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
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
Do I over-analyze age? Is it, really, just a number? In my opinion, it is not. Through the decades of our lives, we go through a variety of different stages. If we are living as we should be, we experience many things that throw us up to the highest altitudes and the lowest depths (hopefully … Continue reading 33 Goals, Desires, and Aspirations for My 33rd Year
Another year of my life has come and gone, filled with hopes, aspirations, daydreams, adventure, and a whole lot of hard work. It's hard to believe that I'm 33, when I still feel like I'm 27. Nonetheless, if years are representative of what one learns, explores, sees, and accomplishes, then bring them on. As long … Continue reading Birthday Wishes
Inspiration is one of those intangible things that make this chaotic, and sometimes mundane, life a bit more magical. Whether it comes from art, music, deep conversation, nature, or exposure to something new, inspiration cracks our minds open, revealing fresh possibilities and realms unknown. This inexplicably beautiful experience brings creativity, motivation, and ingenuity to human … Continue reading Who, Me? The Very Inspiring Blogger Award
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
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
I arrived in Managua, Nicaragua on May 28th, 2007 at about 11 am or so. I stepped out of the airport and into the humid, enveloping heat. A feeling of reassurance and ease came over me like returning home after being away for years. I had never been to Central America before, but my surroundings— the … Continue reading Art in the City Dump- Volunteering in Managua, Nicaragua
Chronicles of a Travel Addict 