"It is a happy talent to know how to play," Ralph Waldo Emerson once said. 

He was exactly right. According to my master's research, playfulness isn't a trait -- it's a skill. But due to the ubiquity of technology (read: passive entertainment) and high-achieving childhoods, many young adults have yet to develop their leisure skills. 

The fact that they're making less money and are more likely to have debt than ever doesn't help.

Mindy Kaling once famously asked, "Is everyone hanging out without me?" This is a question I'd never asked myself -- until today. Because today they are. In the Bahamas. On a boat. Without me. Even though I went to ActionQuest and I'm an awesome sailor and a Master Scuba Diver.

But I digress. 

​The point is, there was a ton of traffic when I dropped my friend off at SFO. Like, a TON. But we spent exactly zero minutes stuck in it.

I recently returned from a trip to Southeast Asia -- and I learned and saw so many things. Some made me happy. Some made me sad. And some... were kind of amusing.

For example, the observation that about 1 in 7 white guys had his arm in a sling...

Another day, another adventure -- this time, in Sigriya, Sri Lanka. After two weeks at Elsewhere Surf Camp (when I arrived, I'd only planned on staying for one -- go figure :P), I did an elephant safari before heading up north to the Cultural Triangle.

I came to Southeast Asia for two reasons: surfing, and scuba diving. But, totally unexpectedly, the highlight of my trip so far has been a two-day slow boat cruise down the Mekong River, from Thailand to the center of Laos.

I recently did my first dive trip in the Similan Islands, which are consistently rated among the top five dive destinations in the world. I’d be lying if I said it completely lived up to expectations -- between climate change and illegal and unregulated/illegal fishing, there is no dive spot in the world that looks like it did five years ago.

Travel is magical... but it can also be stressful, riddled with logistics, decision overload, and long flights.

Which is why so many international travelers with long layovers choose to remain in the airport, rather than spend three, or five, or eight hours in a bustling new city. Luckily, South Korea's Incheon International Airport has tackled that problem with its free transit tours.

Guys, I'm, like, soooo vaccinated right now!

​In just a few days, I'm headed to Thailand. Then Sri Lanka. Then Vietnam. Then... who knows? And, at the last minute, I decided to do the responsible thing and get my vaccines.

Yesterday, while sipping a honey-lavender latte at Bliss Cafe, I got to talking with the most gorgeous woman. And I don't just mean her face -- her whole soul was radiant with joy. When the topic shifted to one that is dear to me, travel, she said something fascinating:

"One week of travel produces a year's worth of memories."