SEALED WITH Adventure

It seems like yesterday that our little family of three survived our first of what would become many international flights together. I remember distinctly our arrival into Saigon in the middle of that night. Feelings of fear and sadness coupled with exhaustion, eager anticipation, and grasping the reality of being foreign {literally} in our home swirled my mind as we lugged way too much baggage and a toddler through the last airport on our journey. Not much has changed in tho

I've wanted to visit Hong Kong for as long as I can remember. It's always been on my bucket list. So, I jumped at the opportunity this month to take a girls trip with a close friend from back home who was on her third visit to SE Asia in as many years. She's a Disney enthusiast, so it didn't take much convincing to play kid-at-heart for a day at Hong Kong Disneyland! We stayed in Kowloon along Nathan Road, experiencing the hawker stalls surrounding the Temple Street Night Mar

I love dim sum! I don't know even what else to say, except that my bucket list is getting a lot of attention these days. Let me back up for a moment...throughout the Silicon Valley boom, my dad did a lot of traveling throughout Asia. Hong Kong was a frequent stop of his for business and pleasure. I own a beautiful string of pearls from which he handpicked each one on such a visit. And, dim sum dates with him have been part of my coming of age - from Chinatown eats in Honolulu

I wish I could accurately describe the feeling I had upon arrival into Cambodia - it was a beautiful balance somewhere between exotic and familiar. The lush landscape conjured up memories from my roots in Hawaii, yet felt reminiscent of my most favorite parts of our new-ish life in SE Asia. It was peaceful, a welcomed break from the chaotic metropolis back home. The soft faces on the Khmer people expressed a joy and kindness unlike any I've encountered. And...don't even get m

Phuket, Thailand has been on my bucket list since I was a teenager. I'm not entirely sure why or even how it came about. Despite growing up on the beaches of Hawaii, it seemed exotic and exciting. I've traveled to Thailand's capital city of Bangkok a few times this year, but still my heart was calling for its seaside escape. With family in town for the Thanksgiving holiday, it seemed like perfect timing to take a long weekend getaway. The travel time on both ends combined fel

We're wrapping up our summer vacation travels in Vietnam with a weekend in Huế. It may have been the hottest time of year to visit - the weather app on my phone often said it feels like 135 degrees...actually, it said the windchill was 135 degrees, but I think it's just as confused by the heat and humidity of the country as I am about converting from Fahrenheit to Celsius! Situated along the Perfume River, Huế is the former imperial capital and seat of the Nguyễn dynasty, the