Lesson on a sad day @ Pulkovo Aiport, St. Petersburg, Russia, August 12, 2019
Lesson on a sad day Sometimes people ask if or when I get lonely on the road. Since I have been traveling for almost two years, it seems to be fair curiosity. But when I think about it, I realize that it hardly happens. Yes, there were demanding situations where things could have been solved more easily if I had had company. And yes, there were special experiences which I wished I could have shared in real-time with someone who understood me on a deep level....
Border crossing into Russia @ Luhamaa – Shumilkino Border, August 11, 2019
Border crossing into Russia Originally I was planning to cross from Estonia to Russia through the Narva border point. But I ended up entering Russia (almost) from Latvia. It was because I realized that I wanted to ‘do justice’ to my experience in Latvia and Estonia, instead of having to rush in those countries. So I had dedicated the entirety of my remaining Schengen days to Latvia, and decided to visit Estonia properly when the next Schengen window opens. It was my fifty something-th border crossing...
Arrival @ Riga, Latvia, August 8, 2019
Arrived in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Here up north close to the Baltic sea, it is rainy and it feels like fall, not summer. It is not exciting having to wear a jacket in early August. I’m not sure whether this is typical or unusual for this time of the year. My European chapter of the journey is coming to a close, that is if I don’t count Russia. @ Riga, Latvia, August 8, 2019
with Sibel, Özlem, and Ebrar @ Market Square, Lviv, Ukraine, August 2, 2019
I’m sure that they do not know about this, but my friend and I actually talked about whether to ask them if they needed someone to take a picture for them on our way to the High Castle. They seemed they needed a photographer and there was no one around then. So it was interesting when they came to us later to ask for a picture at the top of the Castle. Despite the not-so-shallow language barrier, we exchanged some good laughs and mutual energies. Probably...
A small time travel in Kyiv @ Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, July 17, 2019
A small time travel in Kyiv In the apartment where I am staying in Kyiv, there is a small playground. Often I see many kids playing there in the evening, probably because it is not too hot and it’s still bright outside (the Sun sets later than 9 pm these days). One day I came home after having reviewed my car and drone in the city, and I saw these kids having an exciting time constantly jumping off a mere bench. In general, I don’t find...
Moldovan Countryside @ Văsieni, Moldova, July 2, 2019
Moldovan Countryside I’ve been in the capital of Moldova, Chisinau, for almost two weeks. A typical vacation traveler would spend only a couple of days here, but I have been ‘taking it easy’ and getting some work done at my pace. As much as I like the comfortable and modestly urban vibe of Chisinau, I knew that my impression of Moldova would not be balanced without visiting the countryside, where they say that there are far fewer people and not much progress has been made since...
Border crossing into Moldova@ Vama Leușeni, Moldova, June 19, 2019
Border crossing into Moldova Until the last minute, I was debating whether to enter Moldova or skip the country and enter Ukraine directly. Moldova is arguably the least visited country in Europe and I couldn’t find much information about the price of a vehicle insurance or the overall border crossing procedure. If the cost of the mandatory insurance turns out to be almost like a penalty for foreign vehicles, as was the case in Serbia with around 340 euros, I might have to consider going back...
with Natasha’s family @ Nis, Serbia, June 6, 2019
with Natasha’s family One of the good things about long-term travel is that you are less likely to be amazed by the ‘things to do in X’, because you feel you had done something similar in previous destinations. It is good news for me, because the remaining energy often goes to interaction with people or observing how the places make me feel, instead of remembering some facts about them. I stayed in Nis, the 3rd biggest city in Serbia, for about 5 days. In terms of...
This website chronicles Leebong’s journey around the world for 2+ years, for the time being. To find out more, see The Travel & The Why.
To catch me, see Itinerary.
Impressions Series
