In Which I Remember How Challenging Hiking Can Be

This wasn’t a European train by any means. It was a noisy and staggering primordial creature of iron, steel, and simulated wood grain, and it heaved in exaggerated movements from side to side on the 8 hour overnight ride. On occasion, the train from Hanoi to SaPa bleated like a strangled donkey, and frequent loud […]

They Save Umbilical Cords Here

With the slightest of groans and the merest of lurches the overnight train started to move, pulling out of the station in Hanoi. I will spend tonight on the rails, in a four bed berth that I share with two travelers from Holland and a young Vietnamese man who does not speak English. I am […]

Bonus Butterblogger Post: How To Cross The Road In Hanoi

I’ve mentioned before that the traffic in Hanoi can be challenging for pedestrians, so today have put together some tips for crossing the road. 1. Have you prepared a will? 2. Have you designated somebody as your durable power of attorney? 3. Think about all the things you have been taught with regard to safely […]

It Smells Like Bulls***, But The Taste …

There are perfect moments that occur when I travel. Moments in which the universe exhales, releases its anticipation, and I let go of everything, stop overthinking, and just let myself be in one time and place. My worries and concerns go away and I just exist. I have a little one of these moments every […]

In Which I Make It To Hanoi

The driver who picked me up at the airport spoke no English, so I rode in silence next to him, gazing out from the passenger seat, taking in the tropical urban landscape around me. Hanoi is a fascinating juxtaposition of developing-world decay and modern 21’s century architecture. Some of the buildings are old (but not […]

My Longest Flight Ever

I’m just going to go out on a limb and say this: 16 hour flights are terrible. At best I sleep fitfully on an airplane, waking up at odd intervals checking the clock. On a 16 hour flight, when you open your eyes and look at the clock for the 8th time and find that […]