Because we travel constantly and life is one continuous string of new experiences, it would be easy for visitors to our site to dismiss our stay here in Penang as yet another stop on the traveler’s trail. It is not.

Penang is a vastly more personal experience for us because we are meeting our Malaysian family, the family of my stepfather Ken, for the first time. For years, we have heard stories about Ken’s mom, Jimmy, Ken, Mei Ling, David and Stephen and their respective families. Getting to know the people behind these names is unquestionably a highlight of our travels so far. They have greeted us with open arms and more food than anyone could ever possibly eat in a lifetime. Oh my god, people, you’ve never seen so much food!!!

We ate and ate and talked, and then we had a snack before we went to dinner. After dessert, we stopped to try a local specialty. The next day, we ate and ate some more. I have literally never eaten so much food in my life – and I have loved every bite. In Chinese culture, food is Continue…

Our good friends Lisa and Garrett are back. You might remember them from our adventures together in Cambodia last January. They’re here to experience life with us in Bangkok as well as to collect additional footage for a follow-up to Lisa’s film Excluded, which details our experiences as a gay binational couple and how that contributed to our “going nomadic.” Lisa has had a great response to the film and she even presented Excluded at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association last summer in Atlanta. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the film yet, you can view it online at www.ExcludedTheMovie.com.

Traveling through Cambodia earlier this year, we ended up with so much video footage that we never got around to assembling it into a movie. It’s been bugging me ever since. But after our trip to Angkor Wat with Tony’s mom Freda, I saw my chance and finally sat down to put it all together. Well, here it is:

Thank you Freda, Michaela, Stephan, Beverly, Lisa and Garrett for joining us here and making our adventures in Cambodia such a great experience. Speaking of Lisa and Garrett, they will be back with us soon for more adventures in Thailand, so stay tuned.

Hanoi is full of cool, cutting edge, trendy little bars and cafes that can stand up to those in any world capital. Less pretentious and better value than similar establishments in other major cities, it’s no wonder Hanoi attracts travelers in droves. And believe me, they are here in droves!

After making some fantastic new friends on our Halong Bay trip, we were motivated to get out there and explore Hanoi’s bar scene a little. Clearly, Hanoi has what it takes to be a trend-setter. And the world is figuring that out very quickly. Over the sound of clinking glasses, toasts can be heard in every language from French to Japanese to Russian to Turkish. Hanoi is the hottest place in Southeast Asia right now (and I’m not just talking temperature.)

Unfortunately for those who love to stay up all night, the government restricts how late things can stay open, so start early and pretend you’re Cinderella.

Before leaving El Nido, we have to mention Squidos, our absolute favorite restaurant. (In all honesty, it’s the only restaurant we’ve eaten at). The French owner Jean-Marc and his Filipino wife Narcel have quickly included us in their circle of friends, and eating at their restaurant feels more like meeting old friends over a home-cooked dinner.

The food at Squidos is simply fantastic. And it’s no wonder they serve killer meals considering Narcel’s killer instincts. This woman can dish it out. Anyone who can get away with – well, not murder – but with Continue…

Early retirees Dave and Bill are the latest nomads we’ve encountered while staying in El Nido. The charismatic English/Scottish couple of 23 years has just recently left their home in cold and rainy Scotland in search of a quieter life abroad. The two are part of a wave of people we’ve been meeting all over Asia. These Contemporary Nomads choose to travel or live in countries much cheaper than their own where they can enjoy a higher standard of living for much less money.

But leaving their busy lives behind wasn’t a small step for the two Brits. Continue…

Image by Olof Larsson

I have never spent so much time in the water as I have here in Palawan – and I’m loving every second of it! Our friend Olof, who we mentioned was a great photographer, snapped these pictures of Tony, Elin and me while we were goofing around in the beautiful waters off of Shimizu Island.

Image by Olof Larsson

We’ve joined forces with Swedish travelers Olof and Elin to explore the beautiful islands of the Bacuit Archipelago. Luckily, these two enjoy the same relaxed pace of island hopping as we do with time to photograph and explore below the surface as well as above. The four of us also appreciate a good Continue…

There are two ways of looking at retirement: a scary void in your life or unlimited time to follow your passion. For Sally and Peter, their passion seems to have always been traveling. And even now, at ages 65 and 70, they are fully embracing their freedom. Yes, the baby boomer generation is quickly aging, but they seem to be aging gracefully, and I love that we are seeing more and more backpackers in their sixties, seventies and even eighties doing their thing. They definitely set an example for Continue…

Our six weeks together flew by at lightning speed. But, alas, Beverly left us in Luang Prabang as previous commitments called her away. We miss you Beverly!!! (The pictures above should be viewed while humming the theme song to “The Way we Were.”)

Memories,
Like the corners of my mind,
Misty water-colored memories,
Of the way we were…