ALASTAIR + LALEINIA

 My parents arrived from their two or three-week adventure around Europe and I wanted to go on one last trip with them before they had to leave. We came up with three options and I'm so glad we all agreed to go on the trip I wanted to go on. I've been wanting to go to Croatia because I heard it was beautiful!  We flew into Milan and picked up our rental to get to Pula. On our way, we stopped at a restaurant where Alastair had eaten before. The food was so good, the views were amazing, and there was a trampoline where Emre could get his wiggles out. He's so good with traveling and being in a car, but he's still a kid and needs to have some fun as well! So it was perfect! There was quite a ridiculous moment in Italy, looking for a grocery store. My dad was sitting in the front, so he was the navigator. They were trying to follow the directions, but they kept messing up. So an 8 minuted drive turned into a 20+ minute one. When we were almost there, about one ...

Alastair and I talked about not taking any trips during September and October, but that didn't take long for us to break that rule. We were longing for the crisp, cool, Fall air and mountains. So, we rented a car and made our way to Andorra. We sure love this country!  We were going to just hike and camp, but Emre caught a cold a couple days before and was still on the mend, so I didn't want to overdo it for him. We just stay in a hotel and then hiked easier trails.  I always feel so happy when I discover Emre's talents. He loves all things science and nature. Especially dinosaurs; he knows all their names and he loves to classify them. I've been telling him bedtime stories about famous scientists and inventors and he's also been fascinated with tsunamis. I really hope that this isn't just some phase and it will actually turn into his passion. Anyways, back to our hike. Alastair came up with a brilliant idea to bring a tin box to collect ...

You have no idea how good it feels to be back. We've been longing for this time; we even listened to Michael Buble "Home" dozens of times! We flew from London, and that was a nightmare. We woke up so early to get to the airport and we were supposed to get back by 11, but there was a problem with our airplane and we had to switch planes. It took almost 3 hours extra, but we eventually made it. We were greeted by my parents; they arrived a day or two earlier. It's been nice to get back into the swing of things. Alastair has a stress-free year. He already has a job offer, so no interviews, and he only has class from Monday-Wednesday. So we get longer weekends and way more family time! We took advantage of the weather and spent our time at the beach. Alastair would go for runs while Emre and I rode next to him on my new bike (I love it!) and we would finish off with a swim in the sea. Our favorite place to go is Castelldefels. There were fewer waves and it was very ...

We started and ended our adventures in Bangkok, Thailand. The first day we arrived, we only managed to step out for dinner. It took a while to finally negotiate a price for a tuk tuk, and one driver ended up dropping us off at a super random spot. It was frustrating but Emre loved riding in them! We ended up getting caught in a downpour and we just gave up and went to a McDonald's. That was our first night, so it could only go up from there. Our final stay consisted of relaxing in our hotel, eating by the river, and venturing out a bit.  It was so hot and humid and there were many rain storms. Possibly, the biggest thunderstorm I have ever seen! It was one afternoon, we were in our room, and we watched outside the window. So much lightning and thunder, there weren't many breaks in between! I saw a lightning bolt strike the water, between two boats. It was crazy! After the storm, lots of plants were floating in the river.   In between the storms, we managed ...

  About a decade ago, I studied the architecture of Angkor Wat and vowed to visit and see it in person. I've been wanting to make our way down to southeast Asia, specifically to go to Cambodia, but it just never seemed to work out. This country and its history has always captivated me and so this trip was a dream come true! Now, with me, I don't have much luck. There's always something that has to happen to me. Nothing is ever precisely perfect, there's always a quirk to it. Philippines? Stomach problems. Poland? Damaged back. Marriage proposal? Steaming goose poop. Cambodia? The plight of poo strikes again. I've had the traveler’s runs plenty of times, especially in Asian countries. But I've never experienced anything like this before. Maybe it was the water, the food, or mosquitoes. One night, I thought it was because of dengue fever and I was so worried. Thankfully, my fever had broke, so I ruled that out. But I'm going almost two weeks with s...

After Australia, we flew into Singapore and didn't spend any time there. We arrived super early in the morning and plopped our bodies down on a couch for a snooze. I thought I was done with sleeping in airports, but alas, we are still humble! Around 6:30, we decided to get up, grab a taxi, and head to the ferries. We didn't stay in Singapore long because it was more expensive than Batam, Indonesia and we also wanted to cross another country off our list. After our time in Batam, we stayed in Singapore for one day. I semi-regret not spending enough time because I loved it there! Everything was so clean, so orderly, and it felt so safe. I mean, if chewing gum is illegal, then it's gotta be safe! And everything was so pretty. There were flowers and plants growing everywhere, even the overpasses. There was a race that was going to happen in a few weeks, so they were preparing the seats, barriers, and everything else. Once we checked into our hotel, we rest...