Filipina Storyteller: Backpack & Beyond
"Screw it—I’ll go alone."
A Filipina storyteller who traded the Philippines’ hustle for a career leap in Thailand, Ann discovered Asia’s rhythm one adventure at a time. When office walls grew smaller than her curiosity, she packed a backpack and carved her own path—from Hokkaido’s frost-kissed roads to Krabi’s sun-soaked trails. While not a medical expert, Ann approaches traditional practices with immense respect and a journalist's curiosity, focusing on the lived experiences of local communities. She has spent years learning from artisans, healers, and elders, collecting stories in dialects she didn’t speak but hearts she understood. Her writing shares the human stories behind the rituals, offering a cultural perspective on the folk remedies and wellness traditions that have shaped generations. Now rooted in Chiang Mai’s mountain embrace, her home is a laptop, her office the world, and her heart forever split between sisig and khao soi.
Chiang Mai has been called the digital nomad capital of the world so many times the title has almost lost its meaning. And yet, every month, a fresh wave of remote workers lands at the airport, laptop in tow,…
Chiang Mai has a way of making you feel like you’ve found the real Thailand. The Old City moat at dusk, the smell of khao soi drifting from a side street, monks in saffron crossing the courtyard of a…
Tokyo Disneyland was apparently an absolute must-see. Every blog said so. My coworker said so. The itinerary I copied from Reddit said so. So I booked it, set my alarm for 6 AM, and showed up to Maihama Station…
Last week, a close friend of mine from the Philippines messaged me with a question that has become the “new” anxiety for anyone traveling to the Land of Smiles. She had visited me here in Chiang Mai last year…
Thailand is a sensory masterpiece, a place where the air is thick with the scent of roasting pork, fermented fish sauce, and jasmine. Indeed, the country invites you to eat. And why wouldn’t you? The food is world-class, ubiquitous,…
If you ask a standard travel agent or do a quick Google search for the best time to visit Thailand, the answer is almost always the same: “Go between December and February.” On paper, this makes sense. The skies…
To be honest, we didn’t know what to expect from Hokkaido. We came looking for a break from the chaos of travel, especially from Tokyo, but what we found was something much deeper. Hokkaido isn’t just a place you…
My weekends in Chiang Mai usually follow a comforting, predictable rhythm. After a long week of working online, I crave a reset. Usually, this means sleeping in, grabbing a slow coffee, or heading to the gym for a Muay…
Don’t get me wrong, I love Khao Soi. But you cannot eat curry noodles every day. As a Filipina living in Chiang Mai for six years, rice is in my DNA. While I enjoy the digital nomad cafe life,…
When I tell people I just got back from Krabi, their eyes light up. They picture the flawless beaches, the dramatic cliffs, the stuff of postcards. And then I have to take a breath and tell them, “Well, it’s…
