Travel Archives • Page 9 of 10 • The Bliss Movement

I Love Home But I Love Travel More

“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land,” – G.K. Chesterton About five weeks ago I was on a small, cramped tourist bus in Vietnam, the beginning of a Mekong River tour. In the back row, five people were sitting and talking about their travels. For all of them, it was their first big trip away from home. Their home was the USA and they couldn't stop talking about how nervous they were to go back there. For an hour I listened to them talk about the reasons why they were[...]

Thailand, Travel

Getting Open Water Dive Certified On Koh Tao, Thailand

My favorite Disney princess was Ariel from The Little Mermaid. I was obsessed with the movie, singing along to the songs as Ariel swam gracefully through the ocean. Despite all the ginger jokes throughout middle school, I desperately wished to have red hair just because Ariel did. She was also friends with fish and seagulls and could breathe underwater. There was nothing cooler. Anytime I went swimming as a kid, I would pretend I was Ariel, or just a mermaid in general. One of the main reasons that I wanted to return to Thailand was to try out scuba diving, somet[...]

Asia, Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

10 Things You Will Learn After Traveling in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia has a special place in my heart and I think it always will. When I first decided to try out traveling, I told myself I wouldn't return to a place I had visited before until I had gone to all seven continents. Well, this summer I went back to Thailand for a second time. And during that trip I started to try to plan how I could get myself back there next summer. There is just something about that area that draws you back again and again. It could make you stay forever. Southeast Asia has also taught me many things. About myself, life, other cultures.[...]

Asia, Thailand, Travel

Thailand Misadventure: Losing My Passport and Flying First Class

“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey," - John Hope Franklin I was supposed to fly home on a Tuesday. Three days later and I was still wandering the streets of Bangkok, not by choice. I guess you should be careful what you wish for. Only days before leaving Koh Tao I was saying how desperately I wished I had more time in Thailand, how I really did not want to go home. I got what I wished for, just not under the circumstances that I was drea[...]

Thailand, Travel

Goodbye Bangkok, Goodbye Thailand

"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." -Jack Kerouac I have a newfound love for Bangkok. Okay, so maybe I wouldn't call it love but I definitely feel more friendly about Bangkok than I did before. I first felt this feeling when I stepped off the plane from Hanoi. By the time I was in the taxi, speeding down the highway, it felt like all of my stress and worry had disappeared. That quickly. And I realized that this was how I felt every time that I arrived in Bangkok. Whether it's becaus[...]

Asia, Travel, Vietnam

Taking Refuge in a Vietnamese Bookshop Cafe

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page," - Saint Augustine I wasn't a huge fan of Hanoi during my time in Vietnam. It is the second largest city in Vietnam but it felt like the busiest to me. At all hours of the day, Hanoi was loud, busy and crammed with people. The reason I went there was to go to Halong Bay, but we did end up spending a fair amount of days in the city itself, mostly wandering throughout the busy streets. By the time the last day rolled around I was certain I had hearing loss from the cosntant, high-pitched honks of the[...]

Cambodia, Travel

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

If I'm being completely honest with you, I get templed out pretty quickly. After a while, all of the temples start to blur together. Last summer when I was in Thailand I was so intent on seeing as many temples as possible but by the fifth one I had had enough. This time around, I saved the temples for Cambodia and I am extremely glad that I did. Angkor Wat is Cambodia's most famous tourist attraction. The largest Khmer temple in the world, Angkor Wat is constantly filled with eager tourists snapping photos at every possible angle. The interesting history about th[...]

Cambodia, Travel

Horseback Riding at The Happy Ranch, Cambodia

A few weeks ago, I spent my Sunday morning horseback riding through the Cambodian countryside. For days leading up to this ride I was ecstatic. I dreamed about it and couldn't contain my excitement. Growing up, I was fascinated by horses. I spent my money on horse books, both fiction and non-fiction, and dreamed of one day being able to rise early in the morning and go out back to a horse of my very own. Although that dream never did come true, I was able to spend nine years of my life horseback riding, by taking lessons at various stables near my hometown. I[...]

Cambodia, Travel

A Khmer Cooking Class In Cambodia

There is a distinct smell of burning food, the fire alarm is ringing, the bottom of the pot is caked in food stuck on there for life, and there is a high chance that the microwave may catch fire. Even making toast isn't fool-proof. That has been my life long experience with cooking. I can't count the amount of times that somehow, something has caught fire in the microwave. And that was my back up, after a failed attempt at cooking real food. At home, with the comforts of my ready-made meals or easy to make foods, I'm alright. I also live with my mother, so I get d[...]

Asia, Thailand, Travel

A Lady Named Tip

Chiang Mai is still, without a doubt, one of my favorite cities. After arriving in the city in the early hours of Friday morning, I instantly remembered why I had fallen in love with this place last summer. The atmosphere is relaxed, the locals are friendlier and the travelers kind.. and crazy, which only adds to the fun. Never before have I returned to a city that I travelled in, but Chiang Mai is truly one of a kind. Almost immediately after dropping our bags, I insisted that we must pay a visit to the smoothie lady. When she saw me, her eyes got wide and she ex[...]

Thailand, Travel

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand.

As my first year of university comes to an end and summer approaches, my mind is buzzing with ideas of new travel adventures for the coming months. A friend and I have been planning a one to two month trip of South East Asia, starting with some of the islands in the south of Thailand and moving on to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Northern Thailand. However, as money is an issue, this isn't an absolute certainty quite yet. Fingers crossed though, everybody! As these new plans are coming into place, I've been remembering my trip to Thailand last summer. I have writte[...]

Europe, Italy, Travel

My Unfortunate Encounter with Florence.

Unfortunate?! You might be wondering how on earth I could have an unfortunate encounter with Florence. All of my life I have been hearing marvelous things about Florence, a city full of inspiration and art and creativity. I had been told that, if ever I was in Italy, a visit to Florence was a must. It is undeniably a beautiful city but my first experience left me sadly disappointed. Florence welcomed me with a steady three day downpour of rain, cloudy skies and a horrible backpacker's campsite for accommodation. When people think of Italy, they often think of the[...]