Travel
Places I’ve been
Six countries so far. This page isn’t a checklist. It’s where I write down what I actually thought about and took away from each one.
The map so far
MexicoJapanThailandVietnamCambodiaSweden
Additional layovers: Taiwan · Denmark
Thoughts on each spot
SwedenSweden
Waiting in the airport on the way to Stockholm was the first time I’d had more than a twenty-second conversation with any of my classmates, which is unusual, but it didn’t stop the trip from being amazing. I did my best to embrace the Swedish experience: dozens of kanelbulle (cinnamon-roll-ish) and kaffe, the ABBA museum, and even my first-ever club (fully sober, by the way).
JapanJapan
Two weeks in Japan with seven of my best friends from high school, and it was exactly as fun as it sounds. The food alone was worth the trip, especially Neapolitan pizza at a one-man shop called Regalo in Osaka. I think about the Tokyo skyline and various sights pretty often now.
Southeast Asia June 2024 · three countries in one trip
Along with 30 other high schoolers in different grades, I went to Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, Bangkok, and Hua Hin during this trip.
VietnamVietnam
Ho Chi Minh City was my first stop on this Southeast Asia trip, and it was a great place to land. It’s where I actually started enjoying running: one of our teachers would take us on morning runs to explore the city, and I’ve kept it up in many of the places I’ve been since, as well as at home. Phở and the Viet Cong’s tunnels were both incredible.
ThailandThailand
I mainly remember the King’s Palace in Bangkok, such an unreal collection of beautiful buildings with gold everywhere. My first mango sticky rice was awesome too. Farther north in Hua Hin we spent time on a gray beach during pretty cloudy weather, but I did get to ride on a banana tube thing, which was pretty fun.
CambodiaCambodia
Angkor Wat was the most incredible thing I’d seen at that point in my life, and it’s held that spot ever since. The scale of it is hard to describe, and some corners of the temple complex were completely serene. The locals were super kind, too.
MexicoMexico
I was quite young when I went to Mexico, so what I remember is mostly sensory: very large bottles of orange juice, a pool floaty modeled after a killer whale, and fried ice cream.