Broke but not Broken

Fear of a depleted bank account deterred me from online banking…for a couple weeks.  It finally came to the point of having to give in. I’m nearing the junction of Broke Boulevard and Homeward Highway. My bank account hasn’t been this low, since college. I’ve emptied out the travel account and tapped into the savings to its bare minimum; less than a grand to my name (a little less than $900 to be exact) and I’ve got exactly three weeks left in Asia. Normally, I wouldn’t disclose such personal information (actually, I really don’t care) but going broke is bound to happen when the steady flow of income comes to a halt and traveling mode kicks in. “Travel til broke” seems to be the motto for most, and I’ve had no problem making it mine.

This is doable. Time to budget.

If I have $900 (including the money I currently have in my wallet), I’ll keep $300 in the savings, which gives me $600 for the three weeks I have left. Well not really, I don’t want to go home with nothing in my Checking account; a hundred will do. So, really, I have $500 to play with. 21 days, $500. It comes outs to $166 a week, $23.80 a day.

Here's the conversion:

Malaysia (two weeks): 491 Ringgit per week, 70 Ringgit per day

Thailand (one week): 4,958 Baht per week, 711 Baht per day

And, I’m back in the game.

There’s no way, I’ll be spending that much money in a day. If I continue to spend about 2-5 ringgit a meal, 2 meals a day it should give me enough for transportation, accommodation, and budgeted sightseeing. Plus, this calculation, assumes that I'll be spending just as much in Thailand as I do in Malaysia. Nope. Thailand is significantly cheaper even if I stay at the poshest hostel in Bangkok. Honestly, I’ve never really had to budget before but I refuse to ask for help—this is partially due to pride but mostly because I want to accomplish this on my own. I know I can do this on my own. I will do this on my own. 

This is doable.  
This is doable.  
This has to be doable. 

I’ll see how it goes. Expect updates. 

I’m almost broke, but couldn’t be happier.

Cheers to enjoying the simpler things in life.

Can't Beat that with a Bat

There’s nothing like a good shower to start your day, actually there’s nothing like standing in the shower, eyes closed for five or ten minutes, to start your day. Fact. There’s nothing like a morning dip in the clearest, bluest ocean to start your day. BETTER FACT. A couple days ago, I rolled out of bed and was about to turn the cold-water nozzle when it dawned on me, “You're taking a shower, when the ocean is right there! Right there!” Think flashing neon signs and a monkey pointing towards the water going ape shit. Doh! The shower got the axe and I said hello to the saltiness of the South China Sea.

Can’t beat that with a bat. Uh-uhhhhh.

* finger snap *

Long Beach, Pulau Perhentian Kecil

I’m in Malaysia by the way. Yeah, it was a last minute trip and by last minute I mean I literally received the itinerary in my inbox a few days before I left.  Oh the beauty of cheap Air Asian flights and…

dare I share my secret with you?

I dare. 

Here’s why I’m in Malaysia:

Because I can be.

Post Philippines, I had no plans to venture off into the bordering countries…none at all, which is something I still don’t understand. For my last month abroad, I thought I’d explore the Andaman Sea islands of Thailand and hang with a friends in Chiang Mai. I was teetering on the brink of Thai Townieism AGAIN. We’ve talked about this before; it’s easy to get stuck in Comfortland. Thailand is easy and friends are comfortable. An all out Malaysian rendezvous was needed to get me out of that funk. And that it did.

Yep. So I’m in Malaysia. 

Here's a little of what I've done...I’ve been rained on in KL’s Bird Park, which, by the way, is the largest walk-in aviary in the world. I’ve petted a peacock…ON ITS BEAK (if you know my dislike, more like fear, of birds, you’ll know this is a HUGE step), swam my hardest to catch up to a huge surfacing sea turtle, and spotted and followed three full grown blacktip sharks while snorkeling. Oh, and I went off trail in the Taman Negara jungle for about an hour or so following a so called EcoTourism PhD having, neurotic, bug-hating, woman who insisted she could guide us to the Orang Asli Village for free. She lied and had absolutely no idea where she was going. OHHH, and leeches. How one made its way up my right leg, onto my thigh, and had a feast, I will never know.

oh the stories...