A publication about the life around travel, not only the trip.
Firsthand stories, practical answers, cultural context, work structures, identity, and what happens when a place becomes part of ordinary life.
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22 stories
Destination Notes
I first came to Krabi looking for postcard Thailand. Then I lived in the south long enough for the postcard to become my commute.
Destination Notes
Planning Chiang Mai on a budget? Compare 2026 daily costs, where to save and spend, what to eat, and what I learned from my first $150 trip.
Living Abroad
Christmas in Thailand came with Santa, enormous mall trees, school parties, and sometimes a completely normal workday. After five years teaching there, I learned that seeing Christmas everywhere and actually having Christmas were two…
Destination Notes
A dinosaur at Wat Nong Waeng led me into Khon Kaen's fossil history, Isan culture, regional food, and a side of Thailand many visitors miss.
Travel and Identity
Loi Krathong and Yi Peng are not the same festival. Learn the meaning, differences, where to go, lantern rules, and why I recommend experiencing both.
Work That Makes Room
After five years teaching in Thailand, I can see my early frustrations differently. Here are the classroom challenges I faced, what varied by school, and why I still think the tradeoff was worth it.
Destination Notes
I judged Phuket after staying only in Patong. Then I returned, saw the island nearly empty during COVID, and realized how much a tourist can miss.
Destination Notes
Khao Sok is still my favorite national park in Thailand. But I would plan it very differently now, especially Cheow Lan Lake, the floating bungalows, and how long I would stay.
Travel and Identity
Traveling while biracial has taught me that the way I understand my own identity is not always the way other people understand it.
Explore the Journal
Places, worked through honestly: cost, logistics, what I would prioritize, and what a place feels like beyond the itinerary.
Race, visibility, culture, belonging, safety, and experiences that traditional travel content often flattens.
Friendship, paperwork, dating, routines, culture shock, and building an actual life after the flight lands.
Jobs, contracts, PTO, teaching, projects, and other legitimate structures that can create more mobility.
Belonging, confidence, burnout, fear, and what changes internally when your life starts moving.
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The Journal is the reporting side of NomaReina. The free guides are there when the question becomes practical, and reader stories widen the conversation beyond one person's experience. Read Reader Stories →