Welcome to BWAB!
I'm Jona, a former travel journalist and teacher, and a poet and fictionist with a high dose of imposter syndrome. My affairs with the world and words started with a book. I've seen bits and pieces of this beautiful wounded world. Hence, the name of the blog. I'm from the Philippines, lived in Vietnam for four years, and now I'm indefinitely living in Munich, Germany.
What originally was a repository of random thoughts on life, travel, and books, BWAB is now a full-on resources of those embarking the digital nomad life with a decent amount of travel guides, occasional dive trips, and book readings spread thick in between. Oh yeah, a lot of solo travel resources around Europe and Southeast Asia. For quick travel and accommodation guides in Europe and Asia, check my ultimate travel cheat sheet for free.
For real-time stories, puns, personally proven travel hacks, exclusive digital nomad resources, and self-deprecating awkwardness, follow me on Instagram: @jonajournals or my weekly mind-meandering on Medium.
what's popular
destination guides
You may not know how to save your soul, but you know how to put one foot in front of another.—Rebecca Solnit
May 5, 2024
Nestled along pristine beaches or the contradictory manicured jungle, Tulum evokes images of abundance, romance, and adventure. And with that, I personally curated the best resorts in Tulum for couples , especially those who are on their honeymoon, based on actual guest reviews scoured on the Internet. This curated list […]
May 3, 2024
Welcome to Tulum, where the sun-kissed shores meet the charm of imperfect plumbing and a thriving iguana community. This coastal haven, just an hour and a half from Cancún, has evolved beyond its quaint past. While traffic and waiting lists now dot the scene, fear not – Tulum’s allure persists. […]
May 1, 2024
After Paris, the second French city that I visited was Strasbourg. Half-timbered houses. Gorgeous riverside restaurants adorned by falling red and pink geraniums. The Romanesque cathedral. I loved my three-day stay in Strasbourg. The great thing about exploring little but equally storied and charming cities in France is that you […]
April 29, 2024
Stari Grad Hvar. Or as the Italians call it, Cittavecchia or Cittavecchia di Lesina, is a charming town nestled on the north side of the stunning Hvar Island in Dalmatia, Croatia. This place is seriously old, folks – we’re talking ancient! In fact, it’s one of the oldest towns in […]
digital nomad guides
And her joy would become a restless thing, flapping its wings inside her, as though looking for an opening to fly away.
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
May 3, 2024
Traveling for business can be fun until you find yourself filling out the expense reports. Doing so accurately does take a lot of time away from both business and pleasure. But there’s no overstating the importance of due diligence in this area if you want to maintain your business’s financial […]
April 10, 2024
Modern-day adventurers, we find ourselves living in an increasingly globalized and connected world. Gone are the days when intrepid explorers had to cart around hefty fanny packs filled with travelers cheques or multiple currencies. In the age of digital currencies, and specifically Bitcoin, the digital nomad landscape has undergone a […]
January 3, 2024
As a poet, fictionist, and an essayist, it is ingrained in us that it is one of our duties to write about and write for our own people. My people, in this context, means my fellow Filipinos and their own brand of triumphs and sorrows. Perhaps I’m too individualistic or […]
November 15, 2023
Last month, I started taking my travel blog seriously as a source of passive income. That means I have to show up every day and improve it every day. Updating old content. Writing new ones. SEOing everything. Doing backlinking. The whole shebang. Here are some strategies I put in place […]
reading life
My grandfather says that's what books are for," Ashoke said, using the opportunity to open the volume in his hands. "To travel without moving an inch.― Jhumpa Lahiri
March 14, 2024
Vienna is a beautiful city. Of course, that’s the perspective of a traveler, hmm, scratch that, a tourist whose eyes are glued at these Gothic and Baroque architecture, marveling at the preserved beauty of the bygone years. But there are other Vienna quirks that I find appealing. The subway drunkies […]
December 7, 2023
Are these names familiar? George Sand. Colette. Simone de Beauvoir. Madame de la Fayette. Gertrude Stein. No? How about Moliere, Voltaire, Balzac, Victor Hugo and Zola and Proust. Yeah? Yeah, now I know what kind of reader you are. 😉 So yes, these are some of the most popular writers […]
October 19, 2023
It is in my DNA to check out the local bookstore scene wherever I am. Most of my favorites are usually independent bookstores that have that well-kept forgottenness kind of vibe. If you get my drift. Think of Paris’ Shakespeare and Co. Or Hanoi’s Tiny Cafe franchise (although this one […]
October 3, 2023
I have a flippant mind, but in this life, my obsessions have been quite consistent the past fifteen years or so. Books. Cats. Travel. Plants. My hobbies, as I love saying now in German, das passt nicht zusammen. They don’t fit together. Well, living in a camper van will make […]
life and food
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.—Virginia Woolf
May 3, 2024
Welcome to Tulum, where the sun-kissed shores meet the charm of imperfect plumbing and a thriving iguana community. This coastal haven, just an hour and a half from Cancún, has evolved beyond its quaint past. While traffic and waiting lists now dot the scene, fear not – Tulum’s allure persists. […]
May 1, 2024
After Paris, the second French city that I visited was Strasbourg. Half-timbered houses. Gorgeous riverside restaurants adorned by falling red and pink geraniums. The Romanesque cathedral. I loved my three-day stay in Strasbourg. The great thing about exploring little but equally storied and charming cities in France is that you […]
April 16, 2024
Venice is the only Italian city I’ve been to so far, aside from the little coastal Trieste. So I cannot compare it to other popular Italian cities. It may not be my favorite European city, Vienna claimed that spot, but I have to give it to Venice for embracing age […]
April 6, 2024
Having explored 15-plus European cities since relocating to Munich, Germany, I unequivocally declare Vienna as my favorite. This imperial jewel along the Danube orchestrates a symphony of culture, history, and elegance. Opulent palaces, a classical music legacy, and charming coffeehouse culture contribute to its timeless allure. I like how ostensibly […]