What To Do When Things Go Wrong
I wrote a piece a while ago about the risks of travel. My point, mainly, was this: Travel means taking risks, and travelers, in turn, should be prepared for things to go wrong. Why? Because, on the other hand, it is just so awesome when things go really, really right.…
The Risk of Solo Travel (and Why It’s Worth It)
If you’ve been following travel news at all–or, perhaps, just news in general–I’m sure you heard about Sarai Sierra, a young American mother traveling alone in Istanbul who went missing and was later found on the side of the road, half naked, bludgeoned to death. My heart broke when I…
The Identity Crisis of a Traveler
“I believe in the transformative power of travel,” Andrew Zimmern began when he got up on stage. He had just finished showing a clip from a recent episode of Bizarre Foods, the hit Travel Channel show that made Zimmern the travel celebrity he now is.
People were eager to hear…
Five Reasons to Visit Jordan. Now.
In 2007, I packed up a (large and over-flowing) bag, hopped on a plane, and moved to Amman, Jordan for my junior year of college abroad. It was, for about a thousand reasons, a year that completely changed my life.
Anyone who has spent a day with me—maybe even just…
How to Travel Alone (Without Being Lonely)
I’ll admit: I have a complicated relationship with solo travel. On the one hand, going solo allows one the most freedom, the most time for reflection, the most opportunity to meet new people (because, really, you have to) of any travel experience. It also means you can, whenever you’re ready,…
National Parks: Essentially American for Essentially Every Budget
In honor of the recent celebration of Earth Day, the government not shutting down in the midst of budget crisis, and the blossoming of spring and summer in general, it seems fitting to bring to attention a travel destination often overshadowed by international escapes and beach resorts: Our national parks. …
Go Ahead, Buy Some Happiness
Anyone who tells you money can’t buy happiness is wrong. What they mean to say is possessions can’t buy you happiness. Money, on the other hand, can buy you plane tickets and visas and bottles of foreign wine to be uncorked while gazing out over a perfect beachside sunset. Money…
How to Have a “Perfect” Trip
The secret to a perfect trip is much like the first rule of Fight Club: There is no perfect trip. There is no recipe for success, no combination of details that will guarantee you a good time, no amount of scheduling and booking that will make your time from touch-down…