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 Seoulmates!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 27, 2023 | Introductions

Our returners: Donna “Spyglass” Vo: 8 time monsooner and having visited 13+ countries with me, returning from Svalbard, Sardinia, Isle of Man & Northern Ireland, Australia & New Zealand, Prague & Budapest, Japan, Cyprus, and The French Polynesia Ann...

Don’t Be So Conakry If You’re Back in Guinea!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 9, 2023 | Blitzkrieg!!!, February 2023: The Western Africa Hopper - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Getting that VISA, Guinea, Layovers, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Conarky marks my last stop on this unbelievable West African hopper itinerary I found randomly on Skyscanner. After 6 days in Burkina Faso, 1 day in Sierra Leone, and 1 day in Liberia...all connected by direct flights by reputable world class airlines, I finish...

Monrovia-ng ‘Round the World

by Calvin Sun | Feb 9, 2023 | Blitzkrieg!!!, February 2023: The Western Africa Hopper - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Getting that VISA, Layovers, Liberia

Before we continue with this unbelievable "West Africa" hopper itinerary I'm on, for Liberia you need to arrange visas way ahead of schedule. Unfortunately unlike Sierra Leone's visa on arrival or Guinea's E-visa on arrival, Libera requires an appointment...

Freetown at Last

by Calvin Sun | Feb 8, 2023 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Doctor in the House, February 2023: The Western Africa Hopper - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, How's the weather?, Layovers, Sierra Leone

With 6 days of Burkina Faso behind us, it became to mentally prepare for my long marathon of flights back home.Facing numerous options to fly back home to NYC via Brussels, Lisbon, or Paris, I stumbled upon an incredible "West Africa" hopper itinerary on...

Walking With a S’Ouaga-dougou

by Calvin Sun | Feb 7, 2023 | Burkina Faso, February 2022: Mali, February 2023: The Western Africa Hopper - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Serendipitous!, Walking Tours, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

This morning at 8am we left our hotel at Niorida and made an early trip back to Ouagadougou by first stopping at Laongo Granite Park. Here, over 2000 sculptures carved into stone greet visitors, while also expressing the history, culture,...

The Fresh Prince of Tiébélé-Air

by Calvin Sun | Feb 6, 2023 | Burkina Faso, February 2022: Mali, February 2023: The Western Africa Hopper - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

As if we hadn't had enough of these long West Africa road trips, today takes another toll on us with a 5 hour long road-trip to Tiébélé while passing through Pô, the city where the military first rebelled in 1983 to overthrow the president and brought...

Have You Watched Bobo Dioulasso Yet?

by Calvin Sun | Feb 5, 2023 | Burkina Faso, February 2022: Mali, February 2023: The Western Africa Hopper - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

This morning we explored the old neighborhood of Bobo Dioulasso for a feeling of what life was like in old Burkina Faso when it was colonized and referred to as the Upper Volta.Its present name, Burkina Faso, was given by Thomas Sankara and translates as “The...

Just Sin-dou It!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 4, 2023 | Burkina Faso, February 2023: The Western Africa Hopper - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea

We woke up this morning at 5:30am for a 6am departure from our hotel in Banfora, where missing breakfast became an afterthought as we drove out for an early sunrise boat trip on the Tengrela Lake. Trusting our fate to the lake, we paddled out to...

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