Summer is usually a time to travel. My dad sometimes likes to take it to the extreme. Because of his job, he has many opportunities to attend emergency medicine conferences around the world. One year, Singapore was hosting one. My dad couldn’t decline the offer. As soon as school ended for the year, we were on the plane, again, this time to a new continent.

After an exhausting day of travel, we arrived in Hong Kong. We would spend a few days there before continuing to Singapore. It was early afternoon and being jetlagged, we decided to skip a nap. Bad idea. By 8 pm, we were walking zombies and hit the hay about 30 minutes later. The clock struck 2 am and we were all wide awake, pacing around the room, not knowing what to do with ourselves. Breakfast wasn’t until 6 am. We spent the next four hours watching the clock and as soon as the big hand neared 6, we quickly made our way to the buffet. Doors open and we fly in.

The next few days were full of sightseeing. We went to the Edward Youde Aviary. Never in my life had I seen so many beautiful birds living peacefully in the center of a big city. From there, we wanted to check out Victoria Peak, a big hill where you can see all of Hong Kong. After taking a tram up the hill, we made it to the top. The view was incredible.

Singapore was our next stop. The city was massive, but one thing that stood out to me was the lack of trash. Everything was spotless. Apparently, they have strictly enforced laws against littering. To be honest, I really liked it. It gave the city a completely different feel. We decided to go for a walk and when we got to the bay, my eyes fell on three huge buildings with a boat resting on top of them. It’s a hotel by the name of Marina Bay Sands. Just from that, I could tell that the architecture was otherworldly. There was a blend of historic buildings with new, ecological buildings covered in plants. Its almost as if they try to squeeze greenery in anywhere they can. And honestly, I think every city should do that.

We didn’t spend too much time in Singapore because my dad had one more place on his list: Bali.

After arriving at our hotel in the middle of the night, we were greeted with tropical drinks served in dragonfruit. We went straight to bed because we had a full day of adventure ahead of us.

My parents woke us up early to watch the sunrise by the ocean. It was beautiful. All of the Balinese people were already out, playing beach volleyball or swimming under the early morning sun. I mean they have to enjoy the beach before it gets flooded with tourists. From there, we hopped into a car and drove to the Uluwatu Temple. It’s a Balinese Hindu temple on a cliff by the ocean, surrounded by monkeys. We were warned to remove any jewelry or loose clothing because the monkeys were tempted to grab it. I saw one monkey throw something down to the ocean. Obviously I didn’t want that to happen, so I listened and took off my earrings. We made it to the cliff and all of a sudden, a baby monkey appears by my leg. Before I know it, it’s on my shoulder. It climbs up and sits on the top of my head. Everyone thought it was cute except for me. I wanted it off. It took awhile, but eventually, it lost interest and climbed down. My hair smelled like monkeys for the rest of the day…

While in Bali, we decided to head into the island to Ubud, a town surrounded by Hindu temples, rice paddies, and rainforests. I had never seen so much green in my life.

We didn’t spend too much time there, but it’s one of those sights that you see once and remember for the rest of your life.

Although I was only about 10 years old, it was an unforgettable trip. I’ve been dreaming of going back, but I guess it’ll have to wait. One day, I’ll make it there again.