As you may know, I’m in Cambodia! This trip was a long planned escape from Koh Tao’s long and gloomy monsoon season to explore Laos (first time for both of us) and of course Cambodia (first time for Mark). Our plan for the trip was to move slowly, be flexible and be adventurous. At the last…

To all my non diving readers out there, I apologize, because this is two diving posts in a row! Don’t worry- we’ll be back on dry land soon :) It all started long ago when Mark and I spotted some super mysterious posters around Koh Tao encouraging us to “experience the wonder” of something “like the…

There’s nothing quite like waking up before the sun is up, hopping on a boat in one of the busiest dive areas in the world, and being one of the only two people descending into the ocean. Even with my Rescue Diver certification and over 100 dives, my unease in the dark and residual fear of…

A hush came over the boisterous crowd as the Thai national anthem came bleating out of the crackling speakers. Spectators rose from their metal bleachers and plastic chairs to pay respect while also glancing toward the staging area to see who would be up first. The air was stale and stifling despite the sun being long…

As I waved goodbye to Mark pulling away on the Lomprayah ferry, I realized how little I knew about the island I was standing on. Koh Phangan is known around the world for its wild raves celebrating the waxing and waning of the moon, from the original Full Moon Party to the Half Moon Party (which…

Thailand has these pesky little visa rules designed to make working illegally, or simply beach bumming indefinitely, much more difficult for foreigners. While I understand their motives, frankly, it’s not working (unless you are an immigration official reading this blog, in which case, I did all that flyering for love of handing out multi colored leaflets…