On New Year’s Day, we set off to explore a new place: Borneo. This revelation has left many friends and family members scratching their heads asking, “What is Borneo?” “Where is Borneo?” and “Why Borneo?” Well, Borneo is the third-largest island in the world (not counting continents), and it’s off the east coast of Malaysia. It’s bigger than I ever knew!
Read MoreI was glad to have two days leftover in Singapore at the end of the trip, even though originally I had been told that I wouldn't need much time in this city. I really felt that there was a lot to do, and every day of my visit there was filled with activities.
I did spend almost the entirety of those extra days being a serious tourist. I drank a Singapore Sling and went to the top of the boat hotel, since I found myself over there at sunset and couldn't resist. The views did not disappoint.
And from passing the duty free shop in the Bali airport, to the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, the world around me had turned into Christmas.
If you're looking for somewhere very clean, very efficient, and where nothing ever goes wrong because all preventative measures have been taken to ensure that nothing can ever go wrong, Singapore may be the place for you. It's an other-worldly city, nicer than any I've ever visited. It sort of makes you afraid to touch anything or mess anything up for fear of receiving a $500 fine or a public caning, but I didn't see anyone being fined or caned so it wasn't very scary walking around sightseeing and enjoying the cuisine in designated eating spaces.
This is a melting pot for sure, and I ended up spending most of my time in Chinatown and Little India before exploring any Singaporean culture. It's hard to pass up $3 meals in the Chinese food stalls, but you can find similarly priced delicacies from local hawker stands. After just a day, you may find yourself pointing and gesturing for mysterious ingredients, knowing you'll end up with phenomenal results.
There's so much to see and do that I'm not sure three days was enough for fully uncovering this gem of a city. Fortunately, the public transportation system and flawless and will take you nearly everywhere you need to go. Unfortunately, the hostels and the people working in them are so nice that you might not ever want to leave. I'm glad I have a mini stopover on my way back to try more.
Really, this should be titled: How to Pack for a Month in Asia (after a wedding weekend in autumnal New York, along with another stint in wintry New York, plus also preparing your apartment for two months of subletting). And, actually, this is more of a cry for help than a list of recommendations!
1. Lay out some things
I like to display all the items I might possibly need and then narrow it down from there. This helps me visualize where everything is going to fit and lets me know if I have crazy expectations.
2. Don't forget your dress!
This is only valid if you're a bridesmaid, but hang your dress in a place where you won't forget it.
3. Watch the live action Beauty and the Beast on Netflix
Take a break. Why not?
4. Narrow down the things
Make enough space for souvenirs and the many, many pairs of shoes that you will definitely need at all times during your journey.
5. Don't forget your dress!
Move the dress to a place where you can actually see it, and bring the shoes along with it.
6. Pack the things
Self-explanatory. I like to perform a rolling method since my clothes are mostly yoga pants and partially yoga shirts. Fill all the extra spaces with underwear so at least your underclothes will be clean when everything else is dirty.
7. Bring a passport
And a wallet. And a phone. And don't forget your dress!