Traveling
I have always loved traveling since I was a little kid.
In fact, my first international trip occurred when my parents took me to Mexico City as a one year old boy. Do I clearly remember everything about that trip? No. But I do have some vague memories of it based on the stories that my parents would tell me.
Every year, my parents made an effort to take me on some sort of trip for vacation. As I got older, we (my parents, two younger sisters, and I) continued to travel as a family.
I remember taking cross country road trips to different national parks, monuments, and other points of interest. As a child, seeing the variety of landscapes and the beautiful diversity of people in the country was a wonderful experience.
I was never the kid who annoyingly yelled out “Are we there yet?” During these long road trips, I would be voraciously reading about the next destination or studying the map to understand the terrain.
To me, the journey is just as fun as the destination.
We are the sum total of our experiences
Every trip is an experience that helps define who I am.
My parents instilled in me a passion to travel and explore the world at a very young age. To date, I have visited 41 different countries.
I thoroughly enjoy every aspect of traveling. Planning trip excites me. Figuring out how to best maximize my arsenal of points and miles makes me downright giddy. And I delight in researching the history of different places and reading about the culture of different people. To me, the excitement and anticipation before a trip is half the fun.
Of course the trip itself is enjoyable too. Doing something that is unlike our usual routine is refreshing. Interacting with people who have a different lifestyle leaves me more enriched. And understanding a different perspective of the world leaves me more informed and well-rounded.
Even long after a trip, the feeling of joy remains as I reminisce all the fond memories that I have had as a result of my travels.
Below I discuss how several recent trips have shaped my values to make me the person that I am today.
Mindfulness
College and medical school was a dizzying blur to me. Since elementary school, I went full steam ahead all the way through residency with no breaks. I even went to an accelerated program in which I earned an undergraduate and medical degree in seven years. While I consider myself a relaxed person, I was definitely living a fast paced lifestyle.
In the summer of 2010, my wife and I went on a trip to Europe that opened my eyes to the virtues of living a more relaxed life. At the time, she was in Paris studying international law. I flew out to Paris to meet her and we toured multiple cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Florence, and Venice. Each of the cities that we visited has its own unique characteristics. But one common theme I discovered was that most Europeans enjoy life at a more relaxed pace. A prime example of this is their attitude toward food.
Eat like the French
It is well known that the French and Italians take their time to eat meals. You can literally sit at a cafe for hours. Waiters will not bring you the bill in order to politely kick you out (like they might do in the U.S.).
At first, I was not used to this. I even got a little antsy the first few times I ate at a European restaurant. However I quickly learned to relax, take my time, and enjoy the moment. With more time to be thoughtful, I became more mindful of what I was eating. This translated to other aspects of my life too.
Overall, I became more mindful with everything that I do and life feels more enjoyable.
Gratitude
A week after taking the anesthesiology oral boards in April 2013, I traveled to India for a medical mission trip. I joined several plastic surgery attendings and residents to provide surgical services for children with cleft lips and palates. For almost two weeks we worked in a small community hospital in Shimla, which is located high up in the Himalayas.
Getting there was quite an adventure. Once we landed in Chandigarh, I immediately thought woah, we’re not in Kansas anymore. The air kind of suffocates you with various unfamiliar smells (pollution? sewage? food? all of the above?) as soon as you get off the plane. I saw countless communities of shanty towns and improvised housing structures made up of materials that anybody in the Western world would describe as garbage. It really looked like a scene from Slumdog Millionaire. It was my first time visiting a developing country.
I could have died…
Driving from Chandigarh to Shimla was downright scary. I am not exaggerating when I say that I could have died that day. The road through the Himalayas was poorly paved, very narrow, and had a lot of curves with hairpin turns. On top of that, there were no guard rails to help prevent cars from driving off the cliff and falling thousands of feet to the bottom. We also had to dodge various obstacles on the road including stray dogs, wild monkeys, cows, and people. And it seemed like all drivers (including ours) were driving recklessly, trying to pass other cars unnecessarily. There were multiple times where it seemed like our car was less than a foot from the ledge.
Between the nauseating vertigo from looking down and the exhaustion of jet lag, at some point during the ride I fell asleep. Shortly before we arrived at our destination in Shimla, I woke up feeling incredibly lucky to still be alive.
Anthony Bourdain, star of CNN’s Parts Unknown drove on the exact same road and had a similar experience. I’m sure he thought he could have died on that road too. Watch a clip of his show here to see what I’m talking about.
Feeling grateful
This was my first medical mission as an anesthesiologist and it was an amazing experience that I will never forget. In total we were able to help about fifty children by surgically repairing their cleft lip and palate. Everybody we had helped was incredibly appreciative and grateful. Not only will these children be able to feed and speak better, they will also feel better knowing that they look a little bit more like their “normal looking” friends who don’t have cleft deformities. It felt very fulfilling to help children who were truly in need. I enjoyed the experience so much that I went on another medical median trip later that year in Cambodia and Vietnam.
I learned so much during my time in India. As an anesthesiologist, I had to quickly learn how to administer bare bones anesthesia without a mechanical ventilator (just a simple Mapleson breathing circuit), no capnograph, and only four medications (halthoane, sodium thiopental, vecuronium, and morphine). Just the basics!
After visiting a developing country for the first time, it puts everything in a different perspective. I feel incredibly grateful for being an American living in a rich country like the United States. And I feel grateful for having the privilege of helping underserved children in a way that is uniquely impactful. Finally, I feel grateful to be alive.
Minimalism
Fall 2015 was a busy time for my wife and I. In a span of forty days between September and October 2015, we moved into a new house, got married, and went on our honeymoon.
Prior to that, we lived in a one bedroom apartment filled with a lot of stuff that had accumulated over the years. Inspired by Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, my wife wanted to declutter our life and get a fresh start as a married couple in a brand new home.
We sold, gave away, or donated a majority of our stuff. Luckily, most of this stuff comprised of packaged processed food, redundant cleaning and self care products, and old clothes that didn’t fit anymore. We had no emotional attachment to these items so it was very easy to part with them.
Moving into an uncluttered home
In mid September we moved from a small apartment to a four bedroom house. My wife was so good at decluttering that we moved very few items into our home. Everything we owned sparked some kind of joy. Each and every item had a place and space.
We got married just a few weeks after we moved in. On that same night (or early morning) of our wedding, we quickly packed our bags and headed off to the airport to catch an early morning flight for our honeymoon. Since we didn’t have much time and we were pretty exhausted from all the wedding festivities, we really only packed the essentials.
Traveling light
Ever since our honeymoon, we have managed to pack very lightly with only a single carryon luggage. We realized that we don’t need to pack a whole lot of stuff.
There are so many benefits to bringing just a carryon. First of all, you can save money by not having to pay extra for checking in luggage. The incidence of losing your luggage decreases. Also, you don’t have to wait for your checked luggage to appear at baggage claim. And finally, your carbon footprint is smaller when you travel light.
Decluttering our apartment, moving into an uncluttered new home, and packing minimally for our honeymoon allowed us to seamlessly segue to a more minimalist lifestyle.
Through minimalism, we have realized several benefits including saving more time, creating more space, gaining more freedom, and giving more attention to the things that make us happy and the people we love.
Financial Independence
Interestingly, our discovery of the FIRE movement occurred some time during our road trip through France in the Spring of 2016. We first flew to Paris to attend a destination wedding. After spending a few days in the city, we rented a car to explore the French countryside. We drove through regions involving all six points of the French hexagon. Some of the highlights include the Loire Valley, Normandy beaches, Mont St. Michel, Dordogne region, Provence, and the French Riviera. Of all the trips we took together as a couple, it ranks high up there as one of our favorites.
While on the road, we listened to a lot of podcasts. Rick Steve’s France podcast became our free, personal tour guide. We also stumbled upon the Optimal Living Daily (O.L.D) podcast which samples short, yet insightful, articles from various influential bloggers. My wife first discovered it after searching for podcasts on minimalism. One of the bloggers that was consistently featured was Mr. Money Mustache. After listening to a few of his articles on the podcast I thought “Wow, this guy retired in his 30s, how fascinating!” So one day (when I was back home from the trip of course), I looked him up and binge-read most of his blog.
MMM’s blog led me to read many other influential blogs from the FIRE community. The thought of retiring early intrigued me.
While my wife and I had always been frugal, the concept of financial independence gave us a tangible goal and a clear purpose for our frugality.
Diet and lifestyle
Another major lifestyle change happened as a result of our trip to France. The French food we ate (authentic foie gras, crepes, steak, cheese, etc.) was incredibly delicious and decadent. It was also heavy on animal products (meat, cream, dairy, etc.).
At the midpoint of our trip, we stayed in a modern apartment located in the Dordogne that was equipped with a full kitchen. One day, my wife wanted to cook our own food to save money and to take a break from going out. She was also getting sick of all the heavy food we were consuming. So we went to a local market, bought some fresh food, and cooked a light meal that resembled something we would typically enjoy at home.
The gradual transition
Since that day in Dordogne, our meals in France became less animal-based and increasingly plant-centric. Luckily, this coincided with the local cuisines of the regions we were visiting. After eating a lot of red meat doused in buttery, creamy sauces in Normandy, we made our way to the South of France (Provence and Cote d’Azur) where lighter meals consisting of local vegetables dressed with olive oil and herbs was the cuisine du jour.
Our meals went from this:
And this:
To dishes that looked more like this:
The aftermath
Shortly after we returned home from our trip, my wife proposed that we adopt an exclusively plant-based vegan diet.
At the time, I thought it was a cool idea but something I could never do. I was already a flexitarian vegetarian (I never really enjoyed preparing meat after anatomy lab). I just thought becoming a vegan would be way too hard.
But my wife was insistent that we try it and I was enthusiastically supportive. To make it work, we both did a lot of research to understand the health benefits and to learn about the positive impact it could have for the environment and animal welfare.
Since June 2016, we have been exclusively eating a plant-based vegan diet. What started off as a 30 day challenge gradually became a total lifestyle transformation. As a result, I feel healthier, stronger, leaner, and more energetic. Heck, I even look younger (I had already looked “too young to be a doctor” before I ate a vegan diet!).
Nature and the environment
We took a lot of trips in 2016 because there were so many places that I wanted to explore before having kids.
In August 2016, we crossed off a bucket list item by hiking one of the toughest Inca trails to Machu Picchu.
I planned this trip for my wife’s 30th birthday. She loves nature and outdoor activities, so I thought the Salkantay Trek would be perfect. And it was. The trek was absolutely gorgeous with terrain ranging from beautiful mountain scenery to lush rain forest and everything in between. There are plenty of steep climbs and sharp descents. The highest elevation we reached was more than 15,000 feet above sea level. Our trekking group consisted of us and four other American trekkers that we had just met, along with our local guide, chef, and a few porters. It was just us and nature for four long days. No toilets. No showers. It was definitely a “dirty 30” birthday. 😉
Trekking “Savage Mountain” (Salkantay)
Because of the high altitude and grueling nature of the trek, it was hard on my body and one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. Interestingly, everybody in our trekking group struggled except my wife. One of the trekkers was an ER nurse and brought a portable pulse oximeter. While everybody else’s heart rate was in the 120’s and oxygen saturation in the high 80s to low 90s, my wife’s HR and O2 sat were completely normal at 90 beats per minute and a saturation of 98%. Hopefully our children inherits her elite level VO2 max, endurance, and athleticism!
Being one with nature
When we reached the highest elevation of the trek at Salkantay pass, our guide performed a local ritual in reverence to nature and the mountains. Being in the moment, it was hard not to feel spiritually one with nature. And I swear I wasn’t in a euphoric psychosis from being in high altitude and chewing all those coca leaves!
In all seriousness, being in the mountains gave us a sense of happiness and well-being that is unattainable in a sprawling city. We had no reception and no cell phone notifications to alarm us. No anxiety-inducing social media to distract us. No technology to bombard us. What we did have was each other, surrounded by the beauty and elegant simplicity of nature.
Trekking the Andes gave me a deeper appreciation for nature and a greater sense of duty to protect the environment for future generations.
Effective Altruism
After realizing we were on the fast track to becoming financially independent, we wanted to make a greater effort to give more generously to charitable causes. However, I had no knowledge about the best way to give.
I did some research on the subject and stumbled upon the effective altruism movement. I listened to a podcast with Will MacAskill (author of Doing Good Better) on the Tim Ferris show, watched a few talks on YouTube by Peter Singer, and found many other resources online. Even Mr. Money Mustache wrote a recent article about it. In essence, effective altruism is an evidenced-based philosophy designed to charitably give in the most effective ways to benefit others and to bring the greatest positive impact worldwide. Two major cause priorities of the movement are alleviating global poverty and improving animal welfare, especially reducing the suffering of factory farmed animals.
Improving animal welfare
I have always had a compassion and soft spot for animals, but my adoption of a vegan lifestyle further solidified it. Thus the improving animal welfare aspect of effective altruism really spoke to me.
In the past few years we have donated directly to organizations such as the Humane League, Mercy for Animals, The Humane Society, and Mercy for Animals. There were also times when we visited animal sanctuaries while on vacation!
In October 2016, we went to Japan and Thailand for our one year wedding anniversary. While in Thailand, we had an unforgettable experience in Chiang Mai at Elephant Nature Park. It is a sanctuary for elephants who were rescued from the logging and tourism industry. The mission of the sanctuary is to provide a safe home for the elephants (sadly an endangered species) and to restore the rainforests (unfortunately destroyed by the logging industry).
Pamper a pachyderm
As part of the “Pamper a pachyderm” package, we had the unique experience of walking alongside the elephants. We also pampered them by feeding them bananas and watermelons. Bathing them in a river was part of the experience too!
It was truly awe-inspiring to be so close to the elephants. The ones we met were gentle giants with friendly personalities. It’s sad to think that one day my daughter may not be able to see such a beautiful creature because they can become extinct. This is why I think improving animal welfare is such a worth cause within the effective altruism movement.
The sum(mary) of who I am
Traveling has helped shape who I am.
Because of my experiences while traveling, I have become a more mindful and grateful person. These characteristics have made me a happier person overall.
Also through traveling, I have fostered a lifestyle that is congruent with my values of financial independence, minimalism, veganism, environmentalism, and altruism. Living a life that is congruent with my values further optimizes my time and happiness.
Future considerations
I would love to take my daughter (and other future children) on trips with us much in the same way my parents did with me. She may never develop the same sense of passion and enthusiasm for traveling that I have. But I know the experiences will teach her a lot about life and shape her into a well-rounded human being.
It’ll be fun to experience the world in her eyes.
I can’t wait!
Your turn…
Do you have a passion for traveling? Tell me about an unforgettable trip that has totally changed your life! 😀
I love reading about others travel adventures, I’m someone who really caught the Wanderlust bug. I’ve had a fabulous time on most of my trips, and really appreciate getting to see how others live around the world. It’s hard to pick a fave trip, as they’ve all been awesome in different ways.
I love the laid-back Caribbean vibe, the food and drink in Italy keep me coming back, Inca trail was epic, as was a Safari then hiking Kilimanjaro. Roads trips on the west coast of the US were also amazing, as was driving from Miami to Key West, Not to mention the UK itself is also very scenic, but a little lacking in the weather department.
I know what you mean! It’s incredibly hard to pick a favorite trip. I learn something with every trip and there is always something amazing to appreciate.
I always wanted to go on a safari and hike Kilimanjaro, but I’m going to have to put them on hold for the little one.
I’ve been to the UK, but just to London. I want to explore the countryside, castles, and Scotland some day. 🙂
You’ve been to so many great places. The medical mission sounds like a grand adventure. That road looks scary as hell. I have the travel bug too and have been to many countries. After kids we were limited for a good number of years to just beach and other kid friendly spots. It’s no fun packing strollers, car seats, diaper bags, toys, etc. Now that they are older, we are expanding our horizons. Went to Costa Rica this past year and that was cool.
Yeah, I know what you mean. Our travels will definitely be limited too. I haven’t been to Costa Rica, but I want to go one day. We’ll probably wait until we are done having kids; I’m paranoid about Zika. Plus it’ll be more fun for the kids when they are older with all of the eco-tourism that can be enjoyed in Costa Rica!
OMG you two are like the cutest couple!! “You can literally sit at a cafe for hours” I heard that before, I also heard Europeans love their vacations. My husband’s grandparents are from France a long time ago and I went over to their house for Xmas dinner 2 years ago, OH boy all they did was a quick beef stew and I’m still thinking about it!!
We haven’t done any of those cool things, I think people expect us too but I don’t think its for us. Lazy and introversion are very tamed personalities. Maybe it’s in the plans for 4 more years but gosh, I would love to try it. Since either of us has traveled anywhere, we don’t know what we’re missing or hating or loving. The plan is just to keep it in the pandora box and then we’ll figure it out.
Aw thanks Lily! Yes Europeans love their vacation and definitely love their food. The French, in particular, are incredibly proud of their food (and for good reason!).
Traveling isn’t for everyone. Sometimes it is stressful and it can take people out of their comfort zone. Plus it can get pricey too! And a lot of people travel for the wrong reasons. I see people going to a place just to see it for a few minutes to take a picture for their Instagram or Snapchat stories and in my mind I’m thinking: “SMH / Face palm”. I try not to shake my head in real life because I don’t want to look like I’m judging them, LOL!
It’s totally okay to be a home body. Appreciating just being at home is the most wonderful thing. After all, home is where the heart is 🙂
Doc, I love this post! You’ve been some amazing places and really had the opportunity to enjoy your stays. My wife also studied abroad in France for the summer and I met her when she was done. It was an amazing trip that we’ll never forget. Paris is quite magical when you’re there with someone you love! For our honeymoon 9 years after that trip, we returned to Europe for a 14-day cruise to see the south of France, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Croatia. The best part was getting out and exploring the different cuisines! We’ll be headed to Thailand this winter for a wedding and will likely make a quite stop in Macau and Hong Kong to visit my wife’s relatives. I can’t wait! 🙂
Yes, totally agree that Paris is absolutely magical when you’re with someone you love! Exploring different cuisine is one the best parts of traveling. You can tell a lot about a place and culture based on their food.
You’ll have a wonderful time in Thailand, Macau, and Hong Kong! How exciting!
Nice post and you sound like a great couple. The frugal label is discordant though, too many chefs and Tesla pictures. It seems to be the new gluten free.
Thanks for the comment Ken! And you’re right, frugal is the new buzz word. And I agree it’s hard to call yourself frugal when you have a Tesla, go on luxurious vacations, and annual expenses near six figures. I guess you can say I am fairly frugal relative to my peers though. 🙂
Your wife is beautiful. You can tell her that. For me it’s about the people I meet. We are so much alike yet sooo different. The cultures are so different. The architecture is so different. I’ve experienced building 2 millennia old still in use likely built by slaves. The artisan is so different. Nothing is throwaway and the quality is amazing. I’ve been to Asia and Europe with small children (1 and 3) Encouragement for you and your wife.
I cut my teeth on halothane drope scope and dope. I’ve masked a AAA and a gastric pull through, no capnography, no oximetry only a stethoscope and Sphyg and EKG Very physical and mentally challenging anesthetic. You have to anticipate everything. BAG BAG BAG one other thing, BAG BAG BAG one other thing (like hang blood) Once you can handle that anesthetic you can handle anything and nothing scares you (except CHF). Not standard of care in this country anymore but elsewhere you do what needs doing.
Thanks great article
Thanks Gasem! It’s very encouraging to hear that you travelled to Europe and Asia with your daughters at 1 and 3 years old. Definitely something I look forward to.
And wow… doing a AAA with bare bones anesthesia and practically no monitoring. That’s hardcore and intense. Yeah, after doing that you can do anything!
Love this post! Being that I am super passionate about traveling, so many things that you mentioned in this post resonated with me. Every trip I take I learn so much about myself, as well as the history, culture, and climate of where I go. I actually just got back from a trip to South Africa yesterday and it was an amazing experience. I definitely agree that traveling has shaped me into the person that I am today and will continue to have an immense impact on me throughout the rest of my life. I also love the fact that you do medical missions, which is another thing I am passionate about. What better way to really learn about a place and its culture than by living there and helping to give back to people in need. Any more lined up on the schedule for you?
Oh my. South Africa is on my list of countries that I’d like to visit one day. I really love to do medical mission work and I am looking forward to doing more in the future. I don’t have any more lined up in my schedule for the immediate near future because many places are high risk Zika areas. Since we are planning to have more children, I am trying to limit my exposure. In fact, I we weren’t going to have more kids I would have considered going to Honduras with Physician on Fire! 🙂
I totally agree with your point about gratitude! When I was a kid, my family moved to another country for one year, and it was eye-opening. We are so so lucky to be living in a first-world country. It really changed my perspective and made me less insular – the world is a huge place and we are already on the top of the pile.
Yes. Seeing how other people in the world live is very eye-opening and changes you perspective.
This is really the one thing I’ve neglected in my life up until recently. I had always put off vacations early on when I was single thinking I need to wait for someone to share them with. Then I got married (to the absolute worst person I could have imagined) and didn’t want to take vacations to spend more time with her (you are very lucky you have a worthy travel companion). Then after the divorce hit depression after the aftermath so didn’t feel like taking vacations then. So all of a sudden I’m in my early/mid 40s and basically denied myself one of life’s greatest pleasures.
Luckily now I have found someone that I actually would love to spend time with and have done some incredibly memorable trips with her (had a bucket list vacation item checked off spending a week in Bali in a luxury resort that treated us like royalty (and spent my 45th birthday there).
Even trips to Las Vegas have been incredibly enjoyable mainly because of the company I now keep. My goal is to explore the world I have missed out on in my younger years (especially with my plan for early retirement)