by Matthew Allison | Jun 4, 2023 | Asia
May 2023: I first fell in love with the Buddhist regions of the Himalayas in 1998, when I visited Ladakh and Zanskar in northern India, spending several months traveling and trekking in the region. Since then, I’ve returned to trek in Bhutan (2005) and in Tibet...
by Matthew Allison | Mar 10, 2023 | Asia
March 2023: As part of a larger “babymoon” trip through the Pacific Islands, my pregnant wife, Paula, and I spent three days in Taiwan. I had only experienced Taiwan during layovers in the past, so this was my first proper visit. A major motivation for the...
by Matthew Allison | Aug 27, 2022 | Asia
Return to Afghanistan: Chasing a Once-Impossible Dream The Minaret of Jam and a New Chapter in a Beloved Land August 2022 — After decades of war and turmoil, Afghanistan had unexpectedly opened its doors. The Taliban insurgents I once evaded were now in power,...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 17, 2019 | Asia, Europe
Crossing Into North Ossetia: From the Mountains to Soccer Mayhem September 2019: After visiting the independent but Russia-aligned South Ossetia, we made our way north, crossing over the stunning, snow-covered Caucasus Mountains into Russia’s North Ossetia. Despite...
by Matthew Allison | Sep 5, 2019 | Asia
Break-Away Republics South Ossetia: A Breakaway Republic in a Geopolitical Tug-of-War September 2019: South Ossetia is an independent country in name, but in reality, it is best described as a breakaway republic—a land that has declared independence from its former...
by Matthew Allison | Mar 28, 2019 | Asia
March 2019: As part of a larger 10-day trip that involved visiting Afghanistan, I also visited Myanmar for 4 days, a country that couldn’t be any different on the cultural spectrum. This was my 3rd visit to Myanmar, one of my favorite countries in the...
