travel stories Archives - fannypack travel

Lessons in Motorbiking

Lauren Crowley — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 06:04:51 +0000

I never intended to learn to drive a motorcycle. I lived in Thailand for an entire year when I was 26 and far more adventurous and far less concerned with my own mortality. During all that time I never bothered to learn. It was a handy excuse when someone was needed to run errands during rush hour or during monsoon season. I didn’t really miss the independence, as everywhere I wanted to go was a cheap motorcycle taxi ride away. […]

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Hiking the Continental Divide

Becca Foster — Sat, 11 Jun 2016 07:08:56 +0000

Follow Becca Foster as she hikes the most rigorous and physically demanding trail in the U.S. spanning 3,100 miles and 5 mountainous states in the west.

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Traveling While Black: Part One

Chelsea Booker — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 12:31:10 +0000

Traveling While Black Part One: Why More Black People Need to Travel Although my immediate family has gotten used to my wanderlust, when I talk about my overseas travel with other relatives, I tend to get one of three responses. The first, and the most welcome, is admiration. It comes with questions and demands for pictures and a detailed account of my adventure. In general, they seem very proud of me for taking on the world by myself. The second […]

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This Queer’s First Time in Spain

Grace Crowley — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 01:01:09 +0000

For some reason I had always been against traveling in Europe. “I’ll go there when I’m older, when I have more money and I don’t want to travel on dirty overnight busses and go days without a shower.” Well, I guess I’m there. Except for the more money, dirty busses, and days without shower. Yes, Europe is more expensive than Asia and Africa, but how to do it cheaply is another post. This post, my friends, is about my first […]

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The Lonely Planet

Allison Smith — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 21:34:48 +0000

One of the most difficult parts of traveling alone can be the unpredictable nature of human interaction. For two weeks, you’re buddied up with another traveler, sharing the same tiny rooms and seeing everything together, the next week you’re alone and conversations seem to fall flat and your only company is yourself. On long, solo trips, loneliness can enter without much of an announcement. You’re prepared to be alone. You’ve done your research. You’ve reassured yourself that you’ll be just […]

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Exploring Penang Two Days at a Time

Lauren Crowley — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 01:10:45 +0000

Although I am incredibly lucky to be welcomed into Thailand as a guest and immigrant and am allowed to be gainfully employed, the biggest downside to working abroad has to be the paperwork involved. So. Many. Papers. And I will never fully understand why we need to leave the country to change a visa to another kind of visa, vis-à-vis our status, but that’s how it is. Thankfully, Penang, Malaysia, my visa run destination, is a delightful city to while […]

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Exploring Hanoi by Motorbike

Lauren Crowley — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 00:08:39 +0000

Having only seven full days in Vietnam, I limited our exploration to the North, and rented a dirt bike to explore the areas around Hanoi. We spent two days in Hanoi itself, in the Old Quarter. Two things I noticed right away: The driving is BANANAS! The only rule seems to be: Don’t die. Seriously, there is not procedure for right of way at an intersection, just don’t hit anyone or get hit. And we succeeded! I did not […]

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Road Trip America Part 2

Lauren Crowley — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 08:35:42 +0000

After the shock and awe of seeing grass died down, Paul and I found a followed some meandering country highways to a perfect campsite near a lake in southern Idaho. Quick tip: If you use www.freecampsites.net remember to fill up on gas before you leave the freeway, as some of these sites are a ways from much else. Or check googlemaps for the nearest fill up station. We arrived at a picturesque campsite under some trees that provided the perfect amount […]

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Road Trip America Part 1

Lauren Crowley — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 03:37:19 +0000

Road Trip America Part 1 Late last spring, after finishing up three long years of intense travail, the drudgery of hundreds of thousands of words in the form of my Master’s in Teaching, and rounding out my third year as a high school teacher in Gallup, New Mexico, I decided to make a break for it. The kids were tremendously cool and the scenery on the occasional hike that time allowed for was breathtaking, but I had become riddled with […]

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