Capture: Me on my first trip to Thailand in 2005, wearing the buddhist amulet that changed my life (see description). This is my friends´ daughter. So cute!

It all started in 2005, right after the tsunami. I landed in Phuket, Thailand, a place I had never been but somehow felt drawn to. I hadn’t even left the plane yet, but I was already hit with a wave of magic. Three airport staffs, lounging in the shadow of the airplane, flashed smiles that looked like they came straight from the soul—genuine, unfiltered. As we locked eyes, they greeted me with a wai, and in that moment, I was hooked. Thailand wasn’t just a place, it was something—and it was about to change everything.

Fast forward to a temple, a random stranger, and an amulet. He rushes up to me, thrusts this Buddha amulet into my hand, and says, “I have a gut feeling you need this. It’ll change your life.” And just like that, he was gone. I stood there, amulet in hand, thinking, "What just happened?" It seemed like a bizarre moment at the time, but little did I know, it would take years for me to fully understand just how life-changing that simple encounter would turn out to be.

So, I did what anyone would do when their life takes an unexpected turn: I sold everything when I came back from my first trip, grabbed my backpack, and headed back to Asia. Mountains, rice fields, big cities, tiny villages—learning languages, making friends, getting lost, and finding myself along the way. Asia quickly became my second home.

Along the way, I picked up a camera and a pen, documenting all the bizarre, beautiful, and sometimes downright strange experiences. I started sharing those stories on award-winning travel websites, but the itch to tell more hasn’t gone away. Now, with Frank in Asia, I’m bringing all of it back—cultural quirks, life lessons, and the weird magic of the road. Because, trust me, when you let Asia into your life, it’s never just a visit. It’s a full-blown experience.

Oh, you remember that amulet...? Well, it wasn’t just a shiny trinket. This little artifact and the man’s sheer generosity flipped a switch in me. What started as curiosity turned into a full-blown obsession with cultures, rituals, and the strange magic people carry with them. One minute, I was a lost soul wondering what on earth I was supposed to do with my life. The next minute? I’d found my calling. I dove headfirst into social anthropology, writing about Buddhism and amulets in Thailand, which eventually led to a Ph.D in health sciences. Who knew an amulet could launch a whole academic career? But that’s Asia: it grabs you, shakes you up, and before you know it, you’re knee-deep in the most unexpected, fascinating journey of your life.

Thanks for stopping by—hope you stick around for more adventures!