Has it only been a week since I last checked in? I’m traveling through the Philippines in a manner I’m not really accustomed to — at lightening speed. Generally I’m a slow, lazy traveler. I like it that way. But with only a three-week visa and so much I wanted to see, I thought I’d give…

Since before Northern Thailand was just a twinkle in my eye dog-eared Lonely Planet, I knew I wanted to do the two-day rafting trip between Pai and Mae Hong Son. I’d last white water rafted in Honduras two years ago, and I was itching to get my hands back on a paddle. So despite the fact…

Without a doubt, the hippie town of Pai was my favorite destination in Northern Thailand. And I wasn’t the only one — the town is definitely no secret paradise. Luckily, it’s easy to escape the dreadlocked masses if you’re feeling a little claustrophobic. For a mere 220 baht (around $7), you rent a scooter and dash…

Since I left home for my Great Escape, I’ve been doing monthly roundups of my adventures filled with anecdotes, private little moments, and thoughts that are found nowhere else on this blog. As this site is not just a resource for other travelers but also my own personal travel diary, I like to take some time…

What is it about Pai, the tiny Thai mountain town, that makes it so hard to leave? I fell for Pai in a way that I didn’t think it was possible to love a place without an ocean — I found myself fantasizing about renting a little bungalow for a month and holing up in this…

I can’t believe today marks one week since I arrived in the Philippines. It’s a full third of my trip — which is clearly not anywhere near long enough. The highlight so far has undoubtedly been the rice terraces of Batad. There are not enough adjectives available to describe how awed, inspired, and humbled I was…