I have butterflies in my stomach as I write this. It’s just over 12 hours until I leave for Mali and Burkina Faso and I am really nervous – more nervous than I can ever remember feeling before a trip. And no, it has nothing to do with Ebola. I was nervous about this trip […]
Experiencing Pre-Trip Jitters Read More »
I admit, I feel a little weird telling people I am going to travel to West Africa next weekend. I feel like I immediately have to qualify the statement with a “but I’m not going to any countries where Ebola is!” And that statement almost would have been true. While the first case of Ebola
My Plans for West Africa Read More »
The sun was still shining as I exited the airport in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It was 6:30 p.m., but on a Saturday in late August, that meant I still had about two hours of daylight remaining. I ignored the touts offering me a ride and instead headed straight to the official taxi stand,
Impressions of Bulgaria Read More »
I am going to West Africa next month. On November 23, I will arrive in Bamako, Mali and spend one week there before moving on to neighboring Burkina Faso, eventually flying out of Ouagadougou on December 6. I booked my flights back in September and finalized an itinerary for the whole trip in the last
Yes, I am Still Going to West Africa Read More »
I have lived in Chicago for more than a decade, but there are still a lot of places I haven’t seen, things I haven’t done and buildings into which I have never ventured. Sometimes all it takes is a good excuse to do so and Open House Chicago this past weekend provided such an excuse.
Open House Chicago: An Open Door to the Windy City Read More »
I recently had an epiphany. I kind of hate what travel blogging has become. When I started blogging four years ago in anticipation of traveling around the former Soviet Union for a year, I was simply looking for a way to share my stories with friends and family, record my adventures for my own sake
Why I’m Quitting Travel Blogging. Kind Of. Read More »
I will be the first to admit I probably overdid it on my weekend visit to Toronto in August. I was just so excited to visit and there was so much to see and do that I wanted to see and do it all at once. And then I realized how good the food was
Trying to See All of Toronto in Two Days Read More »
I recently completed a Beginner II level course in French at Multilingual Connections here in Chicago. As you may recall, I first started thinking about learning French back when I was on my career break. Then, once I decided to head to West Africa this fall, I was even more excited to learn the language.
How Not to Learn French (or any other language) Read More »
Did you know Bulgaria is technically part of the Balkans? I feel silly saying it, but I did not know that until I actually visited. I had always thought of the Balkans as being the countries of the former Yugoslavia, but in reality, the Balkan peninsula (and thus, “the Balkans”) includes Bulgaria as well. So
Riding the Highest Narrow Gauge Railway in the Balkans Read More »
Staring ahead of me, all I saw was green. The leaves were an amazing bright color of green, occasionally reflecting the glaring sun that they so thankfully blocked out. I felt like I was in a tunnel and had no idea how long it would stretch. I questioned whether I should continue, but told myself
Searching for St. Ivan’s Chapel Read More »
