Back in 2005, I had the chance to visit one of the world's oldest UNESCO World Heritage sites. Teotihuacan, located about 45 minutes northeast of Mexico City, Mexico, was built by the Teotihuacanos sometime between the 1st and 7th century, A.D. Its massive structures include the Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Moon, and … Continue reading Nuns at Teotihuacan
Admittedly, the beginning of 2013 was quite a dreary one. As I wrote in the past, the months of February and March meant the end of an engagement, but also the beginning of a completely new life for me. I realized what it truly meant to love myself, and what I had been giving up in a futile attempt to … Continue reading 13 Unforgettable Moments in 2013
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
The thought of international travel seemed a wicked, impossible taunt just months ago. My passport lay abandoned and forlorn in my nightstand drawer, gathering dust as I struggled to crack the mold of weariness that enveloped me. I had spent over a month in LA working and visiting old friends, rearranging my life's unrecognizably morphed puzzle … Continue reading Taiwan: The Call of Liberation
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
Dia de los Muertos is a holiday observed in Mexico on November 1st and 2nd, where people celebrate the lives of those that have passed away. Altars are set up everywhere in honor of the dead; food, alcohol, cigarettes, pictures, and anything else that the dead may have liked are set out as an offering, for … Continue reading Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico
Vietnam was always high on my list of places to visit. As far as I can remember, my father had always talked about the Vietnam War. He was drafted just after he and my mother married at the age of twenty and nineteen. They married so young in hopes that my dad wouldn't receive that dreaded … Continue reading The Aftermath of War
Stir-crazy I sit here Wanting to be there, anywhere, everywhere I’m a caged lioness A stadium-raged bull A wasp in a jar An alien in the womb An elephant in a plastic swimming pool I am A voice unheard A word unwritten A breath unreleased A future untold A trip not taken- A moment ready … Continue reading Boxes are not My Reality
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?
On the road again- this time from Kuala Lumpur up north to Penang. The bus I sit in is quite comfortable and air-conditioned- a bit more luxurious than I’m used to. The winding path that takes us through Penang is overwhelming- inundated, lush verdure. It seems the trees may come in and reach into the bus, brush against me, … Continue reading On the Road to Penang
