A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take a helicopter tour of Chicago, courtesy of Viator.com. Despite the overcast skies, it was an unforgettable experience as we approached the city from the south, soared over the shoreline, made a pass around Wrigley Field and finally did a fly-by of the Willis Tower.
Saturday Scenes: Chicago From Above Read More »
I thought travel would change me. I wanted travel to change me. I wanted to emerge from 13 months of traveling and volunteering around the world a better person – more patient and more open to taking risks. I hoped to find new, like-minded friends and develop new relationships. I secretly hoped I might finally
How Travel Didn’t Solve Anything Read More »
The idea of quitting your job in an uncertain economy can be scary. I have made no secret of the fact that finding a job after I returned from my 13-month career break was my biggest fear before I left and while I was on the road. I have often said that I was lucky to
How to Find a Job After You Quit Your Job to Travel: Before You Go Read More »
I first visited Washington, D.C. when I was in 8th grade. My dad took me over Spring Break – I chose D.C. over Disney World. Yes, I’m a nerd like that. I don’t remember much from that first trip. I know we visited the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol Building. We probably visited the
A Weekend in Our Nation’s Capital Read More »
Lake Sevan was the first place I visited outside of Yerevan during my stay in Armenia. The lake is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in the world but, unfortunately, was once on its way to becoming an ecological disaster along the same lines of the Aral Sea. In the 1930s, Soviet engineers decided
Saturday Scenes: Lake Sevan, Armenia Read More »
Guidebooks seem to be the one travel accessory that everyone loves to hate. Self-proclaimed “travelers not tourists” bemoan the fact that the likes of Lonely Planet create a typical tourist trail through cities – bars, restaurants and hotels that are overrated and overrun with tourists. They insist on ignoring the guidebooks altogether, saying they don’t
Lonely Planet: Don’t Leave Home Without It Read More »
A year ago at this time, I was sailing across the Black Sea from Odessa, Ukraine to Batumi, Georgia. This is the first shot I took after waking up and peeking out the window my first morning on the ferry. I ended up taking far more sunrise pictures than I anticipated as what should have
Saturday Scenes: Waking Up on the Black Sea Read More »
I have always considered myself a bit of a nerd. Not by choice, but by others’ definitions. I was one of those kids who was constantly picked on in elementary school and junior high, with my uber-thick glasses, frizzy hair, chubby thighs and horrible acne. The label subconsciously stuck with me throughout adulthood – deep-down
Am I a Nerd at Heart? Read More »
I have never made it a secret that my biggest fear when I quit my job to travel was finding another job when I returned. While I will write more later about specific tips and what I think worked well in my job search, I thought I would share an inside look at how it
Diary of a Job Search Read More »
The Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine dates back to 1787 and has long been the burial place for the city’s upper classes. Despite knee-high snow drifts and below freezing temperatures, I spent a couple hours wandering around the ornate tombs scattered among the hills and pine trees on the outskirts of the city. With no
Saturday Scenes: Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv Read More »
