Choose Your Own Adventure

3 months and 8 countries with Vincent Carabeo.

By Peak Design

We first crossed paths with SF-based Vincent Carabeo during his days with Moment Lens. Our designer Joey was casually finagling a gear swap when he noticed that this Vincent character had a drop-dead gorgeous Insta gallery. Joey introduced Vincent to others on the PD team and a friendship was born.

A year later, our worlds are deeply intertwined:

Peak Design has a reaaaal nice piece of real estate on Vincent's portfolio site, vincentcarabeo.com.

The photo story that follows is the result of Vincent's recent open-ended to Southeast Asia. Enjoy.

Up in the air

It’s strange to think just exactly a year ago, a good friend of mine planted this idea to travel around Southeast Asia. I was easily convinced and eventually bought a one way ticket. Flights were reasonable and it was time to experience new things and find some inspiration outside of my comfort zone. It was far too early to make much plans but it gave us enough time to figure things out. Do we leave our jobs? How much money is really needed? How long can our money last us? What countries should we go to? Do we need visas? The questions started to come as we got closer and closer. Some were answered, while others were left to be answered as we made our way from country to country. I personally prefer to avoid over-planning and allow the experience to influence how I travel. But we decided to at least plan out a few countries, research flight costs and visa requirements. We got as far as going to Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam. Everything else was up in the air, which felt like a nice change of pace from the day-to-day life working and staring at my computer.

Bag pictured: Everyday Backpack 30L, Charcoal

Before I knew it, I was on plane making my way to SE Asia ready to explore and for new experiences. The culture shock wasn’t as difficult as having to deal with the heat. Most locals are welcoming despite the language barriers. We learned to embrace our 12 hour days of aimlessly walking around, indulging in the culture, beautiful scenery and the delicious meals that makes your mouth water and your stomach growl at the site of each dish.

Meeting backpackers and travelers made the entire experience unforgettable. There’s this bond that you immediately form simply by talking about your travel plans, experiences and exchanging tips about each country. This was the taste of freedom as a backpacker with no real plans - exploring new places, experiencing new cultures and connecting with both travelers and locals willing to interact with a complete stranger.

After three months of exploring a total of 8 countries and contemplating about staying abroad, I made the decision to buy my ticket home. There was still much to be seen and countries to explore but it was time to return. This trip was meant to inspire me and give me perspective on what adventures I wanted to embark on next both professionally and personally. I gained this while managing to explore new sites, culture and meet wonderful people while capturing my experience through my lens.