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We left for our adventure to Asia on October 3, 2016, and traveled to more than 10 countries over eight months! Whether it was enjoying sunsets on the harbour, eating convenience store Onigiri, or coworking in Bali, we tried to make the most of each stop along the way, and made some unforgettable memories along the way. We returned home to Canada on June 1, 2017, and have been enjoying the transition back to a routine in the country we both grew up in. That said, we are looking forward to our next trip and can’t wait to see where we end up next!
On this episode, we talk about our favourite attractions, meals, and cities during our 8 month trip to Asia, as well as a number of unique experiences that really stuck with us. We also share our experience with our welcome return home, what we will be getting up to over the summer, as well as our plans to travel to Latin America in the fall!
Enjoy!
What we talk about:
- Our route through Asia beginning our departure on October 3, 2016 through Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Macau, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan and Korea over 8 months
- Amanda’s top 3 favourite experiences: cherry blossoms in Japan, watching the sunrise and hot air balloons in Bagan (Myanmar), and meeting up with Backpacker Brock, with an honourable mention going to experiencing affordable luxury in Kuala Lumpur
- Ryan’s top 3 favourite experiences: Eating amazing sushi in Japan, walking around the harbour in Singapore at sunset, and taking some time off at the Potato Head Beach Club in Bali, with an honourable mention going to experiencing a bullet train rip by in Japan
- The euphoria and excitement we experienced in Singapore as the starting point on our trip
- Noticing a server’s t-shirt in Mandalay, Myanmar which led to some interesting insight on people’s desire to connect as citizens of the world
- Visiting the DMZ in South Korea as a unique travel experience
- Amanda’s 3 favourite cities in Asia: Ubud for the great food, community and accessibility, Tokyo for the quirky neighbourhoods, cool cafes and easy navigability, and Chiang Mai for how it caters to the Digital Nomad community
- Ryan’s 3 favourite cities in Asia: Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur for its food, comforts and affordability, and Seoul for the diversity in its neighbourhoods, with an honourable mention to Macau for its mix of modern Vegas, traditional Chinese and colonial Portugese vibes
- Amanda’s 3 favourite meals: The Nasi Goreng at “Cafe” in Ubud, the last meal we ate in Tokyo, and tea salad in Myanmar
- Ryan’s 3 favourite meals: Xiao Long Bao and Scallion Pancakes in Taiwan, papaya Pad Thai at Anchan in Chiang Mai, and Onigiri from Japanese convenience stores
- Our return home to Canada in secrecy to surprise a friend of Amanda’s for her bachelorette party!
- Our move from Okanagan, BC to Canmore, Alberta, and enjoying the things we missed like having a lot of space and cooking for ourselves
- How coming back feels different this time due to the fact that we felt ready and chose to come home as compared to our returns from previous trips where we felt forced to return after running out of money, and how this has allowed us to enjoy the transition back to stability and routine
- Amanda’s experience with reverse culture shock and readjusting to the orderliness in Canada and not having to be conscious about the language in which to communicate
- Noticing experiences which reinforce the Canadian politeness stereotype and Canadian accent
- Experiencing people try to view our return as “being back” as opposed to recognizing it as a temporary return as part of our Digital Nomad lifestyle
- Seeing photos of beautiful Canadian snowfalls on social media and romanticizing Canadian winters, only to quickly remind ourselves of the true horror of what it means to be in Canada during the colder months
- Our travel plans for the next few months, including a trip to Montreal and Toronto in July, speaking at a podcasting event in Anaheim, California in August, and plans to visit Latin America in the fall
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Music Credits:
www.bensound.com
Check out photos from some of our adventures in Asia!
