Best (and Worst) of 2018

2018 was a year of epic adventures.

And, food poisoning.

Lots and lots of food poisoning.

On Instagram, the year probably looks completely perfect, but Instagram tends to be more of a highlight reel than reality. The honest reality is that long-term travel is far from perfect.

2018 was rough. Not quite as rough as sitting in I-35 traffic in Austin with a broken air conditioning in August but pretty damn close.

It’s been exactly 10 years since my first long-term trip to Australia that ignited my nonstop globetrotting. In many ways, this year has mirrored that year. Both were amazing beyond measure but involved some of the lowest lows of my life. I’ve begun to associate this roller coaster ride as part of long-term travel. (Turns out, self-publishing is an equally turbulent ordeal that tested my sanity.)

After a decade of nonstop travel, I can honestly say that it’s not a true adventure if you don’t end up feeling lost and doubting why you left home. Nothing will make you question your life more than an ill-timed bout of food poisoning that appears only hours before your 33-hour journey back to America from Mongolia.  Trust me, on that one. (Despite this four bout of food poisoning, Mongolia was still the highlight of my year. )

2018 was my first big stint at being freelance fulltime while on the road. Many of my long-term travels in the past involved living off my savings entirely as I traveled.

Financially, it was a terrible year.  Two of my big freelance contracts for the year fell through in the first few weeks of January due to circumstances I could not control. In March, I flew back to Texas from Chile for a photo shoot that got canceled. I only made $15,000 this year and lived off savings partly due to devoting time to my new book project. Countless times, I thought about selling my camera and doing something else with my life.  This is partly fueled by the recent stock market slumps; rumors of another recession have me on edge. (I have a bit of PTSD from 2008 recession that ripped my life apart.)

This year I lost my uncle and two family friends. All three were a reminder that life is short and a reminder that the main reason I went freelance fulltime was for the freedom. The freedom to travel without constraints of a two-week vacation. The freedom to spend more time building furniture with my dad in his shop. The freedom to spend the winter in Asia wearing flipflops. The freedom to work on personal projects and write my first book.  (I spent about three months visiting my family and the rest of the year visiting old friends, some of my favorite places and adding new stamps to my passport. I was still working between all of these adventures.)

The highlights from the year were worth the rough patches—snorkeling with penguins in the Galapagos, late night tango dances in Buenos Aires and camel rides in the Gobi Desert. Plus, I got to interview one of my heroes. I took the most epic gnome photo of all time on Easter Island below.

I’m very humbled and grateful for all the support I’ve received for my book project. Writing a book is one of the most gut-wrenching and soul baring experiences. Thank you for your support and kind words.

Don’t worry—I’m not sitting still anytime soon. I’ve already lined up some exciting new adventures and big work projects for 2019. I’m kicking off the new year in Vietnam!

To celebrate the highlights of 2018, here’s a roundup for my favorite photographs and blog posts to help inspire your travel in the New Year:

My Top Travel Photographs from 2018 

Havasu Falls

A long exposure of Havasu Falls at sunrise, Havasupai, Arizona. 

Havasu Falls was one of my favorite hikes of all time and favorite photo spots of the year. The stunning blue green waterfall is located in the Grand Canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona. While the 10-mile hike was relatively easy, the hardest part was getting one of the elusive permits. (I talk about all the hike details in this post!)

I got up at sunrise to shoot this long exposure of the waterfall, which creates the smooth effect of the water. I used a tripod and snapped this shot of myself by the falls with the help of my friends.

 Buenos Aires

There is no city in the world as seductive as Buenos Aires. It is a Latin Europe sprinkled with a bit of third-world charm reminiscent of Havana. The streets are lined with grand European palaces, cozy cafes and endless parks.  The stables of life in this budget-friendly city are steak, wine, empanadas and ice cream.  It will always be my favorite city in the world.

It became my favorite city in the world on my first visit in 2015.  Last January, I  returned for a month to work on my first book project and escape the U.S. winter. Check out my Buenos Aires guide to plan your own trip!

Galapagos Islands, Equador

Snorkeling with penguins in the Galapagos was the highlight of my four-month trip to South America earlier this year. Despite the high levels of tourism, it’s still one of the most pristine environments in the world and one of the best places for animal photography. (I got a last minute deal on the trip so it cut my costs down significantly.) The trip inspired some serious thoughts on eco-friendly travel.  For more Galapagos photos, check out this post.

Easter Island

Those four days could not be have been more perfect— blues skies, windows down and Jack Johnson on the radio. The view was always stunning—steep cliffs lined with moai statues hover over the Pacific Ocean.

The tiny island is one of the most remote and unique places on the planet. It lies in the middle of the Pacific 2,290 miles from mainland Chile; the nearest inhabited island is 1,150 miles away. It’s only 14 miles wide and with an extinct volcano at each end of the island. No place on the world feels quite so remote. (For budget tips for Easter Island, check out this post.)

Uruguay

Safe, stable Uruguay is the underdog of South America, sandwiched between its dramatic, flashy neighbors of Argentina and Brazil who often steal the spotlight. The progressive nation is the Switzerland of the South America filled with delicious restaurants, colonial charm and stunning beaches. It’s often overlooked but easily accessible with direct flights from the U.S. The best part is that the 18-20% VAT is waived on all purchases with foreign credit cards, cutting down costs significantly. Check out these 7 Reasons to Visit Uruguay.

Mongolia

Mongolia was the highlight of the entire year. I spent two weeks bumping around in the back of a blue Russian van named Boris. Through the windshield, I watched as paved roads faded into dirt tracks and the scenery transformed from lush green forests to the barren Gobi Desert. I miss the occasional traffic jams caused by a herd of camels wandering into the road. I’ve been obsessed with the remote corners of the globe for as long as I can remember and Mongolia far exceeded my expectations. (Check out my Mongolia blog post here!)

Prague & Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic

The only thing I love as much as llamas are castles. The Czech Republic was my first taste of Eastern Europe. I ran a photo trip in the Czech Republic this summer for National Geographic Student Expeditions. Everything was amazing – the food, the scenery and the photo opportunities. I’m hoping I can squeeze in a longer trip Eastern Europe next year. Fingers crossed!

Macau

I stopped in Hong Kong for a week en route to Asia in October and took a day trip to Macau to see if it was really like the movies. My goal was to avoid casinos.  The real Macau is a crumbling Portuguese settlement with old Chinese shop houses and delicious egg tarts. My favorite spot in town was Mandarin’s House, an enormous historic residential complex with circular doorways and a Instagram-worthy courtyard.

England

I fell in love with traveling and photography while studying abroad in England during college. I went back this summer to visit one of my best friends who lives on the coast in Northern England. Her dad always lets me borrow his Hasselblad, a fully manual medium format camera. I took it with me for a walk over the cliffs in Saltburn by the Sea and shot this image on my iPhone of the view through the viewfinder.

Thailand

I’m back in Thailand now and it feels like home. It’s always felt like home. It’s my first trip back to Asia in over five years. (I ran photo trips in Asia from 2009-2013.)

I’ve spent the last ten years living in on a bridge between America and Asia debating where I belonged. I loved Asia but didn’t know how to make a living there aside from teaching English so I always returned to America. The irony is that I’m now very tied to America from a career standpoint so I have to fly back for work projects. I’m trying to find a way to spend at least part of the winter in Thailand. After all, winter is a choice and I prefer to spend it wearing flip-flops. For more about Asia, check out this guide to Southeast Asia and my favorite spots in Thailand!