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

Where Do You Go When You’ve Already Been Everywhere?

by Calvin Sun | May 17, 2026 | Camping, Epiphanies on the Road, Fit for Foodies, May 2026: Bobo's Farm, New York, Post-travel Reflections | 0 Comments

Where does one of the youngest most traveled person in the world still travel to after they've been to nearly every country in the world? Home, of course. I've hitchhiked onboard trains through the endless expanse of The Sahel, slept in guesthouses in...

It Zermatt-ers A Lot You Followed Through!

by Calvin Sun | April 3, 2026 | Border Crossing, Crisis, Fit for Foodies, Flying Fancy, How's the weather?, Serendipitous!, Spring 2026: French & Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Weekend Trips, What Dreams May Come | 0 Comments

Any normal person would have headed home after 4 consecutive days of 6+ hours of skiing black diamond powder at 3,330 meters followed by six hours of raving in a blizzard. But I am not a normal person. Unlike most people, I don't procrastinate on fulfilling...

Alpe “d’Huez” in Charge Here? We Couldn’t Wait Until Tomorrow, for Tomorrowland Winter

by Calvin Sun | March 28, 2026 | Festivals, France, How's the weather?, Spring 2026: French & Swiss Alps, The Nightlife | 0 Comments

We made it to a Tomorrowland Aftermovie! Click on the YouTube video below where it starts right where you see us dancing to Alok; me on the left, and Patricia right in the center in her lavender hoodie as the video slows in on her/us (well, really just her)....

Why Not “Disfrutar”?

by Calvin Sun | March 23, 2026 | Fit for Foodies, Flying Fancy, France, How Did You Do That?, How's the weather?, Introspection, Layovers, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Serendipitous!, Spain, Spring 2026: French & Swiss Alps | 0 Comments

We got a lot going on in the world right now: There's now a war in Iran, the funding bill for our DHS still hasn't passed, and the entirety of the TSA has been working without a paycheck for the past month. With the war, I'd imagine both the region and Emirates...

Meet the Tomorrowland Winter Monsooners!

by Calvin Sun | March 2, 2026 | Introductions | 0 Comments

Why do Tomorrowland just once a year when you can do it twice AND ski/snowboard at the same time? Introducing the following returning monsooners for this iteration of our favorite annual festival. Welcome back those returning with me for their 2nd, 3rd, or even...

All Aboard the Santa Claus Express!

by Calvin Sun | February 10, 2026 | February 2026: Lapland, Finland, Fit for Foodies, Flying Fancy, Lapland, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

I woke up to an Arctic sunrise again, this time to send Mel off on her early flight back at 7:30am; she had to return a day before the rest of us. After she left in an Uber to the airport, I cooked the last of what was left in the fridge at the Airbnb and saw...

For Richer, For Polar

by Calvin Sun | February 9, 2026 | February 2026: Lapland, Finland, Fit for Foodies, How's the weather?, Lapland, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

I just woke up to this Arctic sunrise before everyone else in the Airbnb. I took the time to make some scrambled eggs for breakfast, brewed the coffee, and leisurely sat down to write this blog post as I waited for the rest of the group to come to life. What a...

The Coolest Hotel in Lapland (Literally)

by Calvin Sun | February 7, 2026 | February 2026: Lapland, Finland, How's the weather?, Lapland, What Dreams May Come | 0 Comments

After sneaking in some sugar donuts just in time before Kahvila Lohihovi Oy closed at 5pm, we continued our 2 hour drive south from Ylläs to the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, about 30 minutes north of Rovaniemi on the shores of Lake Lehtojärvi....

Ylläs Hear Me Out

by Calvin Sun | February 6, 2026 | February 2026: Lapland, Finland, How's the weather?, Lapland, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

How This Trip Happened On September 30, 2025, a monsooner named Yuhan — who's been on many trips with me — randomly invited me to watch her favorite anime that had a surprise 2-week return to theaters: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, originally released in 2006. I...

Sundance’s Last Dance: Park City, UT

by Calvin Sun | January 27, 2026 | How's the weather?, United States, Utah | 0 Comments

Once again we're gathering friends across time zones and milestones; some have flown in from Philly, others from NYC, one flying over from Dallas just for the weekend to make new friends, all converging together this week on a mountain town for a week of...

“Laas Geel!” “To Where?” Berbera!

by Calvin Sun | May 20, 2023 | Fail, Fit for Foodies, How's the weather?, May 2023: Horn of Africa, Somalia, Somaliland, Unrecognized Territories, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After breakfast this morning, we visited Hargeisa's livestock market where locals allowed us to purchase our very own camel or goat! Here also happens to be the only place in the world where you can find the original rare black-headed sheep aka...

“Har”geisa You Ready For Somaliland Independence Day?

by Calvin Sun | May 18, 2023 | Getting that VISA, May 2023: Horn of Africa, Somalia, Somaliland, Walking Tours, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Waking up early after 3 days in Djibouti, we scrambled at 5am to board our Air Djibouti flight DJB204 at 7:00am. You'll have to buy this ticket separately on Air Djibouti's website approximately 2 months at the earliest before your travel date. ...

Lake Assal-t on Our Senses

by Calvin Sun | May 16, 2023 | Djibouti, How's the weather?, May 2023: Horn of Africa, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

On our way back from the beautiful hellscape of Lake Abbe, we grabbed a quick breakfast back at our camp, bid good riddens to bug filled Klendathu, and then made our way for another 3 hour drive for lunch back at the same hotel in Dikhil. We then drove onwards...

Take a Chance Take a Chance … on Lake Abbe

by Calvin Sun | May 15, 2023 | Camping, Djibouti, Epiphanies on the Road, Fail, How's the weather?, May 2023: Horn of Africa, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

After arriving yesterday and breakfast this morning in Djibouti City, we boarded our convoy of 8 (Eight!!!) 4x4s at 8am. Thus begins our grueling 9 hour drive under an oppressive >105ºF sun towards the border between Djibouti and Ethiopia for Lake...

Shake “Djibouti”!

by Calvin Sun | May 14, 2023 | Djibouti, Fit for Foodies, Getting that VISA, How's the weather?, May 2023: Horn of Africa, Walking Tours, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

I seem to be on a roll with getting great premium economy deals over business when flying across the Atlantic. After forays with British Airways Premium Economy, Air Tahiti Nui Premium Economy, Air Senegal Premium Economy, American Airlines Premium Economy, I...

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...

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