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monsoondiaries

🩺NYC Emergency Physician⚕️
✈️ 190 countries in 10yrs while a fulltime student➡️doctor, taking others along
🗺Ethical adventure travel post-pandemic

Live on yahoo! Finance - April 5, 2021: “We are

Live on yahoo! Finance - April 5, 2021: “We are at an inflection point.”. I can take the @marvel @marvelstudios pop culture references only so far when talking about COVID-19. Need to make it stick for different audiences...but it really makes the best sense to me as a relatable analogy so far.Either way, we’re truly at an inflection point. I want to be wrong in that things could get worse. Prove me wrong. Our destinies are in your hands....#frontlinehealthcareworkers #frontliners #thisisourshot #covid #covid19 #covid_19 #corona #coronavirus #pandemic2020 #pandemic #nurselife #frontline #healthcareworkers #healthcare #residency #gratitude #vaccine #doctorlife #medschool #residencylife #vaccinated #fuckcovid #emergencymedicine #doctor #medicalstudent #hope #covidkindness #fightagainstcoronavirus #covidphotodiaries #medstudentlife

Why do we live in a world that still teaches us to

Why do we live in a world that still teaches us to hate and fear the witches more than the people who burned them alive?Swipe ➡️ in gallery for the full transcript (and notes); please forgive any typos or errors.1. Cover photo @cathleenishangry2. Video clip by @meljeng @alfred.yo @musicwithmissalice — holler to our @ecaasu days and whose speech earlier you must see)3. Nine years ago here — my heart rages not knowing whether things improved or changed since4.-7. Transcript of speech with notes8. Photo @yochrisjames9. My view of the rally backstage10. Photo @cathleenishangryThank you @welcome.to.chinatown @sendchinatownlove @eastsidestoriesnyc @mrbenwei @jackliang @iamjohnxu @michelle.lee.md @whitecoats.against.asianhate the MC @oliverpras @fungbros for organizing the afternoon rally (and inviting me into this space) as well as @thatcoffeyboy @powermalu and @runningtoprotest for organizing the morning protest and giving us that momentum. Now it’s about keeping up that momentum, stop our circular firing squads (ie not take the bait and fight over breadcrumbs, which calculated plans have maintained the power for fallible institutions that had stolen the bread all along and want to keep us fighting over breadcrumbs), hold this newly reinforced intersectional line and push forward against racist violence just as how we held a newly reinforced line against COVID and pushed forward. If we‘ve been doing it for one pandemic, we’ll recharge and do it for another. Let’s disassemble and rebuild a new world where we can all collectively live our lives in peace and not have to come back and do this again in 9 years.Opening caption quote inspired by Brett Bramble via Stephanie Grant RN while at the same time I was watching the final episodes of Wandavision.

The most exciting adventures are those taken on th

The most exciting adventures are those taken on the road less traveled - such as exploring the White Desert with Bedouins.The White Desert felt like being on another planet with its massive calcium rock formations. These massive formations, such as the “Chicken and Mushroom,” are carved by wind erosion. This is the same way that rock formations have been made on Mars! So, for that 48 hours, we really were on another planet.To learn more about the hidden gem of the Sahara Desert, check out the blog at monsoondiaries.com!

Antibodies from a COVID-19 infection = Iron Man su

Antibodies from a COVID-19 infection = Iron Man suit built in a cave under duressAntibodies from a COVID-19 vaccine = Iron Man suit built in Tony Stark’s laboratoryWhich one would the Avengers rather have to protect Earth against future threats/variants?#justsayin

The events of 2020 have made me feel as if I’ve

The events of 2020 have made me feel as if I’ve lived through so many lifetimes that when I now wake up under these unfamiliar ceilings in unrecognizable beds across America, I sometimes forget who I am anymore.And yet I’m comforted to know that whatever I might wake up as and wherever I am, I’m not alone in the world.“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 steam outside, and the creak of the old wood of the hotel, and footsteps upstairs, and all the sad sounds, and I looked at the cracked high ceiling and really didn’t know who I was for about fifteen strange seconds. I wasn’t scared; I was just somebody else, some stranger, and my whole life was a haunted life, the life of a ghost.”#breakin #oregoncoast #oregon #washington #hohrainforest #mentalhealth #covid #covid19 #coronavirus #coronatravel #covidtravel #pandemictravel #pandemic2020 #monsoondiaries #bboy #covid19travel #roadtrip #usa #americanroadtrip #roadtrippin #pacificcoasthighway #breakdancing #ontheroad #coronatravel #travelblogger #travelphotography #travels #doctor #doctorlife #recovery

“Let’s never come here again because it will n

“Let’s never come here again because it will never be as much fun.”.The past 10 years of travel have been about experiencing new places, venturing into the unknown, learning about myself, learning about others, and creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences.But something I’ve learned, over and over again, is that many times I’m wrong. And visiting each place only once is one more thing I was wrong about. There is a different kind of beauty and adventure that comes with returning to a place you’ve been before. As I round up the last of my firsts in new countries, I’m now excited to return to places I’ve been before, witnessing changes and to feel simultaneously like I’m home and somewhere new.So what about you — where would you go again?Or need a suggestion? We’re heading to Algeria next ➡️ monsoondiaries.com

Sleeping under the arctic sun. monsoondiaries.com

Sleeping under the arctic sun.monsoondiaries.com.....#greenland #greenlandscape #beautifulnature #visitgreenland #fjords #greenlandpioneer #grønland #naturenerd #roamtheearth #geologyrocks #icebergs #earthscience #icebergrightahead #monsoondiaries #beautifuldestinations #doyoutravel #bbctravel #travelphotography #instatravel #natgeotravel #doyoutravel #livetravelchannel #wonderful_places #naturephotography #sunset #sunrise #travelblogger #travelgram #guardiantravelsnaps #sunriseporn

TLDR: It's time to play offense on COVID-19 About

TLDR: It's time to play offense on COVID-19About 9 weeks ago I had written how in the middle of the tsunami of the first wave, the safest assumption (with the relative little information we had) at the time was that one should come to the ER only if they had a life and limb threatening emergency and to minimize any unnecessary exposure to, or spread of, COVID-19 for the sake of saving as many lives as possible. The goal was to keep everyone who was otherwise healthy or could improve on their own, out of what was the equivalent of being drowned unnecessarily in flooded buildings filled with sick patients.Now that the floods have subsided and patient volumes continue to decrease across ERs in NYC (thanks to you and our communities working together!), I have time now to ruminate over what exactly just happened in the past 2 months: the overwhelming number of patients, rampant cross-contamination, fear for personal safety, afflicted friends, hyper-coagulation, cytokine storms, sudden deaths, and burying my grandfather.They are now giving one of my nightmares a name: Silent Hypoxia. To this day I can still see it all too clearly -- Patients that appear well one minute, suddenly collapsing into respiratory failure and cardiac arrest in the next. Simply put: patients who seemed to get better but then died. Patients like my grandfather.Therefore during our temporary ceasefire we should not only prepare ourselves for a possible next surge, let alone an even more challenging flu season under the shadow of COVID-19, but also switch gears in making sure we don't present TOO late to the ER: Instead of acquiescing to a new harbinger of inevitable sudden death, how do we now prevent it? When circumstances begin to change, so must our dance: Sometimes we need to freestyle, sometimes we need to tango. If you or anyone you know are high risk or will ever be diagnosed with COVID-19, but still feel well enough to stay home (as to not spread the virus to others), I suggest to be more aggressive with the following: (Continued below in my comments 👇🏼)

IGTV sneak preview: An Empty Times Sq on NYE. Dec

IGTV sneak preview: An Empty Times Sq on NYE. Dec 31, 2020 — 5:45pm — my 2 min sneak preview live from Times Square where it’s COMPLETELY empty for probably and hopefully the only year in our lifetimes. Everyone you see in this video, including Pitbull onstage, was individually screened and tested negative for COVID-19 multiple days over — by myself personally or my handpicked medical team (who also had to test negative for COVID-19 over and over to work with me) — and this on top of 10-14 days of quarantine prior to the week of planning and pre-taping for this completely virtual event.

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

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.

2 events planned this Sunday rallying against syst

2 events planned this Sunday rallying against systemic hate and institutionalized violence towards the AAPI and our intersectional communities. Plenty of time to attend both; I’ve also just been invited to speak at the second one (swipe ➡️) in Columbus Park in Manhattan’s Chinatown at 1pm.Originally had plans for an upstate NY cabin this weekend to get away from consecutively endless 16-hour COVID shifts the past month, but then realized I should be present for a cause far more important right now to help heal and resist.So if y’all see any travel/road trip updates in my stories this Saturday, know that I’m driving back the next morning for these rallies no matter what. #noexcuses #youcandoboth #youcandoall3 #imighteven⛑🤫Organizers are tagged. Please share and come through.

“I gotchu.” During the crisis of COVID-19’s

“I gotchu.” During the crisis of COVID-19’s first wave in NYC, our roles in ERs perpetually shifted — CRNAs & RTs intubating when my hands were full, or when I put in IVs & changed patients for busy nurses or techs — all this in the middle of an inequity where we suffered from lack of PPE and overall protection, let down by a social contract that crumbled before us. Nevertheless our adaptability and mutual support kept ERs running and ensured our survival. When we felt abandoned by the top, I’d always say: “I gotchu.”• We‘re also reckoning with another crumbling social contract, one where marginalized groups have also been abandoned by the top and endured a crisis of inequity long before cameras or a pandemic. And yet they‘re met with fierce backlash, from both outside and those within seeking to co-opt & derail the movement. So please stay alive & relevant by reinforcing yourself from invisible enemies — whether it’s a virus, an unjust status quo, or a few in the dark exploiting a cause for secondary gain. Because after surviving the first onslaught of COVID, I now viscerally know that even staying alive is an act of defiance.• (Be mindful tagging the hashtags BlackLivesMatter / BLM, because it may obscure a channel otherwise being used to share vital info. Activism can be a tricky dance, but alas “a revolution without dancing is not a revolution worth having.”) • Swipe through and share this photo carousel for recs (protesting is not a crime; it’s a 1st Amendment right) that worked for me both as a frontline HCW to minimize spreading COVID-19, and as a POC that knows my rights to live as a born and raised American minority were built on the backs of those who protested (or died) in resisting social inequities so that one day I can stand on the frontlines of injustice myself, whether in the face of a medical pandemic (despite lack of adequate protection by society) or a social pandemic (despite lack of adequate protection by society). Strangers had my back then, and now I live & work to have yours. • FWIW if it helps to forge ahead knowing that there are HCWs who got your back if anything happens, then: “I gotchu.”

Phase 2 of our reopening has begun, and with our i

Phase 2 of our reopening has begun, and with our infection rates continuing to decline here in NYC, the irony is not lost on me that profound changes happened to us even when we were trapped in stasis. During the past 3 months since March 20th — the country’s longest — I didn’t lament just the loss of discrete “things” such as work, hangouts or trips, I also mourned the promise of “missed connections,” “lost opportunities,” “the ones that got away,” and “what could have been.” That’s why quarantines, as necessary as they may be to save lives in the interest of public health, is harder than we give ourselves credit for.I have thus reframed my own lockdown and pandemic experience as not only an odyssey of trauma and uncertainty with no end in sight, but also a pilgrimage I have embarked on with countless others of my generation — a different type of journey where in lieu of visiting other countries, we instead steered inwards and towards a different kind of foreign territory of self-growth. And thus I have been recovering from my grief through reclaiming a personal agency as I have had for any loss: I must come out of this stronger.Therefore privileged to have been spared from death during this pandemic so far, I have instead uncovered unexpected opportunities to become even more resilient — Can we garner more freedom from fear, no longer postpone life and experiences long overdue, be a little less fragile over a simple piece of facecloth, nurture greater empathy for what others have been enduring, and discover avenues to work together for a better society amidst perennial pandemics of disease, iniquity, and injustice?If we can reexamine challenges that come with a lockdown instead as part of a meditative transformative experience to become better individuals, then we no longer have to mourn “what could have been” — We would instead have become “what could have been.”

“Ships are safe in the harbor, but that’s not

“Ships are safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for.” After 78 days of a lockdown and 100 days since our first confirmed case of COVID-19, NYC begins Phase I of reopening today. What felt like a COVID tornado outside our harbor in April has gone and instead a sun seems to be shining in its place in June. Whatever we’ve been doing is working.Furthermore even amidst a lockdown, 6 weeks have passed since I saw hundreds of picnickers casually gathered en masse in all the parks outside without face coverings in multiple neighborhoods, and 2 weeks since our first protest for #BlackLivesMatter (where nearly everyone wore face coverings and stayed mobile). And if we know that 98% of patients develop symptoms within 11 days of exposure (w/ median time of incubation — or time from exposure to symptoms — being 5 days), there still remains no evidence of a 2nd wave. This correlates with the studies from Wuhan that suggest that if we confine COVID only to the outdoors (air flow dispersing viral spread) or homes (nobody new to infect), and deny it opportunities that a lockdown would bar anyway (eg. public indoor spaces with no air flow that COVID would love to spread in), a virus has nowhere else to go. So whether it’s outdoor picnickers or protestors, whatever we’ve been doing is working.Nevertheless with a Phase I reopening the threat of a COVID tornado may still be around the corner — whether the 2nd wave returns with a pent up demand for indoor public spaces or the notorious annual flu season. But I’ll carry on as I always have been: watch the numbers, work my ERs, take more steps outside that fit within my personal risk tolerance based on those numbers and ER shifts, and be ready to run back towards any tornado when it returns. But evidence is evidence, and right now it’s telling me that actions that would not have been wise amidst tornados in April may now be okay in a sunny day in June (caveat — this is based on NYC data only and may not apply to where you are?). Either way with our harbors clear, you can feel a little safer choosing your next move: Just know whatever we’ve been doing is working. 📸 credit: @kareemblack

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

“Is it always this empty or is it COVID?” “I

“Is it always this empty or is it COVID?”“It’s always this empty.”Thank you Rhode Island for being the first new, safe bed to sleep in after 3 months sheltering in place in NYC. It’s a great start. How I’ve missed you, travel.Full blogpost: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/06/30/rhodeisland/Meanwhile back home in NYC, despite continually declining infection rates of COVID-19 to <1% positive and well under the threshold of our circuit breakers, we nevertheless STILL preemptively rolling back our reopening due to what’s happening around the rest of the country outside the northeast (where we’re mainly traveling now). This is what we call “preventive action” and I think we need a little more of that these days. I think I’ll be safe traveling locally and coming back home under these conditions. 🤙#rhodeisland #providence #newport #brownuniversity #ri #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

As we memorialize today all those that we've lost,

As we memorialize today all those that we've lost, so must we look forward without dishonoring the sacrifices made. The world does not wait.It’s been nearly 2 weeks since I wrote about deciding when it would be prudent to begin heading outside more regularly: It’s not about what we do but how we do it. Because the numbers in my part of NYC have remained low since, I take responsible steps forward for the sake of my own mental health.I also first-handedly can correlate my on-the-ground experience this week in my ERs with what I have gathered from the city’s numbers: A respite has held; with every breath humanity holds in, a catharsis must soon follow.And yet this promise I made to myself a fortnight ago may have been lost in my talk on silent hypoxia so here it is again:Watch the numbers in your area when things start opening up — if overall infection rates stay low after 2-3 weeks (avg time from exposure to symptoms), then that might be a cue to take the next step; keep in mind this “threshold” would differ depending on your risk tolerance, living situation, and life circumstances. And if you do take that step outside, still proceed with caution: Maintain elevated hygiene standards (wash hands with soap & water, cover your mouth, etc.), be aware touching others, keep clear of crowds, and avoid tightly packed interiors with minimal air flow. In other words: look out for the safety of yourself and others. Don't be a dick.However, if infection rates in your area have surged up during or after those 2-3 weeks, then you know you're not yet in the clear, the virus doesn’t care about the weather, and you had a fortnight of a head start with staying inside and safe from exposure.I continue to hold myself accountable: With the % positive for COVID-19 ⬇️ despite an ⬆️ number of testing in NYC (you would instead expect to see more infections with more testing, UNLESS we’re improving the Rø, aka decreasing the virus’ contagiousness), I take a deep breath of my own and take one step out into a new unknown. This is how my life goes on. 📸: Joel Gordon

Take me to your leader. monsoondiaries.com . . .

Take me to your leader.monsoondiaries.com.....#greenland #greenlandscape #beautifulnature #visitgreenland #fjords #greenlandpioneer #grønland #naturenerd #roamtheearth #geologyrocks #icebergs #earthscience #icebergrightahead #monsoondiaries #beautifuldestinations #doyoutravel #bbctravel #travelphotography #instatravel #natgeotravel #doyoutravel #livetravelchannel #wonderful_places #naturephotography #nature #places_wow #travelblogger #travelgram #oceanwideexpeditions #wanderlust

TLDR: We’ve always been at the unplanned interse

TLDR: We’ve always been at the unplanned intersection of ethical healthcare + travel for a global community. In continuing to provide updates on the ground for COVID-19, we must also take steps to rebuilding towards a life of responsible and affordable travel after the pandemic. This is one of those first steps.—In 2010 I had lost a bet that little to my knowledge at the time would become a formative experience: my first ever solo trip abroad that would take place in Egypt and eventually lead to the force of nature and travel blog that would later be known as @monsoondiaries. Many of you since have been and are now part of that journey.As we continue to endure COVID-19 and yearn for interpersonal connections again, this worldwide challenge of a generation may be our very next collective formative experience; a hardship that both reminds us to be grateful for the life we had before and encourages us to build a better one for the future. We owe ourselves that much.So pandemic or no pandemic, we thus stay the course with a tradition: Next Wednesday we plan to virtually commemorate my own 10 year anniversary of life and also the half-year anniversary since 18 strangers met on Nov 27, 2019 and began a life-changing 8-day trip across 6 destinations in the country that started it all: Egypt.We will premiere the short film recapping the trip, directed by the masterful @rauburnin with the assistance of our brilliant Creative Director, @klattalyst (you've already met her before on this feed!). @rauburnin’s film embodies what it’s like to travel with us, lights a fire in us to anticipate the day when we can travel again, and acknowledges how the tiniest of decisions can lead to a worldwide thing.We thus invite you (capacity is limited; a lottery/selection process may happen if demand > availability) to join us next Wed for the screening and have the opportunity to ask myself, @klattalyst and fellow travelers about our adventures, the pandemic itself, and how we will travel and afford to travel safely again after COVID-19. We will then post the film here on IGTV. (Info on RSVP below in comments 👇🏼 or here: https://bit.ly/2XhybHb

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

3 weeks ago I sat inside an empty train carriage m

3 weeks ago I sat inside an empty train carriage meant to store iron ore instead of people, riding through the middle of the Sahara Desert and gazing up at an endless sky full of stars. I was crying.I think I waited my entire travel life for a night like this.After crossing over the 5km Mad Max-like post-apocalyptic “no-man’s land” from Western Sahara into Mauritania, we hopped on for a free ride from Nouadhibou on the legendary iron ore train, recently profiled on National Geographic Documentary Films as “the most extreme railway in the world.” 9 hours later and now in Choum, I agree with my travel companions that I will never ever do that again.And not because it wasn’t a positive experience. While rough, the moments on the train while looking up into oblivion has fundamentally affirmed life through a different lens for me forever; returning will never be the same. And I recommend to any true wanderluster to do this once — it was definitely a travel experience of a lifetime.Therefore I know a travel experience like this won't come around for a very very long time, if ever again. So this post is for all my fellow dreamers and hopelessly romantic imposters out there: When I started this journey a decade ago, I remember looking up to all these travel bloggers wishing I could have the courage to live their badass lives; now I’m now looking up to all these stars, wiping away tears while sitting on top of a legendary railway most badass travel bloggers have yet to do.Finally, the experience of riding on this train can compel one to really consider how temporary our times are on this spaceship called Earth: This is all we got. So I hope you arrive at a similar reckoning with yourself, along your fears and your demons sooner than later. And when you do, that will probably be your greatest adventure of them all.With that, here’s to our fears, and the courage that follows. 🤙 Onwards to the next step of this infinitely unfamiliar journey.Blogpost: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/01/23/mauritania-railway/

“What is that feeling when you’re driving away

“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. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.” We set forth this week down the west coast from Seattle, saying our first goodbyes to our Part 1 nomads: Wayne The RV, @thesavvyrogue, @rauburnin, @noeleentong, @reesmandan, and Brandon. We now welcome @drwillderness, @a_may_sin, @becoming_k_rn, and @eviejoymusic for part 2 of our trip: The Pacific Coast Highway!For the record — not a single 7 of us in the RV and part 1 of the trip have developed any symptoms during our 10 days together (and 3 days since they’ve departed), so whatever we’re doing on this cross country trip to keep us safe and others from COVID-19 has been working. And we will continue this week to try to prove to the world now that recharging and regaining from what we’ve lost through travel is possible, as long as one plans and executed it carefully, responsibly, and ethically.“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do — especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.”Regardless what has happened to us in our past, life only moves forward. The world won’t wait for you.

“We fumed and screamed in our mountain nook, mad

“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 walking toward us with the Word, and would arrive any minute and make us silent.”For 5 months we’ve yearned to unleash a primal scream into the void of twilight — 5 months of suppressed rage, disappointment, loss, anger, dismay, bargaining, shock, grief, depression, confusion, and everything in between. Tonight as the very mighty lands on the roof of America finally liberate us to howl infinitely eastward over the Plains, our catharsis has been deafening; it instead has stunned us into silence.Day 4: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/08/11/rushmore-into-the-badlands/Day 5: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/08/12/before-the-devil-knows-youre-dead/Day 6: https://monsoondiaries.com/2020/08/14/yellowstone/📸: @rauburnin (stars) & yours truly @monsoondiaries (landscapes)“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” We know we can no longer stay silent.#nightimages #nightskyart #nightphotography #nightsky #healthcareworkers #mentalhealth #covid #covid19 #coronavirus #coronatravel #covidtravel #pandemictravel #pandemic2020 #monsoondiaries #twilight #covid19travel #roadtrip #usa #americanroadtrip #roadtrippin #catharsis #thoughtsontheroad #ontheroad #coronatravel #travelblogger #travelphotography #stargazing #stargazingnight #stars #recovery

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.

I have returned after one week off the grid in Yem

I have returned after one week off the grid in Yemen 🇾🇪 with @youngpioneer, most of it on Socotra Island: a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to countless endemic species and described as “the most alien-looking place on Earth.” It is the least developed destination I ever have had the privilege of exploring for so long — a week of daily camping on beaches and in caves, with either squat toilets or holes in the sand, a morning stranded by a freak flash flood in a canyon, and even an afternoon transversing a massive gorgeous lagoon where we hunted for live sea urchin and puffer fish for dinner.I thought I had seen it all, but Yemen has proven me wrong. And I haven’t even gotten to why we had come to Socotra Island in the first place: the one of a kind alien-like vegetation, flora and fauna, not least of which are the Dragon Blood and Bottle Trees, which grow nowhere else on Earth.As I end one trip in Yemen and begin another monsoon today — my 10 year anniversary trip to Egypt 🇪🇬 (the one that started it all back in 2010) with 20 monsooners (get ready y’all!!) — I look back reinforced in the resolve not taking for granted everything I have had on my travels so far and of course, all that we enjoy back home.Thanks Yemen 🇾🇪 https://monsoondiaries.com/2019/11/19/socotra/ ......#yemen #socotra #socotraisland #love #beautifuldestinations #instatravel #instapassport #mytravelgram #travelgram #travelingram #monsoondiaries #doyoutravel #bbctravel #guardiantravelsnaps #natgeo #natgeotravelpic #lonelyplanet #livetravelchannel #theglobewanderer #nature #lagoon #wonderful_places #sunset #travelawesome #wanderfolk #places_wow #passionpassport #travelblogger #travelphotography #sunsetporn

“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

10 years ago, Calvin took his first trip alone to

10 years ago, Calvin took his first trip alone to Egypt. He spent 3 hours at the train station, unsure what to do, and let his decision be made by the flip of a coin - but he didn’t like the outcome and decided to stay in Egypt..Today, he’s here with 18 others, sharing the beauty and experiences that changed his outlook on the world and started the journey to what is now The Monsoon Diaries..“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”.To see more of the fun on this trip, check out the “🇪🇬 Egypt” highlights!

We come here for the northern lights and vanilla s

We come here for the northern lights and vanilla skies.monsoondiaries.com.....#greenland #greenlandscape #beautifulnature #visitgreenland #fjords #greenlandpioneer #grønland #naturenerd #roamtheearth #geologyrocks #icebergs #earthscience #icebergrightahead #monsoondiaries #beautifuldestinations #doyoutravel #bbctravel #travelphotography #instatravel #natgeotravel #doyoutravel #livetravelchannel #wonderful_places #naturephotography #sunset #sunrise #travelblogger #travelgram #guardiantravelsnaps #sunriseporn

“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

Victoria's Secret happened to make a surprise visi

Victoria's Secret happened to make a surprise visit to Barbuda 🇦🇬: https://monsoondiaries.com/2019/05/17/buns-out-in-barbuda/monsoondiaries.com#beach #antiguaandbarbuda #barbuda #love #beautifuldestinations #instatravel #instapassport #mytravelgram #travelgram #travelingram #monsoondiaries #doyoutravel #bbctravel #guardiantravelsnaps #natgeo #natgeotravelpic #lonelyplanet #livetravelchannel #theglobewanderer #gf #nature #wonderful_places #trip #travelawesome #wanderfolk #places_wow #passionpassport #travelblogger #travelphotography #travelstory

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

Cathedrals of the Sea. Greenland 🇬🇱. monsoon

Cathedrals of the Sea. Greenland 🇬🇱. monsoondiaries.com.....#greenland #greenlandscape #beautifulnature #visitgreenland #fjords #greenlandpioneer #grønland #naturenerd #roamtheearth #geologyrocks #icebergs #earthscience #icebergrightahead #monsoondiaries #beautifuldestinations #doyoutravel #bbctravel #travelphotography #instatravel #natgeotravel #doyoutravel #livetravelchannel #wonderful_places #naturephotography #nature #places_wow #travelblogger #travelgram #oceanwideexpeditions #wanderlust

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