What goes up, must come down, and as is the same case for hiking. Everybody has this preconceived notion that going down is always better than going up. Those people have obviously never tried climbing down Mt. Kota Kinabalu. My legs were in absolute pain since I worked a whole different set of leg muscles, muscles that I haven’t used in quite some time, and I needed assistance from my tour guide for the last six kilometers. Here are a few images before the descend!

After hiking up six kilometers on Mount Kota Kinabalu, we finally reached our cabins, which were situated right above big fluffy clouds. The air was slightly thin and made a few people light headed.

Getting to the top of Mt. Kota Kinabalu, a 13,435 foot (8.9 kilometer) high mounain on the Bornoe side of Malaysia, was certainly no easy feat, but once I finally got to the top, I realized the pain was well worth it. I got there just as the sun was rising, exposing the breathtaking surroundings and what we’ve just climbed.

Climbing up Mount Kota Kinabalu, a 13,435-foot (8.9 kilometer) high mountain on the Borneo side of Malaysia, was without a doubt the hardest activity I’ve ever put my body through, and it goes down as one of the most memorable accomplishments in my life. The brochure said that people of all ages participate in climbing the mountain. What the brochure neglected to mention is that you shouldn’t try to climb the summit unless you’re in good physical shape!

If there was ever a time I felt like I was going to die, it was definitely when I took a van from Krabi, Thailand to Penang, Malaysia. I know I said I thought I was going to die in the past, but this time I’m serious. It was so bad I actually wanted to fly a plane, and if you know me, you’d know I’m deathly afraid of flying. Once in Penang, I stayed at the best guesthouse you’d ever come across. It’s called Old Penang Guesthouse and they provide all patrons air-conditioned rooms, free breakfast, free wifi, hot water, toilet paper, clean sheets, lockers, and towels! All this cost me a measly $5USD/night! (Tourist Tip: when traveling to other guesthouses, bring your own roll of toilet paper. Don’t assume you’ll be provided one.) Reception also acted as a tour desk and offered [...]

For the last six months, I traveled throughout Southeast Asia and lived in Vietnam. In six minutes, you’ll get to see how my life as an ex-pat was and hopefully feel inspired to do something similar. Everything from my students to new friends, to learning about a new culture and trying new food, Vietnam has had an impact on my life and I’m happy to finally share it with you. Enjoy!

Ever since I saw the movie Entrapment where Katherine Zeta Jones dangles between the Petronas Twin Towers, I’ve always wanted to visit Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It’s the only thing I wanted to see in the city during our visit, but we ended up seeing and doing other incredible tourist attractions. One of my other favorite spots in Kuala Lumpur was the Batu Caves, a sacred place for Hindu’s with a painful 272 steps to get to the top to see it.

While at a Buddhist pagoda in Malacca, Malaysia, we were just in time to see how they conducted a service. Everyone walks around in a circle and chants.

Visiting the vibrant and historical city of Malacca, located in West Malaysia, was an amazing treat. It’s only a few-hour bus ride from both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The city is not necessarily a small one, as we had to use transportation at times, but great to walk by foot if you’re up for it. My time there was with great company, great food, great back massage (only $10 USD!), and an incredible destination with a plethora (putting an SAT word to good use here) of places to visit for tourists. It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly what my favorite part about visiting Malacca was because I loved everything. Here are some places we had the opportunity to visit which I recommend visiting if you’re in the area: St. Paul’s Church

Move aside guy who created the Double Dream Hands Dance. Out of the way Ellen Degeneres. There’s a new dancing sensation and he’s right in the heart of Malaysia. We came across this little gem while walking through the night market in Malacca. Check out those super-sweet moves!