Somewhere between the back alleys of Bangkok and the bamboo hills of northern Laos, I lost something. Or maybe I found it. Myself, perhaps? Or the self I used to be. Either way, I never came home the same.

"Hey you! What are you looking for? Taxi? Maybe a cute girl?" A local guy materializes from an alley in Da Nang, Vietnam. I had planned a quiet night of Vietnamese potato chips and bad hotel Wi-Fi. The universe had other ideas.

This is the story of a journey through five of India’s Seven Sisters. Of rice wine toasts and jungle bathrooms, of mountain roads, roadside wisdom, and sacred traditions whispered over campfires.

I woke to the sound of Kong’s voice outside my window. Kong is my neighbor and one of the few people in the village who speaks a bit of English. He’s also taken it upon himself to be my unofficial cultural translator. (You’ll hear more about him. Think of him as my spiritual guide through mud and chili sauce.)

Imagine this: You're deep in the Laos countryside, far from the comfort of civilization, when your stomach sends out a distress signal—loud, urgent, and non-negotiable. Yesterday’s suspiciously spicy soup is staging a full-blown revolution. If you don’t act now, you’re going to crap your pants. What do you do?

I went to South Korea and Jeju Island on a scientific conference in 2015. And I loved Jeju so much that I extended my stay to explore more. Jeju Island is where nature whispers, the wind sings, and everything feels just a little more alive.

In Thai culture, the veil between this world and the spirit world is thinner than in the West. Join us on a journey into the heart of Isaan, Thailand, where ancient animist rituals and spirit ceremonies are still very much alive.