Wanderlust Wendy

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2021 Year-in-Review: Be Patient

Somehow, we are on the last day of 2021. This year, I’ve done nearly no traveling, both due to COVID but also because I embarked upon another wild adventure – motherhood. I spent most of the year waiting – waiting to become pregnant, waiting to get through my pregnancy, waiting for my babies to leave NICU… My patience was tested time and again. It’s currently 1 am. I debated whether to sleep instead, but I…

One Week of Hiking and Relaxation in Sapa, Vietnam

After a breathtaking five-day tour of Ha Giang, our journey through Northern Vietnam continued in Sapa. We would do some hiking with Sapa O’Chau, followed by some much-needed R&R at Sapa Clay House. Night Bus Ride from Ha Giang to Sapa  We boarded a rather uncomfortable night bus in Ha Giang around 8pm, and it led us to Sapa in the wee hours of the morning. The ride was nauseating. To avoid tolls, the driver…

Birthday Reflection: On Becoming 35

sunset in taichung - birthday reflection

In my late 20s, I distinctly remember setting an arbitrary goal of popping out a baby before turning 35. The universe has a funny way of making some dreams come true. Less than two weeks ago, my twin boys dramatically entered the world after only 31 weeks of gestation. For better or worse, this was not the birthday that I had expected. I am still processing so many emotions that came with preterm labor. At…

In Search of Pregnancy Bliss

pregnancy bump shot

I spent my entire pregnancy searching for that elusive pregnancy bliss. Instead of joy, I hated nearly every minute of being pregnant. Pregnancy blues was the dominant feeling. And then suddenly, my pregnancy ended at 31 weeks via emergency c section.  My twin babies are so far healthy, albeit incredibly tiny, and I’m doing reasonably well physically recovering. Yet, somehow, despite hating being pregnant, I don’t love the abrupt end, either. It’s an odd sense…

Five-Day Car Tour to Discover Vietnam’s Ha Giang Region with YESD

Ha Giang, Vietnam

While researching our journey in the Ha Giang region in Northern Vietnam, motorbike tours appeared popular. Yet, some friends who’ve visited the area recommended against motorbike tours, citing frequent accidents. My research led me to YESD, a social enterprise focusing on responsible tourism that provides tours in the region. The company offers a motorbike tour, where each adult rides on the back of a motorbike of a guide/driver or a car tour. We went with…

IVF Journey at Lee Women’s Hospital in Taichung, Taiwan

IVF Journey

It’s been a quiet few months here on the blog, and it’s because I’ve been occupied with Project Baby since moving to Taiwan. Pursuing fertility treatment was one of the significant factors of our relocation. The journey has been a total emotional roller coaster. For what it’s worth, I’m sharing our story here. One, is to simply be more open about fertility challenges. It’s 2021, yet so many women and couples suffer alone in their…

2020 Year-in-Review: Be Intentional

2020 year review

Last year, in the 2019 year-end review, I wrote about how time went by slowly in the best possible way. And then, 2020 happened. The year felt exponentially longer. Fortunately, it hasn’t all been bad. There had been many challenges for sure, but overall, I’ve been very lucky and was able to do plenty of traveling within Vietnam.  I began this year with a theme to Be Intentional. As the year went on, I noticed…

Surviving Taiwan’s Mandatory COVID-19 Quarantine at Aloft Beitou

Taiwan COVID quarantine Aloft Beitou

Upon making Taiwan the next move, our first hurdle was figuring out paperwork and the mandatory two-week Quarantine. The Taiwanese border is still closed at this time (October 2020). Only Taiwanese passport-holders or those with a special permit are allowed entry. Fortunately, my Taiwanese passport saved the day, and we applied for a special family visit visa for my Frenchie.  This blog post is about our experience to apply for the visa and surviving the…

International Move Without a Moving Company

Over my life thus far, I’ve made nearly a dozen international moves. I’ve never hired a moving company. Like many adults in their 20s, I used to leverage my parents’ basement as storage. My parents also moved and sold our family home over the years, meaning that option no longer exists. Fortunately, I’ve since learned to live with less. I am not an extreme minimalist by any means, but I have picked up a few…

Back to the Motherland: Goodbye Saigon, Hello Taiwan!

From Saigon Vietnam to Taichung Taiwan

What a wild year 2020 has been! I rang in the new year in Taichung, Taiwan, helping my parents settle back into our home after 20 years of living in the United States as immigrants. The homecoming was bittersweet for them, and I was grateful to be there as emotional support. At the time, I had no idea that I would be making this announcement 10 months later: We are bidding farewell to our lives in…

Saigon City Break: Cat Tien National Park, Nha Trang, Ho Tram, and More

The Anam, Nha Trang, Vietnam

In the 15 months that I’ve lived in Saigon, I’ve only managed a handful of weekend trips outside of the city. Mostly because during the first six months, we were still recovering from our year-long around-the-world travel and wanted to stay put. Saigon is chaotic and full of energy. A periodic trip away is helpful to decompress and reset.  Here are the trips that I’ve taken and recommend. Hope you find this information useful, and…

The Practical Guide to Saigon Living

Saigon Living Guide

It’s taken me over a year of living in Saigon to finally feel like I have a decent grasp of life in this chaotic city. Even still, I’m learning about new spots that make life just a tad easier every week. I am paying it forward here with a list of things I wish I had known during week 1 of Saigon living. I hope you find these tips useful!  Facebook Groups Okay, Facebook is…

Things to Do in Paris for the Non-First Timer

One of the perks of having a French partner is the privilege to visit Paris on the regular. The luxury of being in a city not for the first time is the zero pressure to check out top sites. I’m free to roam the streets and do as I please. In my late teens/the early twenties, the movie Before Sunset was one of my favorites. I count my blessings each time I get to wander aimlessly on…

Things to Do in London for the Non-First Timer

London holds a special place in my heart. It’s the city that really kicked off my desire to live a global life. I’ve lived in the city three different times, totally nearly two years. The first time, on a semester abroad program, living in a dingy basement flat near Earl’s Court. The second time, I returned the following summer to be with a boy I was dating. The relationship didn’t work out, but that summer…

Life Lessons from One Year of Saigon Living

Saigon Living

In college, a four-month study abroad trip was life-changing. In my 30s, living in a new country for a year is a mere warm-up. Celebrating one year of living in Saigon has felt somewhat anticlimactic. In so many ways, I feel we’ve only just arrived in Vietnam. We seem to be barely dipping our toes into life in this chaotic city and have the faintest understanding of Vietnamese culture.  After six years in Shanghai, and…

One Year of Around-the-World Travel on $55 a Day

Chile, Atacama Desert

This week marked a year since we concluded our one year of around-the-world travel. Over this past year, we’ve had time to properly digest all that we’ve experienced. Our itinerary has been retold dozens of times. People seem to have a great interest at how we had structured our route, so here I share how we had planned our around-the-world trip.  Planning the Route and Logistics Our entire year was shaped by visiting friends and…

Engage in Sustainable Tourism from Your Couch

sustainable tourism

I’ve always loved traveling to learn about a culture and gain perspective on different ways of life. Typically, I dislike tours and prefer to be away from tourist traps. Somehow, I never connected the dots between my two passions: community development and travel. That is, until I met Ameer Virani, who works in sustainable tourism. He showed me that, in fact, I may have been unknowingly supporting local community development through travel. A light bulb…

US Midwestern Charm: Rediscover St. Louis, Missouri

After spending six of my formative years in St. Charles, a St. Louis suburb, I moved into the city. For four years, I discovered the city as an undergraduate at Saint Louis University. The idea of a college town didn’t appeal to me. I wanted to go to school in an urban setting, and enjoy non-campus-based student life. While I didn’t appreciate it at the time, St. Louis was rather ideal for a college kid….

US Midwestern Charm: Rediscover St. Charles, Missouri

St. Charles, Missouri

In 1998, I landed from Taichung, Taiwan, to St. Charles, Missouri, as a 12-year-old awkward girl who didn’t speak much English. I was confused at the people-less streets. I hated the need to drive everywhere that took away my freedom to walk and bike places. A city girl somehow found herself in a small suburban town.  In the six years that I lived in this town, I couldn’t wait to leave. The town was so…