“A crowded world thinks that aloneness is always loneliness and that to seek it is perversion.” - John Graves

Within ten minutes of meeting Nathan at my hostel in Ljubljana, he and I had decided to hike the Julian Alps for a few days. It’s these kinds of chance meetings that are one of the most rewarding aspects of traveling alone. The realization that one small interaction can lead to experiences you hadn’t thought possible.

Days spent in the company of friends and Peace Corps volunteers while wandering the Gurung Heritage Trail

All morning we trudged forward and upward in single file: Gauthier in the lead, eyes to the ground, finding feathers, porcupine quills, and other prizes in the dirt, myself following with my eyes to the sky, hoping to catch glimpses of the distant peaks towering over the valley and rising up through blankets of cloud, and Takeshi bringing up the rear, softly trotting along arms folded and smoking his cigarettes. 

The Annapurna Circuit is one of the world’s most famous long-distance treks. It encircles the Annapurna Massif, an exposed hulk of the Earth’s crust that makes up over 30 miles of continuous mountain and acts as the foundation for a dozen peaks that exceed 7,000 meters…

I came to Nepal to see the Annapurna massif, and walk the famed trekking route of the same name. I didn’t want to spend any more time in the congested capital than necessary, but had a distant acquaintance to make before heading for the Himalayas.

Even though I’m usually able to find something to appreciate about any destination, there were definitely a number of places where I had a much harder time enjoying myself. In Pai, I just wasn’t able to catch a break.

Of all of my experiences in Chiang Mai, the most unforgettable has to have been getting my first tattoo. No, it wasn’t etched with a bamboo needle in the hands of a Buddhist monk, but was deeply meaningful to me all the same

I headed to Thailand without plans or expectations. My trip was originally intended to be split between India and Nepal, but I decided last minute to squeeze in a week-long trip to Northern Thailand because I’d heard great things about the place, but mostly because I’m impulsive.

On our fourth day in Delhi, Nathan and I started to fall apart. Whether it was exposure to improperly prepared food, fruits and vegetables washed with contaminated water, or some other issue, the infamous “Delhi Belly” was now attached to us at the hip.

Two long flights across a combined twelve time zones left Nathan and I both confused and jet-lagged. We struggled to get our bearings riding in a strange van through the capital of India through a thick haze late into the night.

Every couple hours or so, I would leave my chair, and tiptoe across burning sand into the ocean, cooling off and feeling weightless as the tide effortlessly carried my body

Because of its crescent shape, we could see the entire length of Palolem beach from any point along it. Removing our sandals, we walked barefoot through the wet sand, sipping on Kingfisher Strong as we strolled in the gathering night…

I’m often asked how I plan out the days I spend abroad, and increasingly, my answer to that question has been that I don’t.