I’ve Been Shipwrecked. I Need Your Help.
Greetings, everyone –
For those of you who don’t follow me on Facebook or on Twitter, you probably haven’t heard the news:
At 2:17 AM on Monday, March 28, my Perama “Hunting Komodo By Camera” cruise shipwrecked off the coast of Komodo Island in Indonesia.
Everyone who was on board is alive and safe.
It was the most terrifying experience of my life, and I hope that none of you ever have to go through anything half as frightening.
I will be writing about this event in great detail. And believe me, it will be the juiciest entry this site has ever seen.
However, that’s a small comfort when you consider that I lost everything.
When the boat went down, I saved my drybag, which contained a tank top and shorts, my iPhone, my camera, my debit card, and about 1 million rupiah ($115).
That’s it.
Later, the crew recovered some of our luggage and I recovered my passport, my large backpack, my small backpack, my purse, my (destroyed) computer, my purple long-sleeved cardigan, all three missing credit cards, and my Nike sneakers.
Everything else is gone.
Items missing include my iPhone from home, my Pacsafe, my orthodontic retainers (THOSE will be fun to replace), my one-of-a-kind sneakers from Hoi An, all my toiletries, and all but five items of clothing.
My camera’s lens was damaged during the fray, and it stopped working the next day. The repair shop told me it can’t be fixed.
In short, I’ve lost $3,300 worth of stuff.
And my travel insurance will only pay for items that have receipts.
Which means that I can get refunded for $240 worth of Apple products and POSSIBLY my $399 Toshiba netbook. THAT IS IT.
Immediately, friends and readers started suggesting that I put a donate button up on the site.
To be honest, this made me uncomfortable. While I’ve donated to bloggers in need before, I don’t think it’s appropriate to ask readers for donations. Running this site takes countless hours of my time, but only around $60 a year.
However, my friend Bridget said something that made me think:
I was thinking more along the lines of just putting it on your blog on the side, with a little blog-post note, and leaving it at that. It gets really uncomfortable when people ask/keep asking/keep a running tally – that’s like, so we’re not friends anymore if I don’t fund your lifestyle? – or when they do it for things that we all have to deal with. “I just got a $500 repair bill for my car!” Well, yeah, the rest of us have that, too.
“Shipwrecked” is more like your house burning down, when everyone and their mother donates stuff to you so that you can get through the next few weeks – except you’re on the other side of the world, so we can’t come with casseroles and blue jeans.
That’s a great point.
And then my friend Becky said this:
I agree, kate, throw up a paypal link on your site. I’ve been living vicariously through you the past four months and would love to help out.
That made me really happy.
Followed by one of my longtime readers, MaryAnn:
Your friend is correct, you need a “donate” button! Don’t be too proud to ask for help.
And it wasn’t just these three encouraging me to do so. It was dozens, over and over again, through Twitter and Facebook and email.
I’m a bit too proud for my own good. And I do know that I can make it on my own. I’m not destitute by any means, and I have ways of getting money.
But I’m not going to reject all of these generous offers out of pride.
So I added a donate button to AdventurousKate.com.
It’s in the top right corner of the page — click here if you’re reading via RSS or email.
But there are three things that I want to make clear:
1) PLEASE DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO DONATE.
Donating is a personal decision, and I know it’s complicated when you throw friendship/acquaintanceship/travel blogger colleague-ship into the mix.
Know this: whether you donate or not, it will not affect our relationship whatsoever.
2) DON’T THINK YOU HAVE TO DONATE MUCH.
I’m in Southeast Asia. $5 can buy me a dress — or even more, once I get back to cheaper Thailand.
Any amount is appreciated greatly. Though if you want to donate more, of course, I welcome that wholeheartedly.
3) I’M NOT TAKING MORE THAN I NEED TO REPLACE WHAT I LOST.
If donations, combined with my insurance refund, top $3,300, I will donate the remainder to charity.
I’ve been itemizing everything I’ve bought since the shipwreck, and I will share it with you.
Additionally, I divided the first $100 among several of my shipmates, helping them buy some clothes, toiletries and internet time. They are as moved as I am by your generosity, and send their thanks to you.
At the moment, I am back in Kuta, Bali. I just replaced my computer in Denpasar. I got an Acer netbook for $319, getting a discount after I showed them pictures of the shipwreck.
My original plan was to visit the Gili Islands. I still want to visit them SO much — but, to be honest, the prospect of sinking a second time has me reconsidering my plans. I fly back to Thailand on April 11, so I might just stick to Bali.
Thank you for your love, your comments and your messages. This wonderful community means the world to me, and I am touched by your concern for my well-being. I am truly lucky that you are part of my life.
Much love,
Kate
Related posts:
At age 26, I quit my job to travel the world alone. I spent six fantastic months in Southeast Asia and turned my travel blog into a full-time business. Today, I travel full-time, going anywhere that sounds wacky or beautiful or interesting. My goal is to show YOU how you can travel the world on your own -- easily, safely, and adventurously. 
Not to be rude because I do enjoy reading your blog, but isn’t this what travel insurance is for?
Good luck with your donations though.
I hear you, Wayne. I’m talking to my insurance company now — I know they will cover part of the cost, but it’s definitely not going to be the entire value. It could end up being only a few hundred dollars. And I might not get it for a long time.
That’s why I will combine donations with the refund and donate anything that exceeds the amount lost to charity. I’ll be posting my replacement expenses here as well, so everyone can see exactly where the money goes.
Once again, donating is a personal and complicated choice, and I don’t hold anything against people who don’t want to donate.
Hey no offence intended. More power to you if you can get donations in my opinion! I guess I was more curious to see if you had the appropriate travel insurance.
Just a note to everyone — I just spoke to my travel insurance and they will only refund items for which I have receipts.
I have receipts for my Apple products — $240 worth.
My mom MAY be able to dig up my $399 netbook receipt.
THAT IS IT.
I AM SO F*CKED.
Kate,
Look for receits in your email account. If you, like me, buy all your stuff on the Internets, you probably have all your receitps there…. And if you print them out, they’re as good as real.
Alfie
Thank you, Alfie! I have a few receipts from eBay — I can definitely use those.
Hey Kate, maybe you can do a post on your experience with world nomads after this has all blown over??? love to hear what they are like.
Definitely will do, Earl! Great idea.
It looks like on the World Nomads site, you can provide pictures to prove ownership. Maybe it depends on the insurer you get through World Nomads. It all boggles my mind.
I’m sure you’ve looked into it, but this is what I found on their website:
>>I don’t have receipts for my personal items. Can I still make a claim?
Yes. Please be aware though that when we receive a personal belongings claim, you will still be asked to provide proof of ownership for the lost or stolen items. We understand that you might not be able to produce such receipts for each and every item, but you still have to ‘tip the balance’ and should be able to provide evidence of ownership where you could be reasonably expected to have such evidence. Typically, the insurers may accept photographic evidence in conjunction with warranty cards, manuals, receipts, bank or credit card statements as proof of ownership. In the end, common sense prevails and you should ask yourself, “Do these documents conclusively prove that I owned this item?”<<
If they accept photos, can you take a photo with your damaged electronics now or show pictures of you wearing clothes you've bought along the way that were lost in the accident?
Again, good luck!
That FAQ about proof of ownership on the World Nomads site is extremely (and in my opinion, purposefully) misleading. My camera went overboard in Halong Bay when I tripped on deck — I provided them with my bank statement showing the purchase from Best Buy and they said it wasn’t good enough. I even pointed to that FAQ (note that after that they added the “photographic evidence” part) and was still told the receipt was mandatory. Now I have to wait until I get back to the states (in 6+ months) to hunt down my receipt and complete my claim.
Wow! Good to know, Brie! I’m moving to China in a month and this week, I’m taking the time to find, organize and photocopy all the receipts of major items I have! I’ve already found them for my computer, backpack and a few other expensive things. Is there any other traveler’s insurance that better than WorldNomads? I just use it because I know other people who have it, but since I’ve never had to use it, I don’t know how it actually treats travelers. After hearing Kate’s story and your story, it doesn’t sound that good….
That sounds like a terrible experience, I’m glad that you’re okay. I’m happy to contribute, especially because your donating any surplus amounts. . . that will give you some good karma for sure.
Thank you very much, Alouise! I’m already thinking of where to donate — Planned Parenthood and Charity: Water are two of my favorites, but I think it might be nice if my readers could sponsor a student and follow his or her journey.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT donate the surplus to Planned Parenthood! Somehow this donation thing is already controversial (I don’t get it, I’m used to bloggers having donation buttons for no reason other than to have fans help fund their blog, and I’ve always thought it would make sense for you to have one) DO NOT make it worse by donating to a controversial charity that some people would not be comfortable having their money go towards!
The clean water one sounds good – or how about a charity related to your experiences on your trip, like for Bangkok refugees or Agent Orange child victims? I think you should definitely state which charities you are choosing so people know ahead of time what else their money could be supporting.
Wow, I was waiting for you to notice that.
I’m pretty sure that I will be donating, no matter how much money is raised, to local Southeast Asia charities. I would LOVE to do something for Agent Orange victims in Vietnam. I’d like to do something for street kids in Cambodia as well.
Are you kidding me? All this and you are preemptively telling her not to donate to a charity *you* think is controversial – despite the fact that the vast amount of Americans support PP? I think Kate should donate to whoever she wants to – it’s your comment that has put the focus on an issue that has nothing to do with that happened to Kate – essentially you’ve hijacked a traumatic experience with your own political opportunism. Wow is all that I can say. Wow and you kind of suck. Oh, and thanks – I’m about to go and make a PP donation in your name.
To Kate – what happened to you totally sucks and I’m glad to hear that you are physically okay. Good luck and I sincerely hope you are able to recover the things you need. Stay safe.
Sorry Kate for what happened. I think your first thought about asking for donations being inappropriate was correct. Most people cover these expenses with travel insurance or they self insure. I could understand if you were now destitute, but that isn’t the case. You obviously have enough money to replace the essentials in life such as clothes and you have enough money for food as you were able to
go and buy a new computer. Asking for donations to replace personal possessions isn’t right when you’re in a perfect position to do it yourself. I’d take it down before it gets too much negative attention.
For the record, I can’t pay for a computer at the moment. I paid for it with a credit card.
Adam, I did this because so many of my readers asked if they could donate to me. Not just a few of them — LOTS of them wanted to donate, and not because I’m destitute — because they wanted to do something nice for me.
For example, one reader sent me a donation with the instructions that I was to spend it on a nice dinner for myself and a friend. He just wanted to do something nice for me.
I know not everyone feels that way, and that’s fine. I’m not forcing anyone to donate, nor am I changing my opinion of anyone in regards to whether or not they donate. Whatever you want to do is up to you.
Just a note to everyone — I just spoke to my travel insurance and they will only refund items for which I have receipts.
I have receipts for my Apple products — $240 worth.
My mom MAY be able to dig up my $399 netbook receipt.
THAT IS IT.
I AM SO F*CKED.
Hi Kate,
I wanted to donate but it *requires* a PayPal account – I can’t just specify a credit card. Is this something you can change? I can normally do this when I buy something where the merchant uses PayPal as their payment processor.
Look for the little link above the credit card icons on the payment page (bottom left). Paypal hides it to try and make you sign up for an account. You don’t need to.
Matt,
I know what you’re describing but for the life of me I don’t see it on this page. It seems to be a dedicated Register or Sign In type page (“Create a PayPal Account or Log In”).
Tom — there is definitely a way. I’m on it. Let me check it out.
Just donated $20 – I hope this will help you and your mates out!
Thank you so much, Marie-Eve! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. I emailed you.
Taking three of my shipmates out to dinner tonight. I’m insisting, and they better let me.
My student bank account can’t allow much, but I’m very glad to help you! I’d like some help too if this was happening to me, so this donation wasn’t even a question, I had to help you:) Wish the best for you and your mates!
Audrey, I appreciate your donation SO much, and please do not worry about the amount! You know I’d do the same for you in a heartbeat.
Hi Kate,
Whilst I have dropped onto your blog from time to time and have enjoyed some of your posts I find asking for donations totally inappropriate.
While I can understand this is a tremendous loss and it must have been terrifying, you are alive and well and these are only material possessions.
My reasons against this are as follows:
1) Traveling comes with risks and this is one of them. One of the key elements of traveling is appropriate travel insurance and understanding your cover.
2) In terms of your possessions, they may well have been worth $3300, however I assume this would have been ‘as new’? After wear and tear of traveling they certainly wont be worth that now, therefore if asking for anything it should be much less than the original cost.
3) Your blog site already has money making capability through Google Adds, therefore it is in your best interest to keep adding to the site regularly to generate income (along with keeping people updated on your travels)
4) If this had happened to me I would have 2 choices… 1) Go home 2) Pay for bits on credit card and then work to repay for any purchases.
5) Judging from your previous posts and this blog, you still have a means to earn an income, therefore its just a matter of time before working and paying for new bits and pieces, therefore donations should not be required.
And finally….
Just look around you at what is going on! Half a million people in Japan have no home, many have lost ALL their possessions, including their home and ALL their family. If your readers want to donate, this is where their donations are REALLY needed. The people in Japan will need a little more than this to rebuild their lives!
Like I say, although I feel for your situation, through a little hard work and perseverance you would be back on your feet without donations, yes it may mean you cant travel and have fun for a couple months, but that’s life, many people in the world will never even have the chance to travel.
Just Passing By
,
Sorry forgot to add if friends want to donate, that’s great! I would welcome help from friends or family if this had happened to me, however a quick email to you and they could easily contact you directly and make a payment to you through a bank transfer / paypal etc.
Just saw your little addendum here – doesn’t change the fact that you were a total jerk in the first post up there. If her readers want to help, that is their business. Again, if people urged her to put up the button, you don’t really have a say in her decision and it would be best if you kept your opinion to yourself.
Yeah, what Amy said. You’re kind of a prick, and next time, maybe you should just pass on by this blog instead of making a snotty (anonymous) comment. Donations are optional, if you feel it’s inappropriate or that she doesn’t “need” the money then don’t donate and don’t read the blog.
I’m one of Kate’s friends from college and I was happy to pass along a donation because I know how frightened and upset I’d be if I were halfway around the world and lost pretty much everything. Hell, I had my wallet lifted in the UK and had never been so grateful to the family and friends who reloaded my cell phone with minutes, lent me cash, and called places on my behalf. Have you paused to consider that Kate has a network of friends and family who might want to donate, and this is the easiest way? We all have bills and student loans and God only know what else, but Kate is living her dream and had a scary setback – not to mention she lost her laptop, which is her way of generating income right now. Putting everything on credit is frankly a stupid suggestion, she shouldn’t have to take on debt just because she can’t access all her funds right now. Think about your own best friends – if one of them had this happen, wouldn’t you do what you could to help? Perhaps you don’t have your own network or are just a crappy friend. That’s not a reason to make Kate feel bad about asking for help.
Not to mention I think you underestimate the difficulty of getting new bank and credit cards while in another country, especially a remote one like Indonesia. Customer service people are incompetent and unhelpful, bouncing you around from department to department and making things impossible, something I’ve experienced firsthand. Like I said, I needed cash to get by when my wallet was lifted and had to borrow from the people I was traveling with – it was a simple fact if I wanted to eat and get around. They had sympathy and were happy to help. I didn’t just panic and fly home to my bed, my car, and the rest of my stuff and it would be silly for Kate to do the same. She’s dealing with this like an adult and drawing on her community for support. I know she’d be just as giving should something like this happen to one of her friends.
It’s also absurd for you to bring up the situation in Japan. People all over the world have problems, and just because of one tragic disaster it doesn’t mean you stop supporting others, especially in your own community. Have a little compassion and if you don’t have anything constructive to say, then shut your mouth. Hopefully you’ll never be in a similar situation, but if you are and people treat you with idiocy and contempt, it’ll just be karma!
Amy, thank you so much!
This IS a very easy way for my friends and family to come together, and that’s why I did ithere. Thank you for underscoring that.
And you know that I would help you — or anyone — in a heartbeat!
On this trip, I’ve been punched in the face, I’ve been robbed blind, and I’ll be damned if a shipwreck is going to send me home!
Hi, JPB –
Choosing not to donate is absolutely up to you, and I hold nothing against you for it. Thank you for disagreeing with me in a civil manner. I wish more people took your lead.
However, I’d like to clarify a few things. First of all, I do not require donations. As I said before, I put up the donate button because several of my readers, friends and family wanted to donate money to me — not because I was destitute, but because they wanted to do something nice for me.
As for your points:
1) Of course travel has risks, and I do have travel insurance. It will not cover much. Perama did not have insurance because, in their words, “The Indonesian system is not so good.”
2) It doesn’t matter how much wear and tear my products have taken — it matters how much they would cost to replace. If you factor in inflation and the rising costs of items, it would actually cost more to replace the items today than I paid for them originally.
3) Do you know how much money I’ve made through Google Adsense? I’ve had it on my blogs since 2003. In eight years, Google Adsense has earned me about $41 total. Google doesn’t even pay you until you earn $100. Not even kidding.
4) So if this had happened if it were the first week of my trip, I should go home? Or go into debt? Neither sounds like a smart choice to me.
5) Again, I do not require donations. As I said before, I’m not destitute. The donation option is just for my readers and friends who want to do something nice for me.
Oh Kate… I’m so sorry to hear that.. I really love reading your blog and would very much happy to help you out on this. You’re such a brave woman and you inspired me to also go on a solo female travel (leaving June!).. Looking forward to hearing your posts.. Glad you came back safe!
Anna, I am SO glad that I inspired you! Thank you! That means so much to me.
It’s funny that you are traveling in the one of the most impoverished areas of the world and you are asking people for donations because one of your two(?) iphones sank.
Hey Kate…we don’t write much, but do read often….first and foremost, the most important thing, is that you, and everyone else is safe and alive…relatively speaking, nothing else is really that important….so yes, we are very glad to hear you are well.
As far as the whole asking to donate thing goes, it is tough…and unless someone is in your exact situation it is tough to say exactly what they would do.
At first blush, we were thinking it probably wasn’t something we would do…for very similar reasons that “justpassingby” has already posted…..however, your friend Amy raises a fair counterpoint, this is likely the easiest way for family to borrow you money/donate funds….all in all, I guess the worst thing that can happen is that people decline, and maybe tell you it is inappropriate….that ain’t so bad is it….hell it is your blog…do what you want.
Just because we don’t think we would, doesn’t mean you can’t give it a go.
Again, most importantly….glad you are safe. Now maybe stay off the water awhile, eh?
Skott and Shawna, thank you for your thoughtful reply.
It was definitely a difficult decision for me. One way in which I am unique is that in the year-plus that I’ve had this site, I’ve made hundreds of friends from it. Literally, hundreds — and not just acquaintances. True friends. Especially within the travel blogging community. To be completely honest, I’m closer to a lot of my travel blogger friends than I am to many of my real-life ones.
I don’t expect casual readers to donate — I’m only doing this because so many of my friends asked me to do it. And I would do the same thing for any of them in less than a heartbeat.
I have to be brutally honest and say I don’t always love your blog or the things you stand for, we’re different. And that’s fine – the world is made a better place by variety. HOWEVER – I would never in a million years wish the kind of thing that has happened to you on my worst enemy. While I don’t always love what you do, I’m still donating. I still feel bad you’ve had to go through this. And feel horrible for the other passengers as well. So I’m off to donate and I’m also saying a little prayer for you and the other passengers that things improve very quickly and that justice is found for the company you were shipwrecked by. I am so sorry Kate.
Kirsten, I know I sent you a lengthy email reply, but I want to reply here, too.
Thank you.
I disagree vehemently on lots of things with my closest friends (see frequent commenter AlexaShrugged, whose political views are the polar opposite of my own…and in whose wedding I plan to be a bridesmaid this June).
In half an hour, I’m taking three of my fellow shipmates out for dinner.
Hey Kate,
I’m so sorry to hear about your near death experience. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I’ll see what I can donate come payday Friday, but if I can’t, know that I’m wishing you nothing but the best of luck on your overseas adventure. *hugs*
- Kris
Kristina, don’t even worry about it. I appreciate your well wishes so much!
For all the people who are trying to make Kate feel bad for putting up the donation sign, may I just add:
You have freedom of choice. You can choose to donate or choose to not. I don’t think kicking someone when they are down will help anyone.
@justpassingby, it’s not about the final value of goods lost, but about the cost to replace such items.
Should we be sad that Kate lost one of two iPhones? No. Should we be sad that she lost some special shoes? No. Do some people enjoy reading this blog and living vicariously through Kate’s adventures? Yes. For those who really enjoy reading the blog, sending $5 or $10 is a nice show of support and a small price to pay to continue reading.
For those who think Kate just lost a few possessions and will be fine with what she has and what she can replace locally, we don’t have to donate. I’ve had a full bag of all my belongings stolen in two different countries. It sucks. It feels like you have nothing. But one manages to get by, and might even learn a thing or two about materialism along the way.
Kate is fully within her right and privilege to add a donate button to the site. We have the right and privilege to donate or not. Capping it at $3,300 seems a little excessive to me, but it’s not my blog.
I enjoyed reading your blogs and a small donation in my opinion with would be the right thing for me to do. Glad you are safe and enjoy the rest of your travels.
Thank you, Kristian! I definitely will.
Hi Kate!
I have never commented before, but I wanted to reiterate a quote I recently heard ” just because other people are suffering, doesn’t mean your pain doesn’t count.” I think its ridiculous that people are so angry about the donate button, I think its ballsy, but I think we need to remember that we all need to help each other out once in a while.
And to the people that brought up Japan, there are more people that have brought up why America is even helping Japan at all, since they such a rich country (disgusting, I know). Is that really the person you want to be, because it sounds similar to saying we shouldn’t help Kate since she is rich compared to other individuals.
So good luck and I hope that these negative comments don’t sting for too long.
Xx
Thank you for the first comment, Kalyn!
I absolutely detest people who argue why you shouldn’t donate. “You should give to needy people in America, NOT another country like Haiti!”/”You should give to autism, which helps children, instead of AIDS research, which is spread by promiscuous gay men!”
I HATE that. HATE THAT, HATE THAT, HATE THAT.
According to those people’s logic, they themselves are idiots for commenting on a blog they dislike when they could be volunteering at a soup kitchen instead.
Hey Kate,
I’m sorry that you had to go through that terrifying experience, I can only imagine how freaked out you must have been when that ship sank! But I’m just glad to hear that you’re safe and sound. I’ve been religiously reading your blog entries for almost 3 months now and I must say you really are living up to your blog name “adventurous”. I’m a fan! Anyways, I’m with you on putting up that donate link. I don’t get why some feel it is inappropriate but that’s their opinion. Asking for help when in need from people you know or don’t know has never been inappropriate. Inappropriate is putting down people who are in need of help! Keyword is DONATE and donating is a choice. More power to you!
~Archer
Thank you, Archer! It’s great to hear that encouragement.
Well, haters gonna hate, and givers gonna give.
It’s a matter of personal preference, and clearly Kate struggled internally with this issue before putting up the donate button. If she had been begging people for money or marketing it as a “charitable donation,” then maybe I would look at it differently.
But, the fact of the matter is, she went through something unpleasant, and people WANT to help her. And I see nothing wrong with that. If it was me, I can only hope people would be so generous.
The way I look at it, how is this any different than bloggers who have a full-time donate button on their sites? Plenty of bloggers ask readers to “buy me dinner” or “pay for a day of travel.” I see nothing wrong with this. If people want to throw a few dollars their way, they can. And if they’d rather not, they don’t have to. Clearly there are people willing to give, otherwise this would be a moot point.
EXACTLY, Amanda! This is something Kate REALLY didn’t want to do but tons of people encouraged her to do it – as she made clear in the post. And instead of comparing her to earthquake/tsunami victims in Japan (to whom you can STILL donate, it’s not an either/or), the better comparison is to bloggers with full-time donation buttons who do not have an immediate, unforeseen need. I am still so shocked people are upset about this!
Thank you, Amanda.
Kate, I can’t afford to donate now, but I hope everything turns out well for you. Just thought you might appreciate some positive messages to balance out the negative. I don’t think there’s anything wrong in putting up a donations button: if people don’t want to give you money, they don’t have to. I love reading your blog and it’s got me crazy keen for my own adventures (six weeks this summer, and then longer when I graduate). Hope this hasn’t stopped you being adventurous, and I’ll continue to live vicariously through you for the meantime! x
Jo, absolutely no worries whatsoever. Don’t even worry about it. Things are going fine, and I really appreciate your message!
I can’t wait to hear about your adventures! Thanks for your kind words.
Your friends offered good advice, and glad to see you took it. I had a PayPal Donate button on my travel blog and was always surprised when someone I knew, let alone someone I didn’t knew, took the time to send me money “just because” they enjoyed reading.
Good luck getting back on track.
Thank you, Dave. I thought so, too.
hey homie. I disappear for a few days and you get shipwrecked! talk about gaps in time.
If you havent sorted accom in thailand, you’re welcome to crash on the couch for a couple of days, rent free so you can take up shopping as a hobby. Im a guy, so i smell, but ill wear pants out of common courtesy. Maybe get that video of the daily show workin on your new lappy. If not, s’all good.
Good luck with the donations dealio though. Ballsy? yes, does it matter to m’self? no
-Rick
Rick, I get back to Bangkok April 11! Let’s chat. Pretty sure I’m set on accommodation, but thank you for the kind offer. We need to meet up either way!
isnt that new years? either way, im on the twitters (@shuttupjerk) if ya need me.
-Rick
Hi Kate,
Please don’t be upset by people giving you a hard time about this. It’s your blog and you have to go with your instincts. Not everyone will agree with your decision, but that’s life!
I donated because I know how it feels to be in a foreign country, and all of a sudden be without any cash at all. I my case it was Paris and my bank cancelled my cards, even after I had told them I wuld be travelling. It was the worst feeling ever!!
Luckily I was with a mate who could spot me some cash.
Just keep the adventures coming and keep smiling.
Earl
Thank you, Earl. You know I wrote you a lot in that email, but I wanted to say so here as well.
Haters don’t get me down. The more popular your blog gets, the more haters it attracts. C’est la vie. You have to take the bad with the good.
I think it’s disgusting that people are giving Kate a hard time about asking for help in her time of need. Clearly, she struggled in her decision which makes me want to help her even more. I find it completely tasteless that people are kicking her when she’s down. She’s alone halfway around the world, imagine if that were you, or your daughter/sister/cousin/friend. Wouldn’t you want to help them? I would hope so! Kate, I am so sorry for what happened to you and I would be glad to help you in any way I can. I hope things start to look up for you and you can enjoy the rest of your travels as planned! Good luck!
Jenna, thank you so much for a kind (yet wonderfully indignant) comment.
I would do the same for any blogger I read who went through something like this.
Hey Kate,
I can help – I grew up in Indonesia and am now based in New York. I mentioned your story to a friend of mine who can offer some wonderful assistance while you’re in Bali
Let’s talk offline via e-mail to james [at] shoutbound.com
Hope you’re doing well!
James
Emailed you, James — thank you so much!!
Hey Kate – last New Year’s Eve my wallet was stolen, and as I was having a complete meltdown in the middle of the subway station, a complete stranger bought me a metro card and simply said to “pay it forward.” I hope this donation helps you in any capacity, and I hope that one day you too can give $10 to someone who needs it most.
I wish you the best of luck in the remainder of your travels and in getting safely back to the states!
All — Mary is a friend with whom I studied abroad in Florence.
Mary, that means so much to me! I said so in my email to you, but I want to say so here too — I will absolutely be paying it forward as well. Several times over.
Sorry to hear about this horrible experience Kate. Hope you get to recover most of your stuff anf also PHOTOS! That would be the worst for me to lose.. Good luck on the donations and good to hear you’re alive and well.
Thank you so much, Lois! All of my photos through Koh Chang have been uploaded to Facebook — so I still have them, albeit in low-res. Everything I’ve ever uploaded to the site is high-res. Still waiting to see if my USB drive survived being buried in salt water and petrol.
Hi Kate.Contrary to many of the views expressed here, I don’t believe it is inapropriate for you to be asking for donations to help you out. I just think you are going about it the wrong way. This is your chance to see if you have what it takes to be taken seriously as a travel writer. Do you have what it takes to be credible to the extent that people would actually pay to for your insights/opinions/musings? So, instead of playing the “OMG I’m in trouble card”, why don’t you simply ask the question – ‘is my product valuable’? Then you will see if what you set out to achieve actually possible?
Pose that question publicly and let’s see what happens – otherwise just go home, you are embarrassing yourself.
Hi, Scott — I respectfully disagree with you.
I have very specific goals for myself and this site, and I’m pretty sure they’re different from what you envision.
When you compare my site to the rest in the travel blogging community, it’s not typical. I built this site around a personality, a character. And I think that this post is consistent with the tone of the site as a whole.
Kate just keep doing what you are doing – you are daring to stand out and be different – the professional blog commentators don’t get that – but I finally see at least part of your plan. Good on you and best of luck with your endevours.
And to some of the above blog commentators – Kate is obviously a shite more tolerant than you are – what God given right have you got to come and trash someone else’s blog with your negative comments? If you don’t agree with what’s she’s doing fine- why are you wasting your time reading her then?
Kate you notice how the ones who will pull you down never have a link to their site – or even a legit email address??? The school bullies are alive and well and graduated to the Internet
Lissie. This is a public domain with a tag line saying ‘speak your mind’ – that’s what gives me the right. Fuck Lizzie, get with the program!
See what I mean Kate? You’re biggest problem is your captive audience – they’re fools as well. I’m simply pointing out that your writing is poor and you’re an ignorant, judgemental little princess and that is not going enable you to be a professional writer.
Normally, I would send this comment to the spam folder because it contains insults directed both at me and my readers.
However, it’s just too hilarious not to leave up.
You might want to check your spelling before you call my writing poor, Scott. X-D
Thank you, Lissie! You will see some new endeavors starting this summer.
Scott, to answer your question, “Is Kate’s product valuable?” I’ll simply answer HELL YES!
I actually sent Kate an email a while back letting her know just HOW VALUABLE her writing and experiences had become to my whole family. I can’t tell you how many hours my husband and 5 teenagers have sat around discussing all of Kate’s experiences and adventures. ALL of them, even the so called “controversial” ones.
It truly makes me sad that some people are so STUPID and just don’t “get” certain things in life. She DID NOT ASK for donations. What she is doing is ANSWERING a REQUEST from several people to put up an easy way for them to donate IF THEY WANTED TO! Why is this so hard for people to comprehend? Weird.
Anyways, I am getting way too worked up for my own good, so I will end this rant by saying this:
Kate, here is some money, I wish it was more, WAYYY more. What I have gotten out of your blog is PRICELESS. I am NOT donating because you were shipwrecked. I am donating because just like the magazines, newspapers and books I buy, I have to PAY for them. But I don’t mind because I ENJOY reading them.
DO NOT count my contribution towards your $3,300 total cap.
Thank You!
Thank you, Lana! I still think about your email from time to time…it meant so much to me then, and it means so much to me now!
What a GREAT comment. Thank you!!
Kate,
First and foremost, I want to say that I am sorry that this happened to you. It truly does suck. Secondly, I had to leave a comment just so there was no confusion between me and the person above who shares my name, lol. Anyway, I hope you get back on your feet quickly and have fun the rest of the time in SEA and then in England. In the meantime, have a couple beers on me.
P.S. Will you ever be able to listen to “I’m on a Boat” again?
Scott, there would never be any confusion between you two! Also, I haven’t had a beer in a week. I’ve been too landsick to even contemplate consuming alcohol. But I will, and thank you once again!
And OMG. “I’m On a Boat” will never be the same again. It’s too bad — I love that song!
Hey Kate,
First off, I’m ashamed to say that when I read this yesterday I didn’t instantly reach for my credit card (although partly that is because I’m a student and severely in debt in an expensive city, and partly because it was far away from me and I’m lazy).
But for the past few months I’ve been reading travel blogs religiously and have culled it down to two favorites – yours being one of them. This is entirely because you and I seem to be NOTHING ALIKE. There is absolutely no way I would do most of the things you do and I suspect if we traveled together I would hate you by the third night — but you seem to be a really nice, fun, and friendly girl, and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading every single post of yours. It’s been so much fun for me to read something like you drinking snake’s blood and me wincing and thinking “eeeewww no way would I do that! give me a museum any day!” I admire you and what you are doing so much.
I also admire how you have handled all of the naysayers gracefully – I would probably be crying nonstop, but you are not only holding it together – but helping out your shipmates as well. You are a class act.
This seems like an overly long and slightly with a “LOOK HOW NICE I AM CAUSE I’M DONATING” tone, but I wanted you to know that even complete (and completely opposite in personality) strangers are on your side. I’m about to head over to donate BUT – with strict instructions that you use it to do something crazy (similar to snake-blood-drinking) for another blog post. Or, if you’re still in the “needing clothes” mindset, a pair of shoes will do as well
Good luck!
Kristen
Kristen, this might be one of the nicest blog comments I’ve ever received!
I’m smiling so widely just from reading it.
Thank you. Thank you SO much. And please don’t worry about money — I know how tough it is to be a broke student. I’m incredibly flattered that you would donate, and I promise I will put your donation toward something memorable and adventurous! <3
I am glad you’re ok, but I just wanted to point out the irony of the Google Ads targeting me in France, saying “Baggage Lost? Buy Traveler’s Insurance!”.
In any case, thank you for taking time out of this stressful situation to share all of this with your readers!
Wow, I am so sorry to hear about this! This must have been quite a scary experience. But you know, in a year from now you will look back at this and you will see that this experience only made you stronger and smarter. Thank goodness everyone is okay!!! Sending you positive energy and e-hugs!
I will, Andi. I already do.
Thank you!
I just read through a bunch of the comments on the whole donate button thing… Maybe, if it’s getting a lot of mixed reactions, why not take it down and let your friends/family/followers send PayPal donations, if they want, straight to your email address? Also, you can link your Skype account to your PayPal account and people can wire you money via Skype too.
Just a thought.
But after all, this is your blog, and we -the readers- follow it because we love what you do. So if you damn well want to have a “Donate” button… why not?
Carla, I’m not going to let a few naysayers change anything on my site. The bigger you get, the more haters you acquire. I don’t mind.
Thanks.
OMG what a harrowing experience! I was so glad to hear that every person on board was safe. I understand your reluctance to get back on a ship and think Bali sounds great too!
I’m glad too, Debbie. I just got a generous offer from Ubud, so I think I’ll be heading there! No more boats!!
I feel so so so sorry for you Kate, to be shipwrecked must be a horrible experience! I am glad you are alive and no one has been hurt.
I am pretty shocked about the comments other people are writing. I really love your blog, I used to read more than 400 blogs but reduced them to 50 blogs – yours is the only travelling blog that I still read. Your writing style is amazing, I love to hear from your experiences and you seem to be a really positive and strong women. Please do not change anything in your blog just because there are some strange comments.
As I was younger I was in Thailand once and planned to stay for 2 months. After the first week I got robbed and unfortunately carried everything important on me (keys to the hotelroom, mobile phone, money, credit cards, bank cards, ID) – the things were not worth a lot of money but it was really horrible to organise everything. I could not even call someone to help me because I had no money anymore and no cards to get money
At the end some nice people lend me some cash and my parents sent me the money via Western Union, but I can really understand how you must feel.
Please tell us if you manage to change Paypal, so we do not need to open an account – I would love to send you some money!
What a kind comment, Ariana! Thank you so much.
I’m looking into PayPal…there should be a way for you to pay without creating an account.
(But I do recommend you start an account if you don’t have one. PayPal is an excellent tool.)
I’m so sorry to hear this has happened to you and I’m very glad that it hasn’t discouraged you from continuing to travel. I think the donation button is entirely warranted. I think it’s ridiculous for someone to complain about a button. the button does not knock on their doors at dinner and annoy them until they give it money to go away. the button is simply sitting in this little corner, there if they feel like giving money. I also firmly believe that no one has any business to tell you which charity you can donate to. the money has been donated to you and it is then your money, telling people what it’s specifically going towards is a courtesy and not a request for permission. Good luck in all your endeavors.
I agree on every count, Victoriana. Thank you.
Kate, I hope you are keeping sane! There must be a lot of emotions from your experience and the negative comments here aren’t helping, either!
I hitchhiked from Romania to Istanbul in 2009 & my lift dropped me off in a residential area, far from anything on my map. I had no idea how to get to the center as it was my first time in Turkey, but some nice men (who spoke no English) helped me to a shop where the owner spoke English. Since I was exhausted from traveling for two days already, he gave me a chair, coffee, tea and a sandwich and talked to me for about an hour before helping me onward. He told me which furgon (minibus) to take and which bus to change to. He walked me out to the road, flagged the furgon down, paid the driver and handed me 10 Turkish Lira (about $7 US), telling me it would be enough to pay the next bus and get me on to wherever I was going next (10 Turkish Lira will buy a lot in Istanbul). I had money, but no Turkish Lira yet as the neighborhood had no ATMs or money change centers- it was just houses and this man’s shop. I was stunned by his generosity. As an American, it’s a good guess that I had more money than he did, but I don’t think anyone on my trip has matched the utterly selfless compassion he showed!
I’m a fellow budget traveler, but I’m home now, living with my parents and not spending much. I guess I’m travel-sick (not home-sick) and your blog is one of my remedies!
I’ll be donating some of my travel funds to you for three reasons:
1. To help out a fellow traveler in need
2. To repay the generosity the Turkish man showed me
3. To earn some traveler’s karma if I’m ever in a situation like this!
Please don’t let the negative comments get to you- those people aren’t in your situation and don’t know how you feel, so they have chosen not to donate. That’s fine. They can do it without the rudeness. I have been in your situation (on a much smaller scale) and I do know how you feel, so I do choose to donate!
Have a great rest of your trip, stay safe & keep smiling, Kate! Your adventures make for a great read, but try to keep everything above water!!!
Amy, thank you so much! I know it’s not easy to part with your money when you’re in travel saving mode, and I want you to know just how much I appreciate it!
What a crazy story!!
I will always pay it forward — I promise you that!
“But if you feel like throwing in $5 to buy me some undies, I would appreciate it greatly.”
In times where a place like Japan (and any other impoverished country) is in such dire need, everything about this paypal is in such poor taste and completely inappropriate, right down to your laughable plea for donations for some “undies.” (Especially considering that within the blog you clarify that $5 can buy you much more than underwear….I sure hope those that donated read that and caught the discrepancy before they over-donated). In a time where so many people need donations much more than you do, this all comes off as so tasteless.
Here is what would have been entirely classy and appropriate: Email the paypal link in a private, mass message only to those that encouraged it as well as family and friends that would possibly donate (mass message makes it so that those who do not want to contribute don’t feel obligated). Encourage them to send along to anyone that was not included so that they can possibly help as well.
Instead, you posted this paypal, and then as if to laugh in the face of all of those that donated, followed up with a tasteless tweet about buying a laptop before you bought underwear (which is implied from your tweet about holding your skirt down on the back of a motorbike while holding a brand shiny new laptop box so people don’t see you have no underwear on)- makes the entire paypal such a slap in the face to anyone who donated (which you [thankfully] must have realized, because you have since removed it). When people are lending you money, you should use it on the essentials before anything else.
@amy, “the college friend” and @Lana “i discuss EVERY one of Kate’s blog posts extensively with my family”…calling people “jerks” and “stupid,” respectively, just because they disagree with this paypal makes you no better than them. In fact, those that you chastised for disagreeing actually did so much more civilly than you responded to their opinions. Everyone is entitled to have an opinion on the subject, and, if they voice it civilly, they certainly do not deserve to be called a “jerk” or “stupid,” or anything of that nature.
Being shipwrecked certainly is horrible and no one is arguing with that. But people are allowed to voice their opinions on the subject of this paypal.
Kate, you continuously say that you DID NOT want to put up this paypal and continue to tell your naysayers that the button is “really only for those that asked for it to be put up.” If this was the case, you would not have titled this blog post “I NEED YOUR HELP.” In doing that, you’ve completely contradicted yourself, because it is obvious that you are hoping to get money from anyone you can. In addition, it reinforces the fact that, were that statement really true, you would have emailed the link to those close to you only, as I said above.
I am glad that you and others on your boat are all OK, but the public paypal was too much, and was in poor taste. Especially considering your parents wired you $1000 right off the bat – much more than I’m sure the average person on that boat received, or the average traveler suffering from a robbery, etc. If that was not enough to get by, you should go home.
And for the record – yes, you did get “punched in the face this trip…” but you brought it entirely upon yourself by drunkenly signing up for a wrestling match. Therefore, that should not be included in your list of “things ive overcome that did not send me home, therefore this lack of money should not either.” Further, commenting that having “haters” means it somehow makes you more popular or better – stop thinking about it in the “Lil Kim” sense and realize that people disagreeing with you actually means that perhaps you are doing something wrong, and people actually dislike you for it.
I hate to be brutally honest, but Kate – you REALLY need to grow up. And PLEASE, get yourself a pair of “undies.” For everyone’s sake.
Katy, under your other alias, you have been insulting my readers. That is not okay.
Beyond that, there’s one thing I want to clarify — my parents initially wired me $1000 as a loan because I had only one debit card left, and it was the one with only $19.99 left in the account. It would take three days to transfer money from PayPal or one of my other bank accounts. And, since I hadn’t found my passport yet, I thought I would need to book a flight to Jakarta immediately. As soon as my passport and my other credit cards were found, this became a nonissue.
If you don’t want to donate, nobody’s forcing you. If you don’t want to read this site, nobody’s forcing you. I honestly wonder why you’re spending so much time on a site you dislike so much.
So sorry to hear the bad news. Indonesia is where I’m originally from. I’m embarrassed that they stole your items. Shameless.
I can’t believe it. The shipwreck sounds like a nightmare. I’m sorry you lost so much. I would be thoroughly freaked out over the computer, until I got a new one. I’m glad you’re going to write about it in detail. You are the first person I know who’s been in a shipwreck. I’m glad you’re safe.
Thank you so much, Sabina!
I am amazed by all the hate.
Donating is a choice. If you don’t want to, don’t. If you are insulted by this, then stop reading. These are all choices.
I enjoy this blog because it is a different perspective, which traveling should encourage us to examine. I couldn’t travel the way Kate has. I wouldn’t want to. It is nice hearing about someone traveling the way she does, but it doesn’t mean I have travel that way or even approve of the way she does.
The people who have the biggest problem with this seem to be jealous, stupid, or self-righteous. The jealous ones wish they could be doing what Kate is, the stupid ones are the ones asking her inappropriate questions on the “Ask Kate Anything” post (grow up, seriously), and the self-righteous ones would object to Kate in any setting, traveling or otherwise, because they are threaten by her ‘liberated’ view of things. It’s funny that these three types would bother still reading this blog. Expect, of course, the stupid ones, who don’t know any better.
One last thing for the self-righteous, Kate is 26 (I think?). You can criticize her for accepting donations when there are other worthwhile causes. That’s fine, but I have a feeling that once all the partying is done, this is a person who might end up being an advocate for the people she’s met while traveling in Southeast Asia. It’s pretty obvious, despite all the bluster about partying, that it’s the people who have captured her heart.
Thank you for such a kind response, Erik! And yes, I am 26.
You’re right — anyone can see it’s all about the people. From the Sri Lankan and Somali refugees in Bangkok to the adorable kids of Cambodia to the incredibly kind people of Indonesia — and the amazing friends I’ve made from the UK, US, Netherlands, France, Italy, Scandinavia and beyond — these people have touched my heart forever.
I think the golden rule definitely applies in this situation: “Treat others the way you would want to be treated”. If I were in a situation like this I would definitely want support from family and friends, so I have no problem donating what I can in order to help. If others feel they would not need this kind of support, more power to you… but it’s no need to rage! Kate is extra lucky that she has an extended internet ‘family’ to rely on, but I believe she’s worked very hard to make a connection with her readers and deserves what ever she gets from the *GASP* donation button.
Plus, as a university student, I need all the cheap entertainment I can get! Even as a newish reader, Kate’s blog has provided me with literally hours of free entertainment and helped me choose to travel South East Asia for 4+ months next year. I think I can afford to kick in at least the price of a movie for all the study procrastination your blog has provided (never mind partial credit for re-infecting me with the travel bug, that is priceless)!
Thanks Kate and best of luck to all those affected by the shipwreck!
Kimsky, thank you. I’ve worked SO hard on this site. It’s my life. And I’m so lucky that I have this internet family — I work so hard to write something that makes them smile or laugh five times a week. So receiving their support means the world to me.
I’m so excited that you’re going to Southeast Asia next year! Please let me know if you have any questions or want any guesthouse recommendations!
Hi Kate! I’m so glad to hear that you’re safe and survived the shipwreck. It must have been absolutely terrifying. I have to be honest and say that I’m not donating because most of the items you lost on the ship are things that I have denied buying for myself since I’m saving so intently for my own RTW — but this is nothing personal against you! I don’t understand why there are so many mean, unkind comments here. Talk about people hitting you while you’re down. The way you asked for money in this post sounded perfectly gracious and honest. Don’t let the haters get to you.
Odysseus, I completely understand — thank you for saying so in a great response!
No worries about the haters — I’ve been dealing with them for years, and if you have any at all, it’s a sign that your blog is a success.
Whoa. What’s with all the haters?
I just don’t get it.
Almost every travel blog these days has a donate button on it, so it’s not like this is anything new. I used to think donate buttons on travel blogs were tacky (and still kind of do), but that didn’t stop me from putting one on my blog. (Hey, I’d been unemployed for 12 months… I figured why not? Besides, I pay for entertaining stuff all the time — ebooks, music, movies, cookies. If people are getting entertainment value out of my blog & want to pay me for that, why stop them?)
The only thing new about your request for help is that you actually need it. (Me, on the other hand? I haven’t been surviving many shipwrecks.)
Best of luck with the donations & with getting your backpack back in order!
Thanks very much, Sally!
Wow, it took me ages to catch up and read through all those comments! Just glad you’re OK and that things are starting to be sorted out for you…
Did your insurance end up covering anything? Travel insurance is often bullshit. A friend of mine in the UK and I went on a trip to Greece that she booked through her travel agency in London a few years ago. We purchased the insurance along with the trip. It was the night of the World Cup finals in Berlin–I remember it vividly–and we arrived at the airport in Kos in time for the flight that was on our ticket issued by the agency…only to find THE FLIGHT DIDN’T EXIST. The travel agency booked us on a flight that was not a flight–there were no Kos to Gatwick flights at all that day…and actually not for two more days to come! I was moving back to the States two days later and, much as I’d love to, had no time to kill in Greece. So we wound up buying a series of very expensive last minute flights back to Denmark, where I was living, and figured we’d get the money back later from the insurance company. We fought and fought and fought some more…and five years later I’ve yet to see a penny. Hope your luck is better…
Thank you! I have yet to file the claim. I’m pretty sure they will cover the flight to Bali ($113) and a FEW things I lost, but not many. Crazy story!!
# Love how I had to pour myself into the D&G jeans and the guy said they weren’t THAT skinny. Not THAI skinny…
# Bought bright dresses, skinny jeans, black flats, black shrugs — think I’ve got my UK-ready wardrobe now!!
—————————————
So, Kate… I see you’re putting that paypal money to good use judging by your latest tweets – Dolce and Gabbana jeans? Really?
Beach Senior, you are an internet troll of the highest order, so I usually send your replies to the spam folder. I honestly don’t know why you spend so much time on this site if you hate it so much. Does it really give you THAT much pleasure to spend your time somewhere you hate?
I don’t have to justify my purchases to you or anyone. Once people donated, which they did of their own accord, the money became mine. I can spend it however I want — and I’m using it to replace the items I lost.
But your reply makes me laugh, and that’s why I’m responding to it. You must not know much about Bangkok! Everything is CHEAP and everything is FAKE. I’d never buy real D&G jeans in a million years. I got these jeans — yes, FAKE Dolce and Gabbana jeans — for less than $30. You can’t even buy jeans at Wal-Mart for $30!
Now, go back to something that makes you REALLY happy.
Kate, just catching up on my RSS and came across this one. So terrible that you’ve lost everything but SO glad you are okay and we can keep reading your amazing tales! On a random side note, I’ve been retweeting your posts over the months, and my friend in Ghana (she’s Aussie) is absolutely obsessed with your blog! I think she’s whiling away her time in Ghana by reading your posts
Anyway, I’m hoping that everything is okay, that some insurance has come through and that there have been plenty of generous people out there donating to you (sorry, I haven’t read all the comments so this may have happened by now!).
All the best lovely!
That is so sweet, Rebecca! Thank you.