Chad Pillai
Bio
Military Officer, World Traveler, and Author.
Stories (29/0)
London Calling
Twenty-four years ago, I departed London after having spent a semester abroad. My time in London was a formative experience since it was my first time living abroad and being away from my family. My first week was spent at the college in Uxbridge, now named Brunel University, in northwestern London, which partnered with the State University of New York, College of Brockport, in upstate New York. The first week in the university dorms allowed the students to search for an apartment or flat in British vernacular and get accustomed to British culture, including the Pub Culture and eating plenty of "Fish and Chips."
By Chad Pillai5 months ago in Wander
Haunted Rumors
I heard the rumors. More accurately, whispers. No one wanted to speak of the ancient ruins atop the hill. Out of curiosity, when I asked folks in town, all I received were frightened or angry looks with comments under their breath. I was the new naive person in town, unaware of the town’s history and lore.
By Chad Pillai6 months ago in Fiction
Malaga and Marbella, Spain
In 2004, I took the opportunity to visit Girona and Barcelona, Spain. I returned to Spain with my wife and daughter almost twenty years later. There were two motivations for visiting Spain this past August. First, my daughter missed the beaches on the Florida Gulf Coast, and Spain's Costa del Sol region met her wishes. Second, my wife and daughter both took DNA tests, and the results showed, like mine, that most of our ancestry came from Spain and Portugal.
By Chad Pillai8 months ago in Wander
PARIS
This past 4th of July weekend, my family and I took a road trip to Paris to see the sights. This was my third time visiting and my wife’s second; however, it would be my 13-year-old daughter’s first. Before the trip, we planned and reserved tickets for some of the main attractions in the city. We departed Germany on a Friday afternoon and drove through the beautiful countryside. Along the way, we passed Saarbrucken as we entered France. The route took us passed Metz and Reims. Additionally, we drove by several WWI battlefields, including Meuse-Argonne and Verdun. Around 5 pm, we entered the outskirts of Paris, and the traffic reminded us of New York City. We arrived at the La Villa Maillot Hotel, within walking distance of the Arc de Triomphe.
By Chad Pillai8 months ago in Wander
Strasbourg, France
My wife and I took a day trip from Wiesbaden, Germany, to Strasbourg, France, in early February. We had heard from friends that Strasbourg was a beautiful city across the German and French border with lots of charm and history. Additionally, Strasbourg is home to the European Union's Parliament.
By Chad Pillaiabout a year ago in Wander
Italian Spring Break
My family moved from Tampa, Florida, to Germany almost a year ago due to my job. Since then, we have taken small road trips within Germany and quick trips across the border to France and Belgium. During the last week of March 2023, my family decided to head south to enjoy the warmer weather in Italy. My family has been looking forward to the sunny weather since Germany's weather since October has been miserable. It is hard to overstate the misery and depression that can set in living in an area where the climate is primarily overcast and rainy. I am putting the trip in context because we departed on a rainy day from Germany and returned to rain again. The rain made driving through Switzerland less enjoyable because the mountain scenery was limited by the rain and overcast skies; however, once we crossed into Italy, it seemed like we had entered a completely different part of Europe.
By Chad Pillaiabout a year ago in Wander
Izmir, Turkey
I have always been a fan of history and geography since my childhood. When I was a teenager, I took my first overseas trip, where I began following the footsteps of Alexander the Great. Several years ago, I wrote and published stories about my trips to Greece, Iraq, Afghanistan, and India, all of which the famous Macedonian Emperor traveled and conquered. This January, I had the opportunity to travel to Izmir, Turkey, a beautiful city along the Aegean Sea.
By Chad Pillaiabout a year ago in Wander
Final Message
Last month, I traveled north from Girona, Spain, to Cherbourg, France, by rail to board the newest cruise ship headed to America. Leaving my mountainous hometown was emotionally challenging since I left all I knew behind. Girona is a beautiful ancient city in northern Spain, but life there was always hard for me, and I wanted a new beginning.
By Chad Pillai2 years ago in Fiction
Hawkeye
I will never forget my first Rottweiler. My family adopted him when he was about nine months old, and his previous owner named him King. We changed his name to Hawkeye, named after my mother’s favorite character from the book and movie The Last of the Mohicans. Hawkeye was a big boy and grew to weigh close to 150 pounds, and he was fast when he was young. A favorite pastime was for my sister, and I alternated between holding him by his collar while the other ran around the house. Once we got halfway around the yard, we yelled “Go,” and Hawkeye was allowed to chase us down. There is nothing more exhilarating than being tackled by a large, strong, and energetic beast.
By Chad Pillai2 years ago in Petlife
Secret Family
Kay looked at the photos of her husband in astonishment. She couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at the pictures of her husband's father, grandfather, great grandfather, and even his great-great-grandfather and the realization that they all looked like carbon copies of each other. All the men looked like identical twins at the exact same points in their lives. Kay knew that her husband's family had lived in the same area of England for hundreds of years and had built a massive fortune through land acquisition.
By Chad Pillai2 years ago in Fiction
Thanksgiving in a War Zone
For the first time in twenty years, there will be no Thanksgiving celebration in Afghanistan. I have celebrated Thanksgiving serving overseas in South Korea, Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan; however, the Thanksgiving celebration in Afghanistan in 2012 was the most memorable due to its impact on the international coalition.
By Chad Pillai2 years ago in Wander
Halloween in Europe
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love trying to convert my home into a haunted house to entertain the trick-or-treaters, and of course, that also means trips to Spirit Halloween. However, my best travel-related Halloween memories include visiting Castle Frankenstein in Germany and Transylvania in Romania.
By Chad Pillai2 years ago in Horror