“A hot dog, 12 bites of macaroni and cheese, and 8 squares of Lindt dark chocolate was one of the best Thanksgivings I have had.”
A year ago I was with my buddy Luke in the spectacular Torres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia, located in the Southern icy part of Chile.  We had planned a 10 day trek covering the Q trail or hiking a circumference around the famed mountain park.
Along with our modest clothing which was far, far, away from gore-tex (like everyone else), we had to carry ten …

The fans were ballistic, shrieking at the top of their lungs, cell phones and cameras were flashing like Betelgeuse, hands were thrown in the air, notebooks and pens even shirts were shoved in our faces for autographs.  A three day English camp had just come to an end, and all of us camp leaders (also known as English speakers) felt like celebrities.
I had already figured out how to be a millionaire and now I was in the process of learning how to become a celebrity.
I had been a migrationologist, traveling …

I cringed at the thought of having to tell people I went to a “vegetarian festival in Bangkok” especially after letting everyone know I get dirty in seafood Dampa and I consider myself skilled at indulging in nyama choma (East African grilled goat).  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to deny vegetation, in fact, I love a healthy dosage of veg on the daily.  There’s just something about a vegetarian festival that I was slightly embarrassed testifying to, but that was soon to change.
I arrived in Bangkok’s Chinatown to …

After hearing about boating the Mekong River, there was absolutely no way I could leave the country of Laos without embarking on the water journey.  I happen to be getting a Thai visa in Vientiane and had some spare time to explore the country a little further North.  After a number of ultra lazy days in the charming town of Luang Prabang and setting up the transportation logistics, I boarded a slow boat en route to the Thai border.
For 250,000 Kip (equal to about $30) we would receive 3 days …