Without a clear intent or purpose, I found myself in Central America with a bag bursting with beautiful, intricate, bold jewelry I’d collected, this time around, from three countries. I loved speaking with the vendors, hearing their stories and watching the care they took in making their crafts. I was amazed at the art people … Continue reading The Evolution of Love. Spark. Fire.
The more I travel, the more I perceive the world as vast, complex, intriguing, yet somehow closely woven . Over the past 11 years- since I began traveling- I’ve been to 22 countries and easily more than 250 cities. Some of these places were memorable, some gave me horror stories to tell for a lifetime, and … Continue reading Five Places Where I’ve Left My Heart- and Must Return
The relationship between tattoos and travel has been on my mind for quite sometime. Do people tend to get body art while on vacation because they're actually embracing the moment, feel out of character and able to do anything they want, or because they've had a few too many margaritas? (Come on, I know a … Continue reading Tattoos and Travel
When I moved to Argentina, there was much I had to learn not only about the country and the Latin American region, but also myself. At the romantic, idealistic age of twenty-two, I bought my one-way ticket to Buenos Aires. I was prepared to volunteer teaching English, finish the novel I'd started the year before, become … Continue reading Buenos Aires: A Time of Struggle, Awakening, and Transformation
I wrote the following passage on a lunch break, just months after I had moved back to the United States from Argentina. 7/26/05 I sit in this hot, dusty parked car, listening to Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, daydreaming about being back in Buenos Aires. I watch a man across the way sizing up a truck like last … Continue reading Hometown Parking Lot Blues
Addiction. It's a strong word. It is also very, very much overused and, in my opinion, not taken seriously enough anymore. People commonly refer to themselves playfully as "shopaholics", "chocoholics", and so on. "I'm so addicted to that show!" "I'm totally addicted to cat memes!" "OMG, I have a major shoe addiction!" Sure. You like something- … Continue reading The Truth about Travel Addiction
I admit it. When I was young and impressionable, seeking the easiest route, I gave up vegetarianism to see the world. It was a very naïve, pitiful decision. The very first country I traveled to was Mexico. Aside from that one weekend of debauchery in Tijuana while at UCLA, this experience took place in Zihuatanejo and Monterrey, Mexico. Overwhelmed … Continue reading Traveling Vegetarian: How to Stay Satiated (and Sane)
Yes, I had traveled alone to Zihuatanejo, Mexico to visit my loser ex-boyfriend, and I had already saved up a year's worth of income to move to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I had a volunteer program waiting for me. But this was different. Here I was, completely alone, hung over from the Halloween party the night before, … Continue reading Do You Have What it Takes to Travel Alone?
After spending almost eight months living in Argentina and backpacking around South America, I decided enough was enough. I needed to see the glaciers in Patagonia no matter what. I booked a flight and headed out the next day from Buenos Aires. A big mistake I made was failing to reserve a dorm room, as … Continue reading The Beauty of Perito Moreno
Why do people say that they would love to travel, if only they had the money? To me, that's just an excuse. I wasn't born into wealth- far from it. I started working when I was 11 years old, and surely haven't (yet) achieved the lifestyle of the rich and famous. No matter; travel is … Continue reading 11 Ways You Can Travel on the Cheap
Chronicles of a Travel Addict 