![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_5b963f33fd0447d18840b9e57dcddaa8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/11062b_5b963f33fd0447d18840b9e57dcddaa8~mv2.webp)
![Playa Del Carmen & Chichen Itza](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_5b963f33fd0447d18840b9e57dcddaa8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_448,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/11062b_5b963f33fd0447d18840b9e57dcddaa8~mv2.webp)
Playa Del Carmen & Chichen Itza
As a kid, I went to Cancun two years in a row with my family and loved it. The Caribbean Sea was so blue and warm, the atmosphere was...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_0632bf65dbd449c8a937bbd9715dc49e~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/6878c6_0632bf65dbd449c8a937bbd9715dc49e~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
![Puerto Rico](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_0632bf65dbd449c8a937bbd9715dc49e~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_503,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/6878c6_0632bf65dbd449c8a937bbd9715dc49e~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico was a spontaneous travel decision and the biggest surprise of my year in how much I absolutely fell in love with it, and I...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_8bbbf210cb9840b4a6e051e83e411aeb~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/6878c6_8bbbf210cb9840b4a6e051e83e411aeb~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
![Picton-Abel Tasman-Westport](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_8bbbf210cb9840b4a6e051e83e411aeb~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_503,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/6878c6_8bbbf210cb9840b4a6e051e83e411aeb~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
Picton-Abel Tasman-Westport
After working at Electric Avenue for one month as well as having saved money from my vineyard and data entry jobs, I took off for the...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_f66eff9305654c18991f3e78d43b6d50~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/6878c6_f66eff9305654c18991f3e78d43b6d50~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
![Finding Work in NZ: Blenheim Vineyards to Welly](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_f66eff9305654c18991f3e78d43b6d50~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_503,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/6878c6_f66eff9305654c18991f3e78d43b6d50~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
Finding Work in NZ: Blenheim Vineyards to Welly
I arrived in Wellington after three weeks in the North Island rafting, base jumping, hiking, staying in hostels, and riding the Kiwi...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_8ffd2de28146482ba7dde2a2cfd6e25b~mv2_d_4000_3000_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/6878c6_8ffd2de28146482ba7dde2a2cfd6e25b~mv2_d_4000_3000_s_4_2.webp)
![Amsterdam](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_8ffd2de28146482ba7dde2a2cfd6e25b~mv2_d_4000_3000_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_503,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/6878c6_8ffd2de28146482ba7dde2a2cfd6e25b~mv2_d_4000_3000_s_4_2.webp)
Amsterdam
Amsterdam. When I was 21, it might as well have been Narnia. It was that city teenagers spoke of as some kind of mythical utopia. While I...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_616566c05ef64262bf89d0bbe47ff1fb~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/6878c6_616566c05ef64262bf89d0bbe47ff1fb~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
![Bay of Islands](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_616566c05ef64262bf89d0bbe47ff1fb~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_503,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/6878c6_616566c05ef64262bf89d0bbe47ff1fb~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
Bay of Islands
While generally if you're looking for beaches, Australia is the better option, that doesn't mean New Zealand doesn't have its share of...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_1a3d3475c0be4c53a8d09d5e0b43bad7~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/6878c6_1a3d3475c0be4c53a8d09d5e0b43bad7~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
![Ho Chi Minh City](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_1a3d3475c0be4c53a8d09d5e0b43bad7~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_503,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/6878c6_1a3d3475c0be4c53a8d09d5e0b43bad7~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam was the last new country on our two month trip around Southeast Asia, and after only four days, I decided it had a lot of...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_fb284273b06745b1b097b63a1be63cc9~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/6878c6_fb284273b06745b1b097b63a1be63cc9~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
![Cambodia](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_fb284273b06745b1b097b63a1be63cc9~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_503,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/6878c6_fb284273b06745b1b097b63a1be63cc9~mv2_d_4608_3456_s_4_2.webp)
Cambodia
Everyone I spoke to for advice while planning Southeast Asia told me to rush through Cambodia. It was their least favorite of the...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_248d094a54a6449a8333d79d64471df2~mv2_d_3059_3296_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/6878c6_248d094a54a6449a8333d79d64471df2~mv2_d_3059_3296_s_4_2.webp)
![Phi Phi Islands](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_248d094a54a6449a8333d79d64471df2~mv2_d_3059_3296_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_722,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/6878c6_248d094a54a6449a8333d79d64471df2~mv2_d_3059_3296_s_4_2.webp)
Phi Phi Islands
The south of Thailand is basically full of island paradises, and Koh Phi Phi is a fantastic choice if you want to combine beaches with...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_4c82876ba83e40ee81bacf348c863d65~mv2_d_4000_3000_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/6878c6_4c82876ba83e40ee81bacf348c863d65~mv2_d_4000_3000_s_4_2.webp)
![Brisbane, Noosa, Surfers, & Byron Bay](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6878c6_4c82876ba83e40ee81bacf348c863d65~mv2_d_4000_3000_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_670,h_503,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/6878c6_4c82876ba83e40ee81bacf348c863d65~mv2_d_4000_3000_s_4_2.webp)
Brisbane, Noosa, Surfers, & Byron Bay
It was strange to reach my final weeks in Australia. By that time, I was ready to move on, so parts of it almost felt like going through...