Jellyfish Lake in Palau

Nemo and translucent shrimp-like creatures on Mataking Island in Malaysia Borneo

Giant school of fish near Sipadan Island in Malaysia Borneo

Shark seen while scuba diving in Palau

Whale spotted off the coast of Kangaroo Island, Australia

Playful dolphins frolicking in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand

The Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali

Pygmy elephant on the shores of the Kinabatangan River in Malaysia Borneo

Snake spotted on a tree in the Daintree Rainforest, Australia

Seal meditating in the sunshine on Kangaroo Island, Australia

A momma turtle lays eggs on Turtle Island in Malaysia Borneo

Owl near the Kinabatangan River in Malaysia Borneo

Alligator swishes through the water at night on the Kinabatangan River in Malaysia Borneo

Yak seen on the hike to Mt. Everest Base Camp in Nepal

An unusually active koala bear in Australia

A family of kangaroos the Outback of Australia

A joey’s legs stick out of its mother’s pouch at a zoo near Perth, Australia

Proboscis monkeys at Labuk Bay Sanctuary in Malaysia Borneo

Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat at a zoo near Perth, Australia

Hungry koala at a zoo near Sydney, Australia

Penguins at a zoo near Sydney, Australia

A Southern Cassowary at a zoo near Sydney, Australia

A deer in Nara, Japan

Orangutan at Sepilok Sanctuary in Malaysia Borneo

Orangutan at Rasa Ria sanctuary in Malaysia Borneo

Dave & Claudia’s wedding in the Cook Islands

Me and the Milky Way, as seen in Coromandel, New Zealand

A fellow traveler feeds playful wallabies near Phillip Island, Australia

Two men spontaneously pose on steps near the Sydney Opera House

A very kind bookstore owner in Hobart, Tasmania

About to jump out of a plane in Mission Beach, Australia

A miner at Ijen Crater in Java, Indonesia

At the Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali

Group of sightseers on the Kinabatangan River in Malaysia Borneo

Scuba Steve, our favorite dive master at Fish ‘N Fins in Palau

My friend Ayumi at the famous arches of Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto, Japan

Dressing in traditional kimono with my friend Ayumi in Kyoto, Japan

A boy poses with a deer in Nara, Japan

Jamil, our very funny taxi driver in Jordan

Nadjah, the owner of Green Desert in Wadi Rum, Jordan

Nadjah, the owner of Green Desert in Wadi Rum, Jordan

A very fun night at Green Desert in Wadi Rum, Jordan

A man works in Masada, Israel, overlooking the Dead Sea

The first night of Hanukkah 2013 in the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel

Egyptian schoolgirls pose in front of the Pyramids and Sphinx in Cairo

My typical hostel breakfast… raisin bran, soy milk, banana, and OJ

Coffee and a sticky bun in Arrowtown, just outside of Queenstown New Zealand

Preparing crayfish we collected from traps on the east coast of New Zealand

Eating grilled lobster near Perth, Australia

Fried fish at Doyle’s on the Beach in Watsons Bay, Australia

Burger joint in Cairns, Australia

Famous chicken rice in Singapore at a food stall praised by Anthony Bourdain

Fresh sushi in Kyoto, Japan with my friend Ayumi

Momos (Nepalese dumplings) consumed at a teahouse in Namche Bazaar on my way to Everest Base Camp

One of MANY dishes of hummus inhaled during my stay in Jordan

The best falafel I’ve ever had at a food stand in Eilat, Israel

Traditional mezze at a seaside restaurant in Tel Aviv, Israel

Seafood lunch overlooking the Bosphorus River in Istanbul, Turkey