Gunkanjima | Hashima Island, Japan

Markus and I are a fan of films, which makes sense since Markus is an animator. When we travel, for some reason, I always tend to look for filming locations. We've been to Pemberely, Hogwarts, and 221B Baker Street. When I was planning our trip to Japan, Skyfall was just released in the theaters. When I saw the film, I remember being intrigued by the abandoned island that was featured. I've always wanted to explore a ghost town or an abandoned theme park. After a bit of research, I learned that it was in Japan. So, I made sure to include Hashima Island on the list.

Hashima Island is known by so many different names such as Gunkanjima, Battleship Island and Ghost Island. It's located off the coast of Nagasaki. The island was primarily used as a coal mining facility from 1887 to 1974. It was bought by Mitsubishi in 1880 and people lived and worked on the island. In 1974 the mine was closed and Hashima has been abandoned since then. Due to several typhoons, the buildings have taken a beating and the island was closed off to visitors. It's popularity has risen in the past few years and it was decided to open Hashima for supervised tours.

Markus and I used to watch a lot of those "ghost hunter" like shows. I'm really intrigued by places that are supposedly haunted and for some reason always end up watching shows like that on TV. I was a huge fan of Unsolved Mysteries when I was a kid, so I think this fascination stems from this. What can I say? I'm a bit of a weirdo, but at least it makes for interesting posts and travels!

I was a bit sad that we weren't allowed to freely explore the island, but I can understand the reasoning behind it. The tour took us to three different spots on the island. The tour was completely in Japanese so Markus just wandered around. It was also extremely hot that day, so by the time we reached our third stop, I was pretty over it. Despite the heat and not understanding the tour, I enjoyed being able to visit the island. It was really cool to see something so unique and unlike any other place. Maybe Markus and I will start searching for more abandoned places we could explore on our own.

Paradise Bungalows | Koh Rong, Cambodia | 2 of 3

Before we headed down to Koh Rong, an island off the southern coast of Cambodia, I extensively researched the best place to stay. I was really worried about being stranded on an isolated island for five days. The island is quite underdeveloped and is powered by solar generators. There are even designated times for electricity at night. It's probably the closest I will ever get to living on a "deserted island".

While I conducted my research, I wanted to make sure that we found the best of the best on the island. There were a lot of hostel like type places where you could pay $1 for a night in a dorm room packed full of random people. I'm sorry, but I'm not about that life. I'm already in my 30s and I think I've gone past that stage. I don't mind paying a more for a more comfortable place. For only $19 more, Markus and I stayed at Paradise Bungalows.

Paradise Bungalows is by no means five star accommodation, but it's the closest you'll get on Koh Rong. Everything is really rustic, but that adds to the charm. I must say that it took a lot of getting used to. If you stay on an island like Koh Rong, it's going back to the basics. It was definitely something that Markus and I both wanted to experience.

For bungalows, you can choose one on the beach or more inland. We chose an inland bungalow and didn't feel like we missed out. We were only a minute walk to the beach. There really isn't a bad bungalow because you can see the beach from the porch of every single one. All of them have bathrooms that are connected and outside. It was pretty cool taking a shower without a roof. I felt a bit like I was Eve or something. Although, using the toilet was a bit uncomfortable. Many times, you could hear people talking and walking by. Either way, it was a great experience and one that I wouldn't be afraid to repeat!

Koh Rong, Cambodia | 1 of 3

After Markus and I trekked through the ruins of Angkor Wat, we traveled south and went to the island of Koh Rong. It's a nice little isolated island and definitley gives off a Robinson Crusoe vibe. As many of you know, I'm not a huge fan of the beach, but even I can't pass off an opportunity to sunbathe on a nearly isolated beach. Not very many people travel to Koh Rong, so we were guaranteed a nice relaxing five days. When we go on vacations, we tend to fit in everything we can and rush from place to place. Sometimes we forget to relax and we planned for our time on Koh Rong to be a nice holiday from our holiday!

Antique Archaeology | Nashville, Tennessee

When Markus and I were living in Korea, we scoured the internet for interesting television shows. Through the encouragement of our dear friend Brittney, we watched an episode of American Pickers. It's a show about two guys that drive all over the country looking and "picking" for really strange and old items and paraphernalia. After that first episode, we were hooked and watched heaps of episodes. Every time we watched an episode, we dreamed of "picking" and visiting Mike Wolfe's Antique Archaeology in Iowa. We knew were were moving to Chicago and that it wasn't too far to drive.

While were driving around Nashiville, I remembered I read online that Wolfe opened a second store there. Thankfully, my dear cousin Joy was flexible and fit it into her packed itinerary. We had a great time exploring the store. The space was a lot smaller than I thought and it didn't have a lot of "picked" items. It was more geared toward fans of the show and I was a little disappointed. It's okay though, I was happy to be able take the detour and see some strange things.
 

Music Row | Nashville, Tennessee

Back when Markus and I were driving from Tampa to Chicago in September, we made a stop in Nashville. My dear cousin, Joy, was on holiday and she invited us to join her for a couple days. Markus and I visited Nashville for a quick day trip back in 2009. I loved the city then and I still love it. We revisited Music Row and it was still a dynamic and thriving part of the city. I wish we could've spent more time there, but that just means we have to go back!