Is it too early to declare February the best month of 2015? Probably, but with two weekends spent on the go it was definitely the most fun I’ve had this year. Even with the subzero temperatures and snow.

Destinations Visited

USA: Detroit, San Diego

Mexico: Tecate

Miles Traveled

4,860

Highlights

Celebrating my birthday in Detroit

I turned 29 (eeeek!) on the Friday the 13th and got to celebrate my birthday in my home state for the first time in seven years! My cousin was getting married on Valentine’s Day so I drove up on Friday with my mom and sister and spent the night celebrating in Detroit. We went to HopCat, a new craft beer bar in the city with about 120 beers on tap, and indulged in some local brews and burgers. It was the perfect low key celebration: favorite people, favorite things, and one of my favorite places.

Finding out some great blog related news

I can’t go into specifics yet but I received some extremely exciting news regarding a blog project for this year. I hope to be fully announcing in the next week or so, but for now I can tell you that it’s going to be an incredible adventure and it is by far the biggest thing that I’ve achieved because of this blog.

All of San Diego

I’ll be writing more about my trip in March, but it was practically perfect. Jessica is a wonderful tour guide and we spent four days brewery hopping and taking in some of San Diego’s best sites, and then spent a very random afternoon in Mexico. I also got to see my cousin Tracy for the first time in waaaay too long. I finally met her kids and we had a great time catching up over fish tacos. And even though the weather wasn’t all sunny skies, it was so nice to be in sandals and shorts in February!

Lowlights

Health issues

Not to be incredibly vague for the second time in this post, but in January I received some bad news when I went in for an exam. Because I don’t have health insurance, the process of finding out if this is anything to be worried about has been long and slightly cumbersome. I had a follow up appointment a couple of weeks ago and will finally be going for a final round of tests next week. It’s been been a stressful and scary month, but I’m happy to know that this will (hopefully) be all behind me by the time March is over.

Favorite Farsickness Posts

Roadtripping Portugal’s Algarve

The 7 Stages of Repatriation 

What I Never Leave Home Without

Returning Home and Discovering Pure Michigan

Meal of the Month

My favorite meal this month wasn’t anything fancy. It is plain old comfort food that reminds me of growing up in Michigan. Detroit is famous for its Coney dogs and Coney Island restaurants, diner type places serving Greek inspired dishes, all day breakfast, and the infamous Coney dog. My favorite is chain called Leo’s and I order the same thing every single time I visit: lemon rice soup and chili cheese fries. Healthy, I know.

Upcoming Travel Plans

I don’t have any thing definite planned as I need to spend a lot of time working, saving money, and planning my European trip that starts in April. If my work schedule allows, I’m hoping to take a quick weekend trip to either Indianapolis or Nashville

What were your highlights this month? Any good plans for February? I’d love to hear about them!

Farsickness Monthly Recap: February 2015 is a post from: Farsickness

Destinations Visited

USA: Chicago, Illinois

Miles Traveled

A whopping 594 miles!

Highlights

Reuniting with my college roommates in Chicago

Last weekend I flew up to Chicago for a weekend of fun with 6 of my 7 University of Michigan besties. Like any weekend with these folks, a large portion of our time was spent drinking quite heavily. Friday night was fairly civil with a birthday dinner for my friend Jen and then drinks at a local dive bar. Saturday, though, was no holds barred “let’s drink like we’re 18 again even though we are pushing 30″. We took a beer bus tour around the city and while I’m not going to get into specifics, making it to brunch on Sunday morning was an extremely difficult feat. Leaving Sunday was a bit sad as it had been quite some time since we’d all been together and it’s unsure when we’ll be able to do it again.

Quitting my job and going freelance

Finally getting the courage to forgo office live and make a career out of blogging and freelancing has made me so happy. That’s not to say it also hasn’t been completely terrifying and a little stressful, but it’s comforting knowing that I’m heading toward the life of location independence that I’ve wanted for so long.

Booking my first international flights of the year

I’m going back to Europe! While I’d been cooking up a bunch of travel plans in my head for a while, actually having the flights booked makes it real. I am so stoked to be able to spend time in two of my former homes (Rome and London), discover new places in my favorite country (Italy), and explore a completely new country (Iceland).

Buying tickets to see Tiziano Ferro in concert

When I was living in Rome in 2009 I became obsessed with Italian pop star Tiziano Ferro. His single ‘Il regalo piu’ grande’ was played all the time everywhere during my semester studying and I soon had his entire discography downloaded and would spend hours translating lyrics. My teenybopper love for him has not abated these past 6 years and in June I’m finally seeing him live! While our schedules never overlapped during previous tours, I bought tickets yesterday for his show at Stadio Olimpico in Rome and I really couldn’t be more excited.

Best month ever for Farsickness

January has been the best month ever for Farsickness traffic wise! I also finally surpassed 500 likes on Facebook and my followers on Instagam and Twitter have also continued to grow. Thank you so much to everyone who has clicked a link on Google, left a comment, followed me on social, shared an article, or sent an email. It’s been so exciting to watch this space evolve over the past few years and I can’t wait to see what the rest of 2015 has in store for Farsickness.

Lowlights

Dealing with haters

Someone left a rude comment on my blog attacking my personality and my choice to leave my job. For about 24 hours this made me really, really upset because while I know that not everyone is going to agree with my decisions, I don’t see the need to cut me down because of that. Eventually I decided to just take the T-Swift approach to haters and shake it off. My life, my decisions, my happiness.

Favorite Farsickness Posts

How to Bliss Out on Santorini

How to Travel Europe on a Student Budget

Why I Quit My Job to Travel (Again)

Where I’m Going in 2015

My Writing Around the Internet

An American Abroad Expat Diaries with Amanda of Farsickness

Meal of the Month

A few days ago I went to Jack Fry’s, a Louisville institution, to celebrate my mom’s birthday. When you step into this tiny restaurant you feel like you’re stepping into the past. A past with phenomenal food. I started with the warm brie salad, a must have on any visit, and for my main I had braised hen with pumpkin and duck confit stuffed pasta, brussels sprouts, and black truffle sage butter. Because the place is so dimly lit, I don’t have any photos but trust me, it was both beautifully presented and delicious.

Upcoming Travel Plans

In February I’ll be leaving Louisville twice! I’m going up to Detroit for my cousin’s wedding over Valentine’s (and my birthday) weekend and then I’ll be spending 5 days exploring San Diego. Though I’ll have San Diego native Jessica to show me around, if you have any suggestions for must-sees let me know in the comments!

What were your highlights this month? Any good plans for February? I’d love to hear about them!

Farsickness Monthly Recap: January 2015 is a post from: Farsickness

May turned out to be one of my favorite months of travel. It was during this time that I hit my travel groove. I got used to moving around every few days and using DEET as a perfume. I also really enjoyed a lot of the places we visited in May, which helped too. May was also the month I stopped blogging, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Highlights

• A dream of mine came true in May. I finally got to visit Elephant Nature Park. Located about 60 kilometers from Chiang Mai, Elephant Nature Park is more than just a tourist attraction, it aims to help the plight of Asian elephants around Thailand. I will post more thoroughly about this day, but for now just know that wandering around between these friendly giants and getting a peek at 1 month old baby Dok Mai was not just a highlight of May, but a highlight of my life.
• I also rode my first night train, from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. I’ve always had a bit of an obsession with train travel, so this was an experience I was looking forward to. It didn’t disappoint. Our beds were turned down with fresh linen and Tara and I had fun talking and playing cards while drinking large Chang beers. I also got a decent night of sleep. The perfect way to travel.
• I spent one day on a farm outside of Chiang Mai learning to cook my favorite Thai dishes. The course was fantastic, by far the best cooking class I’ve ever attended, and the other students were interesting to talk to. For 8 hours we cooked fantastic dishes and relaxed around the table eating gabbing.
• The whole city of Pai was a highlight for me. After 2 weeks of sightseeing in Burma and some busy days in Chiang Mai, it felt nice to bask in the relaxed nature of this city. We ended up spending 5 days here during which we mostly did some of the best eating we’ve done on this trip.
• Cruising down the Mekong between Chiang Khong, Thailand and Luang Prabang, Laos was unexpectedly fantastic. We had a good group of travelers on the boat and occupied both days with some beer (and whisky) drinking over stories of past travels.
• I actually really, really enjoyed Vang Vieng.I wasn’t sure what to expect. One one hand, I don’t think I would’ve really enjoyed the extreme party atmosphere of yesteryear, but I didn’t want to turn up to a ghost town either. I was pleasantly surprised to found a cute traveler town surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen. And the tubing? Still a lot of fun!
• I got to spend 2 weeks drinking Beer Lao Dark Lager! Yes. This is a highlight. Tara and I discovered this dark beer at a self serve beer bar near our apartment a few months before we left Korea. We then proceeded to show up every weekend and drink their entire stock. So, it felt great to be reunited with my favorite Southeast Asian beer, especially when it cost half the price of what you’d find in Korea.

Lowlights

• The ride from Pai to Chiang Khong, the border with Laos, was easily the most terrifying experience of my life. Our van left at 7 pm, right as it began to get dark. The driver seemed to have very little concern for the rules of the road or anyone’s safety. There were times when I was confused as to what side of the road they drive on in Thailand as we never stayed in one place for very long. He would blindly pass any vehicle in his way, speed around curves so quickly that the tires would screech, and hit the brakes about twice the entire seven hour journey. Both times we stopped everyone got out of the van, looked at each other, and said “What the fuck?”.
• The entire city of Vientiane was a bit of a lowlight for me. I’d heard it been described as the world’s most boring capital city, and I wouldn’t disagree. There wasn’t much to see or do, and it lacked any character.
• While at Elephant Nature Park, I tripped over a rock, rolled my ankle, and then slammed my big toe into the ground while trying to save myself. Not only was this incredibly embarrassing, but I also thought I broke my toe and couldn’t walk normally for about a week.

Distance Traveled: 2,691 miles
Planes: 1
Buses: 4
Vans: 2
Boats: 4
Trains: 1
Beds Slept In: 10 (12 if you count the beds on overnight sleeper buses and trains)
Cockroaches seen: 1
Rats seen: 0!
Countries Visited: Burma, Thailand, Laos
Places Visited: Bagan, Mandalay, Chiang Mai, Pai, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane, Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands)

Future Travel Plans

Talking about the future in the past…I spent June in two of my favorite countries: Cambodia and Vietnam.

For real time updates make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

May Wrap Up is a post from: Farsickness

I’m writing this from Bangkok, but when the post goes live I’ll be in halfway into my two weeks in Burma, probably in Bagan. And hopefully not dead from the heat. Enough with what’s going on right now. What happened in April?

Highlights

• Being in Thailand. Seriously though, I feel like Thailand is the country you have to have been to if you’ve spent any time in Asia. Plus the food. Oh, the good! Curry for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ve never been happier.
• Somehow we ended up in Koh Phangan during Songkran, or Thai New Year. For a few days the entire country turns into a huge water fight. Our hostel drove us into town in the back of a pick up truck and we spent hours dancing, getting into water fights, and eating cheap Thai food. It was one of the best days.
• To escape Bangkok for a few days while waiting for the Burmese embassy to reopen, Tara and I went to Kanchanaburi, home of the bridge over the river Kwai. The real highlight of the trip was hiking the seven level Erawan Waterfall. It was beautiful, with many pools to swim in and deep blue water.
• Say what you want to say about Khao San Road, it can be a lot of fun. On our first night in Bangkok Tara and I headed over to this “backpacker ghetto” and had a great meal, drank a few beers, did some shopping, and ate some crickets. All for really cheap. Stay away from the shirtless bros and it’s not all bad.

Lowlights

• My first week in Thailand I lost my debit card. I’m pretty sure I left it in an ATM at the Krabi airport. My bank was able to express mail a new card to my parents, but because of the Songkran holiday in Thailand it was delayed being sent here. Luckily, Tara was able to lend me money but it was still pretty stressful.
• A few days after that I decided it would be a good idea to rent a motorbike on Koh Lanta. I’m a horrible driver as is and have never driven a motorbike. Obviously I crashed it in the parking lot of the rental shop. It wasn’t too bad but I had to go to the hospital to get the wounds cleaned out and for a round of antibiotics.
• It rained almost every single day we were in southern Thailand. Like, torrential downpour. When you’re at a beach destination this pretty much sucks.

Distance Traveled: 2,677 miles
Planes: 2
Busses: 4
Vans: 3
Boats: 5
Beds Slept In: 12
Cockroaches seen: 2 (all in public places, thankfully!)
Rats seen: 3 (all in one night, all in Bangkok, all very large)
Countries Visited: Thailand, Burma
Places Visited: Krabi, Koh Lanta, Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Yangon, Kalaw, Inle Lake
Money Spent: Let’s not even talk about it. One day I will learn how to abide by a budget, this trip is not that day apparently. (And as much as I care, I don’t.)

Favorite Farsickness Posts

History Through Food: An Eating Tour of Manila’s Chinatown This walking tour was one of the best that I’ve ever been on, food related or otherwise. History and food, can it get any better?

Philippines Wrap Up Sometimes servicey posts are good. And this one contains some pretty pictures.

Sightseeing in Singapore (While Sick) Singapore is an awesome city with a lot to see and do. While I wasn’t able to check everything off due to some mystery illness, I still enjoyed myself.

What I’ve Been Reading

(Honestly, I haven’t been doing a ton of blog reading. When I’m on the Internet I’m usually writing and when I’m not I’m plowing through books!)

That Backpacker 9 Lessons Learned from a Month Backpacking Around SE Asia  Audrey and I left Korea at nearly the same time for our SE Asia trips and it seems we’ve learned a lot of the same things. Though, I think she’s a little more hardcore backpacker than me.

Active Backpacker What to do in Portland: Microbreweries, Food Trucks & Vintage The title really says it all. I hope to make it to the west coast sometime soon and it seems Portland has all my interests covered!

Farsickness Around the Internet

Asia Rooms 10 Things to do in Seoul I’m very excited to announce my first contribution to Asia Rooms! If you’re heading to Seoul, definitely check this out. Every time I read this I get a little sad knowing what awesome things I’m missing out on.

Ashley Abroad My Local Eats: Seoul, Korea Another Korea post to make me sad, I felt very honored to be able to contribute to Ashely’s great series, My Local Eats. I’d really love some Korea right now!

Future Travel Plans

I will be in Burma until May 8. After that I’ll spend the next couple of weeks exploring northern Thailand before heading over to Laos.

For real time updates make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

What were your favorite posts around the blogosphere in April? Do you have any travel plans that you are looking forward to in May?

April Wrap Up is a post from: Farsickness

I can’t believe I am one month into my trip- a quarter of the way done! March has had its ups and downs, which I’ll write about in more detail below, but I think I’ve finally settled into a good routine and gotten used to being on the road and being away from Korea.

Highlights

• El Nido had been a dream destination of mine for some time, so actually making it there, the first real stop of our trip, was a special moment. As was swimming in the turquoise big lagoon.
• The Cameron Highlands were a cool respite from the sweltering temperatures of Singapore and Melaka. With temperatures of around 18 degrees Celsius I was walking around in long sleeves! Not only comfortable, the mountainous tea plantations were like nothing I’d ever seen before and the tea was delicious.
• Snorkeling in the Perhentian Islands has been the highlight of this trip so far. I swam next to a huge sea turtle, a shark, and schools of beautiful fish. This little day trip may have even inspired me to get PADI certified in Thailand.
• The Perhentian Islands were also the site of a reunion. My friend Marty who is doing is own post-Korea travels around Asia was able to swing a few days between Burma and Sri Lanka to bum around at the beach with us. It was a wonderful time and really nice to see a familiar face.

Lowlights

• The five hour van ride from Puerto Princesa to El Nido and back was my idea of a nightmare. On top of windy unpaved roads, the van was cramped and I couldn’t fit my legs behind the seat comfortable which led them to be numb from the knee down. It was well worth it but the pain and fear were bad.
• Seeing 2 cockroaches. One of which was the largest bug I’ve ever seen in my life. In our private bathroom. I know that bugs of these sort are just part of being in southeast Asia but I’m not a big fan of bugs and I’d never seen a cockroach before this trip so it was a shock.
• Getting food poisoning and some sort of respiratory illness at the same time which resulted in me not being able to enjoy my time in Singapore or eat for about 3 days.

Distance Traveled: 4,761 miles
Planes: 4
Busses: 4
Vans: 4
Boats: 6
Beds Slept In: 11
Cockroaches seen: 2
Countries Visited: Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia
Places Visited: Puerto Princesa, El Nido, Manila, Singapore, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands, Perhentian Islands, Georgetown
Money Spent: About $1,500. This is above my initial budget but seems to be more realistic so I’m going with it!

Favorite Farsickness Posts

Farewell Korea: What I Learned in the Land of the Morning Calm Saying goodbye to Korea was harder than I thought it would be, but I learned some valuable lessons.

My Pre-Trip Fears I’m a natural worrier so I obviously had some reservations before this trip began. Luckily, besides some stomach issues, nothing too bad has happened!

What I Ate In…The Philippines It may have caused food poisoning, but I ate well in the Philippines.

Paradise Found: El Nido, Philippines El Nido was a dream of mine and it did not disappoint.

What I’ve Been Reading

Expat Edna Surprise! Edna surprised her family by coming home, something I’ve always wanted to do, and it was touching.

Lateral Movements The Hardest Part of Travel The last time I left my family I cried and cried and cried. Lauren’s post touches on how hard it is to be the one who chooses to go.

Nomadic Samuel The Challenges of Being a Digital Nomad Sam and I left Korea around the same time and are both having difficulties reconciling the traveling and writing life.

Travels of Adam Couchsurfing for Food Adam details a new social networking site- one that connects hungry travelers.

Sateless Suitcase The Art Historian’s Guide to Not Being a Perfect Traveler  Sometimes I just wanted a double cheeseburger and air con when I’m traveling. Julika understands.

Farsickness Around the Internet

GoAbroad Blog of the Week I was named GoAbroad Blog of the Week! This was a huge honor and I’m so flattered to be appear on their site.

Future Travel Plans

I’m taking a flight today from KL to Krabi. I’ll spend the next two weeks island hopping in southern Thailand and then make my way up to Bangkok. The final two weeks of the month will be spent exploring Burma.

For real time updates make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

What were your favorite posts around the blogosphere in March? Do you have any travel plans that you are looking forward to in April?

March Wrap Up is a post from: Farsickness

Even though I didn’t do any traveling, the past month has been busy. I got a new tattoo- an outline of the map of the world on the inside of my left forearm. I also celebrated my 27th birthday (yikes!) and have been going around getting my fill of my favorite Korean things, mostly food and noraebang. My last day of work was February 15 and it was sad to see some of my favorite students off. We had a lovely graduating ceremony for them and then my school took all the teachers out to a multi-course Chinese lunch. The past week has consisted of packing and visiting a bunch of governmental offices to tie things up. I have a couple more days to tie things up and then I’m off!

Here we go…my last round up from Korea!

My Favorite Farsickness Posts

48 Hours in Taipei Taipei was a city that really surprised me with its green spaces, friendly people, delicious food, and interesting architecture.

Getting High: Sunrise in Alishan After Taipei I decided to head to the middle of nowhere to see the sunrise on a mountain.

Crazy Temples and Union Jacks: 24 Hours in Kaohsiung The temples in Kaohsiung were some of the coolest buildings I’ve seen in all my travels.

Street Eats: Night Markets in Taiwan My favorite part of Taiwan was exploring the night markets and getting to try a lot of different foods, some weirder than others.

What I’ve Been Reading

eTramping Culinary Journey Around Southeast Asia in Pictures Agness and Cez give a nice rundown on some of the most popular food in Southeast Asia. I’m sure I will be using this post as a guide for eating in the next few months!

A Dangerous Business My Experience With Budget Airlines in Europe A lot of people like to complain about budget airlines in Europe, but like Amanda says in her post, what were your really expecting? She also explains that it really isn’t all that bad, and often pretty similar to flying the major US carriers.

EatingAsia Pho: Not (Just) A Noodle Soup This post gives a nice history of pho in Vietnam and explains that pho doesn’t always mean the noodle soup that we think of.

Legal Nomads Revisiting the solo female travel experience With the death of American tourist Sarai Sierra in Istanbul, solo female travel was in the news and on the blogs this months. I thought that Jodi’s post was the best of the crop. She presents convincing statistics, interviews from other female travelers, links to other posts in the blogosphere, and tips for safe solo female travel.

Chrystal Clear New York is Just Plain Cool One of my dream cities to live in is New York. It’s actually the only US city that holds any real appeal to me and Chrystal’s beautiful photo essay illustrates some of the reasons I feel this way.

Farsickness Around the Internet

Um, I’ve been  quite busy lately and haven’t really been contributing. But I promise some exciting things are on their way!

Upcoming Travel

On March 2 I leave for my big trip around Southeast Asia and China! At least four months of exploring and eating on this glorious continent. I have a couple weeks of “filler” posts planned and then coverage of the big trip will start with posts about the Philippines. For real time updates, make sure you follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Thanks for reading and supporting me in Korea; I can’t wait for this journey to begin!

What were your favorite posts around the blogosphere in February? Do you have any travel plans that you are looking forward to in March?

February Wrap Up is a post from: Farsickness

I’ve been slightly lacking in the blogging and writing department lately, but that will all change soon. I promise. Taiwan coverage starts next week and will be followed by my last few Korea related posts before I leave for my trip on March 2!

Until then, a recap of my January.

My Favorite Farsickness Posts

America’s Newest Foodie City: Where to Eat Lunch in Louisville It hurts to look at this post because it makes me miss all the delicious things I was eating a mere month ago. If you want to eat well this year book a ticket to Louisville and read this post.

Bourbon Tales: A Visit to the Jim Beam American Stillhouse Visiting all the distilleries of Kentucky’s bourbon trail has long been a goal of mine and I got things started at Jim Beam.

Celebrating Winter in Louisville With Hillbilly Tea This was easily the best meal I’ve had in a while. Again with Louisville and the eating well. You won’t be disappointed.

Ann Arbor: The Greatest Little City in the World You might not agree with the superlative in this title. But you should.

When Travel Plans Go To Shit Taiwan didn’t end up going exactly as planned, but I learned a lot about how I need to change from travel style.

What I’ve Been Reading

D Travels Round What Not To Do in Chiang Mai This is technically from December, but since I didn’t do a wrap up that month and this is such an important post, I’m including it here. Diana, a fellow elephant lover, explains how to travel more ethically in the northern Thailand.

Southwest Compass Great Travelogues I’m always looking for new travel related reads when I’m on the road and the duo behind Southwest Compass has created a list of a few that are worth checking out.

Accidental Epicurean Everyone Loves Dumplings! A Guide to Dumplings Around the World An ode to one of my favorite foods, Joanna’s post had me drooling on my keyboard. And planning a worldwide dumpling tour.

Christine in Spain My Travel Beauty Essentials I like makeup. Even when I travel. It was refreshing to see a post from someone else who isn’t worried about a tube of mascara taking up too much room in her backpack.

Jack and Jill Travel The World Everything Seoul, A Brain Dump A post about Seoul from someone who doesn’t live here! I really enjoyed seeing the city from a newbie’s point of view.

Farsickness Around the Internet

A Dangerous Business Thursday Traveler: Amanda of Farsickness This was also from December but is worth mentioning here. My mom was even able to find a few Christmas gifts for me based off the answers to this interview with another awesome Amanda.

Lateral Movements Studying in Rome with Amanda Slavinsky Everyone says studying abroad “changes” them…but really, it did. I share some thoughts about my first experience living abroad with Lauren.

Upcoming Travel

February will be travel free! I need all the time I can get to finish preparations for this trip, tying up lose ends in Korea, and eating as much galbi and jjigae as possible. Oh, and celebrating my birthday on the 13th

What were your favorite posts around the blogosphere in January? Do you have any travel plans that you are looking forward to in February?

January Wrap Up is a post from: Farsickness

In blogging news, I started a Tumblr for Farsickness. There are always stories and photos that don’t make it to the blog, and I’m going to use the Tumblr as a place to share those. Also, this blog usually lags about a month behind, but the Tumblr will be updated in real time. Lastly, I think Tumblr is a fun platform, with a great community. The blog there will be a little more relaxed, with quotes and photos from places I’d like to see. You can check it out here.

My Favorite Farsickness Posts

A Washing Machine and a Crazy Korean Grandmother: One Sunday morning a Korean grandmother barged into my apartment while I was pant-less and disconnected my washing machine. I still can’t believe this actually happened.

Flashback Friday: Spending Holidays Abroad: Thanksgiving has come and gone, but Christmas is around the corner. This post has some tips on how to spend holidays abroad without feeling sad.

A Stroll Through Bukchon Hanok Village: If I had to pick one tourist attraction as a must see in Seoul, it would be Bukchon Hanok Village. I’m so glad I finally got myself over there.

Flashback Friday: Learning to Love Travel Through Road Trips: My parents helped develop my sense of curiosity through family road trips as a child. This post is one of my favorites, mostly because of the awkward photos my mom sent me to include in it.

A Korean Cooking Class at the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine: I almost missed it, but this cooking class was one of the best I’ve been to.

What I’ve Been Reading

Paper Planes Street Art- Georgetown, Penang: I love street art and when I saw Alana’s post about Georgetown, Malaysia it made me really excited to go street art hunting in the city when I’m there next year.

That Backpacker Havana: Must Every Visit Be Political?: Cuba’s been on my travel bucket list since high school, and Audrey’s beautiful photos make me want to hightail it over there ASAP. She also poses an important question about traveling to politically sensitive places.

C’est Christine Sailing the San Blas Islands With the Black Dragonfly: South America has been on my mind a lot lately. Boat trips and secluded beaches rank pretty high on my lists of favorite things. So, when I read about Christine’s trip between Panama and Colombia on the Black Dragonfly I made a mental note that I have to do this sometime in my life. Who’s in?

Wayfaring Amanda 7 Reasons I’m Excited to Go Home: I love to travel, but there’s something special about going home. Amanda’s list of reasons she was excited to go home is incredibly similar to mine.

Expat Edna Azerbai-where? An Introduction to Azerbaijan: I knew next to nothing about Azerbaijan a couple weeks ago, but after reading Edna’s incredibly detailed post I’m read to plan a trip there.

Farsickness Around the Internet

Expats Blog The Beginning of an Addiction in Rome: My entry in the Expats Blog writing contest talks about how my addiction to living abroad was born.

Travel Wire Asia Who’s blogging about Korea? A blogger roundup: Chris Backe included Farsickness on his round up of bloggers in Korea, with some very nice comments.

Expats Blog Interview with Amanda- American Expat in South Korea: Another post on Expats Blog, in this interview I talk about what it’s like to live as an expat in South Korea.

Upcoming Travel

Next week I will be accompanying 140 sixth graders on a four day long field trip to Jeju Island. In addition to spending nearly 96 hours with a bunch of 12 year olds, I’ll also be sharing a room with two middle aged Korean women who don’t speak English that well. It should be…interesting?

After that, on December 19, I’ll be headed back to the United States for two weeks of eating, drinking, and family time!

What were your favorite posts around the blogosphere in ? Do you have any travel plans that you are looking forward to in December?

November Wrap Up is a post from: Farsickness

My Favorite Farsickness Posts

Climbing Seongsan Ilchubong, or How I Decided to Join a Gym: Climbing this volcanic crater on Jeju Island was hard. At the time, I hated it. But I was a little bit proud of making it to the top, and the view was worth it.

Eating, Drinking, and Sleeping in Jeju City: A little bit of a service-y post, I mostly just like reminiscing about good things I’ve eaten. Especially this Indian. I wish I had it again right now.

Eating Live Octopus at Noryangjin Fish Market: Eating a live octopus was on my “Korean bucket list” for a long time. I finally did it. It was awesome.

The Secrets of Linus’ Bama Style Barbecue: This is one of my favorite Farsickness posts yet. It might be unfair to say that because I didn’t do most of the writing, but I love delicious food and people with passion. Both of which Linus has plenty of.

Seoul Subway Challenge: Line 5: Taking part in my first blogger collaboration was a lot of fun! A great idea by Tom that was executed nicely by a bunch of Korea bloggers.

What I’ve Been Reading

Globetrotter Girls What I Wonder When I Wander: What exactly is the West?: In this post Jess tries to decipher what exactly constitues the Western world today. One of the most thought provoking posts I’ve read in awhile, I actually spent a lot of time reading about this idea after first coming across the post.

Alex in Wanderland Whaling in Iceland: My Plea to Tourists: Though I’m not a huge animal rights activist, I do feel strongly about respecting the world around us. Also, after watching “The Cove” I can I am firmly against anything like what goes on in Japan. Alex takes a look into the history of whaling in Iceland and encourages people to think before they eat.

Curiosity Travels What I’m Taking for Granted: When you live in a place for a determined amount of time and the end is in site, it is easy to get annoyed at little things and not realize how good you have it. Fellow expat in Korea, Jessica outlines some of the great things about Korea that are easily taken for granted.

Foodie International Eating Tbilisi: Why Georgia Should be on Your Culinary Bucket List: I’ve been hearing about Tbilisi in the food blogosphere for some time, and after reading Elyse’s post I’m convinced I must go as soon as possible. Mushrooms with cheese? Soup dumplings? Cheesy bread? Yes, please!

Brooke vs. the World Heaps…Would it bother you Heaps, of I typed it Heaps: I’m one of the worst offenders when it comes to starting to talk like people I’m around. In this post Brooke talks about some of the Australian-isms she’s picked up.

Farsickness Around The Internet

Expat Edna I Love My Neighborhood: Seoul’s Cheonho-dong: I wrote about my love for my (former) neighborhood for Edna’s expat series. I miss Cheonho!

The Quirky Traveller Discover Seoul Food in Korea: Korean food is often underrepresented in comparison to other Asian cuisines. I want that to change, so I introduced some Korean favorites to the readers of The Quirky Traveller.

Chincha?! Blog of the Week: English language online magazine Chincha?! featured Farsickness as their blog of the week. I met Loren in person for the interview, and this is great example of how my mind works when I speak. Spoiler: not well.

Expat Arrivals An American Expat in South Korea: Expat Arrivals offers advice for people moving abroad. I was interviews about what it is like for an expat to live in Seoul.

Go Backpacking Au Pair Abroad: 4 Stories of Travel and Cultural Immersion: I share my opinion about whether being an au pair is a good way to experience another culture.

Edgy June Travels New Blogs: Laura over at Edgy June Travels gave me my first shout out! Check out some of the other new bloggers she mentions. A bunch of great blogs!

Upcoming Travel

I’m currently in Tokyo and very happy to be exploring another country. One of my good friends from home will be coming for a weekend later this month (my first visitor!) and I’m excited to have the chance to show someone around Seoul and see it through a tourist’s eyes. I’m also hoping to make it to Seoraksan Mountain in eastern Korean to see the leaves change.

Happy Travels!

What were your favorite posts around the blogosphere in September? Do you have any travel plans that you are looking forward to in October?

September Wrap Up is a post from: Farsickness

My Favorite Farsickness Posts

Flashback Friday: A London Photo Essay: Inspired by the Olympics, I posted some of my favorite photos from one of my favorites cities, a lot of which had never been on the blog before. This post, and a lot of other European-centric posts in the blogosphere this month, made me Euro-sick. Until I get back to that part of the world I’ll have to settle for looking at my old pictures.

The Best Mistakes I’ve Ever Made: A few dumb decisions and some bad luck in Ulleungdo led to one of my favorite evenings on the island.

Jeju’s Most Beautiful Beach: If I could support myself to be a beach bum, I would. Until then I will scour the world for the most beautiful beach. Hyeopjae, in Jeju, could be a contender. It’s by far the most beautiful in Korea!

What I’ve Been Reading

Over Yonderlust Louisville, Kentucky: I Like to Be Surprised: My parents moved to Louisville (from Michigan, where I grew up) shortly before I came to Korea. I was less than enthused by their decision on location, but like Erica I was actually really surprised by Louisville. With its fantastic selection of restaurants, quirky character, and Southern charm, Louisville has become a place I’d actually recommend. This post does a great job highlighting the city’s finer points.

Twenty-Something Travel The Introverts Guide to Travel: I’m a very introverted person;  like my time alone. But I also like to travel and meet people. In this post Stephanie gives some great advice on how to get the most out of travel while being an introvert.

World Walk About Why Our Lives Aren’t Actually All That Exciting: Andrea and Matt’s blog has quickly become one of my favorites. As fellow teachers in South Korea they know that expat life isn’t all travel and fun. It actually includes things like grocery shopping, bill paying, and laundry. Andrea’s post does a good job debunking the, I think common, thought that expat life isn’t real life.

C’est Christine Postcard from Santa Fe: I know very little about the American Southwest but after reading this post by Christine, and gazing at the beautiful photos, I can now say that Santa Fe is high on my list of places I must visit soon!

World Flavor How We Saved Money Teaching English in Korea Rachel and Jeff are about to leave Korea after teaching here for a year and have offered up some tips on how to save money in Korea. Tips that I should probably start follow, like, now.

Farsickness Around The Internet

Positive World Travel Things To Do in Seoul: I gave the inside scoop on what to do, where to sleep, and what to eat in Seoul for Anthony and Elise.

The Travel Hack Sunset Sunday: Rome and the City: Monica featured another one of my Roman sunset photos (I have a lot) on her blog!

NeverSeconds Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5: Martha Payne, from Scotland, started blogging about her school lunches in the spring, and quickly became famous worldwide. The attention her blog received even forced changes to public school lunch programs in her country. Since then, Martha has raised over £100,000 for the charity Mary’s Meals, which helps combat world hunger. During her school holiday Martha, called VEG on her blog, had schools from around the world guest post for an entire week. My classes and I stepped up this week and showcased some Korean school lunches and talked about food in Korea. I love seeing change implemented through social media, especially in the area of food, and was very excited to take part in this project!

Magical Teaching The Unscripted Lessons: What I Learned (And Failed to Learn) While TESL-ing in South Korea: One of Tara’s friends from home, Derek, started a collaborative blog that celebrates the teacher in hopes of inspring those who teach to keep being, you guessed it, magical. Though I’m far from a real teacher, I wrote three posts for this fabulous blog (seriously, check it out, all the contributors are wildly talented) and this is the first.

Upcoming Travel

As I settle back into second semester I’m going to try to take it easy for the month and save some money. Korea’s fall harvest holiday, Chuseok, starts at the end of September during which I will be traveling to Tokyo. I am ready to eat, eat, eat and check out some of quirkier Japanese attractions. If you have any Tokyo tips, be sure to leave them in the comments.

Happy Travels!

What were your favorite posts around the blogosphere in August? Do you have any travel plans that you are looking forward to in September?

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August Wrap Up is a post from: Farsickness