Blog-to-Books: Our 2012 Travel Memories Enjoyed Through Print
We are currently in the US, making our way through several states to visit friends and family. When we recently arrived in Alabama to visit Bama Mike’s mom, our 2012 Travel Sabbatical blog-turned-into-books were waiting for us. They turned out way better than we expected! When we had intorealpages.com publish our posts and photos, the intent was to have something more durable in print—in case something terrible happened to our website and it disappeared.
We had forgotten a lot of the details captured in the blog, so it almost felt like we were traveling through these places again for the first time. We had many belly laughs over being reminded of the the crazy situations we encountered.
2012 wasn’t that long ago, but in comparison to our travels now, access to web information was spotty, and many transactions were not digital or electronic. Therefore, it seems we had to talk to more locals to get real-time intel, and we had to be more creative in-the-moment with new problems we encountered. Overland border crossings and travel days were always the most entertaining blogs to re-read because of how unpredictable, harrowing, or crazy they were.
Read on for some excerpts of our 2012 travel adventures!
Bangkok Homecoming: “Same Same, But Different”
From 1996 to today, we’ve experienced Bangkok evolve from a hippie trail hideout where you hoped for "magic" to a high-speed metropolis at my smartphone fingertips. While Khao San Road has traded its laid-back soul for neon clubs and "same same" has turned into vegan cafes and legal weed, the city’s gritty, alluring energy hasn't skipped a beat. Whether we’re hauling a pack in the rain or escaping to a hidden blues bar, Bangkok still feels like home—just with a little more spending power and wisdom.
Bittersweet Singapore: Forty Years Later, Tracing My Roots
Akiko aka. “Aileen”, joyfully reflects on her childhood in 1980s Singapore, where her family lived while her parents served at Youngberg Memorial Hospital, and where she experienced a vibrant, free-spirited upbringing surrounded by jungle adventures, wildlife, and a close-knit community. Returning decades later, she discovers that while many familiar places—like Youngberg Terrace, her school, and nearby landmarks—have transformed into modern developments, meaningful remnants still remain, unexpectedly reconnecting her to those treasured memories. Through stories of carefree exploration, rich cultural experiences, and even her younger self’s quirks and resistance, she embraces how far both she and Singapore have come, ultimately finding a sense of joy, gratitude, and fulfilling closure in revisiting a place that shaped her so deeply.
Goodbye Harvey…and Virgil and Olive, too.
Goodbye to Harvey-the-House, Virgil-the-Versa, and Olive-the-Outback. Our last tethers to Kansas City!
Down Memory Lane at Pearl Harbor
Within 3 months of each other, we had the honor of visiting both the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-Bomb Dome) in November 2025 and now, the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Both were devastating acts against humanity in the name of war. Both memorials exist not only as a deterrent (hopefully) but as a reminder. With the recent passing of the last survivor aboard the USS Arizona, Lou Conter; and the last generation of the A-bomb survivors dwindling, we can all be more intentional about remembering and keeping the stories alive. If you have the opportunity, we highly recommend visiting both memorials in your travels.