John Gunter

Thoughts on Life and Living

Traveling around Asia for 15+ years

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John Gunter flying around Asia

Life has been quite a ride for me personally. I have now been traveling in and around Asia for over 15 years. It is hard to believe it has been that long. Really hard to believe.  I moved to Asia when I was 28 and now I am 42.

Travel used to be a dream of mine. I watched movies and dreamed of cool places I could go and what adventures I could partake in. However, since traveling as many as 200 days a year for much of the past 15 years, I am now over it.

I still enjoy the places and people where I visit (mainly for work), however, the mystique of travel is now gone.

One of the ways I have enjoyed staying engaged with the process of  my frequent travels is to write blogs about it.  Often these posts about travel have been born out of sheer boredom, but they have been fun for me to write nonetheless.

Here are some of my blog posts about travel over the past two years:

As for now, I am thankfully not traveling near as much I have for most of my years abroad.  However, there is still enough jumping over oceans and staying in cheap Asian hotels that I’m sure I will have more blog posts about travel in the coming days.

As you read through these posts, are there any other topics you think I should cover or write about?  If so, please let me know.

I’m always looking for constructive things to do during my many trans-Pacific flights!

7 people you see on American domestic flights

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John Gunter on a Delta flight to Asia this week.
Bored with a camera on one of my many flights this week.

Last week I enjoyed writing on 9 observations of an American airport.  In keeping with my theme of observations of the American aviation system, here I will tackle some of what goes on during domestic flights in my beloved homeland.

Just as I have noticed certain types of people who fly on long, international flights, so I have also noticed a few characters who seem to be omnipresent on flights while I’m jumping around the “lower 48” in America.

Here are 7 people who frequent domestic flights in America:

  1. Tank-top Tyler – Even if he is headed to New York or Colorado, “Tank-top Tyler” looks like he is getting an early jump on his beach vacation.  Flip-flops, a brightly colored sleeveless shirt, and jorts or “jams” shorts are his usual uniform. [Read more…]

9 observations from an American airport

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Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport Chick-fil-a
Here was my first sight coming up into the Atlanta terminal. . . and it was beautiful

As I type this, I am in yet another airport.  However, unlike my norm, I am actually in American airports much of this week.  Right now, I am in Washington’s Dulles Airport, but my week will see me spend quality time in the Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle airports.

The old adage is true. . . “you can’t ask a fish about water.”  In the same vein, you can’t ask residential Americans to describe American airports.  So, as an American who has been living and traveling through Asian airports for the vast majority of the past 15 years, I write this article from the vantage point of an insider/outsider to American airports.

Here are my OBSERVATIONS of American airports: [Read more…]

On the road again. . . my posts on travel

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(left to right) John Gunter, Patrick Ku, Eugene Kim, and Eric Tai in Las Vegas three nights ago.
(left to right) John Gunter, Patrick Ku, Eugene Kim, and Eric Tai in Las Vegas three nights ago.

On the road again. . .

This week finds me, once again, on the road.  I’ll be covering over 20,000 miles in less than two weeks.  The trip has already taken me through Las Vegas and Atlanta.  As I type this, I am sitting next to my Father digesting a wonderful breakfast which Mom just cooked, feeling a million miles away from Asia.

Las Vegas was a one night stop over joining in the celebration of long-time friend Patrick Ku’s 40th birthday.  A group of around 20 rendezvoused in Vegas for three days of golf, food, and whatever else they can find out there.  Vegas is a weird place, of which could be a few blog posts in and of itself, but I will refrain. [Read more…]

The (not so) highlights of my LONG plane rides this summer

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This was JUST prior to our long delay. I had a full beard by the time I arrived in America (or so it felt). . .
This was JUST prior to our long delay. I had a full beard by the time I arrived in America (or so it felt). . .

This summer saw yet another series of LONG plane trips.  By my count, now I am up to 60+ flights of 9 or more hours in duration.  As I focused on both the people of LONG lights and tips to surviving long flights last summer, I am now going to focus on some of my lows in taking LONG flights.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are a few things I like about LONG flights.  However here I am going to focus on some of the more annoying aspects of these types of flights, as was the case this summer (and the flight I am currently on).

So, without further ado, here are the 8 (not so) highlights of my LONG plane trips from this summer. [Read more…]

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