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...

Oregon-na Go on an Adventure!

by Calvin Sun | Aug 21, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), California, Oregon, United States

“I woke up as the sun was reddening; and that was the one distinct time in my life, the strangest moment of all, when I didn’t know who I was—I was far away from home, haunted and tired with travel, in a cheap hotel room I’d never seen, hearing the hiss of...

Hoh On Tight! It’s Gonna Be Olympic Gold!

by Calvin Sun | Aug 20, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), Washington

"We lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies." This morning we said an unexpected goodbye to Brynn. View this post on Instagram I ran out of spoons. Friends, I came home early. After 10 days in the RV, I was completely exhausted....

When the Monsoon Meets a Hurricane

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

About yesterday: "What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? — it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye." More goodbyes this...

Views So Good, Almost Can’t “See-It-All”

by Calvin Sun | Aug 18, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), Fit for Foodies, United States, Walking Tours, Washington

"Maybe that's what life is... a wink of the eye and winking stars." It's time for every journey to close a chapter. Noeleen and I woke up early at 6:50am to drive our RV for one last hurrah. With just the two of us (everyone else was...

Cas-cades A Spell Over Me

by Calvin Sun | Aug 17, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), United States, Washington

"Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry." After spending the night parked in a KOA outside of Spokane near the no-mask country of Lake Couer d'Alene in Idaho, we set off for one final push west 5 hours in North Cascades...

Monsooning at a Not-So-Glacier Pace

by Calvin Sun | Aug 16, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), Montana, United States

"We were all delighted, we all realized we were leaving confusion and nonsense behind and performing our one noble function of the time, move." Back to back special! After 3 days in Grand Teton and Yellowstone, we spent today mostly on the road...

“Yellow” From the Other Side…

by Calvin Sun | Aug 14, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), United States, Wyoming

“Soon it got dusk, a grapy dusk, a purple dusk over tangerine groves and long melon fields; the sun the color of pressed grapes, slashed with burgandy red, the fields the color of love and Spanish mysteries.” After grabbing an early...

Falling Into Jackson Hole

by Calvin Sun | Aug 13, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), United States, What Dreams May Come, Wyoming

"I was having a wonderful time and the whole world opened up before me because I had no dreams" I've long associated the term "Jackson Hole" with the longtime local burger joint my dad used to take me to in NYC. I never knew it was named after an actual...

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