Liveaboard

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia // Despite being in Asia for 3 months, we have not done any scuba diving. For some reason every time we plan to do it, there is something else that gets in the way. We have 10 days left on our Indonesia visas and since the diving here is world renown, we decided to make it a priority. 

We decided to skip diving in Bali and the Gili Islands, which are more beginner areas, and instead fly directly to Flores and book 4 days of diving in the remote Komodo National Park. Flores is known as some of the best dive sites in the world, and because it is difficult to get here, not many people come unless they are experienced divers and very enthusiastic about it. Komodo is also a protected National Park by the government of Indonesia, making the marine life so pristine and natural. Many companies have built liveaboards here because the vast array of diverse marine life and the difficulty to get to them from day boats.

We arrived in Labuan Bajo a few days early because there are only a few flights into the tiny airport. The drive into town took about 5 minutes and we soon realized that there are more dive shops here than restaurants / stores / or hotels combined. This whole town revolves around diving.

As we checked in with our liveaboard, we were briefed on the schedule and realized how intense the diving will be. The depth, currents, large marine life, and frequency of dives will be no joke. Four to five dives a day will take up essentially the entire day. The rest of the time will be eating or sleeping. A scuba liveaboard is something that we have always wanted to do, and Komodo seems like one of the best places in the world to do it, and at the perfect time in our trip through Asia.

100

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia // Our Centennial Bird was a White Bellied Sea Eagle in Flores, Indonesia. We got a big bump from a bird walking tour in Bali with an energetic woman named Su. “Left, flying left, flying left, flying left, on the tree, see the antenna, three sticks over from the white flower, now up, sit there, sit there, good bird, ohhh gone” for three hours straight. “Do you hear that? Zit, zit, zit. It's the noise the zitting cisticola makes when it flys”. Su could reproduce almost any bird song. We learned a lot from her. Sunrise and dusk are the best time for bird watching as are open fields and rice paddies. Jungles are extremely difficult for finding birds as there is so much foliage to hide them unless you can get above the tree line and watch from above. This would explain why we only saw one bird on our Cat Ba National Forest trek in the middle of the day in Vietnam. Edges of forests are great too. It's easiest to watch them fly and track them until they land so you can get a good look at them perched. Birds also like the sun so tops of trees is typically a good place to look for them. Bird watching with Su almost felt like cheating. She made it seem so easy and effortless to find over 19 birds. We hit our resolution of 100 birds in 2016 so now everything else we find is just bonus. 

1. Brown Thrasher // Wedowee, Alabama
2. Shriker // Wedowee, Alabama
3. Swallow // Wedowee, Alabama
4. Cardinal // Wedowee, Alabama
5. Great Blue Heron // Wedowee, Alabama
6. Warbler // Wedowee, Alabama
7. Finch // Wedowee, Alabama
8. Red Headed Wood Pecker // Wedowee, Alabama
9. Blue Jay // Wedowee, Alabama
10. Bald Eagle // Wedowee, Alabama
11. Ruby Throated Humming Bird // Newnan, Georgia
12. Canadian Goose // Solon, Ohio
13. Red Bellied Woodpecker // Solon, Ohio
14. Black-Capped Chickadee // Solon, Ohio
15. Northern Cardinal // Solon, Ohio
16. Coopers Hawk // Columbus, Ohio
17. Wild Turkey // Bentleyville, Ohio
18. Pigeon // Atlanta Airport, Georgia
19. Zebra Dove // Kahalui, Hawaii
20. Common Myna // Pukalani, Hawaii
21. Red-Crested Cardinal // Pukalani, Hawaii
22. Java Sparrow // Pukalani, Hawaii
23. House Sparrow // Haleakala, Hawaii
24. Japanese White-eye // Haleakala, Hawaii
25. Nene // Haleakala, Hawaii
26. House Finch // Kihei, Hawaii
27. Spotted Dove // Pukalani, Hawaii
28. Maui Rooster // Kula, Hawaii
29. Hen // Kula, Hawaii
30. Ring-necked Pheasant // Kula, Hawaii
31. Cattle Egret // Pu’unene, Hawaii
32. Hawaiian Coot // Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
33. Hawaiian black necked stilt // Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
34. Laysan Albatross // Pololu Valley lookout Big Island Hawaii
35. White-Tailed Tropicbird or Koa’e Kea // Volcanoes National Park Big Island Hawaii
36. Wedge-Tailed Shearwater // Kameole Beach Park III, Hawaii
37. Melodious Laughing Thrush // Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
38. Northern Cardinal Female // Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
39. White Rumped Shama // Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
40. Sandpiper // Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
41. Red Footed Booby // Kalalau Trail, Kauai
42. Barn Owl // Pukalani, Hawaii
43. Common Waxbill // Sandy Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii
44. Red-Vented Bulbul // Manana Waterfall Trail, Oahu, Hawaii
45. Jungle Myna // Railay, Thailand
46. White-vented Myna // Railay, Thailand
47. Eurasian Tree Sparrow // Krabi, Thailand
48. Easter Cattle Egret // Krabi, Thailand
49. Pacific Cattle Egret // Railay, Thailand
50. Blue Whistling Thrush // Railay, Thailand
51. Mangrove Pitta // Railay, Thailand
52. Mangrove Blue Flycatcher // Tonsai, Thailand
53. Black-capped Kingfisher // Tonsai, Thailand
54. Buff-bellied Flowerpecker // Railay, Thailand
55. Crested Treeswift // Tonsai, Thailand
56. Brown Shrike // Phuket, Thailand
57. Asian Bluebird // Koh Hong Lagoon, Thailand
58. Brahimy Kite // Koh Hong, Thailand
59. Circling Frigatebirds // Koh Dam Kwhan (Chicken Island), Thailand
60. Brown Headed Gull // Koh Rang Yai, Thailand
61. Jungle Crow // Sirinat National Park, Thailand
62. Black Headed Bulbul // Sirinat National Park, Thailand
63. Racket Tailed Treepie // Ta Prohm Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia
64. Pied Fantail // War Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
65. Black Drongo // Tonle Sap, Siem Reap, Cambodia
66. Common Woodshrike // Anachak Boutique Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia
67. White Throated Kingfisher // Otres Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
68. Collared Kingfisher // Otres Beach II, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
69. Greater Coucal // Don Det, Laos
70. Black-collared starling // Don Khon, Laos
71. Changeable Hawk-Eagle // Don Khon, Laos
72. Lesser Whitethroat Warbler // Don Khon, Laos
73. Black Kite // Lan Ha Bay, Vietnam
74. Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike // Cat Ba National Park, Vietnam
75. Black-throated Sunbird // Cat Ba National Park, Vietnam
76. Pacific Swift // Lan Ha Bay, Vietnam
77. White Shouldered Starling // Butterfly Valley, Vietnam
78. Dollarbird // Butterfly Valley, Vietnam
79. Cinnamon Bittern // Hoi An, Vietnam
80. Javan Pond-Heron // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
81. Little Egret // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
82. White-breasted Waterhen // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
83. White-bellied swiftlet // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
84. Asian-palm swift // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
85. Java Kingfisher // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
86. Pacific Swallow // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
87. Striated Swallow // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
88. Yellow-vented Bulbul // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
89. Pied Bushchat // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
90. Zitting Cisticola // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
91. Golden-headed Cisticola // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
92. Ashy Tailorbird // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
93. Brown-Throated Sunbird // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
94. Olive-backed Sunbird // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
95. Javan Munia // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
96. Scaly-breasted Munia // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
97. Sacred Kingfisher // Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
98. Zebra Finch // Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
99. Flame-breasted Sunbird // Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
100. White bellied sea Eagle // Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
101. Blue Heron // Komodo National Park, Indonesia
102. Megapode // Komodo National Park, Indonesia
103. Mountain Leaf Warbler // Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
104. Oriental Magpie Robin // Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
105. Silver Eared Mesia // Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
106. White-throated Fan Tail // Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
107. Blue-Winged Leafbird // Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
108. Little Spider Hunter // Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
109. Large Niltava // Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
110. Black Headed Pitta // Cameron Highlands, Malaysia Mt. Fuji
111. American Goldfinch // Twinsburg, Ohio
112. Robin Red Breast // Solon, Ohio
113. Red Cockaded Woodpecker // Solon, Ohio
114. Tufted Titmouse // Solon, Ohio
115. House Crow // New Delhi, India
116. Rose-ringed Parakeet // Taj Mahal, Agra, India
117. Red-wattled lapwing and juvenile // Jantar Mantar Observatory, Jaipur, India
118. Indian Peacock // The Pink City, Jaipur, India
119. Greater Flamingo // Rajasthan, India
120. Asian Openbill Stork // Udaipur, India
121. White Rumped Needletail swift // Udaipur, India
122. Little Cormorant // Udaipur, India 
123. Indian Grey Hornbill // Rishikesh, India
124. Yellow-billed Blue Magpie // Mcleodganj, India
125. Grey headed canary flycatcher // Mcleodganj, India
126. Variable Wheateater // Mcleodganj, India
127. Steppe Eagle // Mcleodganj, India
128. White-capped water redstart // Mcleodganj, India
129. Great Barbet // Mcleodganj, India
130. Grey capped pygmy woodpecker // Mcleodganj, India
131. Nightingale // Jagat, Nepal
132. Common Hoopoe // Chame, Nepal
133. Himalayan Griffon // Pisang, Nepal
134. Common Greenshank // Deserted Sand Bar, Maldives
135. Eurasian Magpie // Acropolis, Greece
136. Green Parrot // Ancient Agora, Greece
137. Muscovy Duck // Sivota, Greece

Chapters in our Lives

UBUD, Indonesia // Today I finished Infinite Jest. It is a book that I purchased in November and have been carrying around with me the last 8 months. It is over 1000 pages and weighs 2.2 pounds. I feel proud to have finished it and am glad to now give it away and lighten my bag that I have been carrying. This was one of the few books I have read where I actually have not enjoyed but continued in spite of my frustration. Upon finishing though I could appreciate it much more after rereading a few sections, and making sense of other parts from online discussion forums. 

I often summarize parts of my life by books I read, and now this book is finished it symbolizes a new chapter for me. I often feel that there is an alternative reality going on simultaneously when so engrossed in a large fictitious novel. Throughout the last few months, along with finding a local gym, post office, and Indian food restaurant in town, we have really enjoyed going into many of the local bookstores and finding good recommendations from other travelers. In addition to the rock climbing guide books we have purchased, here is a tribute to the books that we have finished so far on our trip. 

• Infinite Jest // by David Foster Wallace
• The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle // by Haruki Murakami
• The Goldfinch // by Donna Tartt
• Winner Stands Alone // by Paulo Coehlo
• The Which of Portabello // by Paulo Coehlo
• Sinarth // by Karl Levy
• Bou Meng // by Huy Vannak 

Resolutes Revisited

UBUD, Indonesia // It has been 6 months since we made our New Years Resolutions, something that we take very seriously. We are halfway through the year and time to monitor our progress and our plans for completion. It is important to stay motivated and hold ourselves accountable for our goals, and not become lazy on this trip, something that we are afraid of can come about very easily and very fast. 

• Journal and Meditate for 5 minutes each day

Complete // We have been writing and journalling daily since January to remember the details of our days as well as our personal thoughts. Although it took awhile, we are now into meditating 10-15 minutes a day. This did not really begin until May though. After a meditation and yoga retreat in Bali, we now have much more insight into the practice and how to do it properly. 

• Blog Weekly

Complete // The WhereWeJournal part of this site has been updated more than once per week and we are happy with our progress on keeping up with documenting our journey.

• Create one Travel Video per Month

Complete // In 6 months we have uploaded 7 videos to our site. We have taken a lot of time sorting through the hours of video and editing them down to 5 - 10 minutes. We love going back and watching these as they have been a constant source of happiness for us. 

• Volunteer on 2 farms

NOT Complete // We only ended up volunteering on one farm in Maui, which was a very positive experience at Greenleaf Farm. We had contacted lots of other farms and got responses to visit or volunteer but we never did. They were too far away, and we did not end up having the ambition to do the tasks that they may have asked us to do. We ended up regretting this a little now, but there is still a chance we may find one farm in Asia to work at for the day. 

• Take a permaculture class

NOT Complete // Taking a permaculture class in Asia seemed a bit pointless to us if we are going to live in the United States when we return in a few months. We found one permaculture class in Hawaii, but it lasted well into May when we would have left for Asia. We have been researching options both short classes for a few days, or longer term classes for weeks. This goal may be one that ends up not complete in 2016 and unfortunately added to the 2017 list.

• Master 10 go to dinner dishes / Recipe book

Complete // With the time we spent with our grandparents, we learned how to cook some amazing cultural dishes, ranging from Polish to German to Filipino. If we ever have to cook for people, here is a list of 10 of our " go to" dishes // 1. Butternut Squash Soup, 2. Potato Casserole, 3. Polish Meatballs, 4. Portabello Mushroom Steak, 5. Dessert Mochi, 6. Lazy Mans Cabbage, 7. Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies, 8. Lomi Lomi Salmon, 9. Avocado Kale Salad, 10. Kale Chips, and these are just a few. We have 28 "dishes" total as of now.

• Stick to the daily budget ($100/day)

Complete // As of day 250 (October 1, 2015 - mid June, 2016), the average cost of living for both of us combined has been $92 per day. This included everything from daily water bottles, lodging, souvenirs, ATM fees, as well as domestic flights throughout Asia. 

• Climb Lord of the Thais 1st Pitch in Railay, Thailand

Complete // This has been a climb that Adam has wanted to do for the last 5 years and is known as one of the best climbs in Thailand. However, it also served as a metaphor for a successful climbing trip to Asia. We brought a full rack of sport climbing gear on this trip and really wanted to get our use out of it. In the end, Adam lead climbed Lord of the Thais and Jenny top roped it. Not only were we successful in climbing in Thailand, we were very fortunate to have the ability to climb in Laos and Vietnam. 

• Lead a 5.9 climb in Thailand

Complete // This was a goal for Jenny as it symbolized confidence and skill in her climbing ability. She led Groove Tube, a 5.9 on Tonsai, 25 meters long with 12 bolts. 

• Identify 100 birds on our life list

NOT Complete // This goal looks like it will almost certainly be complete in a month or two. Jenny has an amazing skill of remembering the most intricate details and finding them on the local birding logs. We currently are 79% complete, as we have racked up 79 logged and identified birds. 

• Spear, clean, and cook fish

Complete // Adam used a 5 foot 3 prong spear to catch 2 Manini in Maui. They were cleaned, grilled, and eaten. Thankfully no one got sick afterwards. 

• Hula 4 times

NOT Complete // Our best chance to do this was in Hawaii and for some reason we never got around to doing it. There is still 6 months left and luckily this is not an extremely time consuming goal. 

• Learn to Surf and surf in 3 different countries 

NOT Complete // We made lots of progress in Maui going surfing in Kihei, but it wasn't until Kuta when things really clicked. We took a 3 hour formal and private lesson that really was helpful in cementing our technique and abilities. We spent the next 5 days really engrained in catching waves. We learned to surf, but have only done it in 2 countries so far: United States and Indonesia. We are not sure where the third country will be yet, but if there is waves we will be out there!

• Learn 2 man beach volleyball

Complete // We practiced on our own a lot in Hawaii. We got to the point where we could both serve over the net consistently, as well as dig and set the ball. It was difficult because we would normally only play 1 on 1. In Cambodia and Laos we saw people playing volleyball but they were way better than us, and we were too afraid to jump in. Maybe our confidence will surge the next time we see people playing, but we want to be able to participate in these random games. 

• Hike in Nepal

NOT Complete // We plan on being in Nepal sometime in September or November. We are still determining if we want to do Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna Circuit.

• Stay at an Ashram in India

NOT Complete // We got our fill and experience of yoga and meditation in Bali, so now we at least will have a little bit of knowledge of what to expect for India. We plan on being in India sometime around September and October. 

Namaste

UBUD, Indonesia // What I learned this past week at the Blooming Lotus Yoga and Meditation retreat was twofold. I learned about yoga and myself, but what I really learned was that I know nothing.

Though my first yoga class was over 10 years ago, I learned the basics for the first time. Yoga as the western world knows it is also called Asana. As the Bali people would say, “same, same”. Asana is a series of positions that ultimately enable you to sit in lotus pose for long periods of time while you meditate. That is the sole purpose of Asana. I have never associated meditation with the quick paced power yoga classes we took in NYC. 

In fact, the essence of yoga begins with the Yamas and Niyamas, or the code of ethics that govern how you interact with the outside world, and how you interact with yourself. Basically rules to live by. A yoga instructor wouldn’t teach a student any Asana yoga until they mastered these which could take years. 

Yamas

• Non harming through words and actions // Peace // Love, if you have love in your heart you are a yogi
• Truthfulness in thought and living your truth
• Non-stealing // Taking only what is offered and using only what you need
• Oneness // Unity
• Non greed // Non-attachment not just to things but spiritual attachments as well

Niyamas

• Purity // What you put inside your body // Water // Natural foods // Zen space
• Santosha // Intentment, the act of being happy for no reason // Happy is your natural state with no stimulus needed
• To burn, fire, passion, self discipline
• Self study // Who am I really? // When my titles are removed what am I?
• Devotion to something bigger than you // We are one // Oneness

Basically what everyone should learn in kindergarten.

I also naively or perhaps ignorantly thought yoga had its roots in Buddhism when it actually has closer ties to Hinduism and Sanskrit. 

There were also several new concepts I had never heard of like Yin Yoga, Ayurveda, or Yoga Nidra. I encourage you to google them. Theres too much information to go into here and I’m not an expert myself, so I don’t want to give false information, but I encourage you to read about them. I will say the one simple take away from Ayurveda was to buy a tongue scraper and use it first thing every morning. Ayurveda also helped me define my specific body type and what diet would be helpful to keep me balanced such as cool green juices, mint, aloe, lemon grass, turmeric, coconut oil, and cumin. I also should stay away from spicy foods, fruit juices, and caffeine. 

I have seen yoga shirts in class with the elephant head and the squiggly symbol that looks like a “30” on it but never known what they stood for. The elephant is Ganesha deity revered as the remover of obstacles. The squiggly is the symbol for the crown chakra which is the center of trust, devotion, and the center of a deeper connection with ourselves. 

The closing “Namaste” had never been defined for me which I now enjoy the meaning of even more, “My soul honors your soul. I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the light, love, truth, beauty, and peace within you, because it is also within me. In sharing these things we are united, we are the same, we are one”. 

I had never heard Sanskrit mantras before and immediately fell in love with the beautiful rhythmic complex language where each word has 8 different meanings. We learned the Ganesha Mantra, ”Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha” which roughly translates to mean, “give me the wisdom to overcome obstacles.” 

Even basic yoga poses like Chaturanga Dandasana I have been doing incorrectly all these years, and they went into why we roll to our right side after Shavasana. We even discussed the proper "om // aum" technique.

What I learned was that I knew nothing. And like a sponge I immersed myself for the week, completely committed to learning and exploring everything I could. I even maintained the vegetarian diet all week and asked questions in group settings.

We had two sessions everyday. 30 minutes of meditation and one hour of Asana each morning at 7:30 AM and 5:30 PM. On 4 days we held workshops to delve into other topics. In the afternoon we read books from the Yoga library and answered reflective questions like, “What is the essence of what I want?” // “How can I be loved?” // “What’s nurturing and balancing for you and what takes you out of balance?”. I created my Sankalpa, a purpose, idea, or concept formed in the heart, an intention of determination for my meditations and my life. Typically they go, “I am ___”. Examples would be, I am whole. I am at peace. I am loved. I am centered. Just defining my intentions helped bring me peace, purpose, and inspiration for the future.

Though I wouldn’t want to be a yogi all day everyday, and I am not a religious person, though I am 100% religious tolerant, there is scientific evidence that shows meditation and yoga are good for the mind and body. Try reading the book Buddha's Brain if you want the proof or you can take my word for it. I hope to continue on the path of meditating at least once daily in the morning for 15-30 minutes. After a week straight I can honestly say I feel the physical and mental changes. Meditation is absolutely free and I find it helps me carry a mindful heart and grateful attitude throughout my day. This week gave me tools to look at life through a new lens, another perspective to see and interact with the world and the people around me. 

Finding Zen

UBUD, Indonesia // We have been attempting to meditate every morning for the past 2 months. Realistically we really don’t know what we are doing, how to sit, how to clear our mind, or how to breath differently. Simultaneously, we have always wanted to immerse ourselves in yoga for a week and do something physically demanding on our body. In the central area of Bali, Ubud is notoriously known for its chill yoga atmosphere. We decided to get a full experience by scheduling a week meditation and yoga retreat that turned out to be a phenomenal time of learning, exercise, and mindful stimulation.

We arrived in Ubud 2 days early to get a feel for the town, and it was as we had expected. It was filled with earthy overpriced jewelry stores, organic and raw vegetarian food places, and fancy yoga clothes outlets. It had a very relaxed atmosphere though that we liked, the same kind we found in Luang Prabang, Laos or Hoi An, Vietnam. 

To get to the retreat, we took a taxi 20 minutes from town, then about a half mile down a side street to an amazing complex of villas. The area was isolated, but very well kept, and the architecture consistent with this “Bali Modern” style. Monday morning the intense practice began and the schedule for the week is the following:

• 6am - 7am wake up tea and coffee
• 7:30am - 9am guided yoga and meditation
• 9am -10am group breakfast
• 11am - 12pm workshop
• 12pm - 5pm time to reflect / relax at villa / go into Ubud town 
• 5:30pm - 7pm guided meditation and yoga
• 7pm - 8pm group dinner

This was the first time in a while where we are forced into a formal schedule. The retreat had about 20 other people mostly from America, Australia or New Zealand. After day 1 we realized that this is the perfect time on our trip to do something like this. We can really reflect on a lot of experiences and mental thoughts that we have had over the last few months here over the course of this week.

"You speak good English"

KUTA BEACH, Indonesia // Everyone is selling you something in Bali. “Massage? Yesss.” // “$5 Everything, Yesss.” // “Boss, you want motobike? Yesss.” // “Taxi? Yesss.” // “Marijuana? Yesss.” // “Beach chair? Yesss.” // “Surfboard? Yesss,” said Jay and for the first time all day someone asked us the right question. “Yes, how much?”. “50K for one hour," Jay says smiling. We negotiated him down to 150K for two hours for two boards. Everything is always negotiable. It never hurts to ask for a cheaper rate. 

We had brought the bare minimum with us to the beach as we had to leave it on shore unattended when we went in the water. Adam had a few bills in the zip pocket of his swim shorts and we left shoes and our clothes on the shore. Jay offered to watch these for us. When we came back our stuff was neatly stored in a crate out of the sand and he and his friends were jamming in the shade. “Beer? Yesss.” This guy asked all the right questions. Bintang Radler beer has a lemon twist to it and hits the spot after swallowing half the ocean. We end up hanging with them for a few hours until sunset. Yan plays the guitar, and Mo is great on the drum though they all take turns with each instrument. Everyone sings along and it's a great beach vibe. We pay our bill with soggy dollars from Adam's swim shorts, say goodbye, and tell them we will see them tomorrow. They smile and wave but I don’t think they believe we will be back.

We are greeted the next day with laughter, pointing, and high fives. It's nice to have a little beach community. We decide to take turns today with the surfboard since after 45 minutes I'm toast and need a rest. So now one of us stays with the stuff, so we decided to bring it all: books, sunscreen, ukulele, journals, postcards, portable speaker. Yan is first to recognize the instrument and I ask if he plays. He takes it from me and is amazing. I don’t know why I am surprised, but now with a ukulele, guitar, and drum, the band is filling out nicely. That night we bought a small tambourine and ping pong size maracas to fill in the band even more!

While, Adam is surfing Yan turns to me and says, “You speak good English”. Haha I laugh and tell him, "I hope so, its the only language I know how to speak". We go into my background and he laughs. He thought I was some Indian mix and gets an even bigger kick knowing I’m Filipino as we have the same nose as the Sumatrans. I guess it's good I'm looking more local than foreign these days, or at least we're not looking American at all. We spend all week with these guys.

In fact, there are no Americans in Bali. This is the first time Andy has met one, and even the Aussie sitting near us turns and says, “Oh, Americans,” when she hears my accent, “welcome back, you guys have been gone for decades”. I guess after the 2002 bombing that killed 200 people at a Bali night club Americans have been reluctant to come back. We are actually a few blocks from the memorial that now stands in the middle of the street, but with all the bustle of the city going on its hard to believe it even happened. My question to the world is simple, “Bali? Yesss."

When life gives you Gnar

KUTA BEACH, Indonesia // My Apo has instilled in me the importance of respecting the water since I was a kid on the beaches of Hawaii. You never turn your back to the ocean, and you never get into waters you don't know. So when we got to Bali we took a surf lesson. We could have easily rented boards on the beach, but they come with no instructions, and honestly they don't really care if you kill yourself out there. We learned what times of day has the best waves, 8AM - 9AM and 2PM - 3PM. We learned how to identify where the rip current was and where the best breaks were. We went over putting your hands up to protect your head anytime you fall, and to fall flat and never pencil. In fact we went over 3 pages of notes before we even hit the water. Surfing is definitely a sport you have to do to learn, but hearing the basics and about the waters of Bali helped me feel at ease in the water.

After our lesson we rented boards for the next 5 days straight from 11 AM - 4 PM everyday. Surfing is a rush of adrenaline, fear, and ecstasy. 99% of the time I fail. I am too early on a wave and get pounded when it crests on top of me, or I'm too high in the wave and I nose dive into the water below. Sometimes I'm in the wrong spot, another surfer gets in my way, or I'm paddling too slow. The opportunity for things to go wrong is high, and when you get it wrong you get crushed and drink lots of salt water as you tumble in the waves. Your shoulders get tired and you chafe your inner arms and thighs against the foam board. But that 1% of the time you get it right it makes up for everything. Being on top of the water gliding on a wave feels like you're flying. When I make it to shore and dismount I immediately look for Adam on the beach to see if he witnessed the miracle that was me surfing. Then I turn back to sea and paddle out and wait for the next moment of magic. 

Jenny original quote, "When life gives you gnar, shred it!" 

Snail Mail

KUTA BEACH, Indonesia // When I was a kid, I remember getting my first piece of mail, a postcard from my Uncle Rob while he was visiting Hawaii. It was actually addressed to the family I think, but my parents let me keep it and that was the beginning of my postcard collection.

Anytime we went somewhere I bought postcards as my souvenir. When my Dad flew somewhere I asked him to bring me back postcards. In fact, I still have my postcard collection in the basement of my parents house if anyone cares to look at my treasures.

So now as I travel the world I find great joy in writing postcards, especially to the children of family and friends. Though most of them don’t really know who I am, I think if I plant a little seed of curiosity about the larger world they live in its worth it. If one family brings out a globe and finds Bali on a map, or goes to the library to find a book on surfing or climbing, or even if they just get excited to receive mail addressed to them, then it's absolutely worth the time to write them. 

We've sent over 100 postcards from around the world, and its an indulgence that has become part of our regular travel routine. Find the perfect postcards, write them in coffee shops, find the post office, talk with the locals, check out the stamps, and cross our fingers that they make it. Thank our lucky stars, all our postcards have made it so far even if they take 2-3 weeks to get there. 

Almost all of the post offices we have been to are open from 6 AM to 8 PM all day everyday. This means every post office we have been to has always been open when we show up at random times, and there have been zero lines or waits. 

It still amazes me that to send a postcard from around the world costs less than $1 most of the time and only requires local postage stamps. It even costs less to send a postcard from Thailand to the USA than to mail a postcard within the United States. Below are a few of the rates from each country we have visited thus far. 

• Thailand        15 Baht // $0.42
• Laos              14,000 Kip // $1.73
• Cambodia     3,000 Reil // $0.74
• Vietnam        14,000 Dong // $0.64
• Indonesia      12,000 Rupiah // $0.92

If you want a postcard from us please send us your address and we will add you to the mailing list!

Best Spot for a Layover

SINGAPORE // Another phase of our trip is over. We left "Indochina" and are on our way to Indonesia. There were no direct flights from Danang so we had to stop for a layover in Singapore for 5 hours. Changi International Airport was unlike most airports as it had free massage chairs, a movie theatre, a video game arcade, huge comfy chairs with sports on a big screen, and gardens all over the place. It was a good way to pass time here, and also made us want to return to this tiny country in the future. The next phase of southeast Asia starts with continuing our surfing in Bali.