Travel page

Travel!

I’ve spent a sizable chunk of my life traveling, working, and living abroad – for an American at least! As I have more time, I’ll fill in the sections below with photos and stories from my adventures.

Remote PhD in Taiwan, 2020

Taipei, Taiwan

Dieu My and I arrived in Taipei on January 1st, 2020. We spent 1 month living in the Songshan district near Taipei Arena. We walked 10+ miles through the city nearly everyday and were able to check out most of Taipei's districts. Unlike in the USA, you can walk anywhere at anytime of the day and be safe! We also took the high speed rail down to Kaoshiung City on the southern side of the island for a weekend - beautiful place with amazing hotels that will blow your mind -- you'll never look at American hotels again without a significant amount of disdain! Night markets are a must; hiking is incredible; Louisa Coffee has some of the best coffee I've ever had. There's an endless list of praises I have for Taiwan and it is easily one of my favorite countries. Go check it out -- when it's safe again to travel, of course!

Remote PhD in Japan, 2020

Osaka, Japan

After spending January in Taipei, Dieu My and I spent February in Osaka, Japan. We stayed in a really nice apartment just 5 minutes walk from Dotonburi. In the same way that Taiwanese hotels will make you forever detest American hotels, Japanese bathrooms will make you detest American bathrooms and think of them as barbaric relics of the past. You have to experience it yourself to understand. Just know that you're living like a primitive beast if you don't have a bathroom on par with those in Japan. :)
Unfortunately, I spent a good amount of time in Japan sick. I had to go to the doctor twice as an uninsured foreigner, yet it was the most pleasant, painless, and cheapest medical experience of my life. When I wasn't sick, we were walking all over Osaka, working at coffee shops, and gorging on sushi, udon, takoyaki, and okonomiyaki.