After a year backpacking around Asia I return home to the United States. From the Himalayas in Nepal to the Tetons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I set foot back into the working world and check off a bucket list item, to become a ski bum.

Restless Ben

Blog 28: Fresh Tracks (Jackson Hole, Wyoming)

From the undersea world of thresher sharks and sardine schools I make my way north to explore the higher altitudes of North Luzon. With my visa extended, there was no excuse not to give the Philippines a proper lap.

16: Caves and Crags

The brothers Orndorff reunite in the Philippines to make a pilgrimage to the oldest tattoo artist in the world. A few storms add some water to the mix but fail to rain on their parade.

25: Typhoons and Tattoos

Tracking down a stolen GoPro and some remote surf breaks keeps me busy in the Philippines.

15: Tracking Thieves

In pursuit of the Philippine’s best beaches I travel through the autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao.

14: Turtles and Terrorists

After a brief stay at a Buddhist monastery, I realize meditation and enlightenment are trickier than I thought.

13: Enlightenment?

Getting back into my hostel the hard way, downhill mountain biking, and posting up at a hippy, Ewok village. After Myanmar, I set my sights on northern Thailand to cool my heels for a bit.

12: Breaking and Entering

My buddy Joe and I take a boat east along the Indonesian Archipelago, from Lombok to Flores. We climb Mt. Rinjani, dive with Mantas, and check out the world renown surf.

24: Mountains and Mantas

Hot air balloons, Buddhist temples, and hill tribes. As if preserved in a time capsule, Myanmar’s cultural treasures are still remarkably unadulterated by outside influence.

11: Balloons over Burma

Traveling the Indonesian archipelago, my buddy Joe and I hike a volcano, visit Komodo dragons, and rub shoulders with manta rays in some of the world’s top dive sites.

Mountains and Mantas (Commentary)

Swimming with Blue Whales, hand line fishing with the locals, surfing clean waves, and dancing barefoot until dawn at a New Years Eve beach party. Unable to resist its draw, the southern Sri Lankan coast reels me back in.

10: Blue Whales

With a bit of betel nut to put a bounce in our step and make our mouths numb, some new friends and I conquer several rewarding hikes in the heart of the Sri Lankan highlands: World’s End and Horton’s Planes National Park

9: World’s End

Planes, trains, and tuk-tuks from Indonesia to Sri Lanka.

8: Tipsy Gypsy

Averting a structure fire, spearfishing, and a shakedown. From Ubud to Gili Air and back to Canggu, I complete my scooter tour of Bali a few dollars poorer but otherwise unscathed.

7: Spearing Sweetlips

Getting reacquainted with the raw power of the ocean on a surfboard before immersing myself in spirituality and calmer waters at a Balinese temple.

6: Single Fin

Ben quit his job to travel the world. He plans on winging it as long as he can. For more check out the blog: restlessben.com Instagram: @restlessben YouTube: restlessben Email: restlessben@gmail.com

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Restless Ben

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