When you become a world traveler, you may forget to appreciate the beauty of your hometown. Being back at my parents place in Arnhem, a small town in the east of The Netherlands, I decieded to walk around the neighborhood and take some pictures. It was a cold day in the middle of winter and ground was covered with a thick blanket of snow. I strapped on my trusty boots and headed out the door. Continue reading »

I had only slept a few hours when my dad woke me up at 3.30 am. We had to make an early morning flight with Ryanair to Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands. Our final destination was the little town of Corralejo, the surf capital of the Canaries.

I was pretty new at surfing. I had taken the odd lesson over the last few years, but hadn’t passed the beginner stages yet. When we arrived at our first surf spot, I was a little worried. Continue reading »

Two friendly Australian couples from Hong Kong were also staying at the resort. We all got along well from the start and decided to explore the area together. The next morning, we congregated in the hotel lobby, rented a boat, and ventured off to visit the nearby islands.

Our first stop was a small pristine island called “Dako Island.” It was inhabited by a small community who lived off of coconut plantations and canoe manufacturing. While the men were busy carving canoes out of trees, the children played on the sandy beaches with home-made wake boards. Continue reading »

After we settled in our new environment, we decided to go on a reconnaissance mission using the islands main means of transportation: the motorbike.

Typically, I shy away from driving these vehicles as I have met too many expats and tourists with scars, mutilations, brain damage and other motorbike accident related injuries (which in Thailand they call “natural tattoos”). On this island, however, traffic was sparse so I threw caution to the wind and mounted my bike. Continue reading »

I was traveling around Asia when I got a message from my friend Johan. He had been working tirelessly for years and finally had some time off. “I desperately need a holiday,” he told me. “I want to relax and decompress, somewhere away from all the tourists. I need a quiet, peaceful place.”

The light bulb in my head flashed. I immediately thought of Siargao Island, a remote island in the Philippines. Continue reading »

I was having dinner with some friends in a middle-eastern type restaurant in Shanghai. It was my last night there and I was heading to the airport straight after dinner. My next destination was replete with sun, beaches, and excellent surfing conditions. I was going to the Philippines. The meal was delicious and the atmosphere was captivating. Between the tasty kebabs, the sexy belly dancers, and my vivacious friends, the evening was sublime. Nothing could ruin it. Or so I thought. Continue reading »

I met up with my buddy at Manila airport. We share one passion: deep sea diving. Our final destination was Sabang, a little dive resort in the municipality of Puerto Galera. To get there from Manila, we first had to take a 3 hour taxi to Batangas, a village located at the southern point of the island of Luzon. From Batangas it would be another 2 hours on a Banca (typical Philippines boat) to Sabang. Continue reading »

When I was 12 years old, my parents hosted an exchange student from Norway named Lena. My mother was always fond of Lena, considering her to be the daughter she never had. So when my mom discovered that Lena had moved to El Salvador, the planning for a visit began.

I rendezvoused with my mom in Houston, Texas. We enjoyed a drink in the United lounge while waiting for our flight. My mother was bursting with excitement… partially because she hadn’t seen me in some time Continue reading »

It had only been two weeks since my arrival, but I still knew. My mother always told me not to be hasty, but when it hits you, it hits you. As I stepped onto the warm, soft sand for the first time and stared across the turquoise water charged with rolling waves, the proverbial question rang out in my head: if you had to spend the rest of your life in one place, where would it be? Right here. Continue reading »

It’s good to have a friend, but it’s better to have a friend in The Bahamas! Dom is an old university friend, famous for his eerily seductive dance moves. If you have a local friend when visiting a new place, it generally makes for a much better experience. This was no exception.

Two of my friends, Andreas and Christophe, joined me for this excursion. Our first night out began at the US style nightclub ‘Aura,’ where Dom managed to get kicked out for allegedly being drunk (even though, as unlikely as it sounds, he had yet to have his first drink). I can’t really blame the bouncer though, as Dom’s dancing style mimics a drunken stagger-dance pretty well. Continue reading »