04.11.24 Things We Like to Make Traveling Easier Over the years Kat and I have discovered– and even invented at times– shortcuts to help us travel with less stress. From simple things like  buying tickets online, rather than waiting in long lines, to carrying double-stick tape, super glue, different sized clips, and a special suction cups that holds those dangling European shower heads right in place. We have shared a lot of these tips in our blog, but when Kat bought an amazing super powerful, hand-held fan, and kept  RAVING about how awesome it was, I decided it may be worthwhile t ..read more

04.09.24 During the five week plus that we stayed in KL, it rained before 3:00 p.m. just once. Yesterday was the second time, and of course it happened the day we finally rented a scooter, which we have been talking about since getting here. We wanted to check out some other areas, so headed west towards the coastal town of Kuala Selangor, combined with the plan to finally go to the Batu Caves, one of the biggest attractions in town. We (mostly) dodged raindrops on the way out, but did get wet…and just as we got into town to gas up, the sky opened up just as we were finishing. Great timing ..read more

04.01.24 They may not be the tallest structures in the world (they were from 1998-2004), but they are surely two of the most iconic side-by-side towers on the planet. The Petronas Towers ARE the tallest twin towers in the world, at 1483 ft/ 452 meters, and compared to all tall structures, they are still in the top 15. Ironically the new #2, Merdeka118, (679 meters) is just a few blocks away and can be seen from the top of the Petronas, as well as the KL Tower, another Top 20 tallest structure. But enough about the numbers…it’s really about the feeling. The feel I get when I see a buildi ..read more

03.21.24 This is now: Four years ago today Kat and I had one of our most UNIQUE experiences, as we flew from Columbus, OH, to Cancun, Mexico, and we were the only passengers due to COVID. That was then… Sitting at a very empty airport in Columbus, Ohio, heading to Cancun, Mexico. It’s been a stressful past few days, reading between the lines, determining if we could even get in. The gate next door is heading to Atlanta and the gate agent notified about a dozen people they will have the plane to themselves so they can have the whole aisle to themselves. Surreal is the word that keeps ..read more

03.19.24 As I was updating our official Travel Younger blog (www.travelyounger.com/blog), I realized that it was #200 since we started our journey on Feb 17, 2019. That’s a lot of stories to tell, and there are many more to come. This one is just for fun since I noted some things that we have seen in Kuala Lumpur (and Asia), that we don’t see other places. Once again, thanks for following us! • Running hajib: Nike (and other athletic companies) have to supply an entire world with their products, and that includes running gear for Muslim women who must keep their head covered. THIS was a ..read more

03.16.24 We came to Malaysia for two main reasons: we wanted to see and experience a new place we’ve not been, and also because it has a reputation for providing top notch medical services. Fortunately, Kat and I are pretty healthy, but she wanted to get her eyes checked for possible cataracts (all good for another year), and we wanted to get a benchmark of all our major systems. One of the most common questions we get asked is about insurance, and usually that refers to, “What happens if I have an accident or get sick on the road?” Over the years we’ve had two incidents of needing emerge ..read more

03.05.24 Hard to believe, but this is blog entry #200, which I’m writing just two weeks after our 5 year anniversary mark since leaving the US! And what a good place to start… Malaysia First Thoughts… Good news for Americans entering Malaysia as of a few weeks ago: no visas are required. You complete an online form called MDAC which DOES ask for Intended departure date, but I don’t think it matters as long as you stay less than 90 days. Our passport control guy barely gave it a glance, and it didn’t ask for a plane ticket out of the country. Our first night here did not go as planned ..read more

02.29.24 Moving on to Number 43 (Malaysia) We are finishing up our last days in Vietnam, and it has been a most interesting experience! A few days in Ho chi Minh City, a few more in Can Tho, and then 30 days on the island of Phu Quoc. The last month has been a bit taxing for me since I was dealing with a nasty cough for much of that time, and even though we got a lot of exploration done, we could have done more. This island is so unique, such a paradox! Long sandy beaches to Disney like resorts with Ferris wheels, aquariums, thrill rides; artificial cities that look like Italy, and the ..read more

02.21.24 Our day at the amusement park called VinWonders was a throwback to ages ago–when we were young. We didn’t visit every ride, but we caught the Ferris Wheel and spent awhile in the aquarium, which was one of the best I’ve ever been in. The city of Valencia (Spain) set a high mark for aquariums when we were there five years ago, but this one–inside a giant tortoise–had a lot of Asian fish and sea life and a cool exhibit of penguins, one of our highlights. Their display of jellyfish and other spineless creatures was light, but they made up for it in other ways. Kat wanted to do the w ..read more

02.21.24 I am very proud to be writing for International Living magazine, and here is my article on our 11 days in Australia, biting off just “one piece at a time ..read more