I’ve been asked to share my budget for Asia, and now that I’ve been here for three months, I feel like I have a handle on costs here. So far, my experiences are limited to Indonesia and Malaysia.
How to travel
Nuts and bolts
Moving On…Again
Moving a lot is part of the whole “Nomad” gig — by definition. In many ways, it’s one of the best parts. But some moves are harder than others.
Motos and Batiks in Yogyakarta
The last couple of days have been weird, wacky and exhilarating — the best kind of travel days.
Plot Twist!
In which Lauren becomes disillusioned with everything and escapes to Java. ~~~~~~~~~~~ The other day I completely dismantled everything about my life in just a few hours. My life is pretty flexible, so this is an easy thing for me to manage — maybe too easy. We’ll see.
Travel Planning: How decisions get made
I’m often asked about my travel planning. How do I decide where to go next? Do I have an overarching plan, or do I make things up as I go? So I thought I’d describe my recent process for you.
Best Travel Clothes for Women (I should know!)
Note: There is an updated version of this post, including everything I carry in my pack and the packs themselves, on my IndieTravel.guru site now. My travel lifestyle demands a lot from my clothes. As a woman, I want to feel good about how I look. As a nomad, I need clothes...
One year. Wow.
Today is my anniversary. It’s been one year since I achieved ‘escape velocity’ and boarded a plane to leave the US. I feel like the occasion should be marked with a juicy post about all I’ve learned and experienced. But when I try to write such a post, I’m...
Review: LUSH Solid Shampoo And Conditioner Bars
A detailed review of my experiences using LUSH solid shampoo and conditioner bars, including Jungle, Godiva, Seanik and Big Solid, as well as some other LUSH products. Carrying liquids is a major problem for a traveler. Dealing with airline restrictions on liquids is a nuisance — but the real...
Coping with loneliness and depression on the road
I really appreciated the warm, supportive responses to yesterday’s post on loneliness and depression. Let’s have something a bit more constructive on this topic, in case some future solo traveller stumbles across this blog while she’s dealing with these issues. Most of this is really basic, textbook advice, but...
Depression and loneliness
“Your responses on the depression scale indicate that there is over a 90% chance that you are suffering from depression.” Why did I take a depression quiz? Because I just bought a Twix bar at the market, brought it home, and ate it. Only later did I remember that...