Since I began traveling through Thailand at the start of this year I have found friends and companions along the way. Recently it was by asking someone who was also sitting solo at a breakfast table, “what are you up to today?”, which then lead to sight seeing, biking, and boating around together until the sun went down. I seek out moments like these because I hold a deep desire to share my experiences with others, but since I’m an introvert, socializing is a concentrated effort for me. And it’s…

A couple years ago I went to Northern Borneo, which aside from the tiny oil country of Brunei, is all part of Malaysia. I was heading for the minuscule island called Sipidan. A place where sea turtles and sharks are as common underwater as pigeons in New York City. But the whole area was plagued with issues. I was warned about muggings by a friend. And within the port town that I was catching my boat from, death was in the air. It was that kind of destination. Now it may or may not be surprising…

It was my first week in Thailand and the beginning of January. It’s been close to 2 years since I’ve last been here. I had come full circle on my travels. Nostalgic and eager to return to some of the places that have supplied my greatest memories. Though I knew it would be dangerous to try to re-live the past, I was on my way to a small rock climbing community located in Southern Thailand, an area called Ton Sai. Situated on a small peninsula but closed off from overland travel by high reaching…