Traveling obviously isn’t about keeping a country count or checking things off of a list! I don’t advocate that. On most years, I don’t add a new country. Instead, I choose to get to know places I love better.
My adventure bucket list and accounts of some serious travel adventures can be found on my vagabondinglife.com blog.
Languages
- I can speak functional Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malay.
- I can travel and negotiate in Thai and Mandarin Chinese.
- I have studied Russian (in university) along with many other languages while living abroad, but I don’t consider myself functional in them.
Sample Adventures in the Field
- Climbed Gunung Marapi (active volcano) in West Sumatra (2017)
- Explored West Sumatra, Indonesia, by motorbike (2017)
- 19 Days Solo Trekking in Himalayas, Nepal (2016)
- Summit Gokyo Ri and EBC (Nepal), Cho La Pass, two glacier crossings, blizzard survival (2016)
- Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain (2015)
- Climbing to Camp Muir on Mount Rainier, Washington State (2014)
- Two days/nights in a winter storm atop Mount Rogers on the Appalachian Trail (2014)
- Jungle trekking in the Nam Tha Protected Area in Laos (2015)
- River kayaking in the Borneo interior (2013)
- Survived Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines (2013)
- Remote longhouse stay in Sarawak, Borneo (2013)
- Studied kung fu at the Shaolin Temple in China (2007)
- Exploring wild caves in Laos (2006)
- Climbing Gunung Sibayak (active volcano) in Sumatra, Indonesia (2011)
- Tracking Komodo dragons in Rinca, Indonesia (2009)
- Whale hunting from canoe in Lamalera, Indonesia (2009)
- Living with local family in remote village in Alor, Indonesia (2009)
- Driving motorcycles throughout Northern Thailand (yearly)
- Surfing in Sri Lanka (2012)
- Riding camels across desert in Rajastan, India (2012)
- Trekking in North Sumatra to spot wild orangutans (2011)
- Five-day trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan, China (2007)
- Walking railway to Machu Picchu in Peru (2010)
- Rock climbing in Alaska, Colorado, Kentucky, Thailand, Indonesia, and England
A Few Notable Landmarks Explored
- Everest Base Camp, Nepal (2016)
- Angkor Wat, Cambodia (2006)
- Machu Picchu, Peru (2010)
- Stonehenge, England (2008)
- Temples in Ayutthaya, Thailand (2010)
- Great Wall of China (2007)
- Plain of Jars, Laos (2013)
- The Citadel, Vietnam (2010)
- Desert forts of Rajasthan (2012)
- Nazca Lines in Peru (2009)
- Shaolin Temple in China (2007)
- Grand Canyon, USA (2014)
- Pagodas of Bagan, Myanmar (2015)
Sports and Adventure Experience
- High-elevation trekking in Nepal (5,900+ meters)
- I am PADI Advanced scuba certified with 35+ dives.
- I have studied Chinese kung fu off and on since 1990.
- I trained in Shaolin at China’s famous Xiao Long Wu Yuan Shaolin Temple
- Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and energy work
- Skydiving from 12,000 feet
- Bungee jumping from 50 meters
- Zorbing down a hill in North India (Manali)
- Horseback riding in the U.S., Egypt, and Thailand
- Surfing in Bali and Sri Lanka
- Free diving (no air) in Koh Lanta, Thailand
- Cliff diving in Jamaica, Thailand, and Indonesia
- Kayaking (to Class II) and canoeing
- Parasailing
- Rock climbing in Colorado, Kentucky, Alaska, Thailand, China, and more
- Free solo climbing (no rope) in Kentucky, Colorado, England, and Thailand
- Rappelling
- Marksmanship, U.S. Army “expert” qualified at 300 meters
- Hunting (deer and small game)
- Camel riding in Egypt and India
- Whale hunting (by harpoon) in Indonesia
- Fishing (spear, traditional, fly, trap, net, etc)
- Proficient on a motorbike
Scuba Experience
- Gulf of Thailand (Koh Tao and Koh Chang)
- Andaman Sea (Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi)
- Caribbean (Jamaica)
- Red Sea (Egypt)
- Indian Ocean (Indonesia)
- West Bali National Park (Indonesia)
- Apo Island (Philippines)
House Sitting and Permaculture
- 2015: Two-month house sitting assignment at an off-grid location in Mexico. Solar, rain water, and vacation-home-off-season experience
- 2014: House sitting at an organic farm in Kentucky with chickens, pigs, and horses
- 2014: Multiple house-sitting gigs in Seattle, Washington
- 2006: Multiple house-sitting gigs in Alaska
Countries and Places
Countries only count if I left the airport and explored the place properly. Despite what some may claim, layovers in airports do not count!
- Thailand (my usual base in the region)
- Nepal
- Burma/Myanmar
- Philippines
- Cambodia (x2 trips)
- Laos (x 3 trips)
- Vietnam (x 2 trips)
- Malaysia (x 15 trips)
- Indonesia (x 9 trips)
- East Timor
- Brunei
- Singapore (x 2 trips)
- Borneo (x 2 trips)
- Sumatra (x 2 trips)
- China
- Shanghai
- Egypt
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Peru
- Mexico (x 2 trips)
- Canada (x 2 trips)
- India
- Sri Lanka
- Jamaica
- England (x 3 trips)
- Spain
- France
- Ireland
- Germany (x 2 trips)
- Belgium
- Italy
- The Netherlands (x 2 trips)
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Alaska (x 2 trips)
- Hawaii (x 3 trips)