There is not one piece of equipment more integral to the backpacker than the eponymous backpack itself. Given this fact, it seemed only right to ruminate briefly on what makes a good backpack, a well-packed backpack, and a backpack likely to confer happiness onto its wearer.

Kampot is the essence of why we fell in love with Cambodia. This sleepy provincial town could not be more removed from the hustle and bustle of hectic Phnom Penh. Instead of cars and motorcycles, here it seems virtually everyone travels by bicycle.

The day we landed in Buenos Aires, March 4th, 2005 marked the beginning of everything. I'm sure there are people in the world (perhaps even reading this right now) who think we were a bit crazy to do what we did. Selling everything we owned, quitting our jobs, and saying goodbye to life as we knew it to chase a dream. We might have seemed a bit crazy. But I wouldn't change any of our decisions for the world.

A fellow Haverford College graduate writes to ask about health insurance coverage for long-term international travel, specifically did we purchase any?

This story happened the few days before it was time for us to cross the border back into Thailand once again. It is a story we deliberately did not tell while we were traveling in order not to worry our families unnecessarily.