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...

Iguazu Falls: 3 Countries In 1 Day

by Calvin Sun | Apr 15, 2014 | April 2014: South America, Argentina, Blitzkrieg!!!, Border Crossing, Brazil, How Did You Do That?, Paraguay, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

Every single person and guide book out there tells you that if you're going to visit Iguazu Falls, you *must* spend one day EACH on either side (Brazil and Argentina). Well, in true Monsoon fashion, we decide to do the impossible and not only do BOTH sides in...

A Night In Fos de Iguacu

by Calvin Sun | Apr 13, 2014 | April 2014: South America, Brazil, Fit for Foodies, Serendipitous!

Flew into Fos de Iguacu via TAM airlines, and at one point during the 2 hour flight I went to offer my medical expertise to help a passenger that appeared to have had a seizure. There also happened to be 3 other U.S. trained Emergency Medicine docs on the plane...

The Last Of Rio

by Calvin Sun | Apr 12, 2014 | April 2014: South America, Brazil, Fit for Foodies, How Did You Do That?

After a late night out on the town last night, we woke up fairly late for our Day 3 plan in Rio. We still needed to see the Christ the Redeemer statue (i.e. the newly voted "7th Wonder of the Modern World") and Copacabana Beach. Luckily for us, the government...

Into The Favelas

by Calvin Sun | Apr 11, 2014 | April 2014: South America, Brazil

Today we headed into the favelas of Rio, made infamous by movies such as Fast 5 and City of God, or games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It's stereotyped as a slum rife with gangs, shootouts, violence, and lawlessness. The one we entered -- Rocinha Favela -- is...

Rio Problems

by Calvin Sun | Apr 10, 2014 | April 2014: South America, Brazil, Fail, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Walking Tours

I won't lie. Our first 24 hours upon landing in Rio de Janeiro was anything but smooth. We arrive at GIG airport all okay, and we gave the airport HSBC bank ATM a shot, as recommended by everyone to use over the Brazilian bank ATMs in...

Meet The Pirates!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 22, 2014 | Introductions

MEET THE PIRATES OF SOUTH AMERICA View Monsoon Diaries 2014 in a larger map Introducing the following monsooners accompanying me on my April trip to South America: ...

Bai Wedding In Dali – Ecstasy, Appendicitis, And Travel Insurance

by Lei Zhao | Feb 17, 2014 | August 2013: Lei Goes to China, China, Crisis, Doctor in the House, Guest Posts

The following is the last of 4 guest posts on China by Lei Zhao, who continues to contribute to the Monsoon Diaries adventures time and time again. Lei Zhao and I have been close friends since 7th grade of middle school. Saying that we've been through a lot...

Mutianyu – Great Wall By Public Bus

by Lei Zhao | Feb 13, 2014 | August 2013: Lei Goes to China, China, Guest Posts, How Did You Do That?, Public Transportation, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

The following is the third of 4 guest posts on China by Lei Zhao, who continues to contribute to the Monsoon Diaries adventures time and time again. Lei Zhao and I have been close friends since 7th grade of middle school. Saying that we've been through a lot...

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