Right about now, I’m supposed to be landing in Uzbekistan, there to celebrate their new year and spend 2.5 weeks exploring the Central Asian country. Instead, like many of you, I am at home, practicing social distancing and trying to help #flattenthecurve. It’s the responsible thing to do for ourselves and our communities, even if… Read More 5 Ways to Satisfy Your Wanderlust from Home
Since I’ve been home from my travels, the two main questions I get asked are some variation of the following: “Where was your favorite place?” and “What did you learn about yourself?” While I have answers to those questions, perhaps the biggest change I found in myself was my improved ability to make what I’ve… Read More Fleeting Friends: On Making Friends While Traveling
I’m fascinated by new places, people, and experiences, and like a bug drawn to the light, I’ve always wanted to go. Anywhere and everywhere. Go here, see this, try that. It’s one reason why travel, especially international travel, has always been so important to me. Without it, I feel like a fish out of water,… Read More FUNemployment Adventures
Originally posted Wednesday, August 1, 2012 Formerly an official state language during the Qing Dynasty, China’s last imperial dynasty, the Manchu language is now on the verge of extinction. There are more than 10 million ethnic Manchus in China, yet fewer than 20 native speakers remain. Introducing…In Search of Manchuria For those who have followed… Read More In Search of Manchuria: Introducing “The Words of the Emperor”
My dreams of Lisbon led me to the city last fall. From there, I made my way to the southern coast of Portugal, across the border to Seville, and then Granada and finally Madrid, a solo trip through the gorgeous countries of Portugal and Spain. It was my first 100% solo trip in countries where… Read More P.S. 2016 – Solo Tripping Portugal and Spain
No, seriously, my trip to Lisbon began with a dream. A couple years back, I woke up having dreamed about going to Lisbon solo. At the time, I didn’t really know much about Lisbon other than that it had what is basically a Golden Gate Bridge replica. But that dream initiated my fascination with solo… Read More I Dream of Lisbon
Okay, fine, technically we were in Cuba for 8 days, but you can use this guide to create an itinerary for one week in Cuba or use it as building blocks for a shorter or longer trip. If you’re a visual person like me, you can also take a photographic journey of this Cuba trip first before… Read More One Week in Cuba Itinerary
For some odd reason my SF girlfriends and I always tend to pick the South for ladies trips, be it NOLA, Austin, or for this spring, Nashville. Perhaps it’s the southern food (nomnom) or the gloriously warm weather. Nashville is by now the proclaimed bachelorette party city of the country, and we certainly considered having a… Read More A Weekend in Nashville with the Ladies
Cuba is gorgeous, and traveling through the country is a fascinating experience, but it can take a good bit of planning. I put together the first version of this Cuba travel planning tips list in a Google Doc at the request of friends, coworkers, and even strangers (hey, maybe that’s how you found the link to this… Read More Going to Cuba? Here are Tips to Help You Plan
Growing up in Florida, Cuba was always just a hop and a skip away, and Cuban people and Cuban food were all around. Yet it was also as foreign as Bhutan given the little education we’d received in school (mainly regarding the Cuban missile crisis). So when President Obama relaxed travel restrictions to Cuba right around… Read More Cuba in Photos