Hakata-ku is one of the oldest cities in Japan. In the middle ages, it acted as a port and trading hub between China and Korea, and it was officially renamed Fukuoka-shi in 1889. Nowadays, Fukuoka is known for three things: Hakata Ramen – considered some of the best ramen in Japan Hakata Yatai – the famous […]

Ahh, nothing beats the island life. And I have to say – Okinawa may just be my favorite island in the world. I planned the trip with my friend Nico, who lives in Tokyo. We stayed the first couple nights in the city (where no tourists go) to get a real sense of the lifestyle […]

Temples, temples, temples, and more temples! That’s pretty much how to describe Kyoto, Japan. Known as the Ancient City, Kyoto was the former Imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years, and you can’t walk for more than five minutes before running into another beautiful temple or shrine! For those not “in the know,” […]

Ahh, you have to love a city with canals winding through the streets. Nothing beats the soft reflecting lights and relaxing, pleasant atmosphere. This is Osaka, the next stop on The Expedition, and within five minutes of walking through the city, you can tell Osaka is known for their food! Before I get into the […]

Wow. Where to begin? I’ve already spent fifteen minutes trying to write this sentence. The thing is, there is no way to describe Tokyo. Fun? Respectful? Crazy? Weird? Amazing? Absolutely yes to all of these and a million more adjectives. People say NYC is the city that never sleeps? The Japanese are laughing at that! […]

nǐ hǎo! The four days before and after my Kung Fu training at the Shaolin Monastery, I stayed in the small town of Dali, China – located in the far west, near the boarders of Myanmar and Tibet. Although no one speaks English, the people in Dali are extremely friendly and welcoming. I’ve split this […]

Action Without Action When translated into Chinese, Wu Wei Si. I recently came back to civilization from staying two weeks at the Wu Wei Si Shaolin Monastery in the mountains of Dali, China. I needed a change in my life. The only things I knew were that I wanted to get away from my hectic […]

Thanks Consulting! Let me explain. For those who didn’t know, I worked for a consulting firm for a year traveling every single week. While this was rough at the time, I built up around 200,000 airline miles! Time to cash in, and maybe splurge a little. 😉 To start my trip off right, I flew […]

29 Lbs (13kg). That’s the weight of all my belongings for The Expedition. That’s crazy some say! But is it really? What utility do all the belongings in your closet really bring you? Now… this is not saying to go throw out everything in your home! Just think about it. Contemplate it. Ponder it. It’s a […]

Not traveling is easy! Something hit me a while back from a conversation while getting my haircut. As the stylist winded through small talk, I stopped her when she mentioned her dream to travel to Thailand and cut hair on the beach. I replied, “That’s great! Why don’t you go?” [Now pause, remember in elementary […]