Category: Episodes

Riding on the roof of a bus through the windy mountain roads of Nepal was a thrilling way to reach his two-week volunteer work camp, but all these years later, Jay discovers the traditional Nepali dish of Dal Bhat made more of a life-changing impact than he could have predicted.

Special thanks to Chord Savvy (www.chordsavvy.com) for musical support.

Once again, it’s another email double-header episode as Jay recounts the night he fell in love with Kathmandu, as well as the less-than-magical morning after. After spending a day fending off much-unwanted attention, the magic returns when he is pleasantly surprised by a familiar voice in a chance encounter.

In this email double-header episode, Jay compares his 13 hours in Bangladesh to Heinrich Harrer’s book “7 Years in Tibet.” Finding no significant similarities, he decides to read some flattering comments he received from his biggest mailing list fan.

Back in Thailand, Jay meets up with a British friend from Japan and heads to Koh Chang, a beautiful island on which he invents a new sport–Motorcycle Mud Wrestling. Returning to Khao San road to make plans for the next leg of his journey, Jay is not only surprised to find a great deal on a plane ticket at a barbershop, but also to bumps into one of his former roommates from the Cambodian pickup truck crew.

Jay decides it’s time to leave Cambodia, in part because he feels nothing else could top the amazing experiences he’s already had in the country, but also because his visa will expire the next day. After a couple of nights enjoying a lazy beach town, Jay believes his Cambodian adventures are behind him only to have another thrilling ride on his way to the border–this time by boat.

After an incredible few days exploring Angkor Wat and the temples around Siem Reap, it’s time for Jay to catch a boat South to Phnom Penh. Choosing to ride on top of the boat to enjoy the sunny day and the gorgeous views of the Tonle Sap River, Jay realizes two things: (1) Cambodia is a beautiful country, and (2) he really should have put sunscreen on his very white and very exposed legs. The pain of his sun burnt legs is soon forgotten as Jay spends three amazing weeks working on a volunteer project at the Peaceful Children’s Home at Sre Ampil.

In this second episode, Jay leaves Bangkok and catches a bus to the Cambodian border. After a hot, dusty, and very sweaty border crossing, he hops into the back of a pickup truck heading for Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. Throughout the several-hour journey on the war-torn roads of the Cambodian countryside, Jay hangs on for dear life and has a key realization: this was exactly the kind of trip he was hoping for!!

In addition to having his mind blown by the beauty and grandeur of Angkor Wat, he also tries to avoid blowing up his mind and body when he plays with a hand grenade.

In this first episode, Jay considers the importance of transition, purpose, and embracing the unexpected, as he leaves Japan, stops-over in Seoul, South Korea, and lands in Bangkok, Thailand.

A few days into his time in Bangkok, Jay enters an internet cafe to update friends and family on his whereabouts and goings-on. After spending a lot of time on individual e-mails with essentially the same content, he has a flash of brilliance–and laziness–and decides to send a single email to everyone in his address book. This mailing list of travel updates eventually becomes what Jay affectionately refers to as “The Jay Luck Club.”

And on the note of the unexpected, while repacking his backpack before heading to Cambodia, Jay has to politely refuse an unwelcome travel partner.