I woke up on my last day in Tokyo with few expectations. By 11 am, I had to somehow explain to my insecurities that I would be naked by noon– in front of strangers.
Continue reading “Naked by Noon: A Traditional Japanese Onsen Narrative”
Tag: wanderlust
“In my opinion, this is the most beautiful monastery…” Continue reading “Varlaam, A Peak of Pleasantries: Metèora, Greece”
Imagine the sky a more faint reflection of the sea and feeling the breezes of an ancient empire warmly massaging your skin– you are probably somewhere within the Greek islands. With over 6,000 isles, Greece leaves you limitless with an opportunity for island explorations. As an expected surreal beauty is common among them, I can personally attest that these three islands depict memorable stories within their essences.
One of the most memorable messages I have ever embraced was learned in a place of my greatest fears.
Many people have asked this million-dollar question, and I’ve never quite known how to come through with a million-dollar answer… I just knew I didn’t want my experience to be easy, common, and, in a weird way, too comfortable. Before I could even realize it, South Korea robustly granted all three of my wishes though at one point in time it was literally the last place on earth I would have ever thought I’d go. Exploring the why of this adventure is one I definitely had to answer in retrospect in order to tell the whole truth… Now six months removed from my first East Asian travels, I think I can honestly articulate the madness to my method.
Confession: I TOOK NONE OF THESE PHOTOS. I guess I’m officially a fraud. They were actually taken by Hannah (hannahandthefirstcrusade.wordpress.com) so any and all photo creds go to her! Be sure to check her out!
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Some people say that a nation’s big cities never capture the dimensions of its people’s culture or history. Ehhh… true? However, I would say that there are a few places in Seoul that may peak your interest in these areas since they give you a quite a bit of historical and cultural tease. Surrounded by mountains and the metropolis, Gyeongbokgung Palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1395!) did just that for me.
Many people told me what to expect when I came to Korea… lol.
Seoul–- I know you’ve heard of it because it just so happens to be the subject of some of the cutest (and lamest) puns on planet earth. Also being the capital and largest city in South Korea, Seoul possesses 25 different districts, each, I hear, with their own unique flair. Being new to South Korea and indecisive about my next venture within the country, I just decided to be cliché and pay a visit to the nation’s capital with some friends. I honestly had no idea to which part of Seoul my travel buddies and I were heading; I was just along for the ride, and, of course, extremely curious. But, as a Wanderer, I will never turn down a blind date with a new place.
Continue reading “Blind Date with a New Place: Myeongdong, Seoul”
I feel as though internet coverage of Asian novelties always involves some random invention that seems too good to be true or some quirky idea that has been made a reality. Well, Cat Cafes are definitely one of those things. Honestly, I am not a cat person (or an animal person for that matter), but I may be on my way to changing my mind because my first time at a kitty cafe was quite the experience.
Wow… when I would entertain the idea of me starting a blog I would think, “This really should have happened YEARS ago.” Well truth is, it did. Twice. Two times too uninspired to continue, though. But for some reason, this seems like perfect timing… Continue reading “An Introduction”
