(Warning: This post could be considered disgusting. TMI, if you will. Turn away now, if that is not your thing...)

I love the Internet.

If it wasn't for the Internet, I would not have discovered Matador. If I hadn't discovered Matador, I would not have met novoarte. Through that wonderful social utility...

The show that inspired me to travel has returned!

Watching The Amazing Race is like saying hi to an old friend. The show is in its 13th(!) season, and it always manages to put a hop in my step. If it wasn't for TAR, I wouldn't have renewed my passport, I wouldn't have trekked through Europe, South...

Haven't posted in a while. Lots of (non-travel) stuff going on, but I did get a chance to visit the great state of Oregon. Here are tidbits about the Beaver State:

- Oregon is incredibly green. It's mind-blowing. And I don't just mean green in the literal sense. Oregonians are very environmentally...

I had heard the food in Malaysia was fantastic. My primary goal was to try as many exotic foods as possible. Which is why my first meal was at the California Pizza Kitchen in Suria KLCC.

CPK in Malaysia tastes exactly like CPK in Los Angeles. I was shocked. You'd think that there'd be some variation...

I have a quite a bit more to write about my Thailand/Malaysia trip. But like many people around the world, I've been distracted.

The Olympic Games have a place on this blog, no question. At the least, these two weeks serve as the ultimate travelogue. When those aerial shots of the Forbidden City...

If you asked me what the highlight of my stay in Kuala Lumpur was, I could say standing on the Skybridge between the Petronas Towers and catching a bird's-eye view of the city. But I wouldn't be honest with you.

My favorite part of KL lies inside the monstrous Suria KLCC shopping center on the top...

I wasn't there for long, but here are my impressions of Phuket:

- The airport is far from the beaches. Also, the transportation system is jacked. A taxi ride to your hotel will cost you a grip. There are, however, the minibuses that can take you for cheaper, but you make a stop at a travel agency...

Before I embark on a trip, I get a guidebook. Lonely Planet gets a lot of flack, but I like their guides. They have thorough histories of each country, plenty of food and lodging options, and they have detailed walking tours. I love walking tours. You can go at your own pace and you allow yourself...

This is the second Fourth of July I've spent abroad.

Last year, I spent America's birthday in Peru, knocking back Pisco Sours. This year, I celebrate my country by riding on Wonton's back.

Wonton (that's what I hear the guide call him, anyway) is the elephant taking me on a journey through the exotic,...

The sign says “Let’s Relax”. What a great idea.

I had arrived in Chiang Mai earlier in the day, and I felt cheated. I’ve been in Thailand for three days, and not one massage. No time. My back and shoulders are starting a revolt. Now it’s my show. No relatives showing me around. No bizarre...

"We're meeting my friend at State Tower tonight. You need new clothes." Pinky tells me. I open my mouth to disagree, but a look at my Mountainwear Wicked Tee, khaki shorts and sport sandals, and I decline to speak up.

We look at jeans outside MDK, one of Bangkok's megamalls. Pinky picks out a pair...

Cousin Pinky wakes me at 6:30 am. "Come on, we're getting breakfast."

"What, now?"

"YES! We have a long day today."

Pinky lives off Sathorn Road in the heart of Bangkok. She never has to cook. Her kitchen is a minute's walk from her apartment, to the local food market.

My trip would not be the same without my iPod.

Coldplay's latest album has been the perfect soundtrack from my trip. I've had "Strawberry Swing" and "Life in Technicolor" on repeat. When looking out on the waters of Phuket, it really is such a perfect day.

Other songs on my travel playlist:...

It's my last night alone.

I return to Bangkok for a couple days with relatives, and then it's back home. I thought two weeks was enough for my trip. Not even close.

Physically, I'm toast. Though I've slept well, I've walked a lot. Taking in every sight, sound and smell drains you too. And...

This entry is from my travel blog.

Things happen for a reason.

I was supposed to leave for the Philippines in April, followed by a week in Thailand. I was all set to book my flights, when our trip fell through. I was crushed.

A month passed, and I was feeling it the itch. I sat at my desk at work, dreaming...

I want a massage. A cheap, Thai massage that last for hours.

I want to eat the street food at the local market and pray that I don't get diarrhea.

I would like to bust out of my introverted bubble and try to engage more with the locals. I hear Thais are friendly. And they smile a lot. This bodes...

This entry was originally posted on my travel site.

Every travel blog out there has lists of their own. "10 Things To Do In Rome", "20 Beers to Try in Malaysia", "52 Must-See Spots in Andorra". I love these lists. They get my mind going. They get me in the Travel Zone.

Do I do these lists? Not...

How wonderful it is to travel again!

After conquering Europe and Machu Picchu, I turn to Texas. I've been to Texas once, on a stopover in Dallas on the way to D.C. for my eighth grade field trip. I hear everything is bigger in Texas. We'll see.

In less than 12 hours, I will board a plane headed for...

Turns out I won't be going to the Philippines after all.

Family health issues have postponed the trip indefinitely. I'm incredibly sad. Being the eternal optimist that I am, I'm trying to turn this into a positive.

I'm contemplating a trip to Thailand on my own. It wouldn't be totally alone,...

I've put in my request for time off at work. I've begun scraping my funds together. I've emailed my aunt my itinerary.

In a little over two months, I'll be on a plane to the Philippines, heading "home". Not my home, but the home of mom and dad, my aunts and uncles. A place where the last time...