Planning

Let me just say: I used to be a chronic over-packer. I once brought a hair dryer, 6 books, and three pairs of boots for a weekend trip to Italy. And yet — somehow — I still forgot my toothbrush. After a few too many travel fails (and a painful encounter with blistered feet and…

Let’s start with this: I packed too much. Again. This wasn’t my first trip, but Southeast Asia hit different—hotter, more humid, more chaotic (in the best way). And somehow, despite watching 17 minimalist packing videos and reading dozens of “ultimate guides,” I still found myself sitting on my backpack, trying to zip it closed like…

I remember my first trip abroad. I was 15 and I joined an exchange program to study in Japan, the school took care of everything at the time. My second trip abroad was to do an internship in Italy when I was 18. No matter how many times I’ve traveled, the excitement never fades away….

To be honest, Vietnam was never really on my travel list. I know it’s close to Taiwan and I really wanted to visit Ha Long Bay, but it just doesn’t sound as exciting as Thailand or the Philippines. The only reason I went there was I wanted to travel during my summer vacation, and at…