Brad MacDonald

Tokyo | Kobe | Nagoya | Yokosuka | Kodaira
Five shows in a week in some of the best theaters I've ever seen, let alone performed in.

Jimbaron | Ubud
Following the Bellydance Evolution show in Japan we flew to Bali for a few days of relaxation, excessive eating and sun.

Mexico City
We did a single Bellydance Evolution show then proceeded to eat our way across Mexico City. Tacos, quesadillas, pozole, churros all washed down with gallons of horchata.

Valencia, Venezuela | Buenos Aires, Argentina
My first tour with Bellydance Evolution as the official Tour/Stage Manager.

Maui
The first time to Hawaii. We spent 10 days exploring Maui with an aggressively laid-back On-day/Off-day schedule. The On days were spent kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, zip-lining, biking and surfing while the Off days found us beach side. Every day included fresh seafood and wine.

Casablanca | Marrakech | Essaouria
I joined Kaeshi and the Bellydance Evolution show in Casablanca where I ran one of the spotlights for the show. Then we took the train to Marrakech where we explored the Cascade Falls and rented a car for a day drive to the Essaouria. One of the friendliest countries in the world if you're willing to pay 50 dirham for every interaction.

Beijing | Shanghai | Hainan Island | Lijian | Dali | Guilin | Yangshuo
These shots are collected from two trips separate trips to China. The first trip involved a business meeting in Beijing then vacation in Yunan Province and the second trip, in 2009, I was a speaker at GDC China in Shanghai. It's one of my life goals to live in China. It doesn't have to be a permanent move, just enough time to facilitate exploration and practice my Mandarin.

Edinburgh | Glasgow | The Isle of Skye
When I was a child my grandfather told my brother and I stories about the notorious MacDonald clan and I'm embarrassed to say I didn't really believe them until I went to Scotland. Whenever I paid for something with my credit card the local would read my name and offer some historical tidbit about my family and, invariably, the Massacre of Glencoe. The lesson learned: never trust a Campbell.

In 2001 I was hired to travel with and document Disturbed on there North American tour. I believe they were the second highest grossing tour of the year, after Madonna, but no one had actually heard of them. They had only released a single CD at that point so they were touring with a few opening bands including Drowning Pool and Adema. It was a month of after-parties, pain-killers, backstage passes, tour buses, caffeine and the Hells Angels.

Phnom Penh | Siem Reap
I hadn't ever considered Cambodia as a destination but we decided to add it a tour of Asia and, years later, the country still inspires and haunts me.

Old San Juan | Luquillo
We were invited to Puerto Rico for the wedding of our friends Sandralis and Eduardo. We swam in a bioluminescent bay, hiked in the rain forest and had an incredible time at the wedding even when it was hit by a small typhoon.

Bangkok
I wouldn't consider leaving New York City for many places but Thailand is one of them and we never even got out of Bangkok. It's chaotic, dirty, and hot but the people are wonderful and the food is heavenly. I spent several months after this trip researching real-estate in Thailand and it's still and second-home candidate.

Tokyo
Tokyo is deceptive. At face value it looks like a modern Western city and seems like it should be easy to negotiate. Hah. It's a wonderful place to be out of balance but safe in the knowledge that the locals won't let you screw up too badly. I loved it and will eventually return to explore more of the country.

Augsburg
We flew to Augsburg for the wedding of our friends Amina and Christoph. For the record, they are the best hosts a traveler will ever meet. Period. Rest, laugh, drink, eat then repeat daily.

Hungary | Croatia | Slovenia | Italy
I met up with Bellyqueen in Budapest in the middle of their European tour then spent the next couple weeks driving them from city to city. I've always loved driving in other countries and this trip cemented my desire to continue following the white line overseas.

Sydney
Kaeshi received the sad news that her father passed away and we flew to Australia to help her mother take care of their estate and prepare for a move to NYC. Despite the tragic circumstances I learned a great deal about Kaeshi's family and, consequently, our own relationship. In passing her father had given the family a fresh opportunity to reconnect. He was always generous but his final gift is something we feel every day.