Have you avoided traveling to Asia because it seems too foreign?  Are you apprehensive to visit a new place, where you don’t speak the same language?  If you have never considered traveling to Singapore, check out my top 5 reasons to visit Singapore.

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Singapore

1. It’s green and clean.  Singapore is by far one of the greenest and cleanest places in Asia.  To cut down on air pollution, fees have been put in place for driving downtown.  Over 5% of the island is reserved for nature.  Littering is a crime.  You can even receive a fine for forgetting to flush in a public restroom.  In addition, it is a crime to spit on the sidewalk.  With all of these factors considered, you will find Singapore clean enough to eat the m&m that you dropped on the sidewalk.
2. Everyone speaks English.  This is something to treasure as many Asian languages are difficult to learn and utilize while traveling.  With an abundance of English speakers (and the national language of Singapore being English) you can ask locals for directions and advice on what to see or do.  What a perfect place to visit in Asia!  Check out Asia for the first time, without the language barrier.
3. It is safe.  Low car accidents.  Low theft and crimes.  Singapore is so safe, a woman could walk around alone at any time of the day or night and feel completely safe, anywhere.  Singapore is a great location for independent travel, as you never need to look over your shoulder and fear for your safety.  
4. Singapore supports the arts.  The arts and entertainment are found in abundance.  Sculptures, art shows, theater, music and dance.  The Esplanade alone has loads of theater and art.  It’s easy to find a broadway show, or an up and coming musician.  Whatever your entertainment tastes are, you should be able to find a quality live show to attend.  
5. Loads of shopping.  One of Singapore’s national pastimes is shopping.  You don’t have to enjoy clothing shopping to get in on the action.  I wondered through an entire 5 story mall devoted to electronics.  Everything from computers, to cell phones, to digital media and more.  Singapore is the place to find the perfect shopping spree for anyone, even non-shop-aholics.

These are only my “Top 5 Reasons to Visit Singapore”.  It is easy to find countless reasons why Singapore is such an attractive place to visit.  It’s clean, affordable, easy to navigate with clean and reliable transportation, friendly people, and so many different areas of the city to explore.  

Many things have changed over the past few decades, causing Singapore to become an easy and enjoyable place to visit.  

However, who knows how long Singapore will remain a travel treasure.  The government is currently running a campaign to “Have Children Now”.  The population is due to increase rapidly over the next several years.  Make your visit to Singapore a priority in the next year or two, and savor the beautiful place that Singapore has become.  

You too can wonder aimlessly in a mall of 100% electronics.  Singapore has something for everyone!

Various Lodging Options:

• Camp in a tent or a motor home
• Rent or own a cottage
• Stay at Bed & Breakfast
• Contact a University and sleep in a dorm room

Be creative with your summer lodging options.  Due to the economic stress in Michigan, now is a great time to bargain and play ‘lets make a deal’ with your lodging.

Michigan is full of summer adventure.  Many of the outdoor enthusiasts focus on water sports, fishing, and other lake-focused activities.  In fact, Michigan has over 11,000 lakes.  Growing up in Michigan turns most Michiganders into fresh water snobs.  I am one  of them.  Why would I swim in the cold, salty ocean?  When I can swim in a fresh water lake that doesn’t sting my eyes or cause me to feel dehydrated.

Besides the countless lakes, northern Michigan has endless places to visit and check out.

Popular Summer Places:

1. Mackinac Island – [pronounced Mac-in-NAW eye-Land]   Did you know that peanut butter fudge exists? Eat fudge, watch butterflies, hike the interior of the island, rent a bike and ride it everywhere because cars are not allowed on the island.  You can even feel like a part of history while going on a horse drawn carriage ride.  Not only can you savor the unique summer culture of Mackinac, but you can savor the food as well.
2. Sleeping Bear Dunes – Some of the most rewarding yet difficult hiking is found at these  sand dunes.  The Sleeping Bear Dunes very in color and size and they are vast and stretching for miles. While hiking the Sleeping Bear Dunes you might find yourself singing the Lawrence of Arabia soundtrack.  After a hot tiring hike, jump in Lake Michigan for some beautiful swimming.  Visiting the Sleeping Bear Dunes leads to a great camping trip, which could include hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing or any adventure you desire.
3. Pictured Rocks – With over 40 miles of National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks will take your breath away.  Scientifically these sandstone rocks show centuries of life and lake activity.  Visually, there are so many colors and textures to the massive rocks that stretch endlessly that they seem unreal.  Take a boat tour and enjoy a tiny fraction of Lake Superior while enjoying Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  Camping is the main lodging option while visiting this remote region of the Upper Peninsula.
4. Sault Sainte Marie – [pronounced Sue Saint Marie]  Have you heard of the Soo Locks?  Here you will find the world’s largest system of locks.  It is incredible to watch the locks fill with water allowing large cargo ships the ability to pass through with ease.  Sault Sainte Marie also boasts a downtown culture with high foot traffic.  There are hundreds of fun shops, restaurants, museums and even an excellent theater.  Plus, you are almost in Canada!
5. Drummond Island – A wonderful place to escape into a secluded Michigan wilderness and relax for a few days.  Drummond Island is a tiny island in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Very few people live on the island.  However, enough families live on the island that their is an elementary school and a library, which allows you to borrow books, movies and even jigsaw puzzles for rainy Drummond Island days.  You can drink beer out of a mason jar at the local bar.  You can sit in awe at Yacht Haven as the majestic vessels come in and out of the docks.  Win brownies at Baked Goods Bingo!  Or you can walk through the woods and sight deer and other wonderful wildlife. Drummond Island is truly a gem, as many tourists do not discover it.  I hope Drummond Island remains a tourist-free treasure for years!

Northern Michigan is a great summer get away location for a family, a young couple or even a single backpacker.  As a backpacker, if you pack light enough, and appear clean and friendly, hitch hiking in northern Michigan shouldn’t be too difficult.  However, always carry water (or the means to purify water), as many regions of northern Michigan are very remote and desolate.

Although, we grew up in Detroit, in many ways, both Justin and I have spent our summers growing up in northern Michigan.  We each have amazing childhood memories of unforgettable adventures and exploration.  If you have never been to Michigan, I would recommend it.  Especially, in the summer!

Justin and I have moved to Fort Collins, Colorado.  I now have a wonderful job as a preschool teacher and Justin is exploring various employment opportunities.

Although we are not currently living a nomadic lifestyle out of backpacks, we still have a great passion for travel and exploring the world.  The two of us are excited about where we are in life.  It’s great to live out of a backpack and pursue continual travel, but we are also excited to be in one place permanently.  Last week, on May 27th, Justin and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary.  Over the past 3 years we haven’t lived in one place for more than a year.  The two of us have lived an extremely nomadic lifestyle.  Feel free to check out some of our favorite cities in which we have lived in www.justinandnatalie.com

For now, Fort Collins, Colorado will prove to be our happy home as we become a part of a community and continue to build great friendships.  However, after experiencing a season of international travel, Justin and I will be unable to deny future travel adventures.  Although we are currently unable to depart on a long-term trip, the two of us will supplement our wander lust with small trips and adventures that we will mix into our current lifestyle.

Soon the You Choose poll to decide the future of www.nomadbackpackers.com will close.  At this time, we will formally announce what the plans for this website include.  I can’t wait to see the outcome!

Follow Up

The You Choose Poll results:  The outcome was for our website to be updated with cities and places we visit or live in.  

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I think it’s really important to leave room for spontaneous travel.  That being said, I am not a naturally spontaneous individual.  I love planning things and working out all the details until I feel confident that I am fully educated.  The daily rhythm of backpacking often forces me to shed my hyper planning tendencies.

Waking up on the edge of the world doesn’t happen through planning.  The following basic steps lead to waking up on the edge of the world.

1. We drove north from Wellington with no plan.  Ditch the guide book sometimes.
2. I saw a place on the map called Castlepoint.  There was a lighthouse icon in the atlas.  It intrigued me.
3. Justin and I spent about 20 minutes driving in circles searching for a tiny unmarked road.
4. Once we found it, we drove for an hour until we reached the coast of the Pacific Ocean.
5. Began exploring the surrounding bay on foot. Hiked through the cliffs around the lighthouse as the sun set.
6. Red wine on the beach.  Come prepared with glasses, a bottle and cork screw at all times.
7. Sleeping in the car.  It’s not glamorous, but sleeping bags and the ocean waves create a rather peaceful slumber.
8. Waking up on the edge of the world!  Hooray!!!
9. Climbing cliffs along the Pacific as the sun rises, equally amazing.

Travel like this does not occur everyday. A perfect formula for spontaneity does not exist.  In fact spontaneous travel, whether utilizing a guidebook or not, can lead to a miserable experience.  While a willingness to sleep in your car is good, it will not necessarily lead to a great experience such as, ‘Waking Up on the Edge of the World.’  Instead they are rare and to be treasured.

I am aware that some of our readers (all 8 of you) have taken part in numerous wild adventures.  Driving across America on a motorcycle, backpacking for months throughout the Middle East, and even meeting a stranger online to move thousands of miles in order to get married and live happily ever after.  Adventure occurs daily, it doesn’t have to be bungee jumping.

Please comment any ‘Waking Up on the Edge of the World’ stories.  It will be fun to vicariously live through each others adventures.

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For example: On a plane, train, boat, whatever, I like to read and don’t wear my contacts. The next day, experiencing jet lag will make my eyes tired and I will probably go without contacts. Then I might want them for an activity in which I will be hot, and not want to have sweat and oil collect on my glasses (that’s gross). If I open a 1-2 week pair but only wear them 3 of the 14 days that they are usable, it just seems wasteful.

Overall, it’s nice to have a choice. Although, I am still not sure if we will go with the “daily wear” lenses or if we will buy 1-2 week lenses for backpacking.

I have a biased view, due to the fact that while trialing a sample pair of lenses yesterday, I was able to see better than I have in a while. My night vision was incredible!

What do you think? Should we go with the ease, comfort and flexibility that “daily wear” lenses offer? Or should we bring 1-2 week contacts like we have always used?

These items tend to fit into 4 categories:

Things that: – we already use

- may not be available in another country

- are great to “MacGyver” our way out of a tight spot

- we have never heard of before but other backpackers have recommended it

So, here we are buying items, some of these we have never purchased or used before. However, if it was a lifesaver for a certain backpacker, who says it was the best thing they brought, what do we have to lose? If we discover we don’t need something, and we don’t feel like carrying it anymore, we can always throw it out or give it away to someone we meet. Who knows what people we may meet? They might really need some duct tape.

This is a picture of some of these items, but not all of the things that will be in our backpacks.

What do you think? Is their any items in the picture above that you would leave behind? Why? What is something, you think we should remember to bring, that is not on our packing list?

Let us know what you think. With a lack of experience in the laxative department, perhaps we purchased the wrong brand. Maybe you have advice for us?

Or perhaps you are an athlete, and you know a product that works better than Bengay? Has anyone ever used something called Tiger Balm…we have heard about this…

Over the next few months until we leave, I would like to focus on: W.W.Y.B.

What Would You Bring?

Map of Joy and Telegraph

The intersection of Telegraph and Joy houses a cross-cultural Mecca of the Detroit area. That’s right! I am able to travel from New Delhi, India to Ho Chi Mihn, Vietnam within minutes.  It’s quite the incredible experience.

I can shop at:

- Suraj (Indian Groceries & DVD’s of course)

- Asian Mart (family is from Vietnam)

- Joy View Meat Market (being vegetarians perogies are all I can eat here)

- Pipe-N-Hot Pizza (authentic Italian pizza by the slice)

- Anna’s Fresh Seafood (even for a vegetarian, it’s worth the peak at octopus, cuttlefish, squid and other fish imported from Asia)

- Baiz Bakery (the couple is from Lebanon – great vegetarian selection!)

- Joe Randazzo’s Fresh Produce Market (feels like Mexico)

Some of these locations, “Randazzo’s for example feels a lot less like shopping in the U.S. with about 95% of the employees speaking Spanish.

It is important to recognize that America is not the only way of life. Or the best. Every country around the world offers a variety of culture and life to experience.

Some days I will enter one of these stores and find myself immersed in a new culture, as though I am in that country. The various foods, beverages, and other products that I have never seen, tasted or used before, over whelm me. Then the language barrier is in place as I have attempted to ask questions, sometimes walking away even more confused than when I began.

Real life example:
Setting: Natalie is holding small un-boiled tapioca balls, which she picked up near the tea at the Asian market. Now she recalls Bubble Milk Tea that she has drank both at Campus Kitchen in Kalamazoo, MI as well as in China. Yum! Amazingly delicious!

Let’s ask and find out if I can boil the tapioca balls and put it in with my tea!

[For my example, "the woman" refers to the kind Vietnamese woman that might be the store owner.]

Natalie: “Excuse me. Is this for tea?”
The Woman: “Oh, is good.”
Natalie: “Good for tea?” (Now gesturing to box of tea in other hand)
The Woman: “No, not tea. Tea. Okay?”
Natalie: “So this is not for tea?”
The Woman: “No really, it’s good. Try it!”
Natalie: “In my tea?”
The Woman: “Yes, it’s good. Try it!”
Natalie: “Boil this.”
The Woman: “Yes.”
Natalie: “Together!” (now gesturing the tapioca balls becoming larger and putting them into the tea)
The Woman: “No! It’s good. Really! Try it!”

At this point I think I kindly thanked her. Then pondered going online to research other products in the future. So, I ended up buying jasmine tea and dung beans. That’s right, not to be confused with the dung Beetle. Dung beans have a higher amount of protein than I have ever seen in my life. It’s truly incredible. There are 48 grams of protein in one cup of cooked dung beans. However, this could be a language translation error made in Asia, while trying to accommodate to Americans that wish to know the nutritious value of their dung beans before consuming them. Needless-to-say, the dung beans have proved to be a great source of protein to vegetarians. Justin and I could really feel the protein, if you know what I mean.

Overall, I walked out the door of the Asian Market and within a few moments I was back in our 4Runner cruising down Telegraph. While Justin and I backpack and are living in various countries I will not have this luxury to escape any culture instantaneously by walking out the store door to hop into my personal vehicle and see familiar American street signs and traffic patterns.

Although, I absolutely love the feeling of entering a new country through the stores at Telegraph and Joy, I wonder if it will prove to be unhelpful.

Am I currently teaching my mind and body that I can escape any culture as quickly as I find the exit and dash through it with the “ding, dong” of the awareness bell? Perhaps I am training my self like one of Pavlov’s dogs in all of the wrong ways.

What do you think?