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,...

CVS Pharmacy

by Annah Kim | May 29, 2010 | Doctor in the House, Pre-travel Preparations, Uncategorized Stories

So interesting bit -- I go to pick up my anti-malarial drugs and other SEA-related prescriptions from CVS to see that the pharmacy wrote "Asia" on my prescription bag?

Packing?

by Annah Kim | May 28, 2010 | Pre-travel Preparations

Suddenly it's come time to actually put all of the things that I will be needing on this trip into my backpack. Staring at that very large pack, I have no idea where to start. I've also come to the conclusion[s] that: 1. It really doesn't matter how it's packed en...

Death = Bad; Honesty = Good

by Calvin Sun | May 28, 2010 | Pre-travel Preparations, Uncategorized Stories, United States

So far on my goodbye tour, I've been taking down a mental survey of the kind of things people say right before parting... "Have fun!" - 2 people "I'm so excited for you!" - 2 people "Take care!" - 3 people "Please don't die." - 8 people "You're going to come...

Bangkok, Thailand

by Annah Kim | May 28, 2010 | Thailand

If we ever actually make it to Thailand, my violin teacher gave me this awesome coupon for a free green sapphire stone?!

T-Minus 4 Days and Counting

by Calvin Sun | May 27, 2010 | Pre-travel Preparations, United States

T-minus 4 days and there are a few things left to do: - Drop off Health Forms for med school- Find places to stay in Manila- Get 4 passport pictures- Go drug store shopping to get: toilet paper, sunblock, band-aids, halls sore throat lozenges, soap cover- Finish up...

Visas, Visas, Visas

by Annah Kim | May 27, 2010 | Getting that VISA, Pre-travel Preparations, Uncategorized Stories, United States

Due to extenuating circumstances, I had to do a "one-day visa" down in NYC at the outsourcing company for Indian visas instead of via mail. Drop off paperwork at 10:20 am, come back at 5:30... Because they're an outsourcing company, they had to wait for the...

Shot Shot Shot Shot

by Calvin Sun | May 26, 2010 | Doctor in the House, Pre-travel Preparations, United States

Today I get my second booster for the Japanese B Encephalitis immunization, which those of you who haven't had the pleasure of having it yet, is one of those shots that leaves your arm sore for a whole 3 days. I'd say that's worth it since the following symptoms...

Words Of Caution

by Calvin Sun | May 25, 2010 | Pre-travel Preparations, Uncategorized Stories, United States

So the other day I get the following 10 pictures from my aunt, with the subject title.... Don't Try Bottled Drinks in these Asian Countries accompanied by the following few text messages from my mother: 5/11/10: "News Warning , do not enter...

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