A Few Things I've Learned in 2 Months of Solo Travel

Jenne Raub June 9, 2015

Last week marked the official halfway point of my four-month trip, so I thought I'd share a few reflections about my trip so far, and what it's like to travel solo as a female out here in our crazy (but basically pretty non-crazy) world. I'm numbering this because it's going to be long and I figured your eyeballs will want some way to break up the words.

1. Internet is not going to work well in some places, and it is going to make you crazy

You are going to have blazingly fast Wifi in some places, and, in others, Wifi that makes you want to throw your iPad out the window in frustration. DO NOT THROW YOUR IPAD OUT THE WINDOW. (I am writing this to remind myself next time I want to hurl my iPad out the window in a Wifi-less rage.)

2. I miss working. And, more amazingly, I miss advertising

Getting to Paradise

Jenne Raub June 8, 2015

As I've mentioned before, the laidback island life is not something that I've naturally gravitated to in life. Usually when I've taken my vacations (especially since starting in advertising nine years ago), I've wanted to see and do as much as humanly possible, making the most of the precious time abroad. What's been so unusual about this trip for me is that I've spent way more time relaxing at the beach (and relaxing in general) than I ever have before. I mean, when you're in the tropics with some of the best beaches in the world, do as the Romans, right? (Or, in this case, the Germans, French, Russians, Swedes, Danish, etc., etc.)

Given that I spent about 10 days in Cambodia in beach surroundings, a long morning at the beach in Hoi An, Vietnam, and a full day hanging out on Langkawi in Malaysia, it seems almost frivolous or excessively indulgent that I have yet another week or so of idle beach lounging on the itinerary. But when I booked my flight for Myanmar over a month ago, I had no idea how much time to allow (and I probably could have squeezed in those two islands in Malaysia and cut down of some of the Thailand time!). So, I'm making the best of allowing too much time in the islands in Thailand. I know, I know. What a pity party: I'm stuck on all these gorgeous tropical beaches for longer than I needed to be! Woe is me. Guess I can nourish that sadness with a dip in the pool and instagramming more pictures of palm trees.

How I Did Malaysia

Jenne Raub June 6, 2015

When I was in Phong Nha, I met a French girl who had been travelling in Malaysia before making her way to Vietnam. I was excited to ask her what she thought of it -- I had heard great things about it and hadn't met a lot of travellers on the backpacker circuit who'd been there.

"It was horrible," she said. "I was travelling with some of my girlfriends there and we felt so uncomfortable. Everyone stared at us like we were whores."

I wondered what she and her friends were wearing, but she insisted they were dressed fine. Her remark made me nervous, so before boarding my bus from Singapore to Malacca, I pulled out the long, ankle-length black skirt and loose white tunic blouse from my backpack and hoped for the best.

*Hands down the most spectacular sunset I've ever seen. Langkawi, Malaysia*

Lovely Langkawi

Jenne Raub June 5, 2015

When I was on my overland adventure last fall in Kyrgyzstan (and briefly Uzbekistan), I asked the very-well-travelled tour leader what some of his favorite places were. "Here," he said, motioning out at a large farmer's field we happened to be camping in for the night en route to Karakol. "This is one of the best places I've ever been."

"OK, well, obviously," I said (Kyrgyzstan is totally amazing). "Where else?"

He paused for a moment and said thoughtfully, "Malaysia. I really like Malaysia."