About

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

Hello there strangers,

It’s nice to meet you. Self-introductions are always so bland – unless you’re a humanitarian globetrotter fighting local rebels touting AK-47s to deliver vaccines to malaria-infected children in tropical jungles, which I’m not so I’ll try to make this as quick and as painless as possible.

Born & bred in NYC (Go Brooklyn!), I’m a Georgetown MBA student, social media engagement strategist & travel blogger passionate about nonprofit & social change. Visit my LinkedIn to learn more about what I do.

I volunteered at a migrant school in the outskirts of Shanghai and witnessed first-hand not only a child’s hunger for food but their hunger for an education. It was an unforgettable experience I shared in “Climbing Out of Poverty”. This experience has helped define my career goal of providing an education to children living in poverty while traversing the world.

Traveling doesn’t always mean leaving the country. It doesn’t mean you have to leave your home. Home is where the heart is. Traveling is leaving your bubble, your comfort zone. Sometimes I travel to different places in the world. Sometimes I travel in my thoughts. Either way I travel, it’s food for my soul.

I refuse to let society program me. Conformity isn’t for everyone. I want to see the world through my eyes, not the way someone else tells me to. My interpretation of it makes me who I am. The path I take to get there is by traveling.

So, there you have it. That’s me in a nutshell. Questions and comments are welcomed below.

Welcome to my blog and I hope you enjoy your visit.

Cheers!

Monica

P.S. Wondering why this blog is called A Pair of Panties & Boxers? Click here to find out!


69 comments - Leave yours!

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  • itsasmallworldafterallfamily

    Great idea to start a travel blog to keep the travel bug alive! Glad you liked our blog, I started ages before our trip as a way of keeping the excitment in check. It’s good to have that to work on when there is not much else I can do for the time being. Looking forward to seeing how your blog develops.

  • itsasmallworldafterallfamily

    Great idea to start a travel blog to keep the travel bug alive! Glad you liked our blog, I started ages before our trip as a way of keeping the excitment in check. It’s good to have that to work on when there is not much else I can do for the time being. Looking forward to seeing how your blog develops.

  • http://www.asianramblings.com/ Stevo

    Great stuff. I hope you liked Xi’an. Thanks for stopping by my site.

  • http://www.asianramblings.com Stevo

    Great stuff. I hope you liked Xi’an. Thanks for stopping by my site.

  • Wynnii

    Hi Monica! Thanks for writing to me. I’ve added you onto my blogroll.

    Let’s chat. I’ll send you an email.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Hey Wynnii! Yes, let’s definitely keep in touch! :)

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Hey Wynnii! Yes, let’s definitely keep in touch! :)

  • http://balkanatolia.wordpress.com/ Osman

    Monica you have a wonderful blog and I like your words about travel!

  • http://balkanatolia.wordpress.com Osman

    Monica you have a wonderful blog and I like your words about travel!

  • http://www.myseveralworlds.com/ Carrie

    Great introduction Monica! Thanks for contacting me. I can tell by your writing that you have a zest for life and I’m looking forward to reading more about your adventures. Keep ‘em coming!

  • http://www.myseveralworlds.com Carrie

    Great introduction Monica! Thanks for contacting me. I can tell by your writing that you have a zest for life and I’m looking forward to reading more about your adventures. Keep ‘em coming!

  • Jokin

    Hi Monica!

    I’m glad you’ve followed us on twitter. I’ve been checking your posts and really liked your adventures and writing.

    Definitely, I’ll keep an eye on your blog and twitts :)

  • Jokin

    Hi Monica!

    I’m glad you’ve followed us on twitter. I’ve been checking your posts and really liked your adventures and writing.

    Definitely, I’ll keep an eye on your blog and twitts :)

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks for stopping by Jokin! I’m glad you like it here. Hope you stick around!

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks for stopping by Jokin! I’m glad you like it here. Hope you stick around!

  • http://gobackpacking.com/Blog Dave

    Wow – great “about” page! I like the EE Cummings quote. Will be reading….

  • http://gobackpacking.com/Blog Dave

    Wow – great “about” page! I like the EE Cummings quote. Will be reading….

  • http://www.wheretheroadgoes.com/ Richard

    Hi Monica – I just came across your site now and wanted to let you know your photos are stunning. China looks amazing.

  • http://www.wheretheroadgoes.com Richard

    Hi Monica – I just came across your site now and wanted to let you know your photos are stunning. China looks amazing.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    :) Thanks Dave for sticking around long enough to read it.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    :) Thanks Dave for sticking around long enough to read it.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks Richard! China is amazing and I feel like I’ve only scraped the surface. I didn’t take all of the pictures so I can only take partial credit. Thanks for stopping by. :)

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks Richard! China is amazing and I feel like I’ve only scraped the surface. I didn’t take all of the pictures so I can only take partial credit. Thanks for stopping by. :)

  • wusibao

    Monica:

    I love your blog! Like you, I also studied Chinese in China and am also 1/4 Chinese. Your blog brings me back to those times!

  • wusibao

    Monica:

    I love your blog! Like you, I also studied Chinese in China and am also 1/4 Chinese. Your blog brings me back to those times!

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Do you speak Mandarin or Cantonese?

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Do you speak Mandarin or Cantonese?

  • wusibao

    You’re welcome. I speak Mandarin but it is a bit rusty now.

  • wusibao

    You’re welcome. I speak Mandarin but it is a bit rusty now.

  • uniquetraveldestinations

    Hi Monica, random Q: in your “Recent Posts” column on right, how do you show pics instead of text? First time I’m seeing it and would love to learn how to do it. Thx, dian

  • uniquetraveldestinations

    Hi Monica, random Q: in your “Recent Posts” column on right, how do you show pics instead of text? First time I’m seeing it and would love to learn how to do it. Thx, dian

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    I removed the “Recent Post” widget that WordPress has and replaced it with just a text box. I hyperlink the images and include the title of the blog posts. It’s not easy trying to get creative with a free generic WordPress template. Haha!

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    I removed the “Recent Post” widget that WordPress has and replaced it with just a text box. I hyperlink the images and include the title of the blog posts. It’s not easy trying to get creative with a free generic WordPress template. Haha!

  • http://haktech.blogspot.com/ Mark Sheldon Wong

    Hi monica.. :)

  • http://haktech.blogspot.com/ Mark Sheldon Wong

    Hi monica.. :)

  • http://www.atulroy.com/ Atul

    interesting intro, lol!
    just “stumbled” across your blog, great photos, keep it up!

  • http://www.atulroy.com Atul

    interesting intro, lol!
    just “stumbled” across your blog, great photos, keep it up!

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Hi Mark. Thanks for stopping by! :)

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Hi Mark. Thanks for stopping by! :)

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks for stopping by Atul. My photos don’t compare to yours. ;)

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks for stopping by Atul. My photos don’t compare to yours. ;)

  • Pingback: A New Home « A Pair of Panties and Boxers

  • Wynnii

    Hi Monica! Thanks for writing to me. I've added you onto my blogroll.

    Let's chat. I'll send you an email.

  • ginamorra

    Awesome intro! Sounds a lot like myself and what I write about in my blog. I'm scared to leave my 9-5 bubble- except my job is actually retail- so it's 8-5 or 11-8 ot 1-10, and weekends! Yuck!

    I'm new to this whole travel world (as you may have seen in my entry to win the costa rica contest), but reading these travel blogs gives me inspiration and motivation to keep going and to stay on top of traveling! (because we all know how easy it is to let money and work get in the way).

    Hope I meet you at the travel show and looking forward to reading more from you!

  • monica530

    Oh I definitely know what you mean. My 50 hour work week drains the life out of me. I feel like I'm not really living at all. Traveling makes me feel alive and reading travel blogs also motivates me keep going and not let work get in the way.

    I hope you win that trip to Costa Rica. I've never been but I'm sure it would be such a fantastic experience. I'm not sure when I'll head to the travel show. It depends on how long it takes me to get out there. The snow is causing so much traffic delays. I would guesstimate around 2 or 3PM. I hope I see you there too!

    Going to head over to your blog now…Ciao!

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  • kristian

    Really diggin this, “Traveling doesn’t always mean leaving the country. It doesn’t mean you have to leave your home. Home is where the heart is. Traveling is leaving your bubble, your comfort zone. Sometimes I travel to different places in the world. Sometimes I travel in my thoughts”
    I have to get out of my comfort zone in my own town or states sometime.

  • monica530

    Thanks Kristian! And thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy reading my blog. I'll be leaving for Honduras in 2 weeks so I'm hoping to come back with a batch of new travel stories for you. Stay tuned! :)

  • http://LivingInTransit.com Jen

    Very awesome post! Good for you, to have just said “time out” to life for a while. I myself am currently preparing to leave the world of ambulances, sirens, and sick people in search of self and experience. I'm really excited about it and get encouraged everyday how well this plan to abandon all plans works for people. Looking forward to reading more. Good luck with the projects and grad school and traveling…

    ps and Spanish and yes, why panties and boxers?

  • monica530

    Yay for you! You must be ecstatic about traveling the world. Why A Pair of Panties & Boxers? I think you should read this entry: http://www.apairofpantiesandboxers.com/2009/07/…. You'll get a kick out of it. :)

  • Connie

    Hi Monica! Congrats on your un-conforming lifestyle! I left my nice office job in NYC two years ago and haven't stopped traveling since! I have a blog as well. Maybe you and your readers would be interested in checking it out. I'm looking forward to reading more about your adventures!

    Happy trails,
    Connie
    http://www.connvoyage.com

  • monica530

    Hi Connie! Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm so jealous you've been on the road for two years. Must be a fantastic experience. Would you ever go back to the cube life in NYC after this?

    I'm just starting a Do Good Thursday column and I would love to feature you and your volunteer adventure on my blog. Would you be interested in doing a guest post about your volunteer experience with the Burmese migrant workers in Thailand? Please let me know.

    You can read more about Do Good Thursday here: http://www.apairofpantiesandboxers.com/2010/07/…

  • Connie

    Hi Monica, I would be honored! Please email me with the details of the post and I would be happy to oblige! Also, please let me know if you have a deadline for me because I just have 4 weeks left with the volunteer program and it’s busy busy busy! Thanks, Connie

  • Connie

    Hi Monica, I would be honored! Please email me with the details of the post and I would be happy to oblige! Also, please let me know if you have a deadline for me because I just have 4 weeks left with the volunteer program and it's busy busy busy! Thanks, Connie

  • http://www.clickbed.com/?idlb=01 budget accommodation

    I like your stories (and your blog’s name). I always wander…how can you afford these trips?? How do you earn money on the way??
    Please share =D
    Lala
    http://travelluver.blogspot.com

  • Iamsano

    I just love everything about u. Well done

  • http://dominicanrepublichotelsandresorts.com Spencer

    Great blog. I am glad I stumbled upon it. Will make a point of following it more regularly from now.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks so much! That’s very sweet of you. Thanks for dropping by! :)

  • Anonymous

    Thanks Spencer! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy my blog.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks Lala! I work 9-7 so I do save up and travel. Unfortunately, I only get 10 vacation days each year so I have to work with what I have. I did most of my travels through China when I studying abroad.

  • Anonymous

    I quite enjoyed looking through you blog, but one question remains! Why such an unusual name for the blog?

  • http://rafaelrodrigu.es Rafael Rodrigues

    “I refuse to let society program me. Conformity isn’t for everyone. I want to see the world through my eyes, not the way someone else tells me to. My interpretation of it makes me who I am. The path I take to get there is by traveling.”

    I totally agree!

  • http://rafaelrodrigu.es Rafael Rodrigues

    “I refuse to let society program me. Conformity isn’t for everyone. I want to see the world through my eyes, not the way someone else tells me to. My interpretation of it makes me who I am. The path I take to get there is by traveling.”

    I totally agree!

  • Anonymous

    Hey Disshartha! Thanks for you comment. Sorry it took so long for me to reply. Here’s the story behind the name of my blog – http://www.apairofpantiesandboxers.com/2009/07/29/hangzhou-china-stunning-sunset-on-the-west-lake/. Hope you enjoy!

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for dropping by Rafeal! Hope you enjoy the rest of my blog. :)

  • Cathy

    Monica,
    I’m so excited that I just found your travel blog, and I can’t wait to read your posts! I agree 100% that traveling doesn’t mean you have to leave your country or even your hometown. You can learn something new right next door, a few blocks down, and across the world. I don’t think enough people realize that. They think that they need to go somewhere “exotic” and “untouched” to get any worthwhile experience, but that’s exactly the wrong kind of attitude that can make tourism damaging.
    All the best (especially with your recent woes. Being unemployed sucks + everything else).

  • Cathy

    Monica,
    I’m so excited that I just found your travel blog, and I can’t wait to read your posts! I agree 100% that traveling doesn’t mean you have to leave your country or even your hometown. You can learn something new right next door, a few blocks down, and across the world. I don’t think enough people realize that. They think that they need to go somewhere “exotic” and “untouched” to get any worthwhile experience, but that’s exactly the wrong kind of attitude that can make tourism damaging.
    All the best (especially with your recent woes. Being unemployed sucks + everything else).

  • Anonymous

    Hi Cathy! So sorry for the late reply. I’ve been busy doing all the things I didn’t get a chance to do when I was slaving 50 hours a week.

    I’m really happy to hear that you enjoy my blog. I don’t know how I managed to keep it running while I was employed.

    I feel that people who only consider going to exotic places as traveling have vacationer’s mentality and people who consider going to untouched places as traveling is just looking for a badge or something to brag about. Being a traveler means being curious about the world around you, no matter how big or small or how near or far.

    Hope you enjoy my future blog posts!

  • Danielle

    If I could imagine what I’d like to do with my life, it wouldn’t be sitting down at a computer screen all day. It wouldn’t be going to the same office every day of every given week. My passion lies within writing, traveling, and also volunteering. I’m sixteen years old, and one day hope to pursue such dreams I hold. But I need your help, Do you know any jobs that do pay pretty well that also allow me to withstand such talents and skills? I love writing, I love problems, deep though processes, and truly hope to be able to see the world. I love different ethnics and cultures,  but can’t seem to find a career path that will lead me down this way. Please let me know if you have the time to help me out. Thank you for your time.  

  • SDwanderer

    Great blog! And that title?! LOL….I just became a follower. Keep writing!

  • http://flashpackatforty.com/ World Flashpacker

    I love reading great and inspiring travel stories like this.