobart rivulet. Befriending DJ after DJ. Tawny frog mouths.

To Melbourne, where I thought I’d stay a month but stayed only a week. Flying foxes, revisiting Michael’s old stomping grounds.

A road trip through South Australia and up to Northern Territory, to Alice Springs. A bus to Uluru and staying with a fellow Steve, searching relentlessly for thorny devils.

To Darwin, where I became infatuated with spotting the frilled-neck lizards. Befriending John, who kindly saved the day and took me to Litchfield, Kakadu National Park, and Fogg Dam. My very first huntsman spider.

Flying to Cairns, where I met Gene. Cassowaries, curlews. Waterfalls and leeches. A week off the grid in Cape Tribulation – drawing and snake hunting. Peacocks, rain, and stepping on a cane toad.

Back in Cairns, snorkeling at the gem that is Green Island. Getting my Open Water certification and doing a multi-day liveaboard along the Great Barrier Reef. Camping with Gene and then a rainy farewell.

Magnetic Island, with the koalas on my front lawn.

Off to Airlie Beach for a tour of the Whitsundays. Hervey Bay and briefly snorkeling with a humpback whale. K’gari Island for a drive through the sand – a humpback carcass, dingoes, and shipwreck.

Noosa, Sydney, the Blue Mountains. Curry puffs.

A weekend trip to Canberra with John.

And then, my final days in Sydney before returning to the United States of America.

I love Australia.

Revisiting Aotearoa New Zealand

New Zealand was never part of the original plan. Early on, I considered visiting for a few weeks when I was living in Australia. But then… the visa was only $20. I decided to buy it before turning 31, just so I had the option. But then I decided to go for it.

Arriving in Auckland, there’s where I thought I’d stay. A city with the same population as Perth. I met two other travelers who’d only just arrived. The three of us went on an adventure together, exchanged tips, and then went off in completely different directions.

I went down to Wellington to continue searching for work, but wound up in Queenstown.

And from there, I was met with… friendship. Community.

Queenstown Hill. The Remarkables. Mount Cecil.

Slacklining along Lake Whakatipu. Buying a van.

Front-row seat at an Amanda Palmer gig, meeting her and taking a selfie. Overwhelming but powerful.

The southern lights – seeing them in color for the very first time.

Fiordland National Park, Rakiura/Stewart Island.

The Hooker Valley Track, never making it to Lake Alta. Playing hooky to go to Wanaka with Jasper.

Silent disco, always. Drunk Emily. Stopping at Night ‘n’ Day after our late nights of dancing to get hash browns, curry pies, French fries.

Practicing Spanish and never fully knowing what was being said but trying to do my best. Nittsy, Valeria, Kathy. Kevin and Elias. Juanito and Juan. Marcos. Mucha gente de Chile y Argentina.

And of course, Jasper, Abby, Yvonne. My crew.

Summer ending and everything changing. People growing more inward, isolated by the cold. Less inclined to go out. People coming and going, bringing in a new crew.

Penguins, kiwi, volunteering at Kiwi Park.

And after ten months, packing up my van and crying as I left Queenstown, listening to Cry for Me by Magadalena Bay as I pulled away from the lake. But then the chaos of having to backtrack and meet Jasper so I could grab a bag of things I’d forgotten!

Two months in the van. Staying at campsites. Cold showers, canned beans and soup. My giant canister of dried cranberries and mixed nuts. Makeshift curtains somehow getting the job done.

Kea at Arthur’s Pass. Marion at Castle Hill. Cape Farewell and the most delicious chocolate bars near Blenheim. A car break-down before heading to Kaikoura.

Sperm whales, humpback whales, and dusky dolphins.

Through the South Island, up to the North. So different, and yet beautiful in its own right. Meeting with Ash again. Visiting Wellington once more in a new light, nearly a year later.

To Mount Taranaki, trying desperately for a clear view but no such luck even after three days. To Tongariro, where the views were much better.

Rotorua, with its geothermal splendor and Brat green “Devil’s bath”. Mount Manganui to Coromandel and, eventually, to Auckland before flying to Fiji for a week.

Upon my return, pushing Goldie to the brink, trying to get to the northernmost part of the North Island. And then back down, with a wild kiwi sighting at Kauri Park just before returning to Auckland.

Final moments in Auckland, Rangitoto, and Rotoroa Island.

After a long adventure, back to America.

Revisiting Asia

Jumping into completely foreign territory, I began my year-long adventure in Asia starting with Taiwan.

Taipei, beef noodle soup, dumplings at Din Tai Fung, an overnight in Jiufen. The NIGHT MARKETS! But especially that exploding egg taro ball. Unreal. Oh, and the hot boba bubble tea.

On to South Korea. Taking the Train to Busan to fulfill my zombie fantasy. Being freezing cold the whole time, but also eating EVERYTHING. Bibimbap and kimchi forever! Gyeongju, a quiet town that I adored. And then to Seoul, where I reunited with Jasper for lots of shopping, Korean BBQ, and chicken wings. Day trip to the DMZ.

Japan, where eating proper ramen and sushi for the first time in my life… blew my mind. Obsessively hunting for cherry blossoms, Nintendo World, and much time spent with Gene. Castles, monkeys, but mostly FOOD.

To the Philippines with the tarsiers in Bohol, the sardine run in Panglao and Moalboal. A whale shark and manta rays in Southern Leyte. Canyoneering with Lucie in Cebu. A long ferry to Manila and a very special visit with Daisy’s family in Batangas. Oh… and the BAKERIES. UBE, BABY!

On to Indonesia. Kory knocking on the hotel room door and embracing me for the first time in two years – with a special delivery of Tim-Tams for me. Getting daily massages and, later, tattoos. Mango yogurt parfait Magnum ice cream bars for dessert. Day trip to Nusa Penida. Then Ubud, Sanur. Amed. Lombok and the eye injury. Back to Bali. Flores and the yellow pit viper. The sailing trip to Lombok, stopping at Rinca for the komodos along the way. Gili Air, where I could have spent a month. And then to Java, which had me in constant awe. The Ijen blue flames, Mount Bromo, Mount Merapi molten lava flow. Sumatra and the orangutans. What an adventure Indonesia was. Such diversity – the views, the wildlife, the diving.

To Malaysia, with ALL. THE. FOOD. So much food! Snake temple, Penang, Cameron Highlands, a rhino hornbill at Taman Negara, Tioman Island and my very first cuttlefish. KL, a city I actually really enjoyed. A modern break from the chaos of Southeast Asia.

To Singapore, which was so abundant in wildlife. Thirteen snakes in five days of searching. What a special place. I would love to return one day – especially to try and visit the king cobra at Sungei Buloh, and to maybe see the blue coral snake at the MacRitchie reservoir.

Vietnam. Probably the place my heart connected with the most during my year in Asia. Chaotic Hanoi with its bun cha and banh mi. Sa Pa and the gorgeous rice terraces. Ha Giang loop with the winding roads, rainy days, and stunning views. To Cao Bang, where I got trapped in a flood for a few days. Cat Ba and then an overnight to Lan Ha Bay. Eating the most delicious grilled oysters for the cheapest price ever. Down to Ninh Binh and riding around on a bicycle. The Delacour’s langurs at Van Long. To Phong Nha for some caving and relaxation. Hue for its ancient history. Da Nang for the red-shanked douc langurs. Hoi An for its lantern-lit streets and boats along the river. Da Lat for avocado ice cream and a surprise bearded snake in the middle of the city. Some delicious street food. Cat Tien for gibbons, snakes, and other special critters. And then Saigon – where I didn’t do much at all. The scenery of Vietnam, the warm locals, the rainy season… I loved it there.

A brief stay in Cambodia with the killing fields, Angkor Wat and surrounding temples. So much adorned in gold.

And Laos – where I was slow motion in Don Det. Enjoying birthday hot-air balloon rides and the best massage. Big Brother Mouse in Luang Prabang.

Ending in Thailand. Khao soi. White Temple. Khao Yai with its bats, elephants, and gibbons. Koh Lipe and the pink corals. Koh Adang and my closest pied hornbill observations. Koh Phi Phi with octopus, cuttlefish, blacktip reef sharks. Khao Sok and the Cheow Lan Lake. Seeing many snakes but the monocled cobra being my favorite sighting. Khao Lak and a week-long diving liveaboard along the Similan Islands. Kui Buri for the elephants. And, eventually, finally, back to Bangkok for a few nights to do some last-minute snake sighting. Haircut, massage, tattoo, food.

The year went slowly but it went quickly, too. It was very full. Lots to see, lots to do. It was a humbling and sometimes frustrating experience to be a minority for the year. Often misunderstood, sometimes taken advantage of. I think the experience was necessary, but challenging in many regards.

Next time I go on a long adventure like this, I’d like to have a little more money saved. I’ll talk about that some more in the next section.

The Cost of Travel

I’m sure people are curious to know how I managed to travel for the past three years. I wanted to give a general overview of what that looked like.

Throughout my 20s, I had a pretty decent paying job in Chicago. I spent a lot of time being frugal and saving my money, knowing I wanted to do a trip to Australia and Asia for a year. Most of the time I cooked meals at home and rarely went out to eat with friends. Saving for travel was my priority.

I wanted to save USD$18,250 for a year of travel in Asia. I also wanted to save a buffer amount for when I returned to the States. I was able to accomplish that. I also had received some money as gifts from my parents, friends and family members, too. So, let’s say maybe I had somewhere around USD$22,000 when I left for Australia.

Because I found a job in Australia about two weeks in, I hardly touched that reserve. I worked in Perth for six months. And I REALLY worked. All the time. I think I made it to Tasmania with something like AUD$16,000 to spend. That money lasted me the remaining six months, taking me back to the USA.

In New Zealand, I had the same situation. I had secured a job a few weeks after arriving and didn’t have to touch my Asia fund. My job in Queenstown paid for my time in New Zealand. I think I left with $1,000 extra.

It wasn’t until Asia that I started to really spend that $22,000. Every day, I kept track of my finances. I tried to keep my budget to USD$50 a day. If I went over because of a tour, that was okay. Money that I didn’t spend on another day would “pay” for that tour. So let’s say I start with $50 a day. $15 for a hotel room, $15 for a meal. Maybe $10 for a Grab. So that means I would have $10 leftover for the next day, or to pay off a tour I’d done.

In the end, despite all the tours I had gone on, all the flights, and everything, I still had about $3,000 leftover (not counting the “back home” fund which was untouched).

So… I fuckin’ did it. I remember before leaving for Australia, I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to find a job and would blow through all my money immediately. I was afraid after all that, everything I’d worked for, I would come crying back to America, my tail between my legs. But no. I made it work and then some.

But MONEY. Lord, is it exhausting to budget and constantly consider.

Once I have a job again, I do not want to THINK about money. I don’t want to save for anything. I just want to enjoy. I’ve spent so much time budgeting, planning, being frugal. I don’t think I’ll ever be the type to spend money willy-nilly, but to not have to focus on a financial goal for a long time will be really refreshing for me. I want to just take my friends and family out to eat and not think about it at all.

Landscapes Throughout

I wanted to add a collage of some of my favorite views during my three years of travel. A little gallery below.

Favorite Critters

Same for these critters. Another collage of the wildlife I’ve photographed – sans snakes, which will get their own feature.

All the Snakes

And of course… my beloved snakes. Many snake sightings the past three years! Well, not in New Zealand unfortunately, but definitely Australia and Asia.

Miscellaneous

I had been thinking recently about what all I have carried with me during these three years of travel. Very few – lots of rotating belongings. One item I’ve had the entire duration is my Chicago pin, which has a story to it. While throwing a goodbye party in Chicago, my friend Rachel gifted me this pin. When I unwrapped it, I stared at it and almost couldn’t comprehend what I was looking at. A “Chicago” street sign with a pigeon on it? What the hell? But of course – a reminder of where I am from. I’ve kept it pinned to my backpacks for the duration of my trips.

Rose, Thorn, Bouquet

Rose

Of course, my rose goes out to all the beautiful wildlife over the past three years of travel. Kangaroos, kookaburra, snakes, wombats, platypus, quokkas, frilled-neck lizards, whales, sea turtles, eels… kiwi, tui, kea, takahe, sea lions, penguins, possums… lizards, snakes, whale sharks, manta rays, langurs, macaques, gibbons, orangutan, elephants, gaur, hornbills, and more. So, so much diverse wildlife, of which I feel incredibly grateful I was lucky enough to observe.

Thorn

One constant thorn during the duration of my travel was continuing to pay for my US phone number, even though I wasn’t using it. I needed it occasionally for banking stuff/verification and would have been even more of a pain if I hadn’t kept it. $50 a month for three years really adds up!

Another major thorn, particularly in Asia, was feeling as though people dislike me as a foreigner. Or rather, they feel they can take advantage of me or that I’m stupid for not knowing cultural norms. Sometimes, I would ask a question about some kind of transit, and I was met with quizzical glances that said, “how can you not know the answer to this?” Of course, this is just a feeling of mine and not fact, but if I feel that way over and over as a result of the actions and behaviors of others, there must be some truth to it. I suppose to summarize this section of the thorn – it’s experiencing a year as a minority.

Bouquet

The bouquet goes to all the friends and beautiful people I’ve met along the way. My social circle has become so international! It’s nice to think I have someone to talk to, day and night. With the timezones, there is always somebody awake. I have met many kind and selfless people, helping me navigate unfamiliar terrain, customs and culture, etc. I am very thankful for that connection.

Art of the Week

I drew this piece upon arriving in Maui. I had been thinking of my time in Khao Sok, constantly looking for snakes and even finding the “snake-headed moth”. I decided to marry the two in this drawing.

Reflections

I’m now in Maui, in a town called Wailuku. I will be here for the next few months, volunteering at a hostel in exchange for a bed in their staff dorms.

Slipping back into US culture has been surprisingly easy. Everyone understands what I’m saying. I have clean drinking water straight out of the tap. I’m able to know what the FUCK is going on again! In Asia, I always felt clueless as to the way things operated in pretty much every scenario – meanwhile, all the locals seemed to know exactly what was going on.

When talking about how Maui has no snakes, my mom said to me, “there’s no snakes… but there’s whales.”

I am in Maui during peak whale season at the moment. On my first full day in Maui, I went to the beach with a few others from the hostel. We saw whales breaching relatively close to shore, an endangered Hawaiian monk seal napping on the beach, and sea turtles bopping their heads out of the water.

I have been to the water a few times. Every visit, I see whales playing off in the distance. I even went on a whale watching tour recently, but will do a couple more in the coming weeks – to take advantage of the season.

I’m really grooving in here, making new friends and enjoying side-quests and adventures around the island. Being here longer-term is a dream come true, and something I really doubted would be able to happen. But, here I am.

I miss my family and friends back home, but I will be back sooner than later to visit.

So, what’s next? I won’t be writing these blog posts nearly as frequently. In a sense, the weekly posts have met their end. Which is odd. I’ve been doing these basically every week for three years. There is HELLA content. But it will be nice to release the routine a bit.

I will likely write one or two posts on Maui in the coming months, so stay tuned.

Until next time, sending you all my love. And thank you all for following me along on this wonderful journey. x