Out of Office: International Adventures

Michelle and her husband spent two weeks traveling with a group to India. In total, they visited six cities, including Delhi, Agra, Jaipur (the golden triangle), Kumarakom, Goa, and Mumbai.

According to Michelle, the trip was full of unique experiences, but some of her favorites were visiting various temples in Delhi, checking out the Taj Mahal in Agra (and waiting three hours for the fog to lift so that they could actually see it!), experiencing the annual kite festival on a local’s rooftop in Jaipur (which included kites, floating lanterns, and fireworks), relaxing poolside at a spa resort in the backwaters of the Arabian in Kumarakom, partying at beachside resorts in Goa, and a fourteen-stop food tour around Mumbai. “All told, the trip was a remarkable experience and was deeply enlightening – if you ever get the chance to visit India, do it!”

Originally hailing from Kuala Lumpur, Priyanka’s recent trip home was three years overdue! She traveled back to be a bridesmaid at her childhood friend’s wedding and the 3-day event was nothing short of a blast. According to Priyanka, the welcome party in Chinatown was the most fun because it was a mix of the three races/cultures that make up Malaysia (Malays, Chinese and Indians). She even got to dress in traditional Malaysian and Indian outfits for the wedding, which she notes as being a rarity these days. “Wearing traditional garments instilled a sense of pride that I haven’t felt in a long time. I am beyond proud to be Malaysian and come from a country so diverse and harmonious,” shared Priyanka.

This was also her first time back as an engineer, so she was able to appreciate the architecture from a whole new perspective and even check out “Merdeka 118,” the second tallest building in the world. Additional highlights from her time in Kuala Lumpur included spending a ton of time with family and eating all of her favorite foods like Nasi Lemak (Malaysia’s national dish), Indian banana leaf meal (4-5 different curries served with rice on a banana leaf), butter prawns, and Durian (her favorite fruit!).

Priyanka also visited Bali (for the third time)! She stayed at a beautiful villa with typical Balinese architecture (open/outdoor living space and lots of wooden accents) in Seminyak, which is in the southwest corner of the island. There, she loved witnessing beautiful sunsets at Finns Beach Club and La Brisa in Canggu, experiencing the warm nature of the Balinese people, and spa days (a very typical activity). As someone who has visited many times before and loves it, Priyanka recommends visiting the temples spread out across Bali (Tanah Lot Temple is her favorite), checking out the volcanos such as Gunung Beratan (Mount Beratan), and visiting a coffee plantation. Bonus points if you try the famous Kopi Luwak (Civet cat poop coffee!).

Planned as a “last hoorah” before one of Kelley’s friends moved back to the Tri Cities, their group set out on a fun-filled trip to Cabo San Lucas!

It was Kelley’s first time in Mexico as an adult and so they did what any smart adult would do: book an all-inclusive, beachside resort! Summarized as a trip of relaxation, sunshine, adventure, and of course, over-indulging in food and drinks, their group had the best time. One of her favorite parts of the trip was their sailboat excursion to El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, where they snorkeled the second saltiest beach in the Pacific Ocean (according to their tour guide), and saw tons of wildlife including sea lions, dolphins, sting rays, humpback whales, and fish. “If you ever find yourself in Cabo, I highly recommend the Cabo Adventures boat tours, The Office (restaurant on the beach), and El Squid Roe (three-story bar downtown)!”

Carson and his brother spent seventeen days (and thirteen flights!) exploring five countries in Africa. According to Carson, “When it takes twenty-nine hours to get somewhere, you want to make sure you do everything you can to see every sight, eat every bite, and do it all from dawn till night!” (we see what you did there 😉). And typical of an engineer, he had every hour planned out on a spreadsheet.

Their trip began by exploring the Serengeti in Tanzania by both land cruiser and hot air balloon. That’s where they saw giraffes, elephants, lions, cheetah, and wildebeest (all while not being eaten by any of them). Next, they headed to the beaches of Zanzibar, where the waves were serene, and the beachfront merchants had a variety of items to sell. Their following adventure brought them to Victoria Falls where they participated in Class 4 white water rafting, bungee jumping, and crocodile cage diving (Carson was even able to grab the leg and touch the belly of a 15ft crocodile!). After that, they headed to the Namibian desert to camp, solo hike, and sandboard down giant sand dunes (one even taller than Seattle’s Columbia Tower) all while being hours away from the nearest town.

The trip came to its finale in Cape Town, South Africa, where they experienced exquisite food and nightlife, hiking Lion’s Head and quad biking Atlantis Dunes, watching a rugby championship game, and rock climbing up the entirety of Table Mountain. Carson also went shark cage diving and found wild penguins on Boulders Beach, each of which nearly bit him.