Sailing Greece

LEFKADA, Greece // The Scuba Liveaboard was complete in The Maldives and from there we got on a flight to Dubai where we spent a few days enjoying the city and meeting up with our friend Danny. From Dubai we flew to Athens, and from Athens took a public bus for about 6 hours to the west coast of Greece to the city of Lefkada. We charted a 36 foot Jeanneau monohull sailboat, got provisions, and waited out a gale force storm for two days before setting sail around the Ionian Sea.

The sail plan took us down to Sivorna, across to Fiskardo, to Little Vathi, and then to Varko Bay, before we returned the boat and headed back to Athens. With a final week left to go before returning back to the US, we went to Crete and explored Chania and Palaiochora. This was the end of the backpacking trip that we had planned for years. Emotionally but ready we head back to the United States.

Maldives Scuba Dive Liveaboard

HULHUMALE, Maldives // After hiking the Annapurna Circuit and relaxing for a few days in Kathmandu we flew to the exact opposite environment landing in the Maldives. We boarded a 7 day scuba liveaboard and set off towards the atolls. The scenery was blue in all directions and light turquoise around the island protected reefs. There were thousands of islands, each one more picturesque then the one we just left. We had some rain and rough seas, but that didn’t really effect our dives since we were underwater. Also, we are about a month out of season, which is why we were able to afford this deeply discounted ship. All in all we did so many dives for us that it would be almost too much. We pushed our limits of decompression diving, saw some amazing underwater marine life, and went searching unsuccessfully for the Whaleshark.

Coming Next // We charter a boat in Lefkada, Greece and sail around the Ionian sea

Trekking the Annapurna Circuit

KATHMANDU, Nepal // We spent an entire month in India, and after exhausting our 30 day visa, flew from Dharamshala back to New Delhi, and then on to Kathmandu. We met up with Dad and our friend Bart again, relaxed for 3 days in the city, and then took a long jeep ride to Jagat to begin our journey of the Annapurna Circuit.

Day 1 // Kathmandu (1400 meters)

Day 2 // Jagat (1100 meters)

Day 3 // Dharapani (1960 meters)

Day 4 // Chame (2630 meters)

Day 5 // Lower Pisang (3300 meters)

Day 6 // Manang (3570 meters)

Day 7 // Manang, acclimation day (3570 meters)

Day 8 // Yak Kharka (4100 meters)

Day 9 // Upper Camp, Thorong Phedi (4900 meters)

Day 10 // Thorong La Pass (5400 meters) to Muktinath (3800 meters)

Day 11 // Jomsom (2600 meters)

Day 12 // Pokhara (900 meters)

Day 13 // Kathmandu (1400 meters)

Next // We fly to The Maldives to do a Scuba Dive Liveaboard.

Backpacking Northern India

RISHIKESH, India // We arrived in Dehradun and made our way to the Tapovan area of Rishikesh. From here we checked into Maa Yoga ashram for a week long retreat focusing on meditation, pranayamma, and yoga. What first seemed a bit unorganized turned into a great experience for us meeting and interacting with people from all over the world who we really got a chance to learn from. A woman from Japan seeking Ayurvedic treatment, a family from southern india, a long term backpacker from Venezuela and his girlfriend from Sweden, an American couple traveling from their home in Mumbai, and an Australian couple looking to improve their yoga were all familiar faces by the end of the week. We had great in depth conversations with these people and spent a full day practicing doing 3 hours of yoga and 3 hours of pranayama daily.

Once we completed the ashram stay we took one of the longest car rides of our lives through Himachal Pradesh. The ride took about 14 hours and each place we stopped for a chai in the middle of nowhere the people wanted to meet us. What seemed like a short ride on a map was up and down mountains and through winding roads. We checked into Chonor House at the Norbulingka Institute where we spent our last week in India volunteering teach English to a group of Tibetan refugees at the Lha program in McLeodganj. Hearing their stories were fascinating and we played games like describe a photo from your phone in English to the group.

Next // We fly to Kathmandu to prep for our 2 week trek of the Annapurna Circuit

Backpacking Rajasthan, India

JAIPUR, India // We spent two weeks home in the United States visiting our families and seeing all of our friends at a wedding. We left our climbing gear, some film equipment, and a lot of unused clothes and repacked. We took our scuba diving gear, and some cold weather clothes for trekking, and boarded a plane to India stopping in Moscow on the way.

We arrived totally jet lagged and a little after midnight in New Delhi. Going from summer in the Northeastern United States with friends and family, to the crowded crazy streets of India was a major change. We immediately felt on our guard, but slowly the country opened up to us and we found joy in exploring on the local trains, and meeting the people at the homestays and classes that we took. From Delhi we did a day trip to Agra, and then took a train to Jaipur where we stayed with a local family at a homestay. This family taught yoga in the morning at a class in the home, and in the evening taught us about cricket in India. In Udaipur we took Tabla lessons and did a cooking class learning how to make Masala chai and curry.

Next // We fly north from Udaipur to Rishikesh to continue learning our yoga and meditation practice and then visit Mcleodganj to teach English to Tibetan refugees.

Singapore to Japan

TOKYO, Japan // The next phase of the trip has come to a close and we booked a return flight back to the United States to see our friends and family, unload some of our stuff, and repack for an adventure in India and Nepal. Originally we schedule to go to the Philippines and through Manila but our flight was cancelled and after looking at flight deals decided the best option would be to get to Singapore and then see Japan before we get back to the US.

We left the Perhentian Islands with a friend we made from Scuba Diving who was from Singapore and was traveling back home the same way we were going. We boarded the night train in Kuala Besut and took the overnight journey into Singapore. Singapore was modern, clean, and English speakers everywhere. This felt totally different from most places that we had been. We got food from a Michelin star food stall in Chinatown, stayed in a pod style hostel, visited coffee shops, and got an amazing gin and tonic drink at the top of Marina Bay Sands.

After 4 days we flew to Tokyo which felt like a different world then all the other Asian countries we had visited as well. We did a saki tasting, a huge sushi dinner, and then hiked Mount Fuji in one day. We spent 4 days in Japan and had an easy 13 hour direct flight home to the US. Next // We fly into India and begin exploring Rajasthan from Agra to Udaipur.

Next // We fly to India to explore Rajasthan from Agra to Udaipur.

Backpacking Malaysia

TANAH RATA, Malaysisa // We got off the scuba dive liveaboard in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia and flew into Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where we met up with our friend Bart. It's been a while since we were in a city environment, and spent the first few days exploring the Batu Caves, riding the metro around, and trying all types of foods. We took a bus north to Tanah Rata and went hiking for the next few days in the Cameron Highlands doing several of the jungle treks and visiting the tea houses.

After all of the hiking, we then took another bus to Penang and spent the following days in Georgetown doing random things like go bowling, wander the jettys, get haircuts, go the upside down museum, and eat at food stalls. We then took a super uncomfortable night bus to Kuala Besut arriving at 6am, and taking a small boat at sunrise to the Perhentian Islands to scuba dive.

Coming next // We board the night train to Singapore, then fly to Japan and hike Mount Fuji, before heading back to the USA to see family.

Komodo Scuba Livaboard

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia // Our final week in Indonesia we flew to Labuan Bajo and boarded a scuba diving livaboard to Komodo National Park. We met a great group of people from around the world and the dive operator, Komodo Dive Center, was top class. We did 13 dives in 4 days, and the final day visited Rinca Island to see the Komodo dragons.

Coming next // We travel to Malaysia to hike the Cameroon Highlands, explore Penang, and backpack through the Perhentian Islands

Bali, Indonesia

KUTA, Indonesia // While Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam represented one phase of our trip, it was time to move on. We flew from Hoi An through Singapore into Bali and arrived on a hectic Saturday night. We spent a week in Kuta where each day was the same of walking to the beach, renting surfboards, and playing ukulele with some locals we made friends with.

We moved north and stayed at a homestay in Ubud with an Indonesian family and then did a week long retreat with Blooming Lotus in Sukawati. Here, we were immersed in yoga and meditation for a week, one thing that we had been wanting and waiting to do on our trip that fell at a perfect time. Indonesia is one country where we realized there is so many fun things to do and it was apparent that we would be using our entire 30 day visa.

Coming next // We fly to Labuan Bajo to do a Scuba liveaboard in Komodo National Park.

Backpacking Vietnam

HOI AN, Vietnem // After Laos, we arrived in Hanoi and bought a bus/boat ticket to Cat Ba Island. We got in on a packed Saturday night and unbeknown to us, all of the hotel rooms were booked. Our only option was to camp out in a tent village outside of town that turned out to be really fun and full of interesting backpackers. Cat Ba was a great place to adventure as we did a kayaking/deep water soloing trip with Asia Outdoors, rented a motorbike and hiked through Cat Ba National Park, and then spent a few days rock climbing in Butterfly Valley.

We left Cat Ba Island, and flew into Danang on our way to Hoi An and found a peaceful bed and breakfast that we ended up staying at for over a week. Hoi An was a sharp contrast from Cat Ba Island and both were fun in there own respects. We did a full day train ride trip up to Hue and then reflected a lot on our first major phase of our Asia backpacking trip so far.

Coming next // It is the first time that we deviate away from our original plan and fly to Bali, Indonesia to continue our surfing and yoga skills and learn how to meditate.

Exploring Laos

LUANG PRABANG, Laos // We visited everyplace that we wanted to in Cambodia, and after a bus north from Phnom Penh, we crossed the border by foot into Laos. Don Det was our first stop just over the border which is essentially an island in the middle of a river. We biked around and went birdwatching, but only spent 2 days here before taking another bus north to Thakhek to rock climb. 

Thakhek was an amazing and newer climbing destination, but due to the isolation, heat, and mosquitos, we found it hard to really enjoy. Adding to this, it rained half the time we were there so we spent a lot of time reading instead of climbing and waiting for the weather to clear. 

We continued by public bus through Laos to the capital of Vientiane where we flew further north to the quaint town of Luang Prabang. This town has a very positive reputation in the traveler grapevine and it didn’t disappoint. We spent a week and a half there enjoying ourselves wandering around the monk filled city, going to cafes, and exploring the Kuang Si Waterfall. We also volunteered at Big Brother Mouse, an English Language Center, and entertained the kids by coming up with idioms. 

It took extra longer than we thought to process our visas into Vietnam so it was a perfect last city in Laos to spend our time. 

Coming next // We fly into Hanoi to start our Vietnam adventure. From the busy capital we make our way to Cat Ba Island to kayak, hike, and deep water solo, before heading to Hoi An. 

Backpacking Cambodia

SIEM REAP, Cambodia // After a full month in Thailand we set off for Cambodia. We met up with some family to explore Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, which to our surprise Ta Prohm was our favorite of all the temples.

We watched the Cambodia circus show Phare, a phenomenal show performed by former street kids turned acrobats. Our final day we rented bikes and took them into the countryside and met a lady and her daughter who ran a ceramics studio, where we spent the day learning pottery and picking mangos. 

The final week included a long bus trip south to the coast where we just relaxed on the beach and completed some long overdue due reading, writing, and playing ukulele. 

Coming next // We walk across the Cambodian border into Laos, go rock climbing in Thakhek, and visit Luang Prabang.

Sailing Phi Phi Islands

PHUKET, Thailand // We woke up at the anchorage in Racha Yai, just south of Phuket, and sailed to the Phi Phi Islands and past the famous and crowded Maya Bay. The winds picked up and we sailed north to Chicken Island off the coast of Krabi and had our first real problem with a broken windlass. 

Upon fixing the anchor windlass we studied the tide tables and motored through Ao Nang National Park looking out for jellyfish and kayaking in a serene lagoon. Our last night we had a fantastic sunset and reflected on the experience sailing through Thailand and all the things we got a chance to see on our own that the freedom of sailing has brought us. 

Coming next // Our Thai visa runs out and we fly to Siem Reap to explore Cambodia.

Sailing Southern Thailand

PHUKET, Thailand // After 3 weeks of rock climbing in Tonsai and Railay we still had about 10 days left on our Thai visa. We made our way to Phuket and rented a 37 foot Bavaria Cruiser and sailed from Phuket all around the Andaman Sea for a week making stops in Ko Rang Yai and Racha Yai.

The anchorages were well spaced out and we ended up having a perfect amount of provisions after trying to be resourceful at a glorified 7/11 store. The biggest problem was the lack of wind in the middle of the day and determining the right depth to anchor in. 

Coming next // We prep to make a long sail to the Phi Phi Islands, the anchor windlass breaks, and we cautiously motor through Ao Phang-Nga National Park while almost running aground.

Arriving in Asia

RAILAY BEACH, Thailand // From Hawaii we traveled over 30 hours by plane, stopping in Tokyo and Nagoya Japan on our way to Thailand. 

We bypassed Bangkok and got right on a plane to Krabi in southern Thailand where we spent 3 weeks sport climbing in Railay and Tonsai. Most days were spent rock climbing with the incredible community here, but others were spent hiking the Railay Lagoon or kayaking along the coast. During our time here we completed 17 climbs including the multi pitch Humanality over Tonsai beach. 

Coming next // We are renting a sailboat in Phuket and spending a week cruising around the Andaman Sea.

Kalalau Trail

KAUAI, Hawaii // After getting permits for the Napali Coast State Park a few months in advance, we flew to Kauai to hike the famous Kalalau Trail. The trail is completely isolated and there is no access by car. It is along the coast and is one of the most beautiful and most difficult hikes we have ever done. It is 11 miles from the trailhead to the beach where you can camp, then 11 miles back, making the total 22 miles. 

Upon arriving on Kauai we had a few basic supplies and spent the first day renting a cooking stove and mattress pads, as well as grocery shopping for our 3 days on the trail. We arrived at the trailhead the next day and started the trek at 8:13am. We stopped very little the whole way, and arrived at the waterfall / beach camping spot at 4:23pm. The isolation and difficulty made this a truly memorable experience, and certainly lived up to the expectations we had.

Coming next // We fly to Asia, starting in southern Thailand to rock climb in Railay and Tonsai.

Big Island of Hawaii

WAIKOLOA, Hawaii // After spending time on Maui we traveled to the Big Island of Hawaii for a few weeks. 

Activities we did during our stay here:
- Explored black sand beaches in Waikoloa
- Did a few zumba classes
- Spent time with family in Waimea
- Hiked Pololu Valley to the lookout point
- Visited 5 coffee farms on Kona
- Stayed at a coffee farm for 2 nights in Captain Cook
- Road tripped to Hilo
- Visited Volcanos National Park
- Drove to the southern most tip of the United States
- Lived in a tiny house in Pahoa
- Did the manta ray night dive on the Kona coast 

Coming next // We booked our permits for the Napali Coast, and plan on hiking the Kalalau trail in Kauai. 

Aloha Hawaii

PUKALANI, Hawaii // We finished our road trip across the United States, and spent the month of November and Thanksgiving with Jenny’s family in Georgia. In December we traveled to Cleveland to visit Adams family for Christmas and the holidays. On New Years Eve we flew to Hawaii, where we plan on spending the next few months.

Things we did and tried to accomplish in Hawaii:
- Learn how to surf
- Hike Haleakala from summit to sea level
- Learn how to play beach volleyball
- Spent time with family in upcountry Maui
- Learn how to cook Filipino / Hawaiian food
- go spearfishing and cook a fish
- Visit and hike in Oahu
- Learn how to shoot a bow and arrow
- Go overlanding and camp in Kanaio

Coming next // We visit the Big Island of Hawaii and go to Kauai to hike the Kalalau Trail

Road Trip // Back East

SANTA BARBARA, California // The total driven roundtrip was 5,267 miles. The cheapest gas was $1.83 in Amarillo, Texas. The most expensive gas was $4.59 in Needles, California. While the trip east was filled with seeing family, friends, and getting to the west coast quickly, the trip back east was the opposite. We took our time to stop at National Parks, go hiking, and do some rock climbing at some of the best areas in the US.

Day 7 - 8 // Pacific Beach, San Diego
Day 9 - 13 // Santa Barbara
Day 14 - 16 // Rock Climbing in Holcomb Valley & Big Bear
Day 17 // Mojave Desert Camping
Day 18 & 19 // Grand Canyon National Park
Day 20 // Sante Fe, New Mexico
Day 21 - 24 // Taos, New Mexico, rock climbing and hiking
Day 25 // 8 hours driving Taos, New Mexico to Oklahoma City
Day 26 // 8 hours driving Oklahoma City to Jasper Arkansas
Day 27 - 30 // Arkansas rock climbing Horseshoe Canyon Ranch
Day 31 // Clarksdale, Mississippi
Day 32 // Arrive back in Atlanta to see Jenny's family

Coming next // we fly to Hawaii and spend time on Maui, the Big Island, Kauai, and Oahu

Road Trip // To California

ATLANTA, Georgia // It took us 2,453 miles and 6 days but we made it to our destination: California. Our stops along the way were as follows:

Day 1: Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Bienville National Forest, Jackson Mississippi
Day 2: Vicksburg, Mississippi River, Dallas Texas
Day 3: Plano Texas, friends and family rest day
Day 4: Hermleigh Texas, Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Day 5: Guadalupe Mountains National Park, El Paso Texas, Las Cruces New Mexico, Mesa Arizona
Day 6: Joshua Tree National Park

Coming next // Exploring Santa Barbara, Rockclimbing in Big Bear, and driving back east stopping at a few National Parks.