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

Getting Away With Robbinsville: The Akshardham Redemption

by Calvin Sun | October 6, 2025 | Camping, Layovers, New Jersey | 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, 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,...

When You’ve Never Been to Berlin

by Calvin Sun | August 4, 2025 | Let me tell you a Story..., Serendipitous!, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, The Nightlife, Walking Tours | 0 Comments

If it's not already playing, press play. And then start reading. After 3 days in Amsterdam, Nisha, Sujay, Priscilla, Kenny, and myself boarded a 2pm direct train bound for Berlin. It was a 7.5-hour journey that gave us just enough time to reflect...

I Amsterdand We’re Back in Amsterdam!

by Calvin Sun | July 31, 2025 | How Did You Do That?, Let me tell you a Story..., Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, The Netherlands | 0 Comments

From Tomorrowland, because apparently we still weren’t done, 7 of us rerouted north for one last hurrah in Amsterdam, linking up with Anthony Lui and his Dutch crew. While most of the group boarded planes home to brave the dreaded post-festival blues, we...

Tomorrowland After The Fire

by Calvin Sun | July 29, 2025 | Belgium, Festivals, Fit for Foodies, Serendipitous!, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin | 0 Comments

How’s my ankle holding up before Tomorrowland.... This is Day 0 — right after a 1500-lb bull stepped on it: Day 8: Day 4: Day 17: Not bad, right? Turns out I can be pretty decent at wound care when the stakes are high. Last year was cancer, this year...

Meet The Greek Island Hoppers!

by Calvin Sun | May 9, 2023 | Introductions

It feels like there's no limit to our Yacht Week collaborations. After our book launch last September, we headed to my apartment for an afterparty where a large contingency from our Tahiti Yacht Week crew there requested to repeat the adventure in Greece. As if...

Jeju Know We’re Still in Jeju?

by Calvin Sun | Apr 5, 2023 | April 2023: South Korea & Jeju Island, Epiphanies on the Road, Jeju, Post-travel Reflections, South Korea

After 3 days in Busan and Boseong, we packed up for our last stop of our South Korean itinerary: Jeju, the honeymoon island frequently compared to "the Hawai'i" of South Korea or the Okinawa of Japan, Taking the metro for about an hour from Busan's...

We Survived the Train to Bu”sauna”

by Calvin Sun | Mar 31, 2023 | April 2023: South Korea & Jeju Island, Fit for Foodies, South Korea

After almost 2 full days in Seoul we packed our bags and took the bus to Seoul Station. With our prepaid tickets I reserved online, we caught our 11:57pm KTX #027 bullet train to South Korea's second city of Busan. No zombies...

Riding the Magic SchoolBoseong

by Calvin Sun | Mar 30, 2023 | April 2023: South Korea & Jeju Island, South Korea

For years I've heard many great things about Boseong's famous year-round blooming Green Tea fields especially from all its photos that reminded me of the tea fields of Munnar, India. To get there from Busan via public transportation may require a...

Seoulmates

by Calvin Sun | Mar 29, 2023 | April 2023: South Korea & Jeju Island, Fit for Foodies, Getting that VISA, South Korea, Walking Tours

How do we do a megacity like Seoul justice? Certainly an 18 hour layover isn't going to cut it. And that's a big reason why I've returned to visit Seoul properly. Accompanied by 19 new and returning monsooners, all of us touched down in ICN airport to begin our...

Di-M-Zey World

by Calvin Sun | Mar 27, 2023 | April 2023: South Korea & Jeju Island, South Korea

How does the DMZ, aka the active conflict region between South and North Korea, look these days? I was last here on the North Korean side of the demilitarized zone 11 years ago and I have to admit, it's a little bittersweet to feel a bit of homecoming. We were...

The Mundari

by Calvin Sun | Mar 25, 2023 | Camping, Doctor in the House, March 2023: South Sudan, South Sudan, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Wake up to paradise at 5:30am: And yet paradise is just a figure of expression, a figure of experience. This is no different. Spending a night and morning with them has been one of the most rewarding experiences in...

Play a Song from the Juba‘x: South Sudan, The Newest Country in the World

by Calvin Sun | Mar 24, 2023 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, March 2023: South Sudan, South Sudan, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Yesterday I began my marathon itinerary of flights with a premium economy American Airlines seat from NYC to Doha. I'm glad I didn't bother with figuring out miles for business class; I nearly had the whole premium economy cabin to...

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