THIS place is why I am now afraid of monkeys. The monkeys here have been trained through repetition to know that humans will feed them if they gather in one particular place in the Ubud Forest. A behavior has been…
The Yogyakarta train station on the island of Java isn’t very big, but with so much movement and chaos, it feels like every single person who lives on the island passes through. The trains have various levels of luxury and…
Something about palm trees makes me happy. Perhaps they are a reminder of past travels, places of importance, childhood, or of people who are special to me. Perhaps they remind me of a state of relaxation I can only find…
This week was quiet on TravelShus – sometimes a mental break is in order. As a treat for you, this week instead of one photo we have two. 50% More Free! Oh boy! Let’s go to Indonesia. This is the…
When traveling through Southeast Asia, it’s completely impossible to avoid motorbikes. This is true in many other parts of the world as well, but it seems to me that motorbikes are as much a religion in Southeast Asia as Buddhism.…
One of the things that struck me the most about Bali was the exotic and unique architecture of the Hindu temples that exist all over the island. Even in the middle of the most touristy areas of Kuta and Legian,…
One inherent, yet completely unglamorous part of long term travel is the multi-day, multi-continent epic journey. Typically, they involve several forms of transportation, jetlag, bad food, lack of comfortable seating/beds, and can last for days. It’s virtually impossible to avoid…
In Bali, we had the opportunity to see a performance of the classic Indonesian dance, The Ramayana Ballet. This story has been one of the most famous love stories in Indonesia for generations, having originated from a centuries old Hindu…
Spring is officially here in New York City. Usually, the first day of spring doesn’t welcome in such beautiful weather. This year, however, has been so warm that the trees and bulbs are already budding, and I already hear the…
No matter where you go in the world, there are certain things that are always there. Like the sky. It’s comforting to see things that are reminders of home and reminders of places you love. One of the things I…
One of the most important parts of exploring another country for me is indulging in the local drinks. (I’m talking about the fun ones here, just to be clear) This is especially true since we cannot indulge in all local…
Going to a farmer’s market in one of the highlights of my week in the summertime. Farmer’s markets are not always easy to get to in NYC, even though they set them up everywhere. For Manhattan and Brooklyn, Saturday is…
Only a boat ride away from the beaches of Bali, there exists a place where tourism has not yet spoiled the calmness. There is no pier for large boats to dock, limiting the amount of people who come to stay…
One of my most favorite things to do when I arrive in a new country is check out the local markets. While I totally do love a good farmers market as well, I’m specifically talking about the ‘stuff’ markets here.…
For me, Southeast Asia was one culinary location I couldn’t wait to explore. Bring on the noodles, bring on the ginger, bring on the rice. For Matt, not so much. Since pretty much everything on the local menus (save steamed…
I’ve briefly mentioned before that I am more of a mountain person than a beach person. It’s not because I don’t love the beach. Most of the time, I think of beach destinations when planning a trip. But there’s something…
Before moving to New York City, I had never lived in a city before. I grew up in a suburban area outside San Francisco, surrounded by rolling hills of undeveloped land. My college years were spent in Ithaca, New York,…
Yogyakarta(Jogja) was a last minute addition to our trip, since most of Indonesia had been filed away in the “Matt can’t eat there so we can’t go there” category. Of course once those allergy assumptions were proven to be idiotic,…
Since our trip to Puerto Rico is coming up fast, I’ve been nonstop thinking about the beach. What to wear, what to do, what to read, what to drink. All important questions. I’ve also been thinking nonstop about my most…
For months, Matt and I discussed where our first post-trip trip would be. We talked about taking advantage of our young legs and doing either Macchu Picchu or Kilimanjaro. We talked about going somewhere completely off the easy US travel…
There once was a little Russian mouse named Fivel who starred in the totally under appreciated kids movie An American Tale. This guy realized that the moon he was looking at was the same moon that his family was looking…