Portugal Road Trip: Ericeira

Olá! Happy about halfway point through summer (or winter, if you’re reading this from the Southern Hemisphere!) I hope your days have been long, relaxing, and full of sunshine and fun. We’re off on another journey, this time to Portugal and beyond.

It was a bit challenging getting here. Well, not actually that challenging since we’re semi-young, flexible, and can work from anywhere. But the deciding when and where to go took some time. We knew a Portugal summer was in the cards for us, but I had to stay in the NJ area for a family reunion and a last-minute work trip. Bryan wanted to leave earlier and tack onto a European work trip. But we planned to fly together so that we could bring my dog, Bailey. All that considered, we booked our flights.

But it all fell through about two weeks out when I realized that Bailey didn’t have the right shots for travel. The EU has different rules for the rabies vaccine and doesn’t accept the US 3-year booster. According to the customs powers that be, she was unvaccinated. I got her a shot, but it wasn’t 100% certain whether she’d be cleared by our arrival date. I decided not to chance it, and Bryan’s parents kindly agreed to watch her for an extended staycation. It’s never easy to leave a fur baby behind, but we were back on track to leave mid-July.

We packed up the surfboard bag and flew American Airlines to Lisbon. The flight was uneventful, but I tried to sleep as much as possible with my new neck pillow, eye mask, and ear plugs, and we arrived as well rested as you could expect for a red-eye to Europe.

Our first stay was a lovely guest house that I think I could’ve lived in, even with a shared kitchen and bathroom. I’ll make trade offs for a patio and sea view in a quaint fishing village.

Ericeira delivered steep strolls down into the little town, gorgeous sunsets, cobblestone streets, and tiny, outstanding restaurants. The one that stands out most in my memory was Caminito with its most flavorful tapas plates and chocolate mousse!

The coast of Portugal is often very windy, but there’s a very protected, nice surf spot in Ericeira. The reddish, rocky cliffs provide a picturesque contrast with the teal blue waters and there’s a built up board walk with a cool, dog-friendly cafe.

Our surfing was cut a day short by some rental car troubles. It’s only a blip in the rearview now, but it was a tough and long day waiting in the surf parking lot for Hertz roadside assistance to answer our call, send maintenance, then send a tow truck and a taxi. It was about a 9 hour waiting endeavor that eventually brought us back to Lisbon to get a new rental car. All in all, it wasn’t the best start, but it could’ve been a lot worse of a stranding, and the trip could only go up from there!

As the days went on, we got some fun waves and some small, still enjoyable waves at the busy break of Ribeira D’Ilhas. We saw amazing sunsets, ate at delicious restaurants, and I even tried my hand at cooking a Portuguese soup called caldo verde with chorizo, potatoes, and collard greens. It was tasty and I’d definitely make it again.

The 2-10pm work schedule was different, but not too difficult to adjust to. And totally worth it for mornings free to surf and eat brunch!

Even with rental car struggles, Portugal is always a 10/10 for me!

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Top Things To Do in & Around Fukuoka, Japan

This past winter, I spent two weeks in Fukuoka, Japan. It’s probably uncommon for a tourist to spend two weeks in Fukuoka, because there aren’t a ton of touristy things to do, but I was there for a language learning program. It was a special experience, and I enjoyed my time in the city. I also happened to be there right before Christmas, which made it extra fun! If you’re visiting, I would recommend spending three days in the area.

These were my favorite things to do in and around Fukuoka:

1. Eat Ramen: Fukuoka is known for being the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen. It’s a ramen with a pork-based broth that knocked the socks off anything I’ve ever had in the US. I learned that in Japan, you can select the level of hardness of your noodles, and of course I always add a perfectly-cooked egg. It was winter, so I could’ve eaten ramen every day, and I very nearly did.

2. Eat at a Yatai: Yatai’s are street food stalls that used to be popular all over Japan, but now they are pretty much limited to Fukuoka. The stalls have stools around them, and you’re expected to move in and out pretty quickly, passing to different yatais to try other food and drink beer. It was intimidating at first; I definitely picked one that had more foreigners and an English menu, but during my second visit, I gained more courage and even ordered my yakitori and Asahi beer in broken Japanese!

3. Spend a Day in Dazaifu: Dazaifu is a city near Fukuoka that’s home to Dazaifu Tenmangu, a large shinto shrine. On a Saturday, our host mom drove us there, and it was such a beautiful day. There are also stores where you can go shopping or grab something to eat (you’ll definitely want to try ichigo daifuku, a type of mochi with strawberry.) It takes about 30 minutes from Hakata station in Fukuoka to get to Dazaifu. If you’re visiting the shrine, arrive early to avoid the crowds.

4. Go Shopping: Fukuoka seems to be well-known for its shopping experiences. Hakata Station, Canal City, and Tenjin Station all have crazy huge malls with tons of stores. It’s great for gift giving, window shopping, and enjoying Japanese design. My personal favorite was the Studio Ghibli shop in Canal City.

5. See the Itoshima Couple Stones: Although Fukuoka is on the coast, it’s more of a port city than a beach city. But nearby Itoshima will satisfy any beach cravings. I took the bus from downtown Fukuoka, and it was about a 30 minute ride on the West Coast Liner bus. It was a bit pricey for a bus ride, but it was worth it to me for the views. The couple stones (pictured below) represent Izanagi and Izanami, the creator gods of Japan, and each year they have a ceremony to replace the ribbon that bonds their marriage.

6. Visit Nanzoin Temple: This buddhist temple is an easy 20 minute train ride from Fukuoka. The reclining Buddha statue is said to be the longest bronze Buddha statue in the world. It’s really impressive to stand next to, and you can also go inside the statue. The surrounding area is also very pretty and peaceful to walk around. Definitely worth the trip!

I squeezed a lot into my two weeks in Fukuoka. But since I was in class most days, I would say you could cover everything in a three-day itinerary: one day for Nanzoin temple, followed by eating and shopping; one day for Dazaifu; and one day for Itoshima, plus more eating and shopping. Fukuoka might be a city of malls, but it has its gems!

Learning Japanese in Fukuoka

This past December, I finally had the chance to use my AmeriCorps education grant to do something exciting. I’d been holding onto the grant for years – you have seven years since completing your service term to use the money – and I wanted to apply it to something special. It took some time and a lot of research investigating options, but I knew I’d found the right thing when I landed on IPSL. The IPSL program allows you to design custom learning and volunteer experiences abroad. Over the course of several months, I worked with the team at IPSL to land on the right program. I would study Japanese for two weeks in Fukuoka, Japan at a local language school and live with a host family.

I chose Fukuoka because I thought it would be less crowded than the more touristy destinations of Tokyo or Kyoto and because it’s close to the sea. I communicated a few times via email with my language program advisor and host mom before leaving, but I had no idea what I was getting into. There was a mix of thrill and nerves about the complete unknown. Right before the trip, I visited my dad in New York for Thanksgiving, and the next day he dropped me off at the train station to head to the airport. He probably thought he was done with the whole study abroad drop-off thing after college and grad school, but not so.

On the very long flight over, I realized how unprepared I was when I noticed for the first time that Japanese magazines are backwards (at least compared to Western books.) It made sense, but I probably should’ve figured that out earlier in life and definitely before I decided to commit myself to this period of language learning. Other than memorizing my alphabet flashcards and a bit of Duolingo, I didn’t speak any Japanese.

But when I landed in Tokyo, this was my first view, so I still felt pretty good about my choices:

I ate my first salmon onigiri while I waited for the next flight to Fukuoka.

Once I landed, my host mom found me right away. She spoke a bit of English from when she lived abroad in England many years ago, so that made things easy. We waited to pick up my roommate, whom I learned would be a 65-year-old woman from Belgium who had recently retired and was going off on adventures around the world. Very cool!

Our host mom drove us home, then showed us the walk to the train station and how to get IC cards that we’d use to pay for transportation.

We lived in a large (very large by Japanese standards!) suburban house in a quiet neighborhood outside the city of Fukuoka. it was about a 15 minute walk and a 30 minute train ride to school. The school was Genki Japanese and Culture School (called Genki-JACS), which is very close to the landmark Hakata Station in downtown Fukuoka.

On our first day, one of the teachers took us on tour of the station and pointed out different options for lunch. I tried my first authentic (and amazing!) ramen and met some of my classmates. I was surprised to find that most of them were travelers in their mid-30’s, like me. I was expecting college students, but there were also moms, retirees, teachers on holiday, and even a few teenagers. The classes were short, 50-minute sessions with breaks in between and a different teacher for each session. There were sessions focused on reading, writing, grammar, and conversation, and everything took place completely in Japanese. It was quite rigorous, especially while trying to work my normal job in the mornings and late at night, but I guess that’s what you get when you sign up for an intensive language program.

The day ran from about 11 to 4pm, which was probably my only disappointment about the program. We didn’t have much time off to explore the city and our commute was pretty long. But we had some time for fun excursions on the weekends, and I wouldn’t have traded the opportunity for staying in dorm or apartment, which was an option some of the other students chose.

I learned a ton during the two week period, not only from the language classes, but also from unmatched Japanese hospitality. Our host mom introduced us to different foods and put together some new, delicious dishes every single night. I learned how to make and sleep on a futon bed and experimented with all the magical functions of Japanese toilets. I remembered how to study and eventually picked up enough of the language to introduce myself, order at restaurants, and ask a few important questions that would come in handy for the next part of the trip (road trip!)

Overall, I’m really grateful for the experience and glad I was able to find the space between life and work for it to happen. I hope to return to Japan again someday and I’ll always have very special memories from this particular learning experience.

Sayonara for now! I will share some more about our Japan road trip in a future post.

East Coast Summer

It’s almost time for another summer as I’m writing this, but in 2024, after we came back from Costa Rica, I got a sweet little taste of summer and “local summer” in New Jersey and New York. Bailey and I landed in New York City to meet Bryan, collect ourselves, and stroll in Bryant Park before heading back to Jersey.

Summer is the best time of year to be in New York, in my opinion. It’s an even better time to be at the shore, and that’s where we were off to next.

We squeezed in a few of our favorite things, like surfing, playing volleyball with friends, one summer concert on the beach, and the best garlic clams from Polly’s.

LBI is always a wonderful place to come “home” to. A couple weeks later, I visited my real home in Poughkeepsie, NY to dog sit for my dad and stepmom.

Bailey got to play with her cousin, and I got to try some new and old Poughkeepsie favorites. I picked up cider donuts from Adam’s and took a lovely outdoor yoga class at Fishkill Farms with Red Tail Power Yoga. I tried stuffed bagels from Moonrise Bagels and Detroit-style pizza from Hudson & Packard (delicious but not pictured.)

The Hudson Valley has become a hotspot for city folk, but (for the most part) it still feels like home to me.

That’s all for now as we gear up for another summer. Don’t worry, it will be here soon!

Costa Rica Road Trip

After spending a month in Avellanas, Costa Rica, we were ready to hit the road and explore more of the Pacific coast. We spent our second month—August—traveling in our 4WD rental around the west side of the country. Our first stop was about two hours away from Playa Avellanas in Playa Guiones, in the very popular area of Nosara.

The waves and walks through the jungle to the beach were quite magical. I can see why so many people love Nosara and have chosen to visit or even move there. It felt crowded to us in August, but I’m glad I got a chance to see what the hype is all about.

We enjoyed breakfast at Rosi’s Soda Tica most mornings.

Our next stop was Santa Teresa, another popular area for yoga and surf travelers to Costa Rica. This ended up being my favorite spot for food—there are a ton of great restaurants for such a small town.

It’s a one (main) road town with trucks, ATVs, and dirt bikes buzzing around, so it felt busy and bustling while we were there. But the place we stayed (Surf Vista Villas) was tucked away into the hills with a very steep driveway and gorgeous views. I highly recommend it if you find yourself in the area.

My favorite breakfast in Santa Teresa were from El Patio Cafe. I’m still dreaming about this smoothie bowl:

From Santa Teresa, we took a little detour north to visit one of Bryan’s favorite spots. We’ve both been to Monteverde before, but since the cloud forests are disappearing, he wants to make it a point to visit every time, and I was happy to oblige. After weeks at the beach, it was a nice change to head into the lush forest and the mountains.

One of the best things we did was visit an organic farm. We had a solo tour of a fully operational family farm (Finca El Paraiso) where we got to meet some of the cows and pigs. We even milked a cow and made homemade cheese and tortillas… and got to sample some delicious Costa Rican coffee.

After Monteverde, it was time to head back to the beach. We landed in Uvita— It’s a small town; easy to walk around and not far from many of the things we wanted to do.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about Uvita because they’ve fenced in their entire beach, and you need to pay a daily fee to access it. At $6/day, it wasn’t too expensive for us, but it definitely wasn’t the free and easy access we were used to. We were also put off because our Airbnb promised a 5 minute walk to the beach, and it turned out not to be walkable at all. Luckily, it was a quick drive in our rental car.

Oh well, the beach fee keeps the area quiet and clean. And we were able to visit Dominical for surfing and Quepos for white water rafting.

I’d say all the places we stopped were the best in their own way, but we really saved the best of the best for last. Matapalo is all the way south on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. It is not easy to get to, but that’s part of what makes it so special. We saw so many birds and animals that I’ve never seen before and may never see anywhere else. It was completely worth any amount of driving on bumpy roads.

We stayed in luxuriously rustic eco tents at the Four Monkeys Eco Lodge. I was hesitant about staying in a tent with a dog in a place with so much wildlife, but it worked out just fine. We saw all four types of monkey (howler, spider, white-faces, and squirrel.) Our hosts were very kind and hospitable. I would definitely recommend it and hope to return someday.

After our time in Matapalo, we drove about 30 minutes north to stay in Puerto Jimenez for a couple of nights. That gave us easier access to visit Corcovado National Park. We saw whales, coatis, agutis, wild boar, more monkeys, anteaters, and two tapirs! Corcovado Hiking Tours led an incredible experience that I won’t soon forget.

Our actual last stop was in San Jose. We were pretty tired by that point, and only planned to stay for two nights to dry out our clothes from the rainy national park visit. We returned to city life normalcy and went to dinner and a movie theatre:

That would’ve been the end of our trip, but I ended up making a mistake with the vet paperwork for Bailey and had to stay an extra night! There was mixed information between the requirements to enter the US and to leave Costa Rica. The US has new, more lenient rules, but Costa Rica was following their own rules, so if you’re bringing a (US) dog back to the US from Costa Rica, make sure you visit a vet and get the screw worm clearance. You’ll save yourself a lot of stress!

But Bailey and I found a last-minute hotel very close to the airport and were lucky to find the most wonderful vet (AlbaVets.) Dr. Alejandra was the best and really went above and beyond to help me.

It took an extra 24 hours, but I made it back to the US with Bailey safe and sound!

A Month in Avellanas, Costa Rica

Hi there! Nice to see you here in 2025. I haven’t written much lately, but I still like to use this blog to document my travels, so it’s time to catch up…

We spent the months of July and August in Avellanas, Costa Rica. It’s a tiny town with dirt roads where the main thing to do is surf! It was the rainy season, so the first two weeks of July were a bit wet. It actually didn’t rain so much later in the month and in August. We were able to explore quite a bit. 

We rented an Airbnb with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a little space to work:

We enjoyed the ~2-minute walk to the beach every morning to catch some waves. We surfed just about every day of the month. I finally started to actually get the hang of it.

After surfing, we’d come back to the Airbnb to eat breakfast and work remotely. At night, there were a few restaurants in Avellanas to try. We ate a lot of wood-fired pizza at Il Rustico and típicos, the traditional Costa Rican meal – your choice of meat, rice and beans, salad, and sweet plantains – just about everywhere. Our big ventures out were to nearby Tamarindo, which is a bit more of a bustling town.

It was a peaceful month. I loved see new parts of nature—bright blue and green butterflies and colorful crabs.

Bailey was more into the monkeys.

Since it was the rainy season, there weren’t too many sunsets, but the ones we saw were pretty magnificent. Especially this one on a walk through the mangroves:

Overall, it was a beautiful, quiet month. Nice to take it slow and appreciate the connection to nature. I can see why so many people have fallen in love with Costa Rica!

Harrisburg Favorites

My sister and brother-in-law (still feels shocking to say!) moved to Cleveland this summer. Before they left, they went on their honeymoon to South Africa and I stayed at their house in Harrisburg as cat-sitter extraordinaire. Harrisburg doesn’t seem like the most exciting of places to visit – at least I didn’t think so when I found out they were moving there back in 2020 – but it’s one that grew on me. I’m a bit sad that this was probably one of my last visits, and it was a nice place to catch my breath between coming back from Puerto Rico and leaving for Costa Rica.

Here are a few things I enjoyed that week, followed by my all-time favorites:

Hawk Rock Overlook

This was a perfect hike! Just look at those views. It’s just over a mile and a half and pretty steep on the uphill climb. Bailey loved pulling me up and down the trail on her leash.

Mary’s Health and Fitness

My sister rewarded my house and cat sitting duties with a weeklong pass to her favorite gym, Mary’s Health & Fitness. It was a pretty sweet deal on my end, so I woke up early every day to get to the group workouts. The trainers are fun and creative, and all the workouts fly by and make you feel good.

Wildwood Way and Canal Town Path

This was a really nice after work walk with a dog. On the 3 mile trail, Bailey and I saw rabbits, turtles, and even a frog. It was a hot week in June, but the trail was mostly shaded.

Midtown Cinema

I only wish that I found this gem earlier in my trips to Harrisburg. It’s an independent movie theatre where they show indie and some mainstream movies. There was a cool-looking bar outside with live music. They serve all the classic movie snacks, including popcorn and not-so-classic ice cream!

White Cliffs of Conoy

The White Cliffs of Conoy is actually an industrial wasteland formed from the deposits of an 1800’s limestone quarry. To be 100% honest, this one wasn’t one of my favorites, but I was excited to finally see it. It’s definitely unique, but the cliffs themselves are pretty small and the trail to them is paved, so if you’re expecting a hike like I was, this is not it.

Civil War Museum

This is a really nice and well-maintained museum. I learned a lot from spending the afternoon here. I would certainly recommend it for history buffs and anyone looking to pass some time exploring the U.S.’s past.

It was International Donut Day during my visit, so of course I had to visit Duck donuts for a free donut!

All-Time Favorites

• Fall and Spring Fest at Grey Apple Market

• Pine View Dairy for ice cream (you bet I made a special stop)

• Tröegs Brewing for beer and pretzels

• City Island for mini golf

• Bullfrog Valley Pond walking/jogging trail in Hummelstown

• Hershey Park! I’ll cherish a special memory of going there for the Christmas decorations and lights show a couple years ago

• The Millworks (probably my favorite restaurant plus an art gallery)

• Day trips to Lancaster

• JhettSet Closet consignment shop

• Yoga at Evergrain Brewing Company

• Tubing at Sickman’s Mill (technically not in Harrisburg but not too far away)

• Walking along the Susquehanna River to watch the riverboats and see groundhogs

I’m sure there are others I’m forgetting that my sister will remind me of, but that’s the list for now. Harrisburg, it was nice getting to know you!

Puerto Rico Road Trip

Once the Puerto Rico surf season came to a lull around the end of April and beginning of May, we planned to take a road trip to explore the rest of the island. We had been staying in Rincon for almost two months at that point, and neither of us had been to San Juan, so we decided to make the trip. This blog from the Traveling Teacher helped me a lot in planing out the route, and I recommend it if you’re taking a road trip through Puerto Rico.

We were starting from the west side whereas most people fly into San Juan on the east side, so we reversed the usual route. We took a week of from work to relax, adventure, and see what we could find.

Arecibo

Our first stop took us to Arecibo, 1.5 hours from Rincon and about the mid-point of the island. We stopped to see the Cueva del Indio and hike around the area. The views of the water were beautiful, and if you pass through a tiny hole in the rock, it opens up to a cave where you can see native petroglyphs. Bailey and I did not pass through because, as you can see, the rock hole wasn’t very dog-friendly, and Bryan didn’t pass all the way through because it also wasn’t very tall man-friendly.

We stayed up on the cliffs and walked around the rocks and down the beach. It was pretty hot that day, but Bailey seemed to enjoy herself.

Afterwards, we stopped for a plateful of empanadas and beachfront views at El Clandestino Bar and Grill. Then we were off to San Juan.

San Juan

As we walked past the colorful houses decorated with flowers and the streets opened onto the beach, I could see what just about everyone in the US loves about San Juan. It definitely makes for a picturesque and fun vacation destination. We stayed at the cute and quiet Oasis Inn in the Ocean Park neighborhood. We were most impressed by all the street art in the Santurce neighborhood.

We also paddle boarded on the Condado lagoon right after a rainstorm and saw a beautiful rainbow, fish and starfish, and (possibly in my imagination) the hint of a manatee. I didn’t bring my phone with me to take pictures, so here’s some more street art.

We ate delicious, traditional mofongo and explored the city. One highlight was doing a walking tour through Old San Juan. It felt totally different from where we stayed on the other side of town.

Since it’s right on the water, San Juan reminded me a bit of our trip to Cartagena, Columbia earlier this year.

After sweating through the walking tour, we stopped at La Factoría – one of the city’s most famous cocktail bars – for a drink. Then it was off to our next stop.

El Yunque

When I used to teach introductory Spanish classes in grad school, there was a textbook chapter on Puerto Rico’s rainforest, El Yunque. Since then, I’ve always wanted to see the lush, green forest for myself. I convinced Bryan to join the quest, and we spent a couple of days connecting with nature.

The view from our Airbnb porch was pretty breathtaking:

El Yunque is quite remote, so we definitely needed a car to get around. We did about a six-mile hike to El Yunque Peak and saw a few waterfalls on the drive in. The national forest was such a gorgeous, peaceful place. In hindsight, I wish we’d spent more time here before I rushed us off to the next destination…

Vieques

Bailey caught her first ferry, and we all became golf cart people (and dog) for our time in Vieques. We left our Jeep at the ferry terminal and rode across the water to the tiny island.

Some parts of the visit were really enjoyable and unique, like riding a golf cart around the island to pristine beaches (we went to Playa Negra, Caracas, and La Chiva) and watching wild horses roam free. We loved Kristy’s on the Caribe for breakfast and went back on day two for more. We also got to take a night tour of Mosquito Bay which has the most bioluminescence in the world.

Other parts of the visit were a bit difficult. Because it was low season, some of the best restaurants were closed. The locals aren’t overly friendly to tourists, and a lot of the island is a bit run-down. We were lucky our rickety golf cart made it out to the beaches and back without breaking down.

But we came for the natural beauty and the wild horses, and that’s what we got.

After the ferry back to the “mainland,” we were in for a long drive back to Rincon. We made a mid-journey stop for lechón (roast pork, yum!) and arrived home later that night.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable trip with a decent amount of time spent in each place. If you haven’t had the chance to visit Puerto Rico, I highly recommend it. I look forward to going back to see more of the island someday!

Working Remotely in Rincon, Puerto Rico

This week marks the eighth anniversary of this blog! Want to see my first-ever post? It was “How to Pack for a Month Overseas.” Through the years, the blog has seen many trips overseas and much more… four (+?) jobs, 500 hours of yoga teacher training, a few big moves, friendships and relationships, and all seasons of reflections.

There was a brief pause to the travel around Covid time, but now it’s back in full swing. For the last three months, I was working remotely in Puerto Rico. My boyfriend and I took some time to figure out the details of jumping back into nomadic life (with a dog, no less), but we eventually settled on the perfect spot for now: Rincón, PR.

When the end of my apartment lease was approaching, we played around with a few different options for what to do. We knew we wanted warm weather, surf, community, and connectivity to be able to do our jobs. We visited Florida and California, but neither felt right. We thought about living in New Jersey and short-term traveling abroad – we even looked at winter rentals in Asbury Park – but it felt silly to pay rent in two places and, not to mention, cold! Actual international destinations would still be in the cards, but it seemed like too much for the first trip with a dog. After many late-night discussions, we ultimately decided on a little surf town on the west side of Puerto Rico.

5 Reasons Why We Chose Rincón

1. Weather: Escaping the winter/early Spring in New Jersey is key to happiness (for me at least.) I can usually make it until New Year’s, but after that things get pretty dismal until almost June.

2. Surf/things to do: Rincón is known for its surf breaks and extended season that runs from September/October to April/May. Arriving in March, we were hitting the end of it, but we found plenty of waves. While the town is pretty centered around surfing, there is also plenty to do nearby like snorkeling, hiking, art fairs, great restaurants, and enjoying the beach.

3. Community: We weren’t very aware of this going in, but Rincón has a great community of both locals and transplants who are welcoming and active. We found it pretty easy to meet people. This was aided by Bryan having a friend from San Diego who arrived a few months before us and connected us with a great volleyball crew.

4. Easy flight: It’s pretty obvious why so many New Yorkers and New Jerseyans have made Puerto Rico their winter second home. It’s very easy to get a direct flight to San Juan or Aguadilla from JFK or Newark. We ended up flying from JFK because JetBlue has more lenient surfboard fees. It was also easier to bring my dog, Bailey, to Puerto Rico than to an international destination. I’ll add a little bit more about that below.

5. Ability to work remotely: Believe it or not, we remote workers DO work, like, a lot! So we needed to make sure we would have strong internet, reliable electricity, and cell service. That can be tricky in Puerto Rico – blackouts are the norm. We had to look for an apartment with a large backup generator. It was also useful to be in the same time zone for our US Eastern companies.

3 Things To Know Before Visiting Rincón

Most of these weren’t total surprises, and I’m definitely not an expert after only three months, but here are some things that I realized along the way. This section is only what surprised me individually because Bryan had been there twice before.

1. The food is amazing… and kind of expensive: We loved eating out at all the different restaurants. I’ll do a separate post on favorite places, but I have to say P’al Monte and Pausa Café were at the top of the list. It’s worth noting that restaurant prices are comparable to what we pay in the New Jersey area. Groceries are slightly more expensive because so many things are imported from the US.

2. You need a car to get to most places: We were prepared for this and reserved a rental car in advance (we used Sixt.) Our apartment was in a great location for walking down to the beach and a couple of close restaurants, but to get into town or to any of the surf spots you need a car.

3. You probably won’t speak much Spanish: This can be a pro and a con. Almost everyone speaks English, so living is easy and it almost feels like you haven’t left home (besides the palm trees and iguanas.) I think I only flexed my Spanish skills about three times.

After visiting for three months (from March to May,) I can safely say it was the perfect place for our current situation, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I’m happy to be home visiting friends and family, but my heart misses our Monday/Friday evening volleyball games and the incredible ocean views.

That’s all for now, but I’ll add a little bit of info below on what it was like bringing Bailey with us on the trip…

Bringing a Dog from the US to Puerto Rico

We chose to spend the Spring in Puerto Rico in part because it was easier to travel there with a dog. I did a lot of research in advance and found this website on pet travel to Puerto Rico to be helpful. Bailey was already microchipped and has her three-year rabies vaccine. We needed to visit the vet within three days of entering PR and give Bailey her flea/tick/heartworm pill during that appointment. The vet did an exam to make sure Bailey was healthy and filled out a health certificate. It was a tough timeline since we would be going up to New York City two days before the flight. Fortunately, our flight was on time and everything went smoothly. No one ended up checking the health form on either side, but of course, you need to have it. Once we were in Puerto Rico, many places were dog-friendly (it’s always a good idea to check in advance.) When we returned to the states, because Bailey was born in the US, we did not need to visit the vet or do anything special.

Road Trip Through Southern Portugal

My birthday is next week and, as we’re planning what to do, I’m reflecting on last year’s birthday trip. I never wrote about it on here, and I want to capture the memories before they fade away with the years…

Last year, we decided to celebrate my 35th by taking a road trip in southern Portugal. Bryan flew in early for work and he planned the beginning of the trip, so when he picked me up at the Lisbon airport, I didn’t know what to expect. We drove about three hours south and, to my surprise and delight, the first stop was absolutely perfect.

Selema

Selema, Portugal is a magical and tiny town, with narrow streets and outstanding restaurants. Our Airbnb was right on the water. It ended up being a great location to visit a few different surf spots. We found a board rental place (Secret Surf Society) and a yoga teacher/massage therapist who gave me a very lovely birthday massage. Our Airbnb hostess owned a couple of restaurants in town, and the closest one made for an excellent seafood birthday dinner. I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful place to spend a birthday (though we’ll have to try to top it this year!)

Lagos

Our next stop was Lagos (only about 30 minutes from Selema.) Lagos was high on my list, from seeing photos of the beautiful coastline and hearing recommendations from friends. We rented another Airbnb. This one had a pool, but in early April it was too chilly to swim. We wore our wetsuits in the ocean for the whole trip, which was comfortable. We used the rental car to take a day trip to Sagres and to visit the surf spots, but you really don’t need a car in Lagos. In fact, the streets of the town were so narrow, it was challenging to drive. We enjoyed walks from our Airbnb down to try different restaurants. Most of them have limited seating, and we learned we’d better make reservations in advance or stay flexible with our plans.

Ericeira

It was tough to decide where to go next. We would have liked to have spent much more time traveling along the coast. The feeling was so relaxed and there was a lot to see. We saw many people traveling in camper vans with less of an agenda and living out our surf dreams! But due to work and dog obligations, we had about two weeks and were forced to choose our stops accordingly.

We chose to head north of Lisbon next, to Ericeira. I didn’t know much about it before the trip, but I was happy to visit a new place. We found a cute bed and breakfast with a very kind and helpful owner. The scenery was gorgeous and the whole area was very calm, quiet, and relaxing. The restaurants, just like in Lagos, were small but delicious. We had given back our rental surfboards by that point, so we did some hiking nearby and visited the town of Mafra.

Lisbon

Our final stop was Lisbon. I was able to spend a few days before I had to fly back to the states and Bryan would return to London for work. We continued to celebrate my birthday by taking a cooking class, eating unlimited pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts), and making our own charcuterie boards.

When it was time to leave, I was sad to say goodbye to Portugal so soon. It was a sweet trip and I hope to return for longer (maybe we’ll bring the dog next time!) I ordered one more pastel de nata for the road and it was back to the US of A.

Until next time, Portugal…

A Week in Cartagena, Colombia

When our trip to Ecuador fell through, we ended up making a visit to Cartagena. I’m so glad we did (though I still hope to get to Ecuador someday)!

Cartagena is a beautiful city for eating and enjoying life. The walled Old City takes you back in time, with uneven stone streets and historic squares. Colorful buildings and art give it a contemporary vibe.

You probably need three days to get a solid feel for the city and four days to really enjoy. We were fortunate to have nine days total for our trip. We stayed in different parts of the city and took a boat to the Rosario Islands for a couple nights.

Our visit started in the center of the city in the historic district. We enjoyed walking the walls for sunset views over the ocean. We went on a street food tour and got our bearings, learning how to order all the local dishes from street vendors.

The chicken empanada above was my favorite, and arepas de choclo were the most appealing local specialty:

I loved getting to try so many local fruits. The Colombian plums are the best – much smaller and sweeter than in the U.S.

It was easy to get around using a mix of Uber and our feet. The weather was warm, and we were happy to have AC and a pool at our AirBnb. It was a bit too windy and choppy to surf, but we checked out the nearby beaches.

After three nights in the city, it was time for an escape. We took a boat to the Rosario Islands–we chose a tiny island called Coralina and splurged a little to stay at a secluded resort. It was Bryan’s 40th birthday celebration, after all!

We enjoyed a couple of quiet days with that gorgeous view, excellent food, and plenty of time to swim in the turquoise blue waters. It was like living inside a postcard.

When we headed back to the city, we wanted to try a new neighborhood, so we booked an AirBnb in a part of town called Marbella. It’s right on the water, just outside the Old City–too far to walk but only a short Uber ride away.

The view from our window:

We kept ourselves busy, so we didn’t get to spend much time in the apartment. But we had a market tour, a cooking class, and other super-tourist activities to attend to.

Here’s what we made in cooking class. Red snapper with coconut rice and patacones:

For our final nights, we returned close to the city center and stayed in the Getsemaní neighborhood. This part is known for its colorful houses and streets filled with paintings. Bryan found us the perfect artsy Airbnb studio on the most vibrant street:

We were right in the middle of it all, and it was the perfect place to finish off our trip. Bonus that we were one of the only houses on the street with a balcony.

If you’re a traveler and a foodie, I would highly recommend a trip to Cartagena. I can’t wait to return and see more of Colombia.

Cheers!

When Plans Change...

My boyfriend, Bryan, has traveled to 40 countries. So, when it was time to celebrate his 40th birthday, we knew we couldn’t just drive to Atlantic City or visit a restaurant in Philly. It would have to be something extra special to ring in another trip around the sun.

Due to work and time constraints (read: us planning everything at the last minute), we were a bit limited to the Western Hemisphere. I looked around the Caribbean to try to take the easy route and even got pretty far into planning a trip to Grand Cayman. But lazing around expensive beaches sipping all-inclusive cocktails didn’t quite feel like “him” or “us.”

We finally decided on Montañita, Ecuador. It’s a small coastal town known for great waves and, apparently, its party scene. We weren’t too interested in backpacker partying (after 30 we get tired easily and our lower backs hurt), but we were looking for surf, massages, and beachfront stays at South American prices.

We booked our flights to Guayaquil and plotted a few towns to visit along the “Ruta del Sol.” Everything was set and ready to go.

The night before our trip, we ate dinner with Bryan’s parents and dropped my dog, Bailey, off for her staycation. As we were leaving, the news reporter announced a shocking event in Ecuador: 13 armed men held up a live TV station in Guayaquil (the city we were about to fly into.)

We held back from panicking. We’ve both traveled to some reputedly “dangerous” places and felt completely safe. Plus, we’d be staying near the beach, far from the city where the attack had occurred. I imagined it would be like worrying about violence in New York City from the quiet beaches of Long Beach Island.

We went back to my place and mused for a little while, but decided to stick with the plan. The next morning, we drove to JFK. About five minutes from pulling into our parking spot, we both got an alert. Jetblue had canceled our flight.

There wasn’t any weather in the area, and an hour on the phone with customer service confirmed it was because of the uncertainty of the situation. A top gang leader had escaped from prison, and he was encouraging acts of violence throughout the country. All of Ecuador was in a state of emergency. Jetblue rebooked us on a flight two days later, on Bryan’s actual birthday.

Confused (and for me a little scared), we turned around to head home. Desperate to find some way to turn the day around, I drove us to Asbury Park to bring Bryan to an awesome vegan restaurant. They even gave him a free piece of cake to lift his spirits.

We spent the night ruminating and deciding what to do. It might seem obvious that we should not go to Ecuador in a state of emergency, but we’re both fairly adventurous and were still considering it. My travel friend put it this way: If millions of people can live through the state of emergency, I can spend a week there. She went to Bolivia during a post-election lockdown and said it was one of her most memorable travel experiences.

The next morning, I got a text from Bryan’s mom that Bailey had been getting sick through the night. I paused my work calls and headed over to find a puppy in a state of nonstop vomiting and diarrhea. I thought back to the gross gas-station-parking-lot chicken bones she’d tried to eat during our North Carolina road trip… I took her home and booked a visit to the vet.

The innocent face of a girl who’s about to eat something that will ruin everyone’s good night’s sleep for the week:

The nagging feeling not to go was getting stronger for me. The US state department website hadn’t announced anything, and Bryan would probably choose nice waves over his personal safety any day. Of course, he wouldn’t ask me to do anything that made me feel unsafe, so ultimately, it was up to me what to do.

The next day, Bailey’s illness slowed down thanks to meds from the vet. They said it was something she ate (ahem, parking lot chicken bones, anyone?) And I made the call to say no to Ecuador.

We weren’t sure if our flight would even take off. I couldn’t handle another disappointing drive to JFK and back. And we didn’t have much booked and paid for, so we wouldn’t lose money by canceling. We turned our flights to points and started to look for alternative destinations. We couldn’t let the birthday trip be a total bust.

Although the trip didn’t work out as we planned, there were a few upsides:

1. Not planning far in advance worked in our favor. We didn’t lose any money in changing our plans.

2. People were kind all around, from the free birthday cake to Bryan’s mom staying up with Bailey to the hotel owners understanding the situation and not charging cancelation fees.

3. Bryan got to celebrate on his actual birthday with his family. Hibachi and a movie are always a treat!

4. We ended up experiencing a totally unexpected and new-to-us city in South America. Stay tuned for the next post to find out where we went!

Happy New Year!

Can we still say happy new year in the last days of January? Since I haven’t been here yet this year, I’d like to think so.

I ended the year in the best way: An LBI tiny wave sunset surf session with the greatest of friends. It was the perfect cap on a year that has, for me, been a transformative year in learning to surf and actually “getting it.” I’m starting to understand the power of winter wetsuits, and I swear, it’s really not that cold (until you get out of the water)! This picture was followed by a warm shower and many NYE snacks and cocktails.

The following week offered a much needed slowdown from working in the startup world. But you know I can’t stay put for too long. I decided to road trip down to North Carolina to visit my uncle with a stop in Harrisburg to see my sister on the way. We indulged in a cookie skillet for her belated birthday celebration.

And the next stay stopped in Frederick, MD for some of the best Detroit-style pizza I’ve ever had. Can you tell I haven’t made any diet-related new year’s resolutions?

My uncle has been recovering from a mid-year stroke and I was happy to see he’s doing well and taking care of himself. Besides him being in a wheelchair, it was a pretty normal visit. We played cards, cooked healthy meals, and watched a movie directed by Madonna. Being with family (and mostly off my laptop) was a nice way to reconnect and ease into the year.

My adventure partner was a bit skeptical about the long drives:

And so the sun set on 2023. I’m excited and ready to see what the next one has in store…

A Yoga Retreat in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

For the past three years, most of the vacations I’ve taken have been “work-cations” where I teach on yoga and surf retreats with Surf Sweat Serve. But this year, I decided I needed a 100% vacation, so I decided to sign up for a yoga retreat with my local New Jersey studio, Yoga Bohemia. No teaching, just taking it all in and enjoying classes taught by my lovely yogi friends.

The retreat started with two days in Antigua at the swanky Porta Hotel. I had been in the city for the week prior, and was excited to find the processions were going on for Holy Week. The flower arrangements used to decorate the streets were really amazing to see. I love when I end up in the right place at the right time for a one-of-a-kind experience!

Next, it was off to Lake Atitlan. The drive is long and winding (take Dramamine if you get carsick!) But near the end of the journey, the road opens up to a majestic view of the lake.

I had visited Lake Atitlan five years earlier and my experiences were similar. Both times I stayed at secluded hotels only accessible by boat. This trip, our group stayed at the Isla Verde Hotel in Santa Cruz. The food was fresh and tasty, and the winding paths up to the rooms were unforgettable (though a bit steep for older members of our group!) Walking down the hill from your room in the morning led to this view:

I did my best to relax and recharge, soaking in the hot tub and taking classes on the yoga deck. But there’s always so much to do on retreat! We took boat taxis to visit the towns that dot the lake, each with its own personality. San Juan is my favorite and the most colorful.

One morning, we took a sunrise hike to Indian Nose. That meant waking up at 3am, boating in the dark, riding in a van, and starting to climb in the dark. My headlamp died, so I only had the light of my phone to guide the way. The steep climb was worth it, though, when the sun peeked through the clouds and revealed the outlines of the lake. And the guides served us hot chocolate to add to the morning treat. These were my favorite views of the trip:

Our Favorite Things in Antigua, Guatemala

Antigua is such an enchanting city. The surrounding volcanos provide stunning backdrops and the popularity of rooftop cafes and bars offer excellent viewing points. Everywhere you look, you’re reminded of the beauty and power of nature.

A few years ago, I spent a month teaching yoga in Nicaragua and I stopped in Antigua on the way back. It was the kind of city where I had a feeling I’d return. This spring, I finally did.

Even though I’d originally planned to be there for a wedding that didn’t come to pass, there was still plenty to do in Antigua. These were just a few of our favorite things:

1. Roasting marshmallows at Pacaya Volcano

Many people come to Antigua to go volcano hiking (there are four active volcanos surrounding the city.) There’s one long overnight trek you can do on Acatenango, the big prominent volcano, but that one is known to be quite long and intense. We weren’t ready to put that much time and fitness into our hiking, so we decided to do a half-day hike to the nearby Pacaya volcano. We booked it through our hostel, and a group shuttle brought us to the hike.

We started in a crowded parking lot with locals trying to sell us horse and donkey rides to the top. Some people in our group said yes, but Bryan and I were happy to get the exercise in. We found the hike heart-pumping but not terribly challenging. The hardest part was walking through the sand/gravel to the summit. Some others in our group opted for the horseback ride as we got closer to the top.

At the “summit,” which is really just a viewpoint on the lava rocks, we had the chance to roast marshmallows on lava rocks. Obviously my favorite part!

The whole trip took about 1.5-2 hours each way. And we were treated to an incredible sunset on the way down.

2. Spending the day in Hobbitville

Our next favorite way to spend a day was visiting the village of Hobbitenango. Both of us are Lord of the Rings fans, so we were excited to find an amusement park dedicated to the lives of hobbits. You can spend the night in a hobbit hole:

We played games like archery and mini golf. I swung on multiple fun swings.

We had lunch at the cafe.

And there were lots of photo opportunities (including with someone dressed as Gandalf, but we didn’t want to pay.) We had a lovely time that day.

3. Visiting Caoba Farms

We also had a great time visiting Caoba Farms, an eco farm just outside of Antigua. It was easy to walk from the city. We had lunch and then ended up staying for a bit to walk around the grounds.

There were beautiful gardens and greenhouses. We also saw lots of animals: chickens, ducks, a sweet farm dog, and mini pigs! All coexisting in sweet eco farm harmony.

Apart from these activities, Antigua is just such a cool city. There are so many great restaurants, and it has a very “European” feel with cobblestone streets and town squares. I would definitely recommend anyone add it to their travel list.

El Paredon, Guatemala

Hi friends! Please forgive me for being a little (ok, a lot) behind. I’m currently sitting in London Gatwick airport, and it’s November. But first, I feel like I want to catch you up on a year of travels so far.

If you’ve been following my journey for a while, you know I am a traveler. I’ve been traveling since my parents took me on a plane as a wee babe when I was six months old. My mom likes recounting the story of how she didn’t know my weight in kilos, so she hoisted me on the counter to let the cashier determine my diaper size.

Flash forward 35 years… I’ve now been to 36 countries and have trotted the globe. You might have met me in Thailand or teaching yoga in Nicaragua or perhaps on working holiday in Australia. BUT if you’ve been following since then, you know I recently lived out another dream of mine and adopted a DOG! A post-covid puppy! Delight to my heart and woe to my traveling spirit. Lockdowns convinced me that I was done traveling and ready to settle down. Two years later and we’ll see about that…

A little while after adopting Bailey, I met my boyfriend Bryan. He puts the “No” in nomad. As in, no lease, no office, no borders, and… no pets. We cautiously fell in love and have had many conversations since on how to keep our nomadic spirits and me as a new dog parent happy. And through this year, we’ve miraculously managed to play both parts. Many thanks to our families, friends, and Rover on all sides.

I’ve already told you about our New Year adventures to Singapore and Borneo. The next trip was a month in Guatemala.

Going to Guatemala

Now, I was actually planning this trip before I met Bryan. Two close friends of mine were engaged and planning their wedding in a beautiful convent ruins church in Antigua. However, about a month beforehand, the engagement was called off. Bryan had been planning a Guatemala trip of his own for a friend’s birthday, so we decided to still go through with it. That’s how we came to land in the beach town of El Paredon.

And a beach town it was to a T. We stayed in an open air bungalow with a perfect view of the waves.

Sadly, those waves were too big and aggressive for most beginners (like myself) so I took a lesson and stayed in the white water near the shore. For entertainment and exercise, I took walks all the way down the beach, to find cool wooden shacks and volcano views.

We spent a week in the little town, enjoying our stay at the Surf House and going back for more and more amazing food at Chef in Flip Flops. Other highlights for me were kayaking in mangroves:

Even though we were all working remotely, time slowed down in coastal Guatemala. Each morning started with slow sips of coffee and wave checks from a hammock. Every evening, there was a great exodus out of hotels and houses to watch incredible sunsets from the beach.

El Salvador Retreat: October 1-8

Hi yoga friends!

I’m one week away from heading back to El Salvador for a surf and yoga retreat with my friend Pixie and her company, Surf Sweat Serve, from October 1st-8th, 2023. I’ll be teaching yoga classes every morning, and there will be plenty of time for surfing, swimming, adventuring, and relaxing by the pool. We still have a few spots open, and flights from both JFK and LAX are looking pretty good! If you’re a last-minute planner and still want to join, you can register here.

This will be my fourth Surf Sweat Serve trip because it’s just THAT good! It’s an experience that will change your life for the better. I was a little intimidated going to El Salvador at first (that was about four years ago), and it’s really truly a gem of a country that far exceeds its reputation. I can’t wait to be back.

This trip is a little different than previous years, because there will be more of a focus on the surf camp side of the trip. But don’t worry– all levels and all ages are welcome. If you’re new to surfing, it’s a perfect experience to try while feeling totally safe and supported. If you’re experienced, it’s an excellent way to deepen your skillset at any level. And if you don’t love surfing, there are plenty of other activities to make the trip your own.

When you sign up for this Surf Sweat Serve retreat, you’ll get:

• Airport shuttles to/from San Salvador airport

• Wifi

• 7 breakfasts

• 7 lunches or dinners (your choice)

• 7 wellness drinks (smoothies, juices, coconut waters)

• 14 non-alcoholic drinks

• Unlimited coffee!

• Morning yoga classes with me and Pixie

• Optional additional yoga classes with Puro Surf staff

• Breathwork and bootcamp classes with Pixie

• Journaling and processing playgrounds

• 6 professional surf lessons (including board, instruction, and equipment)

• 1 group surf trip

• 6 days of surf videos and photos

• Waterfall hike

• Beach cleanup

• 1 therapeutic massage

• Access to fitness center and lap pool

• Welcome kit and swag bag

• Ice bath experience

Choose your own adventure and join us by registering at this link.

New YouTube Yoga Class: Intermediate/Advanced Vinyasa

I have a new yoga class available on YouTube. This one aims to be a more vigorous vinyasa flow, so check it out and let me know what you think! I filmed it towards the end of going on a yoga retreat in Guatemala, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

5 Reasons to Visit Borneo

On New Year’s Day, we set off to explore a new place: Borneo. This revelation has left many friends and family members scratching their heads asking, “What is Borneo?” “Where is Borneo?” and “Why Borneo?”

Well, Borneo is the third-largest island in the world (not counting continents), and it’s off the east coast of Malaysia. It’s bigger than I ever knew! Our two initial reasons for going were: 1) It’s one of the last places on Earth where you can see wild orangutans, and 2) Bryan’s cousin has been living there for the past two years. The decision felt obvious; we had to go.

As we were planning and once we were there, we figured out some other great reasons to visit Borneo. It’s definitely worth a trip if you’re over on that side of the world; it even warrants a visit all its own.

1. Wild Orangutans

In Borneo, you can see attempt to see wild orangutans in a number of ways. There are options for multi-day treks and river cruises where you have the best chance of seeing them in their natural habitats. Most of these options require an additional flight, and the number of days you spend on the trek or cruise greatly increases your chance of spotting wildlife.

Being working people, we had limited time, so we chose to try seeing the orangutans in a semi-wild environment. We visited the Semenggoh Nature Reserve just outside the city of Kuching where orangutans roam freely from the wild into the reserve for feeding times. When we arrived, the employees told us it was unlikely we would see any orangutans that day. Because fruit season had begun. The orangutans wouldn’t need to come for feeding if they could find abundant fruit on their own. We opted to try our luck anyway.

We were meandering down to the viewing platform when we heard a rustling above us in the leaves. We looked up in awe to see an orangutan perched at the top of the telephone pole. She seemed to know the drill better than we did, and she waited until the guard crossed by to begin her descent. She steadily worked her way down to the platform, us tourists following her carefully behind.

They told us she was older (52!) and had recently been sick. She stayed on the platform in close view the whole time we were there, munching on jackfruit, durian, and sipping fruit juice from a bottle in the guard’s hand. We would see one more orangutan that day – a massive, younger male who came out of the forest for bananas and to show off his prowess at swinging from the vines. We kept our distance from him, but watched on wide-eyed.

2. National Parks

Borneo has a ton of national parks. There are 30 in the state of Sarawak alone (where we stayed when we visited Kuching.) There are dry and wet caves, beaches, jungles, and interesting rock formations. We learned there is a lot to see and do. More than we could ever fit into a one week trip.

We decided to start at the tip of Borneo, the meeting point between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. We flew from Singapore into Kota Kinabalu and drove up north for some beach time. After three days at the tip, we spent a night in KK before catching another flight to Kuching (where Bryan’s cousin lives.)

We chose to visit Baku National Park for its scenic views, wild bearded pigs, and the promise of monkeys. We were not disappointed in any category. It was a bit tricky navigating the boat schedule to get to the park – the tide was too low so we spent an unexpected hour waiting to depart. But once we arrived, there was much to see.

About a minute into our trek, a female wild pig and her babies crossed our path. We stepped around them hesitantly, but they didn’t seem to notice us. The monkeys on the other hand gave us a bit of trouble when we got in their way. We spent about 30 extra minutes frozen on the trail, hoping they would let us through. We made it out unscathed (and un-bitten!) to cloudy but gorgeous views of the beach.

3. Culture and Cats in Kuching

We learned from our local guide that Sarawak, the state where we visited the city of Kuching, is sort of an “it place” to be from if you’re visiting the area. Sarawakians have a certain state pride and enjoy a number of benefits, including discounts and priorities. When the Malaysian flag is hung, the Sarawak flag is placed right beside it. (Fun fact: Borneo is owned by three different countries – Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. We stayed in the Malaysian region, but we heard it’s actually fairly easy to pass through customs between the regions if you’re up for a lot of driving.)

Kuching is, literally, the city of cats. Legend has it that when British explorer James Brooke first arrived in Kuching and asked the name of the town, his local guide thought Brooke was pointing towards a cat. The guide answered, ‘kucing’ which is Malay for cat.

There are cat statues all over the city, and cats are deemed highly respected creatures. There’s even a sizable cat museum that my boyfriend was kind enough to accompany me through. And the city itself is impressive. The Sarawak River river runs through the center, providing a picturesque landscape for the unique Darul Hana bridge and a beautiful golden mosque. We met kind people and sampled some delicious, multicultural food throughout the week.

4. Beach Time

Borneo is probably not the first place you hear about when it comes to beach vacations, but maybe it should be. We were there during the rainy season, and it rained heavily one of the days we were there, but the beaches were otherwise nice and uncrowded.

When we planned our trip, we considered Vietnam or Indonesia for better surfing, but we squeezed it in at the tip of Borneo instead. We rented boards from Blue Fin Surf & Dive and stayed at both the North Borneo Biostation and Tommy’s Place. There wasn’t too much information about surfing there online, so we were going in a bit blind with pretty low expectations. We had rented a car in Kota Kinabalu for the four hour drive north and arrived to the biostation late at night. The manager, Jonathan, stayed up to warmly greet us and show us to our room. It was a really nice little bungalow and Jonathan was a fantastic host. The hotel seemed a bit deserted post-Covid but for no reason – it was really nice and I hope someday soon returns to its full capacity!

Tommy’s Place was busier, with more families and travelers coming through. There is not much else nearby, so we were happy to eat most of our meals there and get a surfboard rental from just down the road. The surfing was small, but fun. I’m still a beginner, so I enjoy when it’s small and Bryan didn’t seem to mind. It’s worth mentioning that we made a 40 minute drive in total darkness twice to eat at and return to this small, family-owned restaurant called Hock Choeong. Jonathan recommended it and it’s that good.

5. Adventures Everywhere

We were excited for the many adventures of Borneo, but we really didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be a little bit of everything – beach, surf, warm rainstorms, multicultural cities, national parks, wildlife, luxurious hotels (for super low prices by our standards), fun bars, and nice people. We stopped for wild monkeys on the road and visited a town full of gong factories.

Every day was a new adventure, and there’s so much more we didn’t see. I would happily go back for more.

Starting the Year in Singapore

I’m still catching up on my travels! It’s March and I’ve been on a few flights already this year. Right after Christmas, my boyfriend and I flew to Singapore. He needed to go there for work, but we departed a week early to squeeze in some vacation time. The hotel was expensed, and I would only needed to pay for my flight, so I said “Alright, let’s go!”

I took a convoluted way of getting there – about 36 hours from Newark to Las Vegas to San Francisco to Singapore. “They” say it’s about the journey more than the destination, right? The flight to Vegas in a middle seat actually made the 17-hour international flight seem easy and luxurious.

The airport stops were an act of tourism in themselves. I perused the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum at Harry Reid International. It’s a row of plaques and memorabilia that you might just walk by, but an interesting timeline to read through if you have a few or four hours to spare. Also, Shake Shack.

At San Francisco there’s a small terrace where you can enjoy a breath of fresh air outside – very necessary in the midst of 24 hours of flights! All-in-all the itinerary wasn’t great, but wasn’t too terrible, and then I was in Singapore with a day to spare before New Year’s Eve.

Bryan flew business class, and we aren’t going to talk about the differences between those two experiences! When I arrived, I was soon invited out to an office lunch, a celebration of his arrival and upcoming birthday. I wasn’t too jetlagged and agreed to tag along.

We visited a Chinese dim sum restaurant, and apparently it’s customary to order about one of everything on the menu. There were four of us, plus a colleague’s child in tow, and we probably ordered enough for ten people. It worked out for us Americans, though. We got to indulge in this trip’s first taste of Chinese fare. The highlights were dumplings and a whole freaking duck. And I’ll always have room for more bao buns, please and thank you!

My work takes a break between Christmas and New Year, so I got to partake in the hotel amenities and a nap while Bryan went back to the office. The next day, we visited Sentosa Island – basically Singapore’s version of Disney World. There’s a Universal Studios, a waterpark, beaches, and swimming areas. This was my third trip to Singapore and when I saw the bright blue water and the cable car, I felt like I’d finally arrived!

Ok, it’s swarming with people, but if you enjoy amusements and novelty, give it a try. Our favorite part of that day was more laid back. We took a dip in the water then strayed from the crowds by walking far down the beach path. Eventually we stumbled upon a beach volleyball game.

Then it was time for the main event: New Year’s Eve! I don’t know if there’s a better place to watch fireworks than Singapore (I didn’t venture down by the Opera House when I was in Sydney, so I don’t have much to compare.) The dazzling city overlooks Marina Bay and, on the 31st, sets off explosive displays all around the city. We grabbed a bottle of wine and attempted to set up camp in the thick of it all – why (wine) not? We didn’t have too set of a plan, but we landed pretty close to the bay in not-too-crowded of a spot.

Still jetlagged, we admittedly both took quick naps on the lawn before the fireworks started! There was a concert going on in the background, but that didn’t deter our slumber. Fortunately, we woke up in time for the fireworks to start around 11:30pm. There were hundreds of fireworks and coordinated drones dancing across the sky. The videos on an iPhone 12 don’t do it justice, but we were wowed. At midnight, we celebrated, and then in Singapore’s most-civilized fashion (seriously, I think there would be more chaos in an American small-town fireworks parking lot), we went back to the hotel and promptly to sleep.

We had a flight to catch the next morning and it was on to the next adventure…