Why I, a Non-American Citizen, Left the US and Haven’t Looked Back
Friday, 02 November 2018
I lived in the US from when I was 17 to 23 years old, from high school through college. That’s a big chunk of life for a not-yet-thirty-year-old. The US was home to many of my first’s: first job, first kiss, first car, first bill under my name, first saving account, etc. For a long
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- Published in Reflection, Travel Stories, Thoughts, English, Journeys, North America
Wait, what? I thought there’s free movement within the Schengen Area!?
Saturday, 21 July 2018
Can a non-EU travel within the Schengen Area with only the EU residence card? The short answer is no. Wait, what? I thought there’s free movement within the Schengen Area? Well, not really, it depends. Here’s the long story about how I found that out the hard way. My flight from Madrid to Toulouse (France) was at
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- Published in Travel Stories, Europe, Living in Spain
THAT ONE TIME I BROKE A BED IN VENICE
Wednesday, 17 January 2018
[Bilingual English – Tiếng Việt] It was in Venice, how romantic it is to break a bed. I wasn’t alone, I didn’t single-handedly break a bed. It was… collective effort. Unfortunately, it was not for the juicy reason you’re thinking. It was my second time in Venice, I came again to reunite with my Spanish
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- Published in Travel Stories, English, Europe, Tiếng Việt
That one time I was rejected at border
Monday, 27 March 2017
[English – Tiếng Việt] Rejections are never easy whether from love, school, job applications, or entrance at border. This is the story about how I got rejected by the Bulgarian customs at the airport. Madrid airport: 7:30pm While waiting in line at customs, I realized my Spanish foreigner’s ID card (tarjeta de identidad extranjera) was
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- Published in Travel Stories, English, Europe, Journeys, Living in Spain, Tiếng Việt
THAT ONE TIME I HAD NO MONEY IN BOLIVIA
Friday, 03 March 2017
[English – Tiếng Việt] I got robbed for the third time in South America, this time in La Paz, Bolivia (the first two were in Peru). With a minor panic attack, I ran into Tatiana on my way back to Pirwa – the hostel where we were working at the time, she at the reception
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- Published in Du Lịch Bụi, Travel Stories, Bolivia, Nam Mỹ, English, South America, Tiếng Việt
The 3 Roommates You’d Never Want to Have in Madrid
Monday, 06 February 2017
[English – Tiếng Việt] I’ve been in Madrid for three months now and already moved way more than I would have ever expected. Here are some housing situations you’d rather avoid but I somehow went through them all. #1 The couch potato roommate. I shared a two-bedroom apartment in Usera found via Spotahome with the live-in
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- Published in Tây Ban Nha, Travel Stories, English, Europe, Journeys, Living in Spain, Tiếng Việt
3 Times I Fell in Love with Myanmar
Thursday, 03 November 2016
[English – Tiếng Việt] These are not stories about getting lost in the exquisite temples of Yangon, boating around the charming Inle Lake, or watching the sunset over Bagan. As my friend Jasper and I rode a scooter around Myanmar for two weeks, not only did we see superb landscapes, we also had no idea that
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- Published in Travel Stories, English, Asia, Tiếng Việt
How did South America happen?
Friday, 14 October 2016
[English – Tiếng Việt] South America is the story I tell repeatedly as it was not only the longest single trip I have done thus far (5 countries in 6 months) but also with loads of unforgettable moments and life-changing experiences. I learned a new language, explored the places I never knew they existed on earth,
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- Published in Du Lịch Bụi, Travel Stories, Nam Mỹ, English, Journeys, South America, Tiếng Việt
Dubai: HPAIR – Conference for International Relations junkies
Tuesday, 02 August 2016
[Kéo xuống để đọc tiếng Việt] Ihad the privilege to be one of the 500 delegates participating in the Harvard Project for Asians & International Relations (HPAIR) 2013 in Dubai, UAE and meet some of the most brilliant young minds. About HPAIR: is student-run organization of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Today, HPAIR
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- Published in Travel Stories, English, Asia, Tiếng Việt
Kuala Lumpur: What to Do with a 21-hr Layover?
Sunday, 31 July 2016
[Kéo xuống để đọc tiếng Việt] In brief, get out of the airport! Heading to Kathmandu, Nepal, I had a 21-hour layover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which might seem a bit too long but it turned out to be the best transit EVER. My Singapore evil twin Afifah and her sister (Nas) happened to be in town
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- Published in Travel Stories, English, Asia, Tiếng Việt