1) Lived a new life for 1 year – I can whoever I want to be.
2) Took a 72 hours bus ride from North Peru to Cusco. No, I did not showered. I also managed not to kill myself either.
3) Pee in a water bottle while on a bus. No, I am not proud of it.
4) Got shot while trying to hitchhike on a dirt road in Guatemala.
5) Explore the scared ground of Machu Picchu with a llama.
6) Travelled 6 days without a shower in Peru. I had no choice.
7) Slept in a living room together with 8 other people for 3 days – Quito, Ecuador
8) Volunteered in the rural village in Guatemala.
9) Owned my first car. As old as me.
10) Drove down the California Highway 1 while playing Californication, Red Hot Chili Pepper.
11) Found an rifle at a house party – USA
12) Car tires exploded in the middle of the freeway.
13) Worked with my favorite wedding stylist, Joy Thigpen.
14) Learned Mexican spanish. Si senor, hablo espanol.
15) Got stung by scorpion while riding on the back of the pick-up. Result: I couldn’t move my arm for a day.
16) Talked to cows in Sacred Valley of Peru.
17) Invited by potatoes farmer for a meal of freshly picked potatoes.
18) Camera (DSLR) got stolen from my bag on a bus while I was standing up. No, I still don’t know how it happened.
19) Got robbed 2 more times – Peru and Mexico
20) Slept in a salt hotel. Meaning a hotel made of salt. For real.
21) Ate a dish of pasta and potatoes, with rice on a side – Peru
22) Picked cocoa fruit, potato, avocado, apples, pumpkin,peach, lemon, orange and macadamia nut straight from respective trees.
22) Picked cocoa fruit, potato, avocado, apples, pumpkin,peach, lemon, orange and macadamia nut straight from respective trees.
23) Ate too much tacos – Mexico
24) Petted my first baby llama and baby sloth. The sloth winked at me. I swear it did.
25) Mountain biked down the most dangerous road on earth. The yearly average is 209 accidents and 96 people killed. Death Road in Bolivia.
26) Witness a live sacrificial ceremony, killing of a living llama and had blood rubbed on my face.
27) Had Inka Cola and Chicha (Peruvian corn “beer”)
28) Entered the highest silver mine in South America.
29) Marveled at the graciousness of pink flamingos in Chile and Bolivia.
30) Had a bath in a hot pool in the largest geyser field in South America. 8am, -7 degrees.
31) Enjoyed the best beach in the world with 2 Australians and a husky
32) Paid USD$1 for an hour bus ride in Ecuador
33) Attended our first ever woman wresting fight in Bolivia. And yes, the hair pulling, bottle smashing king.
34) Beatbox on the bus in Ecuador and made US$4 in 5 minutes
35) Had a picnic on an island full of cacti, in the middle of a salt desert.
36) Attended a total of 9 weddings in USA and Mexico. And no, I didn’t got drunk in any of them, I was working.
37) Celebrated my birthday at an Asian restaurant with my new found Mexican friends and a big pineapple fried rice. I miss my Asian food.
38) Managed an impressive 64 mosquito bites from a night in Mexico. They even bit through a thick blanket and pants.
39) Hike the scared ruin with the accompany of a rainbow, can of tuna and a 50 years old Singaporean lady.
40) Tried Cuy (roasted guinea pig) after getting robbed in Peru
41) Went to a Mexican circus with Churros on one hand and a corona on the other.
42) Ate fried grasshopper with lime and chili powder – Mexico.
43) Dug a hole to bury a dog – USA
44) Petted a dog, cat, cow, pig, donkey, horse, llama… and a sloth 🙂
45) Saw the largest (width) tree in the world. Tule Tree, Mexico.
46) Made illegal student pass using photoshop
47) Fell in love with Mexican Carnitas Tacos, Pulque and Cocktail de Camaron
48) Ate the same tacos for 10 consecutive breakfasts.
49) Wore the most non matching outfits and colors and did not care about it for one second
50) Made a beatbox rap song about me!
51) Caught 8 Dungeness crabs in the port of San Francisco in one night.
52) Made Chinese Cerviche and ate it with Mexican Toastadas.
53) Slice Tried slicing fish with a steak knife. I end up tearing them.
54) Cooked Singapore Chicken more times in one year than in our entire life up to that point
55) Danced my socks away with some hundreds people at the New Orleans street party.
56) Beatbox in a bar and became famous in the streets of New Orleans.
57) Planted a Rosemary and gave it as present
58) Ate my first Peanut-Butter burger. Seriously, it’s delicious.
59) Brought coffee for a random stranger in Starbucks
60) Had my hair cut by random people for an entire year
61) Spent 5 days in the world’s highest capital – LaPaz, 3650m
62) Went to the highest navigable lake in the world, Lake Titikaka
63) Experience the China’s pollution first hand
64) Poo in a toilet with no doors
65) Saw numerous shooting stars – Dali, China
66) Went to Frida Kahlo’s House in Mexico City
67) Lived in my favorite city in the world – Mexico City
68) Salsa my Mexican night away with the company of tequila and Corona.
69) Visited graveyeads in Mexico, China, Colombia, Guatmala and US.
70) Saw the impossible; 1L of cocktail for 65 pesos, A tacos for 7 pesos in Mexico
71) Got myself a driving ticket in USA. Yes, I was shitting in my pants.
72) Entered 2013 on the rooftop of San Francisco, over-looking to the city with fireworks with DJ, free-flow bar and a bunch of unknown friends.
73) Spent halloween in a home garage turned brewery with 14 different types of beers on tap.
74) Stayed in a hostel with out a toilet. No, it’s not cheap at all.
75) Witness a homeless guy masterbating to a FHM magazine in the streets of San Francisco.
76) Fell in love, multiple times
78) Tried Macadamia pancakes under the shade of it’s tree – Guatemala
79) Observe the great Yak grazing on the highlands of Shangri-La
80) Repaired my shoes for 3 times over 11 months.
81) Savored wine in respective winery while posing as a gay couple who owned a private resort in an Malaysian island – California
82) Meditated in a Tibetan monastery along with the aroma of butter candles.
80) Repaired my shoes for 3 times over 11 months.
81) Savored wine in respective winery while posing as a gay couple who owned a private resort in an Malaysian island – California
82) Meditated in a Tibetan monastery along with the aroma of butter candles.
83) Refused to pay for a donkey ride and almost kill myself from a 4 day hike across the mountain into a hidden ethnic village – Shangri-La.
84) Made friend with the horse in the Tibetan grassland. Well, at least until it kept selling my crouch.
85) Visited the famous Jose Cuervo Tequila Factory in Tequila, Mexico
84) Made friend with the horse in the Tibetan grassland. Well, at least until it kept selling my crouch.
85) Visited the famous Jose Cuervo Tequila Factory in Tequila, Mexico
86) Found my favorite hot-dog stand in Mexico. It’s the perfect mix of cream, tomatoes, Jalapeños and warm bread.
87) Haven’t combed my hair for… let’s say, a very long time
87) Haven’t combed my hair for… let’s say, a very long time
88) Met incredible teachers every step of the way.
89) Live out of a same 60L bag pack for a entire year and packed it almost 200 times.
90) Slept in almost 100 different beds… couches, floors, tents, buses, planes, ferries.
90) Slept in almost 100 different beds… couches, floors, tents, buses, planes, ferries.
91) Pack my life in the same bag pack for one year
92) Had the greatest conversations… with myself
93) Showered in almost 100 showers (many cold ones, mostly at winter time), and I had a bathtub once. Once!
94) Managed to wear the same 6 T-shirts for 1 year
95) And realized you don’t really need more than 6 T-shirts, 1 jacket, 2 pants, 4 socks and one pair of old shoes to wander the world and be happier than ever
96) Visited 8 Countries and over 50 cities
97) Out of the 1 year on the road, I spent 10 months as guests
98) Had the time of my life…
99) Smiled, laughed, cried, ate, prayed, loved, learned, danced, jumped, marveled, glowed, wrote, enjoyed, understood, accepted, thanked. Lived.
100) Made life long friends
You’re amazing
Dear Bryan! I hope your blog inspired a lot of people to try out your lifestyle! You should make a scrapbook with photos and life experiences of your adventure. I feel your way of life should be experienced by as many people as possible at least once in their lifestyle. You have learned so much and you will have so much to share. Thanks for everything you have posted over the last year. I can’t wait to see you again dear friend!
We will definitely see each other again. I have your wedding to plan 😀
Inspirational! This is no ordinary travelogue lonely planet style but a very well-documented yet light-hearted recollection of a youthful global citizen who left indelible impressions to those he encountered, lived, worked and played with. Bryan Lim Yong Shou, I salute you!
Thank you for your kind words, Micheal. I hope it can be of inspiration for our fellow people to dare, to be crazy.
Bryan!!! whow inspiring is this!!! Saludos!!!!!
9,23, 36 (you were not working at the mexican one), 46, 52, 80, 86, 90, 99 & 100 Made me either smile or laugh. So proud to say that i was a part of your trip TWICE 🙂 I’ll miss you, it was very nice to meet you, sweetie!
Te extrano Mexico. Es el mejor por que a ti.
Bryan!!!
So proud of you and your achievements!
Can’t wait for you to be back to share these stories!(:
How’s my favorite Jiamin? Where are you now? What have you been doing lately?
You once told me you enjoyed my writing and here I am today envying your life and escapades.
Awesome adventure you must have had! 🙂 Do share more, it will definitely be a lovely read.
Mucho Gracias 😀
I will definitely take up your recommendation! I started this blog to inspire myself and others. It seems like many people are liking this post!
Keep on writing.. I enjoy reading your train of thought.