As promised in last Thursday’s blog post, here are some findings from my recent, highly un-scientific study of Duty Free shopping vs. department store shopping and whether or not there are truly savings to be had. For my study I chose one item, Christian Dior’s J’Adore Eau de Parfum (100 ml), as the item of study. In… Read more
Beirut is a city that is always in transition. Even though I hadn’t been gone for a full year, on my latest trip, I already noticed a number of differences. Some of my regular hangouts had shuttered their windows and closed up shop. In fact the whole nightlife part of town had shifted about a mile… Read more
Jet lag is a funny thing. I wasn’t really in Beirut long enough to get on a totally different time schedule and I flew through enough time zones that my body has no idea where or when it is. I arrived back home in Los Angeles late Monday morning and felt surprisingly good even though I… Read more
In a few moments we will be landing in Kuwait City. Please make sure you have collected all of your belongings, and that your seatbelts are securely fastened around your waist. We will be arriving on time at 5:25 PM and the temperature outside is a balmy 110 degrees.Um, excuse me? ONE HUNDRED AND TEN DEGREES? … Read more
Shiny new passport (check), properly broken in carry-on luggage (check), a few new tunes added to my Flight Plan playlist on my iPod (check)…its time to roll! I haven’t left the country since (gasp!) February and according to my 2013 travel plan I am well overdue for a journey. So off I go tomorrow for a… Read more
As much as I try not to be, I’m a rule follower. I like order, I like organization (even if you’d never know it by looking at my suitcase packing techniques), I like things in place and needles to say, I like lists. Lists of things, lists of facts, To Do lists and Top 10, 100… Read more
I often find myself torn. I like the finer things in life: 1st class cabins, high end food and beverage, luxury hotels. I mean, who doesn’t like to be pampered from time to time? But I also want to get the most out of my travel and really get to see “real life” in a country… Read more
Dream Big! Go hard or go home! That’s what I was yelling in my head as I came up with my travel wish list for 2013. I may be stretching a bit, but why the hell not?? Here’s my list of places I really hope to make it to this year (organized by brand new countries… Read more
Its been a BIG travel year and I couldn’t have been more blessed. My normal annual goals for foreign countries visited is 4 but I hit it out of the park this year with 17. What a year! The 5 months I spent on the road were so eye opening filled with new experiences, wonderful reunions… Read more
In my humble (yet correct) opinion, Lebanese food is some of the most delicious in the world. Whether your vegetarian, pescatarian, or hard core meat eater, there’s something fresh and delicious to fit your palate. You can pick up a simple kebab sandwich at a street stand or sit down to a 3 course meal that… Read more