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

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

Day 1: JFK → Paris → Helsinki For a limited-time promotion offering 20% points back on mileage transfers, Mel and I moved 48,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points each into Air France Flying Blue for two business class seats on their NYC to Paris route. Air France...

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...

Meet the Lappis!

by Calvin Sun | January 26, 2026 | Introductions | 0 Comments

From a trip planned over a year ago after a bunch of friends joined me in Killington 2024, we are flying out to Park City, UT for our first time at the Sundance Film Festival for their final time in Park City, UT! Welcome back those returning with me for their...

Meet the Sundancers!

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

Niger At Last: A Second Chance

by Calvin Sun | December 10, 2025 | Border Crossing, December 2025 Annex: Niger, Fail, Flying Fancy, Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, Layovers, Niger, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come | 1 Comment

11 months ago, I sat on the tarmac in Niger's International Airport at Niamey, watching my trip evaporate due to visa complications. The Niger Embassy in Washington D.C. had stopped issuing visas to Americans entirely. But I don't give up. In late...

Yemen Day 4: Mukalla Drive

by Calvin Sun | December 5, 2025 | December 2025: Yemen - Hadhramaut Valley, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Yemen | 0 Comments

Al-Mukalla Pulling ourselves away from a desert mirage paradise at Haid Al-Jazil, we swapped our armed guard at another checkpoint during the 2 hour drive to Mukalla. You point that thing away from me! After a long wait at one of the...

Yemen Day 3: Where Reality Surpasses Dreams at Haid al-Jazil-lion Miles Away From Reality

by Calvin Sun | December 4, 2025 | December 2025: Yemen - Hadhramaut Valley, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come, Yemen | 0 Comments

Haid Al-Jazil As the afternoon began to wane, we continued onto our accommodation for the night at the Haid Al-Jazil Resort Hotel, named after what it overlooks and its location perching dramatically on a cliff overlooking the Wadi Do'an. You'll find remarkably...

San Sebastincredible

by Calvin Sun | Jul 16, 2025 | Fit for Foodies, July 2025: Northern & Southern Spain, Spain, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, Walking Tours

Leaving behind the festivities of Pamplona, we boarded the 11am Alta direct bus bound for San Sebastián. Our journey was quick, and within 2 hours from Pamplona, we found ourselves walking through the coastal paradise of the Basque Country. ...

How to Be Pamp-Blown-Away in One Day — and Survive a Bull Run

by Calvin Sun | Jul 14, 2025 | Crisis, Fail, Festivals, July 2025: Northern & Southern Spain, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Serendipitous!, Spain, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, Walking Tours, What Dreams May Come

We arrived just in time for the final stretch of the San Fermin Festival aka the Running of the Bulls, and we’re therefore diving headfirst into the vibrant chaos of Pamplona during this festival -- To get here, I redeemed 90k miles for...

Meet the Monsooners of Tomorrowland 2025!

by Calvin Sun | May 2, 2025 | Introductions

This July 38 of us are heading back to Spain and Tomorrowland, both for the 3rd time with at least 51 others and about half of them returning for another monsoon: Mihaela “Compass”: 19 time monsooner (across 30+ countries!) to Libya, Syria,...

The Tagline I’d Be Proud Of

by Calvin Sun | Jan 13, 2025 | Epiphanies on the Road, Post-travel Reflections

Six years ago, during our entire week without a signal, data, or internet and wandering through the otherworldly landscapes of Socotra Island, Yemen, my friend and co-guide at the time, Pier Doyon, asked me a question that caught me off guard: “What would your...

Bujum-bura My Head in the Sand

by Calvin Sun | Jan 12, 2025 | Burundi, Epiphanies on the Road, Flying Fancy, January 2025: Central Africa, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, You're Going to Miss It...

It's nice to wake up in front of our airport gate, again. For the 3rd time and second to last time back in Addis Ababa as our home base for our Central Africa trip, it was another 2 hour and 45 minute flight from Addis Ababa and this time to...

Let’s Not Fight If We’re Brazza-s-ville

by Calvin Sun | Jan 10, 2025 | Border Crossing, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Fail, Getting that VISA, January 2025: Central Africa, Lessons Learned, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Republic of Congo, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

To get in, you first need a VISA: The Republic of Congo website: https://www.ambacongo-us.org/en/embassy-services/consular/visa Download and fill out 2 copies of the visa form ROC Visa Application Attach required documents 2 passport photos with the 2 visa forms The...

Kinshasa My Worries Goodbye!

by Calvin Sun | Jan 9, 2025 | Border Crossing, Crisis, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Doctor in the House, Fail, Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, January 2025: Central Africa, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Republic of Congo, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Travel Warnings, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

To get in, you first need a VISA: Download and fill out the visa form: DRC Visa Application Attach required documents One passport-style photograph (2″x2″) taken within last 6 months. Invitation letter from your host OR hotel reservation A printed copy of yellow fever...

Don’t Get Bangui, Get Even

by Calvin Sun | Jan 7, 2025 | Central African Republic, Getting that VISA, January 2025: Central Africa, Travel Warnings, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

To get in, you first need a VISA Download and fill out the visa form: CAR visa application Attach required documents Physical copy of your passport A 2x2 passport photo of you in front of a white background A letter of invitation A copy of proof of your yellow fever...

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