First Impressions of Kerala, India

It’s 7:30am and I’m sitting on the restaurant patio of Xandari Resort, overlooking the harbor of Fort Kochi. As I eat a massive dosa masala with a side of fruit and plenty of black coffee, I watch the crows, clinging to boats’ metal poles with their talons, chewing on chicken feet. These aren’t feet like … Continue reading First Impressions of Kerala, India

Donald Trump Blues: My Response to the U.S. Presidential Election

It’s now been a week since I felt the San Andreas shake beneath my feet, throwing my heart to the ground and my hope into a hellish vision for the future. No, it wasn’t a real earthquake, because if it had been, I would have enjoyed it. As most everyone is aware, one week ago, … Continue reading Donald Trump Blues: My Response to the U.S. Presidential Election

On the Decision to Ban Pit Bulls in Montreal, Canada

Here's the truth: There are SO MANY things going on in the world today that deserve discussion. My heart bleeds every morning and every evening when I see that innocent people are not only being killed, but being targeted as well. I die a little bit more inside when I hear people talking about the … Continue reading On the Decision to Ban Pit Bulls in Montreal, Canada

Reykjavik’s Ubiquitous Street Art

Street art. While some people see it as defacing public property, I beg to differ. Street art is a massive statement of the city’s people, not only claiming the city as their own, but adding their own personal or social experience to the place’s visual appearance. When I was studying Latin American Art History in … Continue reading Reykjavik’s Ubiquitous Street Art

Happy World Rhino Day!

Happy World Rhino Day! I wrote the piece below at the very beginning of the year, when over 100 travel bloggers, sponsors, and Travelers Building Change gathered to help Rhinos Without Borders to raise $45,000- an effort coined #JustOneRhino. While this campaign has ended, I am ecstatic to share that Rhinos Without Borders was successful in … Continue reading Happy World Rhino Day!

Five Places Where I’ve Left My Heart- and Must Return

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

Travel Talk Tuesdays 4/15: Asia

TTT Topic: Asia 1) What country do you want to visit the most in Asia? Hands down, I'd choose India. I've been jonesing to visit this country for over eight years, and while I've spent a decent amount of time in Asia, it still hasn't happened. Everyone I've spoken with has said that India is … Continue reading Travel Talk Tuesdays 4/15: Asia

Avoiding Wildlife Exploitation While Travelling

Animal rights have always been very important to me. I support causes like PETA, WWF, The Jane Goodall Institute, and even "adopted" an orangutan for a couple of years via The Orangutan Foundation International. At the age of 11, I became a vegetarian, and a little over two months ago, a vegan. I know I … Continue reading Avoiding Wildlife Exploitation While Travelling

Streets and Scenes of Bogota

Colombia. Drugs. Violence. Guerrillas. Death. Corruption. There is a common misconception within the US- and other first world countries- that these words are synonymous. I decided to write my Master's thesis on La Violencia, or "The Violence", in Colombia to prove that this notion was terribly false. From 1948 to 1958, the country experienced a massive … Continue reading Streets and Scenes of Bogota

International Women’s Day: My Heroines

Today I was reading through my personal Facebook feed and found some men questioning the purpose of International Women's Day. What, should we stop what we're doing simply to revel in women's beauty for an entire day? Um, excuse me?! This is only one of many issues that irk me. Women are not here on this earth … Continue reading International Women’s Day: My Heroines