In this age of oversharing and leaving no stone unturned, it’s rare to stumble upon an area that is yet to be spoilt by the many footsteps of wandering tourists. Even as I write this, I’m hesitant, for I’m doing the exact thing which exploits and overshares. So before I dive into the details on our adventure through the Mergui Archipelago, I make a humble request: if you are ever given an opportunity to visit this wondrous region, please tread lightly and hire a boat that gives back to the local communities, educating their youth and encouraging ecological responsibility. It is a gift for us all, and I hope it will continue to be for generations.

Our anticipation for our sail through the Mergui Archipelago could not have prepared us for what lie ahead. After the endless touring through Bagan, Mandalay, and Yangon, a break was certainly in order, and a sail through a relatively undiscovered set of islands was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Without question, this was a land more beautiful than any place we had yet been...

Myanmar was the first of the Southeast Asian countries we visited after leaving Japan. The country only recently opened its doors to foreigners, and our goal was to try to get a first-hand look at the history and culture before it was diluted down by hordes of tourists. Unsurprisingly, we definitely found it to be a country still maturing as a tourist destination, but it’s kind people, devout beliefs, revered pagodas and ample buddhas made for an interesting visit. Add to that its rich biodiversity, and Myanmar offered the opportunity to visit a beautiful country that retains its heritage and shows unabashed charm in it’s welcoming of foreigners. 

Myanmar was also the start of our own realization of our collective needs as a nomadic family and our individual differences as travelers...

In our first month of travel, we’ve already had more travel mishaps than I would like to admit. We’re seasoned travelers, I figured, how hard could this be? Brady summed it up well while we were sorting out our latest mistake: “Once again, we’re at the airport and there is a problem.” Funny enough (though it wasn’t in the moment) each mishap has gotten progressively worse….I certainly hope that trend doesn’t continue.

When we started planning this trip, we had (and have) a long list of exotic and off the grid countries to visit. Most of these countries are in Asia and Africa, largely because both continents were particularly foreign to us all. However, despite  previous trips to Central America with our children, landing in a third world country in Asia, where everything from the language, alphabet, foods, customs and transportation system were completely foreign seemed a bit daunting. That said, we knew our six months would go quickly and didn't want to dilute our opportunity for cultural immersion. With that, we landed on Japan as a first stop for several reasons. 

I'm supposed to write a post for "school" so i decided to write about my time skiing. It was really fun and the snow was amazing. Our backcountry guide Markus was really cool and he taught me a bunch about avalanche safety, but he made my mom really freaked out about getting in an avalanche. Over all it was one of the most fun things I have ever done. Thanks Mom and Dad.
​-Brady