What is there to write about backpacking through Southeast Asia, a region with a long history of sharing its treasures with Western tourists. Countless blogs. Leonardo DiCaprio movies.

Arriving in Bangkok, I didn’t have a plan and hadn’t factored spending my first days with food poisoning after a night on the Khaosan Road into my itinerary.

But that turned out to be okay. In a backpacker hostel you’ll end up meeting people going to the same places as you or having recently come from them. Throughout my travels I would run into people I had met weeks before at times later in the Thai islands, the sweltering cities of Cambodia, the rivers of Laos.

I had a general idea of where I would go when I first started, and it immediately changed after meeting a few other travelers. There’s so much to see, and there’s a lot of ways to do it. Cheap flights connect second cities, but if you have the time, overnight buses are cheaper. And don’t forget the boats.

I spent a beautiful two months traveling through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. I swam with elephants, did archery at a bowling alley in Laos, was a +1 at a Cambodian wedding, saw some of the most beautiful coral on a snorkeling trip, immersed myself in the history of Angkor Wat, ate at an all-you-can-eat buffet by myself, and came across a litter of French bulldogs for sale on a pier in Malaysia. In a place with such rich history and stunning sites, the time spent wandering and keeping an open mind paid off.

This solo trip was about saying yes as much as possible, but at the end of the day doing what made me happy. Shit happened and conditions weren’t awesome all the time, but that’s how it goes. I experienced breathtaking moments with awesome people.

As I searched for a return flight, Malaysia was a last-minute addition to the itinerary bringing a distinctly different feel from my previous travels. From a high rise in Kuala Lumpur, I felt like I was preparing to go back to my usual world. It was time to go back home for my sister’s bachelorette party in Las Vegas.

I made my final friend on the trip back – an aviation expert who had a lot to say about Malaysia Airlines. During the layover we chatted over breakfast in the early hours of the morning, waiting for our next flights. We still Whatsapp from time to time.

There’s so much you get from your travels – the experiences, the memories, and the people you meet on the way.