Andi 
We really do love spontaneous trips. Sometimes the best escapes begin with a quick idea, a small bag, and the feeling that we just need to get away for a night or two. This time, however, our little island escape went a bit wrong. Not because Talikud is not beautiful. It absolutely is. Talikud has …
I don’t think I have ever planned a trip with so many question marks hanging over it. Usually, even when travel is stressful, there is at least some kind of plan. You book the flights, pack the bags, check the passports, complain about the luggage weight, and somehow everything works out. But this time feels …
Germany has a special talent for reminding you who’s in charge—and this time, winter had a bloody firm grip on us. You know that white, wet stuff that looks magical in photos but turns sidewalks into skating rinks and every “quick errand” into a full expedition? Exactly that. It slowed us right down and, honestly, …
(This Article is kind of a chapter 2 of the previous article, and if you have just arrived here, you might want to read “Born Restless — On Wanderlust, Ancestry, and a Dream Called India” beforehand.) People say, “If you can’t take India, try Sri Lanka.” That sentence used to sound like a compromise to …
Some people can live an entire year without thinking about the next trip. I’ve never understood how. For me, longing to travel isn’t an occasional desire—it’s a constant background noise. Even when life is good, even when routines are comfortable, a part of my mind keeps scanning the horizon as if it’s looking for an …
Flying back to the Philippines from Europe is never a quick hop. Even on a “good” day, it’s a marathon of terminals, time zones, and that strange in-between state where your body is in Munich but your mind is already sweating somewhere near the equator. Add my 82‑year‑old mother to the equation—frail, exhausted, and not …
After almost 35 years of being on the road—planes, trains, and the occasional tuk-tuk—I find myself asking a question I never thought I would: is traveling still worth it? It’s not that I’ve fallen out of love with discovering new places, far from it. Vietnam and Cambodia recently gave me some unforgettable adventures, the kind …
When Travel Means More Than Adventure Most people travel for fun, for the thrill of discovering new places, or to reunite with old friends. But when I boarded a train to Poland in late summer of 1989, I wasn’t just another tourist. I was 20 years old, full of restless energy and hope, and I …
There aren’t many dates that everyone remembers exactly where they were or what they were doing. But September 11, 2001? That’s one of those days. This year marks the 24th anniversary of that tragic event, and like everyone else, I have my own memories. No stress, no worries. Well, actually… On 9/11, I was as …
Note: This article recounts an experience from September 2001—24 years ago. Back in September 2001, I found myself on Tetiaroa for the fifth time. By then, my annual visits had made me something of a regular—enough that I’d gotten to know a member of the Brando family, I call him here Tama. We’d fish together, …