Travel Talk is a new Sosauce blog series in which we chat with our favorite travel experts about celebrating the saucy side of travel. With such successful experiences in travel media, we want to highlight their journeys from turning a passion for wanderlust into a profession, their travel plans for 2010, and how they document and share their own travel experiences.

You can read our previous traveler spotlight interviews here.

This week we chat with travel blogger and social media professional, Monica Wong. Monica runs her own blog at A Pair of Panties & Boxers, in which she shares her travel experiences both local and abroad. A fellow New Yorker, Monica splits her time between working a 9-7 (gasp!) and dreaming about her next destination trip. Read our interview below to find out what Monica has up her sleeves this summer, how blogging keeps her sane, and the travels that keep her inspired.

Monica Wong of A Pair of Panties & Boxers

How has 2010 treated you so far and what upcoming travel plans are you looking forward to?

2010 has been a blur. I have my good days and I have my bad days. But if I had it my way, every day would be a travel day.

I’ll be leaving for Honduras in less than two weeks so I’m pretty psyched about that. As much as I love this concrete jungle, there’s a real jungle out there waiting for me to explore.

When did the travel bug first bite you? What were your first travel experiences like?

I first got bitten by the travel bug when I studied abroad in Shanghai. So far, it’s been the highlight of my life. I took classes 4-5 days a week and traveled during the weekends. In less than 6 months, I visited 12 different cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Kaifeng, Louyang, Nanjing, Putuoshan, Qufu, Suzhou, Taishan, Wuzhen & Xi’an.

My first travel experience was a breath of fresh. I felt so alive – like a new part of me was born.

As a Chinese American, how has cultural awareness and travel affected you?

Culture isn’t what’s instilled in you. It’s what you project to the world. It isn’t a particular thing you do or celebrate. It’s a lifestyle and an outlook. It’s hard to say if cultured played a big part of my life. I’m surrounded by it every day when I come home. In a way, my culture is my life.

Do you feel growing up in New York affected your travel experiences?

Growing up in New York City is like living in a bubble. I didn’t realize it until I stepped out. Before I left for Shanghai, I thought success was defined by a corner office and a six-figure salary. I was an idiot. That’s what society defines as success – your assets. After I left my bubble, I realized that I’d only be settling if I aimed for the corner office. Instead, I want the world.

Living in New York doesn’t always make traveling easy. We have that New York state of mind. It’s always about productivity and efficiency, except when it comes to the MTA. I only have 10 vacation days, which means I can only take 2 one week long trips every year. Only TWO! That hurts.

“I used to want the corner office. Now I want the world.”

What inspires you to travel?

It doesn’t really take much to inspire me to travel. I’m inspired just by looking out the window.

You translate your passion for wanderlust into blogging. Do you think your writing and position in new media has opened doors for you?

Blogging is something to keep me sane from my 50 hour work weeks. I have a blog because I’m passionate about traveling and I like to write. New media has made it easier for me to connect with other people who share the same passion as I do. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one out there who can’t sit still.

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What global issues are close to you and why?

Poverty – it’s the common denominator for everything that’s wrong in this world. From war to hunger; to the AIDS epidemic and everything in between, poverty is a factor in all of it. So is corruption. We can thank colonialism for that.

Students at the QiDi Migrant School in rural Shanghai

Some prefer to write, others prefer to take photos. How do you choose to recreate and share your travel memories?

I prefer to tell stories. Anyone can go to a city and a take a photo of the same statutes and write about the same sites but not everybody’s stories are the same.

When I read about other’s travels, I want it to make me feel. When I share my travel memories with others, I want them to feel the way I do. Telling them how lush and green the Amazon forest isn’t going to make them feel the way I feel if I were in the Amazon. Telling them a story about migrant children who aren’t only hungry for food but also hungry to learn might evoke some emotion.

Share your travel memories on Sosauce! Upload photos in hi-res, create trips on interactive maps, receive discounts on premium photo products, and read updates from other Travel Geeks.

What destinations have left you with the sauciest travel memories?

That’s hard to choose. They’re all oh so delicious. But If I’d have to pick one, I’d say China. I was the happiest then. Mainly because I did what I wanted (most of the time) and I went where I pleased. I was free to be me.

Photo by Jabari Bell

As a young adult dealing with school and finances, how do you incorporate travel into your life? What tips would you give other young people in similar situations?

I only get 10 vacation days a year so I split them up into 2 one-week long vacations. I take one in the spring and another in the fall. During the winter, I use the holidays for shorter getaways. With a full time job, that’s the best I can do. I do know that, for me, traveling isn’t a spectacular once in a lifetime adrenaline rush that lasts for a few months or even a year or two. It’s a lifestyle. I don’t have to do it all at once but I will be doing it for the rest of my life.

Do you consider yourself a Travel Geek?

I do. When you go to Bing.com just for the sake of looking at the scenic picture of the day, that’s when you know you’re a Travel Geek.



Thanks to Monica for chatting travel with us. Follow her as she shares her travels around the world and her travels through life at A Pair of Panties & Boxers. You can also follow her on Twitter @monica530.

Check back later this month to see what travelers we feature next on the Sosauce Travel Geek blog!

Read more posts by Alisha

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 12th, 2010 at 1:55 PM and is filed under Spotlight, Traveler. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.