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🩺NYC Emergency Physician
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Be a monsoon, not a typhoon: Last week I tried to

Be a monsoon, not a typhoon: Last week I tried to start a campfire on my own for the first time, complete with kindling, ember, firewood, firestarters...and yet failed miserably. Didn’t help that it was also raining outside🙃.Then in the past 7 days I’ve had an increase in interviews about a new rise of cases and % positive COVID rates in certain pockets of NYC, where the words “kindling,” “embers,” “firewood,” “firestarters,” “catching fire,” have been tossed around. And that’s exactly what we’re at now and what this could become — while the city overall remains at <1-2% positivity for COVID despite all the picnicking, outdoor dining, summer gatherings, rallies, protests, reopening of gyms, travelers, and rush hour in subway cars (all of which did NOT cause a 2nd wave) since May, there are certain pockets (swipe ➡️ to see where exactly) that just in the past fortnight have increased to 5-7% positivity rates due to reportedly new local behavioral changes and perpetuated habits that have been likened to “kindling, “embers,” and “firestarters.” Furthermore, these are areas that *already* were hit hard in March & April (I would know since I personally worked there the most at that time) so if there were such thing as having truly reached herd immunity — which I was also low key hoping for — we shouldn’t be seeing a rise in these places. But they’re rising.So if we’ve witnessed a wildfire only 7 months ago, we must assume we could witness another one again. 2020 has left nothing up to chance.But then again, I also failed miserably at starting my fire last week. All those little raindrops, ambient wet air, damp firewood (among many other excuses 🙃) made a difference which means we still can alter the circumstances of where kindling can go. We can be the raindrops and ambient wet air. A monsoon. A second wave and lockdown — or lack thereof — can be up to us as every little bit (and raindrop) counts.P.S. Not about what you do but how you do it — FYI there are humane and empathetic ways to be a raindrop. AKA don’t be a dick; 2020 has had enough of that. You can be a monsoon, not a typhoon.📸: @rauburnin

Everyday feels like we’re marching towards anoth

Everyday feels like we’re marching towards another potential apocalypse and yet everyday feels as if the generosity of our universe’s tug-of-war allows us a reprieve before an inevitable. Checking in: Art has conceived the disaster/zombie/end-of-days narrative to reflect social turbulence and anxiety inherent in human civilizations, but let me be Cpt. Obvious and observe how we are actively living through an unfolding disaster narrative right now: After the initial threat of a zombie “virus” and even with zombies (COVID) everywhere still, we’re living in a society that compels our fellow humans to jockey back onto the main stage as the main antagonists. Reality becomes art which is always becoming reality. We are our own self-fulfilling prophecy.If 2020 was like season 1 of @amcthewalkingdead then we’re now heading into season 2-11 where the survivors are fighting one another over scraps instead of the true enemy. While we consume these stories as privileged entertainment, and partially to prevent ourselves making the same mistakes as a society, it feels as if we are now still falling for it. And unlike in art, real lives are being ruined.I wrote last April that even if there would be no next wave, life is life, and there will always be ‘a next wave.’ There always will be new disasters, returning pandemics of cruelty, racism, gender violence, willful ignorance, keeping others (even betraying those who had uplifted us) down to “get ahead.” If we keep at this rate especially during a pandemic, little will be left. And it dismays me that I didn’t have to wait too long to apply last year’s statements to different circumstances today.But since we’ve learned from countless tragedies before, I also had stated my understanding that those who hold the line and still “fight in the face of futility” will discover a meaning within meaningless. If that also can be part of our disaster narrative, then perhaps even disaster movies can be rewritten. Maybe we can still save ourselves and make new narratives, new art, and new realities.Let’s atone for our sins and rewrite the script.🖼 by @shainamocciomac on a 📸 by @kareemblack

May 15-18, 2019 - Antigua & Barbuda. Exactly 2 yea

May 15-18, 2019 - Antigua & Barbuda. Exactly 2 years ago today, 2 monsooners randomly thought of visiting the Caribbean. Within just 12 hours of making an impromptu announcement on social media, their group grew to 6, the rest of whom met as total strangers and monsoon-ed together through Antigua & Barbuda for 2 days! A story that started in 2010, with a bet, has become a journey that manifested into The Monsoon Diaries. This video was created to capture the essence of what it is like to “monsoon.” Monsooning is the concept of traveling ethically and sustainably, with limited time and money, to take advantage of what the world has to offer.Come virtually explore with us through this video and consider joining, in person, for your next trip!More about the Antigua & Barbuda trip: https://www.monsoondiaries.com/trip-itineraries-2019/#antiguabarbudaExplore with us!: https://monsoondiaries.com/ Videography & Editing: @rauburnin https://www.youtube.com/rauburninhttps://www.instagram.com/rauburnin/Travel Ethicist: @klattalyst https://klattalyst.com/https://www.instagram.com/klattalyst/https://twitter.com/dianaklattOG Monsooner: @monsoondiaries https://www.instagram.com/monsoondiar...https://www.facebook.com/monsoondiaries/Videos recorded by @monsoondiaries , @victoriaaluu Song used: Eveningland - Scouting (No Copyright Music)

Traveling during COVID: You can bend us, but you c

Traveling during COVID: You can bend us, but you can’t break us. “There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.”Swipe ➡️ for full 7 day New England itinerary. Confirming that with enough flexibility, research, and depending where you go, it can be safe to travel responsibly in the era of COVID-19.Next trip will be August!2nd wave or COVID or not, I realize I’m going to need more of this to recharge fully and get myself ready for the annual “wave” that always comes after summer: flu season. Still dreading it.Acadia National Park blogpost: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/07/04/acadia/Burlington, VT blogpost: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/07/06/burlington/#maine #vermont #nationalparks #acadia #me #coronavirus #covid19 #nature #travel #covidtravel #pandemic #coronavirustravel #coronatravel #covid19travel #monsoondiaries #hikersofinstagram #burlington #guardiantravelsnaps #trip #roadtrip #wonderful_places #travelawesome #wanderfolk #places_wow #passionpassport #travelblogger #travelphotography #travels #newengland #livetravelchannel

Monsoon Train 🚞 vs. Boulder - Monsoon Wins, Par

Monsoon Train 🚞 vs. Boulder - Monsoon Wins, Part 1. A boulder landed on the tracks about an hour ago, so we had to pull our train back to Glenwood Springs, CO where the conductor Brad — feeling our group’s vibes — then asked us and our very own monsooner @eviejoymusic to start an impromptu outdoor concert with him as we waited for repairs...but only after we would go in town (with an Uber) to retrieve a guitar that Brad bought over the phone at the last minute!P.S. everyone in the Amtrak staff and in our travel group is and has remained COVID-19 negative (with proof of testing required before the trip had begun as well as negative test results after the trip had ended) as well as keeping the activities you are seeing in this video outdoors and physically distant from other groups the entire time.

Whether I’m thousands of miles away or home, I‘m not going to f🤬 this one up and going to still do my part. No excuses. And I never forget. This is my obligatory but crucially auspicious post for the times reminding myself that I voted, and that I also did my part in urging others to do the same. The stakes involved for our shared destiny has never been more integrated as a collective generation. This is it. Don’t f🤬 it up.........#vote #election2020 #elections #vote2020 #voteearly #election #electionday #votelikeyourlifedependsonit #votevotevote #votetoday #votewisely #voteordie #voting #votingrights #votingmatters #votingissexy #earlyvoting #electionnight #dontfuckitup #ivoted2020 #covid19 #pandemic2020 #coronavirus #everyvotecounts #everyvotematters #2020election #electionsmatter #votenow #voted #votedearly

79 years ago today, carrier-borne strike forces of

79 years ago today, carrier-borne strike forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy commanded by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto launched a surprise attack on the unwitting US naval base at Pearl Harbor. Within a few hours, 2,403 military and civilian personnel were dead, hundreds more injured, as many mighty ships of the US Pacific Fleet were sunk or reduced to blazing hulks. It took nearly a full 4 years from that point, millions more casualties on all sides (including two atomic bombings), and untold sacrifices for the US to secure ultimate victory over the Empire of Japan. Perhaps this remembrance is especially poignant to me because *more* Americans died nearly *EVERY SINGLE DAY LAST WEEK* from COVID-19 than were killed at Pearl Harbor. You don’t have to imagine what a Pearl Harbor or 9/11-scale tragedy happening every day with no end in sight would look like, because we are living that reality now. When we reflect on the greatest generation and the sacrifices they made to secure peace and prosperity in their time, and ask ourselves, have we done enough - everything in our power - to rein in this unfolding disaster, what will our answer be?Reposted from my middle and high school buddy @leizmonk and he recommended that I share with his permission....just finished another COVID-19 shift today, and I’m pooped.

This gallery and my new blogpost (https://monsoond

This gallery and my new blogpost (https://monsoondiaries.com/2021/05/01/st-croix) features my entire thought process + planning yesterday on what went into my first research monsoon after being fully vaccinated 4 months ago.Ideally:1) Get vaccinated and wait at least 2-3 weeks for the antibodies to fully kick in, because people keep forgetting that.2) Don’t wait too long to live before you burn out. There’s a balance to everything, especially with extremes. I don’t want to burn out; we all need one another for the rebuild.3) Redeem your miles / free tickets, especially if they have expiration dates and if you haven’t used them all year (remember miles DO NOT accrue interest and only get devalued over time the longer you wait)4) Depart from a safe place with low rates that you’ve lived in for at least 2-3 weeks (and never developed symptoms)5) Test negative for your own mental well-being, for others, and to clear any entry requirements for the destination.6) Choose an equally safe destination with equally or lower rates of infection/hospitalizations/deaths to create a “bubble” and where most activities are outdoors, and it’s easy to stay outdoors (USVI is a great example)7) Choose flights where you know the airports and even the flight itself will be as empty as possible (eg. early morning departures)8) Have multiple forms of face coverings ready to use in case things go south; be adaptable to all situations because that’s travel.You might luck out (or plan well enough ‘cuz luck is really preparation + opportunity) and hit all 8, but even if you don’t, the goal is to minimize any unnecessary risk, maximize your chances of preventing exposure, and remember is not what you do but how you do it. Good luck and recharge however you can responsibly!#safetravel #ethicaltravel #covid #covid19 #pandemictravel #howtotravelsafely #pandemic #mentalhealth #jetblue #healthcareheroes #jetbluehealthcareheroes #monsoondiaries #doyoutravel #travelblogging #monsooning #postvaccinetravel #lonelyplanet #livetravelchannel #theglobewanderer #love #backpacking #reopening #trip #travelawesome #wanderfolk #places_wow #passionpassport #travelblogger #travelplans #travels

“The Cassandra Complex” - the phenomenon from

“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 (swipe ➡️ to see what I mean).Despite having endured a crisis so visceral in NYC (or Italy, Wuhan, etc.) 4-5 months ago, and being grateful to have received enough international attention that we even felt hopeful that what we went through wouldn’t be repeated elsewhere, we‘d still end up feeling unheard and ignored.Because if what truly matters with our early experience and warnings was to save as many lives as possible, but to see instead so MANY would STILL get sick, permanently injured, or die unnecessarily around the country right now, we can’t help but now feel frustrated that our efforts couldn’t have a larger impact. That so many more lives may have been saved.“Canaries in coal mines,” “sacrificial lambs” — they at least serve the purpose that may lead to actions that could save a greater community. If we couldn’t even do that much for ours as the “canary” or “lamb”, could you imagine our devastating sense of helplessness?My moral injury lies in the agony over the alternative scenario — where IF the rest of the country HAD listened to us and been more prepared, leading to no other surges or death — people would’ve instead blamed NYC for “overreacting,” “shutting down everything unnecessarily,” or that we “did everything wrong and let so many die.”So which scenario would you rather have?1. Fewer people die and no more COVID surges thanks to your warnings BUT that means you would then get thrown under the bus afterwards, get blamed for your higher death numbers, or that you “overreacted,” etc. then they use that as an excuse to take away funding for healthcare/public health afterwards. 🤦🏻‍♂️2. More people die and many COVID surges because nobody listened to your warnings but “at least you’ll be proven right.” 🤦🏻‍♂️Now you have an idea of only ONE of the countless ethical and moral injuries that frontline healthcare workers wrestle with everyday. So please don’t forget us when this is all over.📸: @kareemblack

I told you there always will be a next wave. It wa

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 volumes are both higher and trickier to work through, and this time there’s no more out-of-state volunteers around to help (everyone’s got COVID problems of their own now). Burnout never went away. The 7pm applause is long gone (and we expected that)...but we still have student loans, I still don’t have access to a PAPR, and many colleagues are asking me for job referrals, struggling to pay off those loans because of all those elective surgeries cancelled across hospital systems mean less pay.Is the next wave just 🦠? Or is it dismay, disappointment & discouragement? Travel had been a distraction from those feelings, but now without travel it’s COVID. Many of us had a hunch we’d be thrown under the bus — healthcare workers have been more accustomed to fighting for others that we soon forget how to defend ourselves, but I don’t think many of us are close to becoming emotionally prepared when we finally arrive at that reality.This new wave therefore differs from the first. The sequel brews insidiously, festering within a status quo of willful ignorance, conspiracies or complacency. Those of us who paid attention always knew that the system was not just “about to collapse:” It already has. Collapsed because your friendly local frontline healthcare worker probably has felt overwhelmed for months and then neglected by a society they swore oaths to protect. How many of us have died this year? How many types of “rationing care” have already been implemented across the country? How would any of it be considered sustainable for a developed nation when our next public health crisis could be right around the corner?The vaccine may be on the horizon, but damage has been done; it’s already too late for some of us. Hopefully the next wave I’m riding on is the one where we rebuild.Until then, back to work ✌️Surprise 🖼 by @alisonlaneart based on a 📸 by @kareemblack, and ➡️ “hero” series by @mjhiblenart

We are taking a step closer to reclaiming our narr

We are taking a step closer to reclaiming our narratives again. April 6th, 2021 was a big day for many here in NY, with vaccines finally made available for our general population 16 years and older. That meant the last remaining portions of our adult social circles finally got to experience the overwhelming relief that I had felt nearly 5 months ago to this day on December 16, 2020. Today is yours.And as I stood on the other side of the looking glass at the @javitscenter yesterday for a tour — an anonymous observer overwhelmed by the emotion there — I watched as how countless strangers quietly united themselves for a collective emotion of catharsis, as if for even a moment they were finally in control of their own destinies again. And in that eternity moment I knew what I was witnessing: an entire generation finally reclaiming the rights to narratives brutally interrupted, and a possible respite to the interminable 13 month promise of “what could’ve been” that had been robbed from them since the pandemic first started. There will undoubtedly always be another hurdle to overcome, but on a long enough timeline we will celebrate more than what we will have mourned. There will undoubtedly always be another narrative to reclaim. Today’s is yours. Congratulations.

My 2nd & final dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

My 2nd & final dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is now in the books. But our war is not over yet.The British variant of COVID-19 “B117” is bad enough, but the South African variant “501Y.V2” has a mutated EK484K gene that reduces the ability of existing antibodies to recognize it and therefore could make some vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapy less (but still better than nothing) effective. This also definitely creates a possibility for reinfection. Until more data proves the currently existing vaccines are good enough, now is not the time to celebrate.I know this is exhausting. It all seems like 2 steps forward, 3 steps back. But we stay in the fight and push forward. Because even in the abandon of a chaotic and unfair world, our continued struggle to champion life even in the face of futility can create meaning within meaninglessness. As much as I wanted to post my vaccine shot ASAP yesterday, I still had to work through a shift while also trying not to be distracted when our democracy was being kicked in the face. It felt meaningless to post anything, let alone work shifts at all under these conditions. But may we still persist for hope within hopelessness.So here’s some hope: it’s now been 24 hours since my 2nd dose of the 💉 and the side effect of my one-armed push ups game (let alone on that very arm that got the vaccine) is still going strong 💪. I’ve signed up for more ER shifts into the Spring, still wear face coverings, and will still delay travel plans. This is not the time to let up and run across no man’s land before a ceasefire has been signed.I will also remind myself that this has never been a zero sum game, never black or white. Rather it has become an emotionally laborious and perpetual dance of progress and setbacks. With political turmoil and daily death tolls in our country, slow rollouts, encouraging data on the vaccines’ efficacy, second waves, and new mutations, it seems impossible to discern between whether we really are retreating or progressing. But I choose to still find meaning in the void. I choose what to worship. And I choose to see 2 steps back, 3 steps forward and onwards.

There’s only so many ways I can write this. 8 m

There’s only so many ways I can write this.8 months ago when my late grandfather felt a fever come on, he asked me whether to visit an ER that I knew was already overwhelmed and running out of beds. I told him to wait instead so I could first send him a pulse ox. However he brushed me aside, went anyway that night, and never returned. Today as I watch my country burn as far as California, I feel equally inconsequential.Liz (@newyorkcity) and I’ve acknowledged in recent conversations that we must be grateful for at least still having the privilege and space of even processing these emotions. But don’t think for a second that daily expressions of gratitude can shield us from the frustration of seeing countless suffer and an indifference by countless others. While many of us have struggled to warn, protect, prevent — whether or not in vain — all the privilege in the world can’t heal helplessness.And yet this hidden force (Is it Privilege? Conscience? Karma? Self Righteousness? God? Purpose? Empathy? Love? Habit?) remains, committing us to a responsibility where we may at least validate those kindred peers out there who struggle alone in their grief. Perhaps if we could reach even one person, who then can help another loved one, entire communities can be protected.I’ve been angry at various people this year for many reasons, but I realize none of it was worth it. I instead direct most of my rage at an age-old institution of socialized behaviors that has encouraged self-serving entitlement to eclipse compassion. Again, I don’t want this to be a self-righteous condemnation of anyone in particular — we’ve all been part of the problem. We’ve all stumbled and forgiven ourselves. But among my many imperfections as a human, I still strive for self-awareness, to learn, separate myself from my own bad habits, and at least not put anyone in harm’s way. I only wish the rest of my world could also collectively surrender a little entitlement and want the same. Only then can we stop perpetuating a vicious culture.So even as inconsequential as this post may be, may we continue to burn, burn, burn with rage rather than become indifferent. May we stay human.

Exactly 1 year ago today - March 8, 2020, 7am at a

Exactly 1 year ago today - March 8, 2020, 7am at a Brooklyn emergency room - my first COVID-19 patient walked through the door.Since then: one tragic year of countless patients treated, counseled, lost, and grieved, with even more lives upended and altered forever. We grappled with a year of the virus, and also a year of entitlement and willful ignorance exacerbating a pandemic of institutionalized injustice, iniquity, and violence in all its forms. March 2020-21 felt like signing up for a Shirley Jackson-esque lottery you didn’t want to participate in, or having us run naked into a hurricane and somehow expecting us to come out just fine (We didn’t). Burying loved ones, colleagues and friends, we continued taking care of patients as if they were our very own loved ones, colleagues, and friends. Many times they actually were. And many times it felt that the loudest of voices still turned their backs on us, skeptical of our efforts or even the existence of an existential threat. Too much to fathom for a year. Who cares for the carer? Who heals the healers?Prior to the pandemic I felt having traveled to 190+ countries while a full time med student turned doctor bestowed me countless lifetimes the past decade. That past decade now pales to the countless lifetimes I feel to have lived this past year alone. Died and reborn everytime we felt a lump in our throats or aching chests, we always woke up for the next shift more of a shell of the person we had gone to bed as. But until none of us are left, we always have and we still always will run into fires lifting up our fallen vulnerable as if it was our birthright to existence.Therefore a year of perseverance against seemingly insurmountable odds will remind us of our humanity. For every faceless chimera that doubted us, hundreds more good samaritans validated us. So if there were anything to celebrate a catastrophic year of, it’d be those brethren, allies, and accomplices guaranteeing that our efforts - and not those who fearfully choose to be on the wrong side of history - will be remembered long after this year and long after we’re gone. Forging fiercely ahead together, here’s to better years to come.

This morning’s storm while digging out of anothe

This morning’s storm while digging out of another storm. We’ve been getting used to it.While the post-holiday travel infection wave already has been bad enough, we haven’t even recovered fully yet to even worry about what could happen after today.When can I go back to posting photos like these simply because they’re pretty? 😅#socializeresponsibly #superbowl2021 #superbowlsunday

NYC always bounces back. New Yorkers always bounce

NYC always bounces back. New Yorkers always bounce back. And one of the side effects 3 months after getting the COVID-19 vaccine? I can now levitate.Current data from regions that now have over 60% of their population vaccinated shows that their COVID-19 infection cases begin to fall dramatically after at least 30% of their population become immunized. At the time of this post, we still have ways to go at 15%. Until then, more people will die from COVID-19 with thousands of deaths a day (5400+ died yesterday, averaging 3000 deaths/day the past week).The good news is that in the past 11 months of 173 million people *vaccinated*, 0 people have died from COVID-19 after getting the vaccine. And 0 of those *fully* vaccinated have been hospitalized from COVID-19. Contrast 0 with 3000-5400 deaths a day from COVID-19 in the past 11 months... with ~110 million infections & 2.38 million deaths (481,000 dead in the USA alone) *without a vaccine.*And remember because millions more are getting and will get vaccinated, many will still coincidentally have heart attacks, strokes, etc. after their shots. Please do not dwell on every single one of them in real time as they’ll just psych you out and you end up ironically dying from COVID instead — the COVID-19 variants are still bigger threats and true enemies. As if someone on a train gets a heart attack or my getting injured trying to levitate, it doesn’t mean trains should be banned. Life isn’t a zero sum game.Furthermore, the primary purpose of all vaccines is to prevent death and severe symptoms so we don’t overwhelm our ERs and hospitals, NOT necessarily to prevent spread or infections. The latter is just a bonus cherry on top once EVERYone is immunized. Therefore the vaccine is not your hall pass for wanton irresponsibility for pent-up demand right now until COVID-19 rates go back to pre-pandemic flu-like “endemic” levels. Nobody is safe until all of us are safe.And these variants are still out there. If you can afford to, double mask yourself until this passes. Because masks hasn’t killed 3000-5400 people a day, COVID has. Don’t be so fragile; being confident enough to promote risk mitigation is way sexier.

This “nevertheless struggle” — After the pas

This “nevertheless struggle” — After the past 14 months of however much daily info & updates we’ve disseminated, colleagues domestic and abroad we’ve warned, my posts written about “exasperation,” or feeling “inconsequential,” “rage,” and living the “Cassandra Complex,” none of it was enough to prevent the same horror from happening elsewhere.Whenever we learn about the chaos occurring in another part of the world — hospitals out of oxygen, scam treatments, family members brought in alive one minute and found dead the next — we feel as if we’re reliving a broken record of our own experiences of yesteryear.But even when we had been far less prepared with no proven treatments or vaccines, we still hoped people would finally listen and the chaos would end by summer. Some of us still hold onto that hope.Taking a step back this past week to write and recharge on this research monsoon, I’ve gathered that perhaps the obvious secret is to understand that none of us will ever truly be invulnerable from plague — whether it’s a literal 🦠 or the figurative fallibility of human nature amidst the chaos of the universe: To believe one will be immune to “anything” is a dance with the absurd. Instead I’m redirecting greater meaning to what we can effect now within our immediate abilities when facing the task at hand. Even the smallest efforts to alleviate suffering — whether assisting from abroad, fighting fires directing, or simply minimizing harm to others — can make the biggest difference. Even if we were to accept how we all are imperfect, one step away from becoming monsters now or again, or always doomed to an inevitable, the redemption lies in the “nevertheless struggle” for a better future amidst the bedlam.And with this monsoon already becoming a memory, I look forward returning home recharged and back into embracing our chaos.🖼: @tanukimi.s of @facesofcoronavirus

Lis-“bon” There…But Haven’t Done That! (fu

Lis-“bon” There…But Haven’t Done That!(full blogpost link in bio! or go here: https://monsoondiaries.com/2021/07/10/lisbon/)Last minute $338 USD roundtrip airfare, 1 hour turnaround on a negative RT-PCR at work, a tattered 7-month-old vaccine card at check-in, and clearances by both Spanish and Portuguese travel portals: Now I’m briefly in Lisbon while on the way to Azores and Madeira; it’s been 10 years since the last time I was here!The even more surprising part was running into friends with the same mindset not even within 3 hours of landing; another travel serendipity that would less recalled for me what life had been like before the pandemic, but rather how lucky we are and what we’ve endured together to get this far to the next step and other side.So before the next storm, “live now (responsibly).” And I shall.#thevaccinatedtraveler #vaccinatedtravel #monsoondiaries #portugal #lisbon #lisboa #belem #europe #vaccinated #doyoutravel #bbctravel #guardiantravelsnaps #lastminutetravel #natgeotravelpic #livetravelchannel #theglobewanderer #pandemictravel #wonderful_places #covidtravel #travelawesome #wanderlust #wanderfolk #mybudgettravel #backpacking #passionpassport #travelblogger #travelphotography #serendipity #carpediem #travelstory

What Wuhan did for Asia, Italy for Europe, and NYC

What Wuhan did for Asia, Italy for Europe, and NYC for the Americas, small pockets of humanity that had tried to contain the worst of the pandemic also became inadvertent lighthouses for the world and warned them of imminent dangers to come.Today on our country’s birthday, those of us in NYC emerging from the trenches now wonder at what has transpired beyond our borders this entire time: we’re getting a sense of déjà vu reading reports of overcrowded ERs, maxed out ICU beds, hospitals put on diversion, systems collapsing, shortage of ventilators, and patients not getting the care they need. Have our efforts been in vain?Lighthouses still serve the purpose of warning approaching ships of danger. NYC tried to do the same for the rest of the country for 3 months. Don’t let us down.===Full blogpost: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/07/03/maine/Phrase of the month: “pent-up demand.” If one of the side effects of quarantine is overeating, I’m a victim. Thanks for feeding me and breaking my 3 months of intermittent fasting, Portland.Not as many taking strict precautions (face coverings, indoor dining restrictions, physical distancing) here as there were in Rhode Island, but the there was a “certificate of compliance” all travelers had to sign at check-in (I would find out, however, that New Yorkers would be exempt from signing after ME’s gov determined we controlled the virus well enough). But that certificate was on the honor code too...🤷‍♂️#maine #portland #lighthouse #lobster #me #coronavirus #covid19 #love #travel #covidtravel #pandemic #coronavirustravel #coronatravel #covid19travel #monsoondiaries #love #gf #guardiantravelsnaps #trip #roadtrip #wonderful_places #travelawesome #wanderfolk #places_wow #passionpassport #travelblogger #travelphotography #travels #newengland #livetravelchannel

I’ll just keep it simple for your newsfeed today

I’ll just keep it simple for your newsfeed today: Racist, misogynist domestic terrorism.Consider how some have been through enough and/or overspent enough energy on trying to educate and explain for the longest time. Do your due diligence if you want to help and fight with us if it’s worth your cause; we’ll stick be busy putting out the fires that have been burning long before we were born.It’s also not just Asian violence. Do your due diligence.p.s. and “fed up, “bad day” my ass. We’re all fed up and having a bad day.

Day 3 - From Madison, WI to Sioux Falls, SD: “WE

Day 3 - From Madison, WI to Sioux Falls, SD: “WE DON’T POOP”. Aiming to inspire you to imagine a world after a pandemic. Counting down to our Cyprus trip on June 7, 2021 (our first international monsoon since February 2020), we present Day 3 (vlog by @noeleentong) of our road trip across America from NYC to Seattle (within 10 days in an RV) — before we finally premiere the epic 26 minute aftermovie of our journey directed, edited, and composed by the masterful @rauburnin on June 6, 2021.Day 3 takes us from Madison, WI to Sioux Falls, SD where we pick up Brandon, whom we last met in Armenia randomly 3 years ago November ’18. Follow along as 7 monsooners travel from coast to coast to recharge and recuperate after 5 months of suffering on the frontlines in the epicenter of our pandemic. We look forward to rebuilding towards a more ethical and sustainable way of travel.#pandemictravel #covidtravel #travelingduringcovid #rv #roadtrip #pandemicroadtrip #roadtripamerica #usa #usaroadtrip #travelblogger #siouxfalls #mentalhealth #travelblog #usaroadtrip #covidroadtrip #travelsafe #safetravel #vlog #travelvlog #travelvlogging #travelblogging #domestictravel #travelingram #sd #bbctravel #guardiantravelsnaps #natgeo #madison #livetravelchannel #roadrules@instamihaela @thesavvyrogue @reesmandan @eviejoymusic @a_may_sin @becoming_k_rn

It’s now been more than 14 days since the 14 of

It’s now been more than 14 days since the 14 of us have returned from our 3 week trip across 25 states across the country (twice) and our group is now well out of the window where 99.8% of those infected with COVID-19 would have already developed symptoms, let alone infect anyone else. And. We. All. Remain. Negative. For. COVID-19.No symptoms, all negative tests, nobody else around us sick, and everyone is safely back home with too many happy tears shed, memories to sort out, our lives altered for the better, and the realization we both had our cake and ate it too — we pulled off epic coast-to-coast, ocean-to-ocean travel AND returned safely, where the biggest thing on my plate since has been writing this emotional throwback blogpost that tries to sum it all up: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/09/09/usa/And beyond my blog, this monsoon has also ended up on national news with countless eyeballs like yours having paid attention — and we’ve been informed we are possibly one of — if not the very first — official adventure travel group consisting of complete strangers-turned-friends to consummate an ethical, safe, and minimal-footprint trip (that still happened to be epic in every sense of the word) during the era of COVID-19.But that was never our goal. Our goal was to prove to you and ourselves that it’s not about WHAT you do but HOW you do it: Safe travel for the sake of recharging your mental health and without affecting others is indeed possible during a pandemic if you plan and execute it responsibly. We. Are. All. Living. Proof.So see y’all back on the road. And here’s to many more monsoons to come.📸: @rauburnin

“I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act

“I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.”Full blogpost (with video recap — Yes finally doing daily vlogging!) on our first day of responsible and ethical traveling (domestically) in the era of COVID-19: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/08/08/ohio-gozaimasu/5 of us @instamihaela, @rauburnin, @noeleentong, @thesavvyrogue and myself have just left yesterday, embarking on our new home for 10 days — a 27’ class C motorhome we have tentatively named “Wayne.”We swung by Eastern PA where we say hi to @rachel_zxen for lunch and press onwards into Ohio, stopping for the night outside Cuyhoga Falls.Today: Chicago & Madison, WI!“All of life is a foreign country.”_________#covıd19 #covid #covid19 #covid_19 #coronavirus #covidtravel2020 #covidtraveldiaries #mytravelgram #travelgram #travelingram #monsoondiaries #doyoutravel #bbctravel #roadtrip2020 #roadtrip #roadtripusa #roadtrippin #livetravelchannel #theglobewanderer #coronatravel #covidtravels #wonderful_places #covidtraveltips #travelawesome #wanderfolk #places_wow #rv #travelblogger #travelphotography #travels monsoondiaries.com

Rally Against Hate - March 21, 2021: Don’t Take

Rally Against Hate - March 21, 2021: Don’t Take The Bait. Posting our speeches last Sunday in full.Exactly 231 years ago today on March 26, 1790, the U.S. enacted its first immigration law.Today in observance of this year’s increased visibility of an interminable pattern of violence against our (and we don’t just mean AAPI) communities, March 26th will mark a Virtual Day of Action against hate.This will lead up to tomorrow on March 27th, which will mark a national day of action in at least 60 cities across the country.I usually prefer transcripts in lieu of viewing or posting the videos of any of my speeches. But this week I debated whether any nagging silence among multiple pandemics that would lend complicity to what makes me rage. This video was filmed and edited (while letting me post with their blessings) by @eastsidestoriesnyc — as we declare our truths loudly into the universe: Why do we allow for a world that still teaches us to hate and fear the witches than the people who burned them alive? Don’t take the bait. Keep your focus on the Death Star, and less so the TIE fighters.Thank you to co-speakers Natty and @michelle.lee.md, rally organizers @welcome.to.chinatown @sendchinatownlove @whitecoats.against.asianhate @mrbenwei @jackliang @iamjohnxu @oliverpras @eastsidestoriesnyc for inviting me into this space. And thank you to all our forefathers for fighting and dying for rights so we can still do this today. Forgive us as we atone for our sins and learn to not take the bait as we become better together. #wearegolden #blackandgold #atoneforoursins #intersectionality #dothework #accomplicesnotallies #infiltratewithlove #decolonizeyourmind #unfucktheworld #rallyagainsthate #protectourelders #speakyourtruth #speakitintoexistence #nojusticenopeace #rageagainstthemachine #stopasianhate #stopaapihate #rage #protest #rally #saytheirnames #decolonizemedicine #decolonizethisplace #decolonize #antiracism #antimisogyny #antitransphobia #antiracismeducation #love #donttakethebait

For every minute we mourn makes for another minute

For every minute we mourn makes for another minute we fight.We‘ve grieved the loss of too many and too much this year: today we hold vigil to now one million dead from this pandemic around the world — 200,000 of them in this country alone. Furthermore, I’m beginning to witness how the collective innocence of an entire generation has become another casualty. Some of us are numb with tragedy, crisis fatigue is the new normal, and we are becoming another statistic, “missing in action.”Since my father‘s sudden death when I was a teenager, I first survived — and then thrived — on a habit of reframing every loss as an opportunity to build something new in its place. This year I’ve relied on that practice more than ever: I actively ignore and extirpate the toxic, I surround myself with the reliably good, write freely as I have always, I travel (responsibly), I channel gratitude, I let myself cry. And this daily catharsis that has kept me alive since childhood all lead me to the same conclusion: to fill the massive void 2020 has done upon us we can at the very least honor the memory of whatever or whomever we lost by actively constructing a better world than the one that they’ve left behind. I’ll say this again: We are the survivors. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.As long as there is breath, there is will. When they build walls, we will be the ones to tear them down.#voteAnd get your flu shot.#redemption2020 #reframeyourthoughts #saytheirnames #covid #covid19 #coronavirus #pandemic #mentalhealth #introspection #rbg #ruthbaderginsburg #ruth #vote2020 #frontlineworkers #perspective #healthcareworkers #pandemic2020 #redemption #memorial #griefjourney #mentalhealth #radicalselflove #radicalselfcare #whywefight #whywemarch #vigil #election2020 #voteforourlives #nojusticenopeace

Swipe ➡️ | Focus on the cure, and don’t get

Swipe ➡️ | Focus on the cure, and don’t get distracted by the symptoms. We’ve done this before, been here before. We’ve spoken up for each other, rallied, worked, and won together before. Our rights that our forefathers died for yesterday and we take for granted today were not achieved in silos.But when the powers that be are threatened by solidarity movements, they’ll fight back by compelling our communities to betray and abandon each other so they can maintain a power system that allows for a pandemic to kill so many, absolves violent scapegoating for a pandemic (or any tragedy for that matter), closes the door on a victim, and moralizes mass murder (“having a bad day?”). The sins of abandonment is on us; atonement and reckoning must be recognized lest we take the bait again.We’ll do our due diligence, learn the history so we won’t be simple-minded; so we won’t perpetuate violent cycles and let the unjustifiable actions of horrible people speak for, generalize, or bring down entire communities. We won’t allow them that kind of power over others.Like the plot-lines to facism, British Colonial India/America, South African apartheid, The Avengers or Captain America: Civil War, it’s the oldest trick: Get us angry, distracted, and divided, and we’re defeated. But some of us are smarter than that.Don’t get me wrong: let yourself to be angry. You’re not on trial for your thoughts. But the actions afterwards count; focus on sustainable change by dismantling the background radiation that encourages/sanctions this kind of violence meant to divide us — aka a system where security guards can close the door on a 65 yo Filipina woman, or a deputy who peddles anti-Asian T-shirts can be assigned to a mass shooting case against Asians where he’s then confident enough to say on TV that the shooter was “having a bad day.” That’s the real target — Focus on taking out the Death Star before it destroys your planet, and not those pesky TIE fighters that the Death Star is trying to distract you with. Focus on curing the person, not chasing after the symptoms.“Stick together team.” Don’t get distracted. We’ve done this before and we can do it again.

Live on yahoo! Finance - March 30, 2021: 3 reasons

Live on yahoo! Finance - March 30, 2021: 3 reasons why cases are rising. Spoke live on @yahoofinance 2 days ago on the inflection point we’re in now; feeling like putting out fires everywhere — COVID-19, intersectional organizing, working 16 hour shifts, and taking care of myself. No rest for the weary. Here are the main updates:Outbreaks in the NE and Upper Midwest are growing in 37 states with rates increasing and staying high. The number of hospitalizations over the past two weeks continue to be flat instead of falling. That means they’re still filling up and we’re not slowing the pour.While deaths are still falling, that is a lagging indicator behind hospitalizations by a few weeks (remember you don’t immediately die from COVID-19 the moment you have symptoms or get hospitalized; that can take a few weeks).Why is this happening?1. Mandates can only do so much if the effort is half-hearted, not all businesses or states are enforcing them, individuals refuse to follow them, and especially if governors are relaxing restrictions even in states where cases are rising2. Variants: The B117 variant is continuing to become the dominant variant here and in 130 other countries. The B1351 (South African) increased from 5 to 80 countries and the P1 (Brazilian) variant is in 45 countries. While our vaccines work well against the more contagious B117, that may not the case with the every other variant.3. All the spring breakers are returning home and bringing COVID-19 with them to us. Most of my positive cases since last Thursday were spring break travel-related or someone exposed to another who traveled for spring break.Keep in mind only a mere 16% of our population are *fully* vaccinated, most of them older. That’s not enough.Lastly, the UN COVAX program that was supposed to ensure distribution of vaccines to all countries is not working. Many developing countries do not have access and may not have it for months to years. Nobody is safe until all of us are safe.Therefore like last year, this April will be another inflection point: Will we have a spike in new cases and end up like last year? or will we escape that fate with our vaccine programs? We’ll see over the next month. If you must do anything social, stay outdoors.

My father told me he was proud of me for the first

My father told me he was proud of me for the first time on Saturday June 3rd, 2006. He seemed surprised when it came out of him, but then promised he was supposed to tell me why later. He died suddenly and without warning exactly a week later.I lost him exactly 15 years and 10 days ago today, his funeral being 15 years ago on Father’s Day. We also still have yet to arrange a funeral for my grandfather who died 14 months ago from COVID-19. I never got to meet my other grandfather.So while this day should be for everyone, may we — especially after 15 months of loss — also value those without fathers, who struggle in their relationships with their fathers, have never reconciled or yet to reconcile with their fathers, never knew their fathers, or no longer have fathers. This day is for us too.#fathersday #inmemoryof #inmemoriam

Wherever I go I know I can always count on a fully

Wherever I go I know I can always count on a fully immunized group of reliable ride-or-die crew to follow through and join. Showing up is 90% of the battle.When 11 responsible and fully vaccinated monsooners – 4 of whom have traveled with me before – jump on for an experience for which a majority would have otherwise gotten cold feet, I’d find that it would be a bigger risk now to not risk anything at all.Travel might still not be for everyone these days, but if we can plan a trip that is ethical and sustainable on an island with historically low rates, filled with proven COVID-19 negative and fully vaccinated individuals, and without making any impact on our communities at large (especially those of us who waited out travel for over a year), this is how we may better recharge before whatever next crisis is around the corner.Here are the main safety precautions our group has taken for this trip: Can I trust you? A critical mass of the group personally knows, worked with or already have traveled with me AND each other in the past, whether in international conflict zones or with nearly impossible itineraries. This familiarity of having been through difficult travel circumstances already establishes a critical mass of trust and a culture of safety.Is everyone healthy and fully vaccinated?Yep. Otherwise Cyprus wouldn’t even let you in. No brainer!Have we minimized all controllable variables?We’re all coming from low prevalence areas such as NYC, not setting foot in any high risk layovers, only traveling to low-risk outdoor areas, avoiding indoor public spaces, large gatherings and hotspots, and we can easily seal ourselves from the outside world if necessary in our private vehicles. Contingency plans (location of hospitals in each location, immediate isolation precautions, how groups will be separated) have been planned ahead and we performed thorough orientations to manage all the expectations inherent in unpredictable travel.Full roster of our trip here: https://monsoondiaries.com/2021/05/28/meet-the-cypriots/The trip begins tomorrow. Follow us live for as we explore Cyprus for the first time the next week!

“The sweet is never as sweet without the sour.”After hitting a few walls on our way to visit the walled-off abandoned ghost city of Varosha, the Cyprus monsoon crew finally made it through today as one of the first visitors since 1974 on our 2nd attempt.Check out the stories in the Cyprus highlight!— Context: In the early 1970s, this city was one of the top tourist destinations in Cyprus if not the world, where movie stars chose here as their preferred destination away from Hollywood. Then as what had happened in Pripyat/Chernobyl, its entire population quickly abandoned the city in 1974 when they had received news that the Turkish army were advancing from the north, after which the army took control and walled off the entire city. It has been frozen in time ever since.https://monsoondiaries.com/2021/06/12/varosha/

6 days ago on my birthday, I was having dinner wit

6 days ago on my birthday, I was having dinner with a few friends who simply wanted to catch up before a possible 2nd NYC lockdown; none of them knowing that it was my birthday at the time. I was okay with that; I guess as you get older — especially during a worldwide pandemic — you don’t need to be reminded anymore that everyday should be a celebration of life and we should just be grateful for the company.That’s when I got the late night dinner-interrupting phone call from the NYC Marathon Medical Director asking I could at the last minute organize a ragtag crack squad of medical volunteers for a never-done-before pandemic-proofed Macy’s Thanksgiving Day (Virtual) Parade by the next day. I said yes without hesitating.Within hours, the 45 of us — whether from the annual NYC marathon or via a random DM on Instagram — rallied together as strangers and colleagues for a common purpose. As if the universe was dancing to the familiar tune of irony, it felt like the past 5 days have become that delayed birthday celebration I was supposed to have all along.And with this experience already becoming another memory, I’m grateful for another birthday I’ll never forget, as if I have been celebrating the past 5 days with so many wonderful souls that make this city what it is, who remind me what’s worth living for in a year like 2020.So on a day like Thanksgiving, in a year like no other, all I can say is: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Without you, this could never have been.

Day 7 - From Jackson, WY to Yellowstone: “NO PHO

Day 7 - From Jackson, WY to Yellowstone: “NO PHONE SERVICE!”. Less than a week left! We’re Counting down to Cyprus beginning June 7, 2021 — our upcoming first international monsoon since Feb 2020. It’s now Day 7 (vlog by @noeleentong) of our road trip from NYC to Seattle within 10 days in an RV and in 6 days we’ll finally premiere the epic 26 minute aftermovie of our trip directed, edited, and composed by the masterful @rauburnin on June 6, 2021.Day 7 puts us back on the road towards Yellowstone National Park @yellowstonenps and Old Faithful. Follow along as 7 monsooners travel from coast to coast to recharge and recuperate after 5 months of suffering on the frontlines in the epicenter of our pandemic. We look forward to rebuilding towards a more ethical and sustainable way of travel.#pandemictravel #covidtravel #travelingduringcovid #rv #roadtrip #pandemicroadtrip #roadtripamerica #usa #usaroadtrip #travelblogger #jackson #yellowstone #travelblog #usaroadtrip #covidroadtrip #yellowstonenationalpark #wy #vlog #travelvlog #travelvlogging #travelblogging #domestictravel #wyoming #doyoutravel #bbctravel #guardiantravelsnaps #natgeo #natgeotravelpic #livetravelchannel #roadrules@instamihaela @thesavvyrogue @reesmandan @eviejoymusic @a_may_sin @becoming_k_rn

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