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...

Love In The Time Of Corona/COVID-19: The Second Wave

by Calvin Sun | Dec 7, 2020 | Doctor in the House, Introspection

I told you there always will be a next wave. It was only a matter of time — Here in NYC we’re now better at screening and treating for COVID-19, but crisis fatigue means far fewer people care. More non-COVID emergencies are mixing in with the COVID crowd so patient...

Return To Travel Project Phase 2: Five Days of Freediving Mag Bay by Puerto San Carlos

by Calvin Sun | Nov 8, 2020 | Mexico, November 2020: Baja California Sur

Unforgettable photos like these above were taken by my travel buddy on the trip Pier Nirandara. On the shores of Magdalena Bay in the Pacific Ocean -- far from the reaches of COVID-19 -- there lies an isolated and remote fishing village called Puerto San...

Return To Travel Project Phase 2 (COVID-19): First Flight To Baja California Sur

by Calvin Sun | Nov 1, 2020 | Mexico, November 2020: Baja California Sur

TLDR; Weigh the opportunity cost of travel (as a frontline healthcare worker I may burn out/can't take care of anyone safely if I don't recharge appropriately...and I have taken practice steps with small domestic trips before leaping on a trip abroad) Leave from a low...

Love In The Time Of COVID-19: The Flu Shot

by Calvin Sun | Sep 15, 2020 | Uncategorized Stories

TLDR PSA (look how serious I am); Get the flu shot. While getting the shot may not entirely prevent you from catching flu, it’ll still dramatically decrease your chances of accidentally infecting or killing others (like grandma), or ironically dying from flu yourself....

You’re Going To Miss … The Great USA

by Calvin Sun | Sep 9, 2020 | Introspection, Post-travel Reflections, United States, You're Going to Miss It...

Photos courtesy of Raubern Totanes and yours truly. By tradition and in the spirit of this very road trip across America (twice!) I write the following in a stream of consciousness Jack Kerouac style — so please forgive all run-ons and typos. Press play and...

Zephyr-initely a Trip to Remember — From SF to NYC on Amtrak: The California Zephyr & Lake Shore Limited

by Calvin Sun | Aug 28, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), California, Illinois, Nebraska, New York, United States

Day 1: Emeryville, CA "Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." After we returned from LA yesterday night at 11pm, we turned in at our lodgings situated immediately...

The Big “Sur’ved”

by Calvin Sun | Aug 23, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), California, United States, What Dreams May Come

"Something, someone, some spirit was pursuing all of us across the desert of life and was bound to catch us before we reached heaven. Naturally, now that I look back on it, this is only death: death will overtake us before heaven. The one thing that we yearn...

“Humboldt” by the Avenue of the Giants

by Calvin Sun | Aug 22, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), California, United States

"And for just a moment I had reached the point of ecstasy that I always wanted to reach, which was the complete step across chronological time into timeless shadows, and wonderment in the bleakness of the mortal realm, and the sensation of death kicking at my...

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