How I Afford My Travel Lifestyle

by Jonathan Look | Apr 24, 2014 | Adventure, Lifestyle, Minimalism, On My Mind, Travel

Bhutanese Prayer Flags Since I retired three years ago I have had a lot of people ask how much it costs to fund my travel lifestyle. I have always been hesitant to answer that because what a person “needs” is a very personal thing and the way I live may seem,...

What Is the Cost of Living in Bali for a Month?

by Jonathan Look | Apr 21, 2014 | Adventure, Bali, Indonesia, Retirement, Travel

Note: This post was written in 2014 and reflects Jonathan’s personal costs in Ubud at that time. Prices will have changed considerably since then. View of Our Ubud Bali Rental Villa from Rice Field Since I posted my Easter greeting from Bali, Indonesia yesterday...

The Pursuit of Happiness vs. The Pursuit of Property

by Jonathan Look | Apr 18, 2014 | Adventure, Buddhism, Minimalism, On My Mind, Philosophy

This article was originally published in the April 13, 2014 edition of “The Dallas Morning News”. This is the third essay I have written for the folks at DMN and I look forward to doing more soon! Students Cheerfully Welcome Foreigners in Bhutan In 1776, America’s...

Images of Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar

by Jonathan Look | Apr 14, 2014 | Adventure, Buddhism, Buildings, Myanmar, People, Photography, Travel

Spend enough time in Southeast Asia and you begin to run the risk of what many people call “temple burnout”. In Chiang Mai, Thailand, where I live, there are over 300 temples. Many, no most of them are quite beautiful and worthy of a visit, but there are so many of...

Top 24 Photos of 2013

by Jonathan Look | Apr 11, 2014 | Adventure, Arizona, Bali, Buildings, California, Cambodia, Indonesia, Landscape, Nature, People, Photography, Retirement, Texas, Thailand, Travel, United States

Last year I did a post called my “Top 12 Photos of 2012”. 2012 was an amazing year for me with many changes; many improvements and a few challenges. I intended to do a “Top 13 of 2013” but after going through the over 11,000 images I made in...

Burma Tea House Etiquette

by Jonathan Look | Apr 9, 2014 | Food, Myanmar, Travel

There is something enjoyable about slowing down, taking a seat and having a cup of tea. I am not talking about your posh, formal English High Tea — but something just as civilized in the true sense of the word — and to me more enjoyable. When in Burma I quickly...

Bo Sang Umbrella Village

by Jonathan Look | Apr 1, 2014 | Art, Photography, Thailand, Travel

Bo Sang Umbrella Village is the most colorful of the craft villages surrounding Chiang Mai, Thailand. The techniques for making these umbrellas dates back from over a century ago when a monk, Phra In Tha, brought the knowledge back from Burma and taught the Thais how...

Bun Cha in Hanoi

by Jonathan Look | Mar 27, 2014 | Adventure, Food, Street Food, Travel, Vietnam

Bun Cha just gives me that warm, at home, feeling wherever I am in the world. When I arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam it was cloudy and cold. It was one of those days when just you want some comfort food. Fortunately finding good food among the old French colonial buildings...