The Monsoon Diaries: How to travel the world with no time or money -

Grenada Más

by Calvin Sun | November 4, 2025 | Grenada, October 2025: Pirates of the Caribbean's At World's End | 0 Comments

🇬🇩 190 down. 3 to go. After our 3 day stay in Dominica, we took a long hour-and-a-half drive back to the airport from our Portsmouth lodgings, stopping for a quick photo opportunity along the way. Dominica's airport is tiny. You...

Dominica-n’t Miss This

by Calvin Sun | November 1, 2025 | Dominica, October 2025: Pirates of the Caribbean's At World's End, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

From St. Vincent, we boarded InterCaribbean Airways JY 717 at 12:20pm. Their new airport, however, was built just 8 years ago and still has some operational quirks. The staff double-printed my first leg itinerary from St. Vincent to Barbados without including...

Dead Men Tell No Layovers: St. Vincent & The Grenadines in 12 Hours

by Calvin Sun | October 29, 2025 | Layovers, October 2025: Pirates of the Caribbean's At World's End, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0 Comments

Fresh off a quick overnight in Grenada (courtesy of a free JetBlue voucher from last October's Welcome to Chinatown gala), we touched down at Maurice Bishop International Airport at 1:53pm. This marked the beginning of a 3-country Caribbean...

Getting Away With Robbinsville: The Akshardham Redemption

by Calvin Sun | October 6, 2025 | Camping, Layovers, New Jersey, October 2025: Camping in Robbinsville | 0 Comments

One of my more unique camping trips to have monsooned; this is what happens when you plan a camping trip months in advance just to visit a temple arguably worth seeing as a world-class destination. I was stuck at work all day Friday as Eddie took the initiative...

A Quick Halifax Check

by Calvin Sun | September 12, 2025 | Layovers, Lessons Learned, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Walking Tours | 0 Comments

After two days in Saint-Pierre (and a turbulent ferry ride to Miquelon and back), we boarded an hour-and-a-half direct Air Saint-Pierre 9am flight to Halifax, landing around 9:30am local time (Halifax runs an hour behind Saint-Pierre), Our onward...

Miquelon Impossible

by Calvin Sun | September 11, 2025 | Doctor in the House, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

Sometimes the most spontaneous detours leave the strongest impressions. That morning in Saint Pierre, we hadn't planned on leaving the island. But after completing two walking tours around St. Pierre and checking the ferry schedule, we realized we could still...

48 Hours in a Little Saint-Pierre-ce of France

by Calvin Sun | September 11, 2025 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

After three days soaking in St. John's charm, we dropped off our rental car at YYT Saint John's airport to catch the rare 5pm direct flight (PH1127) via Air Saint-Pierre to Saint-Pierre & Miquelon: one of the few weekly connections between Newfoundland and...

Don’t Be Dildo-Dallying

by Calvin Sun | September 9, 2025 | Canada, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

While based in St. John's, we took a spontaneous day trip by rental car to the now-famous town of Dildo. You'll know when you arrive; they're incredibly proud of their distinctive name. Though a vocal minority has repeatedly raised referendums to...

St. John’s: The Eastern Edge of Everything Everywhere All At Once

by Calvin Sun | September 9, 2025 | Canada, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

Months ago I decided to gift myself a week off after Labor Day...simply because I could. After a year as wild as this past one, I craved actual and intentional self-prioritization to restore some balance. Finding fares under $200, I booked a morning departure:...

Singapore Airlines Business Class FRA-JFK

by Calvin Sun | August 5, 2025 | Flying Fancy, Germany, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin | 0 Comments

After a slow morning walk and talking about our villain (antihero?) origin stories in Berlin, I hugged Daniela and Gabe goodbye, hopped on the tram for a few stops, went underground for the metro, and made it back to the hostel in time for a 1:30pm check out. Nisha,...

San Diego!

by Calvin Sun | Sep 24, 2010 | Blitzkrieg!!!, California, United States

After a 5 hour flight from Newark, NJ to San Diego, I'm here! Beautiful sunshine, blue waters, unlimited palm trees. And just like what happened when I was in Taipei, no more than 56 seconds after updating my facebook status about being in San Diego, an old friend...

22 Hours In San Diego

by Calvin Sun | Sep 23, 2010 | Blitzkrieg!!!, California, United States

Tomorrow I'm bound for San Diego and pulling an emergency "Taipei" situation where I'll be there for 22 hours. Why emergency? Well, in 3 days I have my first medical school block exam back in Brooklyn and I'm not entirely prepared. But I can't let you down without...

OK, You PERVERTS And DRAMA QUEENS! (Most Popular Entries)

by Calvin Sun | Aug 16, 2010 | Post-travel Reflections, Summer 2010: Southeast Asia & India

My first day of med school. Will I ever travel again? The Monsoon Diaries' 10 most POPULAR posts ...courtesy of Google Analytics 10. June 24th, 2010 - Mae Sot, Thailand - The Thing About Squat Toilets 83 visits, 83 unique visitors, 03:09 average visit time (winner for...

And the Awards Go To…

by Calvin Sun | Aug 15, 2010 | Post-travel Reflections, Serendipitous!, Summer 2010: Southeast Asia & India

Most Generous Hosts: Saraswati Reddy, Avanti Maluste Best Lifesavers: Vaibhav Shah, Arjun Rajagopal Earliest Riser: Supraja Sudharsan at 5am Fastest Response Time: Cindy Chang Miss Congeniality: Madhurya Reddy Best Unexpected Travel Partners: Fiona Mary Lewis,...

Monsoon Diaries By The Numbers

by Calvin Sun | Aug 14, 2010 | Doctor in the House, How Did You Do That?, How's the weather?, Lessons Learned, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Post-travel Reflections, Summer 2010: Southeast Asia & India, What to Pack

Days traveled: 72 Countries Visited: 12 (Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, India) FRIENDS # old Friends I ran into: 15 (Manila: Shyama, Saigon: Van, Mae Sot: Geoff, Singapore: BX & Sajni &...

“Kuch Bhi Ho Sakhta Hai”

by Calvin Sun | Aug 13, 2010 | *Countries, Epiphanies on the Road, Summer 2010: Southeast Asia & India, Uncategorized Stories, What Dreams May Come

If it's not already playing, press play. And then start reading. The echoes of Jeff Buckley. An autorickshaw roars by an airport runway. I came in as a stranger, left as a friend. I came in unsure what I was looking for, I left knowing what I needed...

Word Associations

by Calvin Sun | Aug 12, 2010 | Post-travel Reflections, Summer 2010: Southeast Asia & India

Philippines: Laid Back Manila: Wistful Banaue/Batad: Grand Tagaytay: Single-minded Vietnam: Frenzy Hanoi: Bustling Hue: Tasty Saigon: Sprawling Cambodia: Polar Phnom Penh: Heartbreaking Siemreap/Angkor Wat: Breathtaking Laos: Lethargic Vientiane: Vacant Luang Prabang:...

Returning Pains

by Calvin Sun | Aug 12, 2010 | Epiphanies on the Road, Lessons Learned, Post-travel Reflections, Summer 2010: Southeast Asia & India, United States

It's weird to... have a hot shower with good water pressure. have a clean bathroom. have more than 4 pairs of underwear, 5 pairs of socks, 5 shirts and 1 pair of pants to choose from. have an insulated cab. lie in a familiar bed. dig through clothes from a closet...

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