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

Dead Men Tell No Layovers: St. Vincent & The Grenadines in 12 Hours

by Calvin Sun | October 29, 2025 | 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 kicks off a 3-country Caribbean island hopper to knock out 3 of my final...

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...

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...

From SD to WY: Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead

by Calvin Sun | Aug 12, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), United States, Wyoming

"We fumed and screamed in our mountain nook, mad drunken Americans in the mighty land. We were on the roof of America and all we could do was yell, I guess — across the night, eastward over the Plains, where somewhere an old man with white hair was probably...

Rushmore Into The Badlands

by Calvin Sun | Aug 11, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), South Dakota, United States, What Dreams May Come

"Because in the end, you won't remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain." After our night in Sioux Falls and adding 2 more to our RV yesterday, this morning filled up our tires with more...

The Pur-Sioux of Happyness

by Calvin Sun | Aug 10, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), South Dakota, United States, Wisconsin

“I was halfway across America, at the dividing line between the East of my youth and the West of my future.” After an overnight in the outskirts of Madison, Wisconsin and picking up our new addition Dan Reesman, whom we had last seen when he traveled with...

Chicago-ing Back To Madison

by Calvin Sun | Aug 9, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), Fit for Foodies, United States, Wisconsin

“But why think about that when all the golden lands ahead of you and all kinds of unforeseen events wait lurking to surprise you and make you glad you're alive to see?” After our first day on the road that was filled with more the energy of...

Ohio Gozaimasu!

by Calvin Sun | Aug 8, 2020 | August 2020: The Great USA Trip (COVID-19), Doctor in the House, How Did You Do That?, Ohio, United States

"All of life is a foreign country." Today ends nearly 5 months since my last monsoon, and 5 years since my last domestic road trip across America. Sometimes it takes a pandemic to put a life of travel on pause, but alas, even life has its rest...

Meet The Anti-Buddies! Preparing For Domestic Travel in the Era of COVID-19

by Calvin Sun | Jul 29, 2020 | Introductions

“...and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or...

Love In The Time Of Corona/COVID-19 — The Cassandra Complex

by Calvin Sun | Jul 22, 2020 | Crisis, Fail, Introspection

The Cassandra Complex - the phenomenon from Ancient Greek mythology when one’s valid warnings or concerns are disbelieved by others. We’re now literally living it. Despite having endured a crisis so visceral in NYC (or Italy, Wuhan, etc.) 4-5 months ago, and...

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