Culture

Conquer culture shock by embracing each stage. Turn what once seemed overwhelming into your favorite parts of traveling.

It was a long summer of travel, fraught with a multitude of highs and lows, new cultures, immense growth, and even ill-fated love. Four months went by—and slowly, it seems. It wasn’t one...

After 31 days in Southeast Asia, I was fed up. It had been 11 months since my move to Greater Asia, the majority of which had been spent living like a...

It's 7am and the sun is rising. There's a heavenly glow spread upon the rock cliffs that overlook the Gulf of Thailand. I scaled that jagged scarp last night just...

I was about 17 years old. I was slightly awkward, quite chubby and, of course, still trying to find my feet in a wide environment of social complexities. My understanding...

My 40 liter rucksack was packed and I was setting out to explore the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan for ten days. I was an English speaking white boy in...

As I step outside, my throat fills with phlegm. The thick smog pierces my lungs and lingers at eye level. At first I thought all this spitting was culturally customary....

I sit on the small fold out seats by the window. I can barely fit. The train departs with a jolt and babies begin crying. I look to my neighbors...

I don’t even know where I am anymore. Sometimes my location on this great planet of ours doesn’t fully register until that Google Maps pin drops on my precise whereabouts....