As I was telling my friend about an upcoming dream trip around the world (and the sizable chunk of change it was going to cost), he looked at me incredulously. “Think of all the gadgets you could buy with that!” This from the man whose den was practically sponsored by Apple. True, travel eats up a huge part of my savings (most recently, from working as a school administrator in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for 10 years). But looking around my home and seeing the hand-knotted rug that brings back memories of hours of friendly negotiations over milk tea in Kathmandu, or the simply woven grass basket from the Okavango Delta in Botswana or even the soap dish I bought outside of Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo after the freshest sushi breakfast ever, I knew that all my travel memories were priceless. Gadgets come and go. Souvenirs break. Rugs fray. But memories last a lifetime. So, desk jockey by day, obsessive travel planner by night, my motto is “fly, Icarus, fly!”

I just started this blog in August 2011, mainly in anticipation of quitting my job and taking a trip around the world. But I’ve always kept a personal blog for friends and family and am slowly transferring the content (and re-writing it for a more general audience). So check back often! Better yet, subscribe via email to receive all new posts.

If you can’t get enough of me (and let’s be honest here… Who can?), hit me up on Facebook!

While writing and photography remain hobbies, every now and then, companies may contact me to write for them. Here are some examples around the net:

For clients / travel sites:

* Africa in Focus, a great photographic safari company (Click on the Travelpod icon towards the bottom of the page)

* Wilson’s, a company helping people enjoy the gorgeous Abel Tasman Park in New Zealand

* The Voice of VIetnam, the online edition of Vietnam’s national radio station

Awards:

* Cruise Critic Review of the Week

* MSNBC’s Today.com Travel Photo of the Day

But overwhelmingly, my reason for writing this blog is to have a record of where I’ve been and some of the amazing sights I’ve been fortunate enough to see. Thanks for joining me on my travels!

James Pham

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