Travel is often fun and relaxing – an escape from our everyday lives. But travel can also be an eye-opening experience – an opportunity to gain perspective and learn about the rest of the world. Sometimes the most meaningful travel experiences occur when you visit a place that teaches you something new and changes the …
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 …
When an earthquake strikes, it can garner a lot of attention in the days and weeks that follow. I can clearly remember being glued to my television set watching the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan a couple years ago and the tsunami that followed. But what happens in the years that follow the earthquake? …
Thinking about the past year leaves me with very mixed emotions. After being back in the United States for over three months now, it sometimes feels like the nine months before that didn’t even happen. Not being settled in a single place and spending all my time job hunting and doing freelance work means I …
As 2012 winds down, I thought I would take a look back at some of the most memorable places I visited over the last year. From ancient castles and ruined churches to mountain villages and charming cities, my favorite destinations had a little of everything – and were each unique in their own way. Some …
After spending the day picnicking at nearby Marmashen Monastery, I wound up a Sunday in Gyumri by joining a group of volunteers on a small hill on the edge of town to watch the sun set. Sitting in a circle with Armenian music playing from someone’s phone, we ate, drank, talked and laughed – and …
My first impression of travel in the Caucasus region was a good one, arriving in sunny Batumi, Georgia to a warm welcome from the immigration officers. One night later, I was on an overnight train, sharing a couple of bottles of cognac with three new Georgian friends. It was just a taste of what was …
Travel in the Caucasus: Comparing Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan Read More »
Ah, Armenia. So many ups. So many downs. So many great memories and a few bittersweet ones as well. I have said before that my time in Armenia wasn’t so much about the country itself as it was about the people I met and the lessons I learned. Nonetheless, certain things definitely stand out to …
If all goes well, you will actually be reading this on or around my 10 month anniversary of traveling. I say that because I am writing it from the village of Shing, which is located in the Zerafshan Valley in western Tajikistan. While I have a so-called 3G mini-modem here, the coverage has been anything …
There is something incredibly comfortable about returning to a place for a second (or third or fourth) time. You know how to get around, you know where to go, and you know how things work. Things are so easy compared to arriving in a strange city for the first time. This was certainly …