I sip on a six euro coffee and whiskey, feeling the sun gently warming my skin. The foreign, sticky layer of sunblock shines upon my face; I’m no longer in Portland. An aroma mixed of coffee, cigarettes, and wine hangs in the air despite the slight breeze, and dozens of people chatter in Babylonian tongues. … Continue reading Cafe Iruña Musings
Tag: Writing
Losing My Innocence in Spain
It's about time I lose my innocence. Again. This fantasy of mine has been swelling up, transforming, and growing beyond the limits of my imagination for 17 years now. Many people think that innocence is something that is lost once we hit adulthood. Once we have sex, fall in love, become heartbroken, try a drug, … Continue reading Losing My Innocence in Spain
The Dangers of a Domestic Life
When I was young, I promised myself I wouldn't learn to cook because I didn't want to be a housewife. The majority of my existence, I suppose, has revolved around wanting to be free, wanting to avoid domesticity. I haven't wanted to be tied down by possessions, relationships, or negative thoughts that I couldn't do … Continue reading The Dangers of a Domestic Life
The Liebster Award Revisited
Just when you least expect it, someone notices all the hard work you pour into your site. I was both surprised and honored to recently be nominated for the Liebster Award by I HEART EARTH. I am a huge fan of this website, not to mention the author's beliefs and intentions behind her travel. This only … Continue reading The Liebster Award Revisited
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
13 Unforgettable Moments in 2013
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
Hometown Parking Lot Blues
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
Taiwan: The Call of Liberation
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
Seattle’s Fremont Troll
This past summer, one of my best friends and I set on a road trip in my car, whom I affectionately call "Betsey". I'd been wanting to take this trip for years. I'd done the south-bound trip on the I-5 in California far too many times, and wanted something different. With the windows rolled down, the … Continue reading Seattle’s Fremont Troll
The Truth about Travel Addiction
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
Chronicles of a Travel Addict 