Since I returned on September 3, 2012 to the United States, I’ve been extremely busy trying to put life back together. I spent a week in Iowa with my parents and decompressing a bit. Since September 10, I’ve been back in Minneapolis solely focused on getting a new job and a new place to live. The good news is that I found a job and new place to live relatively quickly. I started work on the 22^nd of October and moved into my new place on the 27^th. It has taken me awhile to get everything in order, but I’m slowly moving forward and making progress. I wanted to share more of my perspective on the trip.

Some people have asked me about my perspective and how it has changed after doing something like this. My standard answer has been that I am not going to fully appreciate a trip like this until some time after – months and possibly years down the road. With that in mind, I did want to provide some more immediate feedback about what I’ve learned from traveling the world.  Even though I had been abroad many times before the world trip, I still found that this trip taught me many things…

Travel has taught me has incredibly lucky I am on multiple fronts. I think I look at this in the following ways:

• I am lucky in the fact that I’ve seen places like Machu Picchu, Angkor Watt, Petra, Kilimanjaro, and the Great Wall all in one year. These are places many people only dream of seeing or if they see places like this they have to make a choice about which one to see leaving the others for another time that may or may not come.  When I look at photos on the internet or hear about places that I’ve been to, it vividly brings those places back to life for me.
• I am lucky to have such great support of friends and family. I alluded to this in my last blog post, but I’ll just list a few examples here…When I returned back to the U.S. and began the process of getting my life back in order, I had multiple friends offer to let me stay at their place. I had friends helping me move-letting me use their vehicles, doing loading and unloading of stuff into my new place, etc. Also, when I was on the trip itself having friends around the world that let me stay at their places and having friends back home to help me stay connected was amazing.
• I am lucky to be an American. If you’ve never traveled to the third world or places in Asia outside the major cities, let me just say that we should be grateful for what we have in the West / U.S.A. I don’t want to turn this into a big debate about who has access to resources or how things should be, but do appreciate your constant stable sources of electricity, clean water, hot water, freedom of expression, high paying jobs which allow things like iPads to be purchased, and abundant access to food. Not everyone in the world has access to things like this. Most people have some sort of struggle with basic needs whether it be electricity, clean/hot water, or food.
• I am lucky to have met many people while traveling. Beyond just seeing all the amazing sights, monuments, and landmarks that are scattered around the world, it’s the people that you meet along the way that add to the experience. Meeting people can give you a taste of their culture even if you’re not in that person’s country. If there’s one thing that I miss from this trip, it’s the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. I have friends in the UK, Finland, Denmark, Japan, Australia, Kenya, Tanzania, China, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Belgium, Moldova, and India. It was awesome on my birthday getting greetings from all over the world!

Travel has taught me to appreciate simple things. When you’re constantly on the move from place to place, simple things like having a routine, working out, having privacy, and staying in the same bed may come at a premium.

Solo travel is hard at times but very rewarding. I will not lie – there were times on this trip when I was homesick and missed my friends and family, but as I was recently making a list out of all my travel experiences – country by country, experience by experience…there was nothing I regretted. Completing this trip mostly by myself has given me confidence that I can succeed at anything.

 Travel has taught me even though we’re all different, we all have the same basic wants and desires. Even though I may not speak the same language, dress the same way, eat similar food, or drink the same beer, people of all cultures want to be happy, clean, and enjoy the world around them. They want clean water, good food, and safety.

I’ve come home to the United States and started over again. It is both refreshing and challenging. I will never forget the experiences of this trip. The sunsets and sunrises, the moments of triumph and exhilaration like standing on the top of Africa, the moments of wonder and amazement like walking the same trails as the Incas, moments of happiness and joy like winning a bar tab in New Zealand, and even the crappy ones like getting altitude sickness in La Paz.  I don’t think I will have another chance for a very long time to travel for almost 1 year straight, but if it comes my way, I will think long and hard about doing a trip again. Traveling has taught me many lessons – some simple, some hard, and many perspective altering. I will never stop traveling or learning from travel.

I’d like to thank:

• Charlie and Justin – thank you for your unconditional support of this trip and letting me crash your places at various points on this trip and storing some things as well. Thank you for reminding me to rock the trip, putting up with my crap, and being there when I just needed to bitch about something. Thanks also for helping me through last year (summer and fall) and everything that went on. Your txts, voicemails, and emails kept me going. You guys rock and I will never forget your support of the trip.
• My Mom and Dad – thanks for being there, getting past the nerves of having me out of the country, and understanding my need to do this trip. Thanks for storing my stuff, picking me up at airports, taking delivery of things from overseas, and not getting worried when I might not have called for sometime.
• Charlie – thanks for joining up in Amsterdam and Berlin…it was an epic time. Seeing you rock out on the streets of Berlinwith the Spaniard and celebrating July 4^th are some of my favorite memories of the trip. You wanting to go to Europe was the only reason I went, otherwise I would have skipped it altogether!
• James (and Amy) – Thank you, friend, (yes I said friend, not co-worker) for storing most of my stuff in your basement. I also appreciated your witty facebook comments over the past year. They always gave me a laugh. We shall continue our happy hours and beer NDAs! J. I also want to thank Amy because I know her permission was also needed to store my stuff in your basement J
• KD, Waigash, and Njenga – Thank you for letting me blast off in Nairobi and letting me make Nairobimy home for a month. It was the perfect way to kick off the trip. Partying in Nairobi was def one of a kind! Please visit Minneapolis any time.
• Rohit – Thank you for letting me stay at your place in India and treating me like family.  My time in India was awesome and I will be back sometime in the future! It was great once again to hang out in person. Ending the trip in India surrounded by friends made this part one of my favorite memories of the trip. Doing the Wagah Border and Golden Temple VIP style was another great memory for me. I will also not forget your suggestion of visiting Ladakh – as it is truly unlike any other place in India. Thanks also for putting me in touch with your friends across the world. It was like hanging out with you. Also, thank you for the occasional video chat, it always made me happy to see a familiar face.
• Ashish – thank you for letting staying at your place both during my break in June and shortly after my trip. I will not forget your support and kindness!
• March and Katie – Thanks for always having your house open to me in Iowa and meeting up with me last minute. I think the only time I played Xbox within the last year was with March.
• Enoch – thank you for your perspective and advice before my trip (especially with what went on last summer) and meeting up in Phoenix. Your perspective helped especially when I started to see it more and more while I was on the road. Probably the best advice you gave was that even the bad experiences will be good….Haha…way too true.
• Adam and Liza – Thanks for letting me stay at your place in Phoenix and taking me out to dinner. One of these days you guys will have to come up to Minneapolis– (in the summer time of course)
• Abhi – thanks for letting me crash in Nashville and chill there for a few days. One of these days you will have to swing by Minneapolis so I can return the favor. Thanks for your perspective on Ladakh!
• My cousin, Hannah – thanks for showing me a little of Ft.Worth, going on a run, and seeing 4-day weekend. I still think Dallas is better, (just kidding!..haha)
• My Aunt Donna and Uncle Larry – Thanks for letting me stay in Quincy on the way to Nashville! Playing cards is always fun with you guys!
• Ryan and Soeurm – Thanks for having your wedding in June 2012. It gave me the perfect reason to come back for a short break!
• My professional colleagues and friends – Joe, Colt, Ed – thank you for your friendship, perspective, and support. You helped me think about how this trip might impact me professionally. Thank you also for your help in my job search!
• Colt – Thank you for letting me keep my car at your place while I was in South America.
• Derek – thanks for staying in touch through txts and facebook – it was nice getting that random txt every once in awhile.
• James and Vivian – Thanks for showing me around Melbourne, taking me out, showing me the Yarra wine valley (Vivian) and buying me a meal (James and Vivian). The night life inMelbourneis pretty awesome as well (James).
• Nikhill and Shashank – Thanks for showing me around Singapore and taking me out. There was at least one epic night in there!
• Abhineet – Thanks for showing me some of Melbourne’s night life and going to that casino’s club which wouldn’t let me in. I ended up winning 200 AUD that night because of that.
• Alex M– thanks for chilling out with me in NZ and doing the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne. A trip to London and aChelseafootball match is in the future…
• Chris from the UK–  thanks for partying it up in HK and NZ…doing 2 days straight of seeing the sunrise was fun.
• Rob H – Thanks for meeting up in Bangkok…the German brewery with an Asian variety show…still a good call. Hope your travels are still going well!
• Rob S – thanks for hanging out in Cambodia. We had some epic times there.
• Phoenix– thanks for an awesome time in Cape Town. When are you opening that hostel again?!?
• Steve D – thanks for your support, not flipping out when I said I was moving out, and always having an optimistic attitude. Your optimism kept me going.
• Steve D and Jacquelyn – thanks for letting stay at your place for 3 weeks in June! I really appreciated that and will not forget it.
• David Yi – Thanks for dinner in Shanghai, your interest in my trip, and your advice on traveling in China.
• Matt and Erica – Thanks for meeting up with me in Sydney and Taupo, NZ. I envy your ability to travel for so long and see much more of the world than me, but 1 year is enough for me!
• The Danish guys – Johan, Frederik, Hjalti, and Carl – thanks for fun times and stories in NZ…maybe one day if I am still “cool” enough, I can drop in to Denmark for a visit
• John C – Thanks for letting me borrow your truck on way way short notice to help me move stuff.
• Lam – Thanks for hosting me in Ho Chi Minh City and being my first couch surfing experience. It was a great experience. I’m only sorry I couldn’t spend more time in Vietnam. When you get your chance to visit the U.S., you will have to add Minneapolis to your trip so I can return the favor!
• Adam M – thank you for showing me Amman, hosting me for 2 nights, taking me to Jaresh, and letting me experience Jordan.
• Antonio M – thanks for hosting me in Amman at the end of my journey in Jordan and hanging out in Petra and Wadi Rum. Your language skills are amazing. You’re one optimistic person. Best of luck in your next country.
• Andrew and Renae – Thanks for hosting me, picking me up from the airport, and letting me stay your place. It worked out well to fly in and out of Chicago especially for Thanksgiving last year.
• Ryan Ng – Thanks for meeting up in Hong Kong, the awesome dim sum, and your travel advice for China.
• Prudy – Thanks for trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge. It was great to do this with another American and more importantly, a fellow Braves fan! I hope you enjoy your travels throughout Asia!
• Clay and Vincent – Thanks for hanging out in Amsterdam and checking out some of the breweries!
• Kuralay – thanks for hanging out in Alice Springs and the Outback. Your photography skills are amazing – thanks for helping to improve mine just a little! Best of luck at your new job in DC.
• Eyal – Thanks for hiking Zhangjiajie with me for 2 days.
• Polly – Thanks for treating me like family during my stay in Shanghai. Next time I’m there, I’ll look you up.
• Phillippe S – thanks for doing Yellow Mountain and Nanjing and hanging out in Shanghai for 6 weeks.
• Silas – Thanks for training me in Shanghai for 7 weeks and getting me back in condition to work out again.
• Phong – thanks for hanging out in Shanghai for a few weeks and doing Nanjing. Best of luck in Hong Kong!
• Kushi, my Kilimanjaro Guide, thank you for making sure I reached the top!
• Max – thanks for going Emei Shan and rushing up to the top with me. Wouldn’t have made it there otherwise.
• Kim, Crystal, and Blakesley – Thanks for a memorable time in Tibet and Kathmandu. You ladies certainly kept me on my toes and were fun to hang out with. Good luck in all your future endeavors and if you’re in Minneapolis feel free to stop by!
• Amit and Aakanksha – thanks for hanging out on the trip to Golden Temple and Wagah border! It was great getting to know you and hopefully I will return to India one day!
• Rahul and Mridhu – thanks for letting me “invade” your space for a lot of my time in India. Thanks for helping me navigate the language barriers when I needed help. Enjoy your travels to London and Edinburgh!
• My fellow travelers – thanks for the sharing the experiences of new places with me, a little bit of your culture, and your offers of places to stay. If you’re ever in the States, please look me up and come to Minneapolis.
• My facebook friends – Thank you for liking, commenting, jeering, and pushing me to try stuff

I’m past the 7 month mark on this trip. I’ve seen so much, done so much, and experienced so much – that sometimes it has been easy to forget how fortunate I am to travel for an extended time. Lately, I’ve thought a lot about what it means to be fearless. As some people know, on my right calf, I have a tattoo of the Chinese Characters for fearless. The literal translation of this means “Nothing Fear”. There’s been times on this trip where I’ve doubted if I could live up to my tattoo and the meaning behind it, but many other times I have lived up to its meaning. For me being fearless is more than just conquering fears, it’s about improving and growing as a person, changing perspectives, experiencing new things, and achieving success.

Being fearless is knowing that it is OK to go out on your own and have a good time.

Being fearless is eating in a restaurant alone.

Being fearless is going to a movie alone.

Being fearless is knowing when to take breaks.

Being fearless is bungie jumping, scuba diving, and sky diving.

Being fearless is quitting your job, leaving your comfortable life, and traveling the world – by yourself.

Being fearless is having the right support from friends and family.

Being fearless is knowing that even when things don’t work out, everything will be alright.

Being fearless is admitting your mistakes.

Being fearless is living in a city where English is not the most common language.

Being fearless is learning a new language.

Being fearless is having the guts to admit you’re homesick and fight through it.

Being fearless is trying new things and food even if you don’t want to.

Being fearless is displaying extreme confidence even when you’re in doubt.

Being fearless is running marathons.

Being fearless is doing the right things at the right time.

Being fearless is overcoming your own doubts.

Being fearless is completing what you’ve started.

Being fearless is never giving up.

Being fearless is conquering what you’re afraid of.

In a few weeks, I will return to the U.S. for a much needed short break. This break has always been included in the trip. I will enjoy the relaxation, the sights and sounds of the city, and most importantly catching up with the people who I have missed seeing the last 7 months. After the break, I will spend a short 12 weeks completing this trip – fearlessly.

Due to boarding pass concerns with this entire itinerary, I decided to arrive at the airport 2 hours early. My first surprise is when I had to clear security before reaching an airport check in country. This is about one of four airports in the world that I have been in where you have to clear security before reaching the check in desks. I proceed to run both my carry on backpack and 2 checked bags through the machine. I make it through security and immediately one of my checked bags is flagged for additional screening. I’m not entirely surprised because in the checked bag are 3 souvenir Bedouin knives. The knives are examined by the security officials and we discuss how I will not be carrying the bag on the airplane. The discussion then turns to the bottles of wine in the bag.

Security: “How many bottles of wine”

Me: “4 bottles”

Security: “And no one is traveling with you?”

Me: “No, I’m by myself”

I was then informed that I could only take 1 bottle out of the country with me, but if I could get the Turkish Airlines manager to come over and take possession of the bag, I could keep all 4 bottles. After waiting some time (a good 10 or 15 minutes), the manager was nowhere to be found. I decided that it was more important to board the flight and I guess I would was going to give up the bottles of wine.

I actually had 5 bottles of wine, but it was early in the morning (around 6am) and I incorrectly told security that it was 4. When I realized it was 5 while I was waiting for the Turkish Airlines Manager, I decided it was better to stay at 4 and play dumb if they decided to search the bag themselves.

After some more discussion with the Security officials, it was determined that an exception could be made and I would only have to give up 2 bottles of wine. I agreed to this as I really wanted to make the flight and continue on my journey. My question, which I did not verbalize, is why they couldn’t make an exception for all four bottles of wine? I’ve made it a rule not to argue with security or border officials because life can become difficult very quickly in those cases.

In the end, I gave up 2 bottles of Jordanian wine, but I ended up with 3 bottles left in the bag. Unfortunately, the Jordanian bottles were the last two bottles to be packed so they were the most accessible. Rather than fidgeting around, I decided it was best to be quick.

I think this situation illustrates some of the cultural differences between the Middle East (Islamic countries in particular) and the West. The Bedouin souvenir knives were OK because they were going to be checked luggage aboard the aircraft. The bottles of wine were not OK even though they were also going to be checked because of the perception that alcohol has in Jordan (and other parts of the Middle East) and that “4 bottles of wine is too much for one person”.

I’m a little past the half way point of my trip. I’m on my way to Istanbul for 2 days and then onto Hong Kong and Shanghai, but I wanted to share my evolving perspective after 6 months of travel. I’m finally used to arriving in places that I have no idea where I’m going, negotiating discounts with unscrupulous taxi drivers, sleeping in different beds every couple of days, and connecting with new people.

When I first started this trip, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what traveling for more than a couple of weeks would be like. After all, this was not going to be my first time outside the U.S – I had been to India, New Zealand, the Philippines, Guatemala, China, and Western Europe. I had experienced the culture of hostels and the movement of travel – I thought I knew what to expect, but I admit that I still learned some things along the way these last few months. I received a new appreciation for traveling by myself, constantly sleeping in dorm beds, living out of a back pack (and always feeling like I had too much stuff), not working out, watching my travel dollars, making new friends, and appreciating this once in a lifetime opportunity.

One of the things that surprised me is how much it now takes for me to be impressed with something I’ve seen. (I want to write a “top 5 sights” post for you in the near future) I’ve seen a lot these past 6 months, and while I haven’t regretted any of the places I’ve been, there’s “nice” places and then there are amazing and inspiring places. You won’t see me post many photos of these “nice” places on facebook because they just aren’t that impressive. The last six months of travel have also taught me of the things I truly appreciate like meeting new people, experiencing amazing things, and staying connected with my friends back home. Doing this solo has given me a level of confidence in my abilities to adapt; however, I admit that I wouldn’t be as successful if I didn’t have the awesome support of my friends and family back in the U.S.

There are things that I would have done differently, but they are minor – such as spending more time in certain places and less time in others, but that always gives an excuse to go back to the places that deserved more time.

Finally, these six months of travel have helped me focus on determining the things that I want (and what is important) when I return to the U.S. I have learned that it is only when you step away from the things that are most important to you, only then do you truly begin to appreciate them. For me some of those things include friends, working out, sleeping in the same bed, and having a routine.

Although, it has taken me 6 months to get used to extended traveling, it has been truly rewarding and is something which I do not regret.

Jordan so far has been nothing short of incredible. First, it’s an Islamic country, but with a few elements of the West. It is possible to purchase alcohol here, but drinking in public is frowned upon. Some women here wear the full Muslim dress while others choose not to. It’s a personal choice of each individual. The food has been fantastic and the hospitality is nothing short of legendary. I think Jordan has been the most hospitable country I’ve been in so far. Everyone is extremely friendly and offers of tea and coffee are daily occurrences. I’ve even had the opportunity to stay with a few people living in Jordan. Jordan has definitely been a very safe country as well.

In the past few days, I’ve been to Jaresh and the Roman ruins in the north, the Dead Sea, the supposed baptismal site of Jesus,Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba on theRed Sea, and now Karak. I’m sorry I don’t have photos posted to the photo site, but I encourage you to look on my facebook page for photos.

My favorite so far has been Petra, but that’s the whole reason I choose Jordan in the first place. Swimming in the Dead Sea was fun and seeing some of the biblical history was amazing.

I really wish I had more time in this part of the world –Jerusalem is about 75km from Amman and Cairo and the Pyramids are so close, but I just don’t have the time because in just a few days, I’m off to Istanbul, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.   I’m really excited about returning to the Far East. A friend from the west coast will be in Beijing and I’m going to try and meet up with him. I’m also looking forward to being able to slow down a bit (and maybe catch up???).

I’m really glad I came to this part of the world if only for 10 days. More time in the future is required.

Experiences like bungee jumping, sky diving, riding an elephant bare back, driving the Great Ocean road, summitting Kilimanjaro, trekking the Inca trail – the list could go on…

These experiences and the people I have met along the way have constantly reminded why I’ve chosen to do this. At the same time, I have to admit a bit of weariness and worn-down-ness. And that’s probably putting it kindly – (if you’d ask a few of my friends, they probably have more choice words to describe this).  I have seen and done a lot in a pretty short amount of time and I have to admit that unless an experience is really memorable or impressive, it’s fairly hard for me to be “awed” by a new city or location. Even though I had been on many trips outside the U.S. before this, this was something I did not anticipate or be prepared for. Dealing with constant information overload, meeting new people, learning new cities, planning and logistics for future destinations, and constantly running #’s are things that are wearing me down which leads me to why I can’t wait until Shanghai…

Shanghai is where I’ll be able to have a routine for a longer period of time. It’s where I’ll be able to relax. It’s where I’ll be able to have a “home” for more than a couple nights. It’s going to be great to get back to working out, training, and learning how to speak Chinese again. Shanghai is also the last major destination before my 2 week return to the U.S. and that’s probably why I am most looking forward to it. Before that though, I have Vietnam, Hong Kong , and Jordan to absorb. I am most looking forward to Jordan where I am interested to experience the Middle East culture. There will be very little rest in the next 4 weeks and that’s a compromise I’m willing to accept.

One of the best pieces of advice I received before this trip was that even the bad experiences will be good in the end; and I am slowly coming to realize the meaning of this.

- Remain calm – It’s way easier to think clearly when you are calm

- Review your options – Ask a lot of questions, determine the best choice to solve the problem, and then roll with it

- Communicate – Tell someone back home the issue and how it is being resolved. If your plans have to change (change of cities, dates of travel, etc), let someone know those changes

- Where appropriate, have a back up plan in place – Could be in the form of backup credit cards, travel insurance (highly recommended), or being able to ship something to a trusted person

Turning back the clock to last week (March 6th) , when I was getting ready to leave Kuala Lumpur and head to Cambodia. All of a sudden an email with a voicemail from my cell phone comes across….I start to read the transcription…

“It’s XXXXX from Chase Fraud Services…”

Right then and there, I knew I had to drop what I was doing and give them a call. I thought to myself a few choice words and something along the lines, “This should be interesting because I have the card right here”

Chase had me verify recent charges. Unfortunately, there were two charges I was unable to verify. Leading Chase and myself to determine that the card had been compromised. Fortunately, for me, Chase said they would ship a replacement card overseas. (Ha, more on that in a second)

It’s everyone’s worst case scenario that they have to deal with a crisis while away from home. So far, I’ve dealt with a lost ATM card in Africa, a finger injury in New Zealand (completely my fault too), and now a compromised credit card in Asia. What I’ve learned is that by remaining calm, reviewing your options, communicating, and having a backup plan in place many of these situations can be handled without ruining a trip.

Resolution Notes: 

After speaking with Chase and arranging for a new card to be sent to Cambodia, I waited it out in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. I kept tracking it, and the package never left Singapore! I called Chase back and arranged on for a new card to be sent to Bangkok, Thailand. On March 16th, my new card finally arrived in Bangkok and was in my hands. Chase really took care of me on this one. I’m not sure why UPS lost the first card, but I’m grateful to have my primary credit card back in my hands because it charges me no foreign transaction fees.

I spent a total of 6 non-consecutive days here and enjoyed just waking around and chilling out. There’s a ton of different cafes and restaurants – although I never found one with biscuits and gravy, which I had been craving during my time in Melbourne. I did get a chance to try waffles with ice cream and bannas on it though!  I think the Aussies have gotten it right with that.

Another cool part of town was Chinatown. It wasn’t incredibly large, but there was a ton of restaurants and shops packed into the area. I’m a huge fan of Chinese food and appreciated the restaurants in Chinatown.

Some of things that I remember from my visit to the city:

-        Old City Gaol (yes, that is how they spelled the word jail)

-        Docklands / Harbor area

-        Night life

-        Yarra Valley Wine tour

Something fun to do right outside the city ofMelbourneis doing a few wine tastings at vineyards in theYaraValley. The region is known for its pinoit noirs.  This was another spot where I splurged and ended up sending home 6 bottles of wine. (I won’t mention that shipping was expensive, but I made sure to buy bottles that weren’t available in the U.S.) Most of the vine yards do not charge for tastings although some might if you don’t order anything from there.

Night life, while fun, is extremely expensive. (10-12 USD for a pint of beer!) The night life goes from about 10pm to well past 5am. It seems that the U.S. is different in this respect from many parts of the world where, for the majority of the country, the night life stops at 2am.

One of the other things that impressed me was the amount of festivals and out door activities. You have things like the Queen Victoria market, but also when I was there I counted at least three different cultural outdoor events celebrating Greek culture, Egyptian culture, and a free classical music concert.

Overall, Melbourne is a place with a good laid back vibe to it. I can see why many people prefer Melbourne over Sydney. I have to agree.  There are tons of different restaurants, cafes, and bars to try out here (there should be no reason to go to a chain restaurant). I consider Melbourne to be an extremely livable city and definitely added it to my own personal “livable cities” list. That said, my impression of Melbourne(and Australia in general) is that it’s much more expensive than the U.S.(The minimum wage is also much higher at 15AUD/hr).

Even with it being more expensive, Melbourne instantly reminded me of my home city, Minneapolis, and maybe that is why I like it so much.

Haha, alright, that’s not entirely true.

-        Walked around the city a ton – mainly in the Orchard Road area.

-        Became really familiar with the city’s MRT. (Side note: Singapore has some of the best public transportation that I’ve seen and fairly cheap taxis).

-        Visited the Sentosa resort area (beaches, universal studios, casino area)

-        Checked out the numerous malls and food courts

-        Experienced the Singaporean night life

-        Watched “Act of Valor” at the movie theatre

My first impressions of Singapore were something like – “Man, there’s a ton of malls here”. Yes, this is Asia and Asians love to shop, but even then, I wasn’t expecting quite the number of malls. It felt as if every other major building complex was a mall. After getting used to the number of malls there, I started to enjoy the food. This seems to be what Singapore is well known for. I’d particularly liked some Indonesian BBQ, which not surprisingly, I found in a food court at a mall.

I do want to comment on the night life of Singapore. The night life here starts at about 10pm and does not stop until after 5am. (Some places are open even later). In this sense it reminded me of Melbourne. One of the downsides of having such a vibrant night life is the cost of alcohol. It’s expensive here – $22 SGD for cocktail plus cover charges (ranging from $20 – 30 SGD) for various clubs. One thing that Singapore does have over Melbourne is the fact that most places with a cover charge do include a drink with the cost of cover. It was pretty cool checking out a club located on the 70^th floor of a high rise though. Even with the expensive drinks, I’d give the night life a grade of an A-. Just be prepared for the hit on your wallet.

Overall, I think that Singapore was a good city to enter Asia. The night life was outstanding; I do think it was easier since I had a couple of local friends to meet up and show me around. I did find the city to be a little too sterile from a tourist perspective. One of the things I didn’t realize was to enter a casino; I needed to have a passport on me. I typically do not carry my passport when I am out exploring.

Would I add Singapore to my list of livable cities? Singapore certainly has great public transport, a vibrant night life, and good food, but for me it’s a toss up – I think it could be added if I had the right job and could get used to the rules/regulations.