• Zai Jian 2015

    Zai Jian 2015

    Well, there goes another year. Every time a new year rolls around, my initial impression of the past year is that it was pretty uneventful compared to previous years. Then I go through my blog archives and think about what has happened, and I realize that it has been, again, a pretty monumental year. First…

  • Zai Jian 2015

    Zai Jian 2015

    Well, there goes another year. Every time a new year rolls around, my initial impression of the past year is that it was pretty uneventful compared to previous years. Then I go through my blog archives and think about what has happened, and I realize that it has been, again, a pretty monumental year. First…

  • Zai Jian 2015

    Zai Jian 2015

    Well, there goes another year. Every time a new year rolls around, my initial impression of the past year is that it was pretty uneventful compared to previous years. Then I go through my blog archives and think about what has happened, and I realize that it has been, again, a pretty monumental year. First…

  • How to Nail a Long Layover

    How to Nail a Long Layover

    When I’m booking a flight, I don’t search by shortest duration, I sort by longest. My favorite flights are those that include one or more really long layovers during the day in an interesting location. Earlier today I hiked up Diamondhead, ate a Hawaiian burger, waded into the ocean at Waikiki, and visited the Honolulu…

  • Why I Only Travel with Ten Pounds of Stuff

    Why I Only Travel with Ten Pounds of Stuff

    Whether you think I’m a minimalist or maximalist isn’t important to me. In some ways I am quite minimalist, but in others I’m the opposite. I have a lot of teaware, for example. Way more than I really need. But when it comes to packing, I don’t think there’s much debate. I pack very lightly.…

  • Assets, Experiences, and Indulgences

    Assets, Experiences, and Indulgences

    Nothing makes my way of thinking about it the one correct way, but I think of money spent as three different things: Assets, Experiences, and Indulgences. I do this because it helps me create rules and guidelines for how to spend my money so that I can do well in the long term without having…

  • The Uncertainty of Life

    The Uncertainty of Life

    Steam rises from my little glass teapot. It’s the fifth brewing of the Tung Ting Oolong, so it’s a little bit weak even though the color is still a clear gold. Employees of the tea shop are in front of me, an older couple across the way, and a single girl behind me. In the…

  • The 2016 Gear Post

    The 2016 Gear Post

    Welcome to the 2016 Gear Post! This is my most anticipated post of the year, which means that it’s the one I’m harrassed about the most. Due to popular request, I did individual photos for each item, which takes considerably longer to do. My curent backpack weight is around 10.5 pounds, and as you probably…

  • The 2016 Gear Post Prelude

    The 2016 Gear Post Prelude

    I would have forgotten about my promise to post this in November if it wasn’t for, well, everyone else very tactfully reminding me that I said I’d do it. The timing works, though. My bag is packed for a two month trip that will bring me to thirteen countries by plane, train, car, ship, and…

  • Excuses We Give Ourselves

    Excuses We Give Ourselves

    My friends and I do a quarterly accountability group. We come up with our own individual goals and pair them with punishments and rewards. For this quarter, I have a list of ten things to do on CruiseSheet. It’s halfway through the quarter, and although I’ve made progress on a few, I haven’t completed any…