On The Road Again

One of unique types of architecture in China are the Tulou ( 土樓) which means “earth/soil building.” They were inscribed as a UNES CO World Heritage Site in 2008. You may recognize this architecture as it has been popularized by Stephen Chow’s movie, “Kung Fu Hustle.” Some Tulou are over 600 years old and were built like fortresses to protect the family or clan within the walls. I’ve been interested in these buildings for a while since my mother’s family is of Hakka origins.  On my recent visit to China, I took a day trip to visit several Fujian (Nanjing) Tulou, and had a great time! I wanted to share photos from my adventure and hope you consider a trip to see them. Hegui Tulou (和贵楼) This is the first tulou we saw. It is known as the highest square tulou and is unique that it was built on top of a swamp. Like a boat it has been sitting here for a few hundred years and has not sunk. Private Tulou Some are still used as homes. We were allowed to enter for a small fee. Hua...

ICYMI, solo travel has become more and more popular over the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. You can travel at your own pace, do the activities that you want to do, and it’s a great way to make new friends all around the world. Alyssa, our Founder, has been traveling solo and documenting her epic adventures on Instagram and sharing travel tips and tricks on My Life’s A Travel Movie for a few years now. When you see all the amazing places she’s explored, especially her 30 most epic adventures before 30, it’s almost a natural reaction to want to pack your bags and explore the world solo (AKA, living your best life). If that wasn’t enough to convince you, the Adventure Travel Trade Association 2018 trends report specifically highlighted that solo travel is on the rise, with one of their members reporting that over 80% of millennial travelers are going solo.  Of course, solo travel is for more than just millennials. A 2018 survey of solo travelers found t...

Now I know what Dorothy felt like. I now know what it must have been like for the young girl from black-and-white Kansas to suddenly find herself surrounded by short people with funny mustaches urging her to follow a brilliantly yellow-colored road. Except, there aren’t any mustachioed munchkins in my story. My “not in Kansas anymore” story takes place in China. Beijing, to be exact. The year was 2007, and I was touring Beijing and Shanghai for a week with my college marching band. Earlier in the day, we had played Kelly Clarkson songs on the Great Wall of China while curious and awed Chinese tourists watched. Then again, maybe they weren’t curious and awed. Maybe they were just wondering why the hell we all had sparkly feathers sticking out the tops of our hats. I would stare, too. After returning to the city that night, we were free to explore Beijing for the evening. Some friends, armed with Lonely Planet guidebooks, decided they wanted to check out the city’s nightlife. Th...