Explorations – One and a Half Years in Perspective

18 Months, 12 Countries, 12 Currencies, 35 Flights, 53 Border Crossings

I left the United States of America for the fifth time in my life on 17 June 2007 at about 1 in the morning bound for Hong Kong en route to Singapore on SQ1, tonight finds me on 7 Décembre 2008 à Paris. Between June of 2007 and today, I have been in 12 countries and used 12 currencies, been back in the United States twice, and transited two countries that I never actually set foot in (Hong Kong and South Korea).

I’ve been digesting everything, trying to keep notes (mostly handwritten and mental) during my travels. But, now, I’ll try to put it all down in one place to get an idea of everything in perspective, how much digestion I still need to do and so on.

Here’s a brief Summary:

• Singapore (18-19 June 2007)
• Vietnam (19 June – 7 July)
• Cambodia (7 – 14 July)
• Malaysia (14 – 19 July)
• Singapore (19 – 26 July)
• Malaysia (26 – 27 July)
• Singapore (27 – 30 July)
• Indonesia (30 July – 3 August)
• Singapore (3 – 13 August)
• Vietnam (13 August – 20 September)
• Singapore (20 – 24 September)
• Malaysia (24 September)
• Singapore (24 – 28 September)
• Vietnam (28 September – 13 October)
• Singapore (13 – 19 October)
• Malaysia (19 October)
• Singapore (19 – 21 October)
• Vietnam (21 October – 10 November)
• Cambodia (10 – 13 November)
• Vietnam (13 – 15 November)
• Singapore (15 – 26 November)
• Malaysia (26 November)
• Singapore (26 – 30 November)
• Australia (30 November – 14 December)
• Singapore (15 December – 17 December)
• Japan (18 – 21 December)
• USA (21 December 2007 – 7 January 2008)
• Singapore (9 January – 19 April)
• Indonesia (19 – 20 April)
• Singapore (20 April – 9 May)
• Malaysia (9 May)
• Thailand (9 – 11 May)
• Malaysia (11 May)
• Singapore (11 – 27 May)
• Malaysia (27 May – 9 June)
• Singapore (9 – 11 June)
• Vietnam (11 – 14 June)
• Cambodia (14 – 18 June)
• Malaysia (18 – 23 June)
• Singapore (23 – 25 June)
• Australia (25 June – 2 July)
• Singapore (2 – 8 July)
• USA (8 July – 21 September)
• France (22 September – 6 November)
• Switzerland (6 – 8 November)
• France (8 November)
• Switzerland (8 – 9 November)
• France (9 – 26 November)
• United Kingdom (26 – 30 November)
• France (30 November – 14 December)
• United Kingdom (14 – 16 December)
• France (16 – 21 December)
• USA (21 December 2008 until 17 March 2009)

Looking at my list here, it’s no wonder so many friends say they can’t keep up with where I am. I can hardly keeep up with where I am. In some way, it’s exhausting doing this every day. Trying to keep moving is expensive and takes energy, but for some reason I’m driven to do it. I feel like there are so many things to see and to do in this world that I have to try and experience and see and do them. I’ve posted shots of each of the 12 currencies I’ve used over the last 18 months and the entry stamps for each of the 12 countries.

12 Countries, 12 Currencies:

35 Flights:

2007—

SFO HKG SQ 17 JUN 2007
HKG SIN SQ 18 JUN 2007
SIN SGN SQ 19 JUN 2007
PNH KUL AK 14 JUL 2007
BTH CGK QZ 30 JUL 2007
CGK BTH QZ 03 AUG 2007
SIN SGN TR 13 AUG 2007
SGN SIN TR 20 SEP 2007
SIN SGN TR 28 SEP 2007
SGN SIN TR 13 OCT 2007
SIN SGN TR 21 OCT 2007
SGN SIN TR 15 NOV 2007
SIN PER TR 30 NOV 2007
PER SIN TR 14 DEC 2007
SIN NGO SQ 18 DEC 2007
NGO SFO UA 21 DEC 2007
SFO DEN UA 21 DEC 2007

2008—

DEN SEA UA 07 JAN 2008
SEA NRT UA 07 JAN 2008
NRT SIN UA 08 JAN 2008
JHB BKK AK 09 MAY 2008
BKK JHB AK 11 MAY 2008
JHB BKI AK 27 MAY 2008
BKI JHB AK 08 JUN 2008
SIN SGN TR 11 JUN 2008
REP KUL AK 18 JUN 2008
SIN SYD SQ 25 JUN 2008
SYD SIN SQ 02 JUL 2008
SIN ICN SQ 08 JUL 2008
ICN SFO SQ 08 JUL 2008
SFO DEN F9 15 JUL 2008
DEN PHL UA 21 SEP 2008
PHL CDG US 21 SEP 2008
CDG PHL US 21 DEC 2008
PHL DEN UA 21 DEC 2008
*SQ = Singapore Airlines, AK = AirAsia, QZ = Indonesia AirAsia, TR = Tiger Airways, UA = United Airlines, F9 = Frontier Airlines, US = US Airways

Visiting Friends:

The travels have also been a wonderful way of keeping in touch. These are the friends I’ve seen that I can remember seeing during my travels. In Vietnam, I met the PV07 team. In Cambodia, I saw many of my PC06 mentees and saw Haksym from PV07. In Malaysia, I met my friend’s parents (Atiqah). In Singapore, I saw a few people from PV07 again (Linh, Selena, Boon Ming, Clarissa), Kee from my freshman dorm, old SEALNet friends in town for ASEAN summit (Clarissa, Ryan, Zoë, Hung, Leng, YYF, Seihout) and Mario (also from Faisan) who invited me to Jakarta where I met his brother a second time. Back in Vietnam I saw PV07 friends again (Nhung, Duong, Phuong, and of course Tu). When I traveled back to Cambodia later in the year, I saw Haksym and some of the PC06 mentees again. In Singapore again, I saw my old friend from high school, Catherine Song and once ran into Boon Ming at NTU. Passing through Nagoya, I saw the young Japanese boy who had stayed at our house in Colorado once and his mother and her friends again. During my long time in Singapore, I saw a few old friends who passed through from time-to-time or were installed there more permanently, Philbert, Branden, Kee, Clarissa, Tu, Leng, Kevin Siew, Kevin Teo, Gina. In East Malaysia, I met the PM08 team and saw my old friends Wesley (PC06), Gianne, Kai, and Tuan (all PV07). Then, I went to back around Ho Chi Minh City and Tu and Duong, Phnom Penh and Haksym, KL and Atiqah’s parents and family again. Headed back to the US and stopped at Stanford and saw family friends, and friends from school (Hugh, James, Nghi, Shams, Emily). Back at home, saw Marie again for first time in a long while. Visited my high school and saw my calculus teacher and Euro history teacher as well as a few other old faces. Went out to UPS and met Becca’s college friends. Came to Paris, met Hnin (an online buddy) for the first time in person. Headed over to Switzerland and saw the Sagers again, went up to the UK and saw Linh (PV07), Hien (PM08), and Kamil. My travels have taught me a lot about the world, but they’ve also allowed me to meet and re-meet a lot of wonderful people.