Somehow I feel like it has always been in my soul to travel and go as far as possible, long before I even knew what a passport or a frequent flyer membership was. But I guess it must have come from somewhere and I’ll give that honor to my mother, Connie Thomas. Although she didn’t travel… Read more
I never rode a motorcycle or moped or anything with two wheels and a motor until I went to Viet Nam back in 2001. They had always scared me a bit – especially the thought of skin meeting asphalt – but more than anything, I just never had the need to ride a motorcycle. Cars, buses… Read more
I am not sure if this technically counts as a ‘foreign film’ or not, but I’m going to say “Stealing Beauty”. True, the main character is American, but most of the rest of the cast is British or Irish or Italian and its filmed in the Italian countryside. So does that count? I like to think… Read more
É pau, é pedra, é o fim do caminho é um resto de toco, é um pouco sozinho When I was a little girl, my mother loved to listen to Bossa Nova music. She would often have a a Sergio Mendes or Stan Getz album on the record player while she was cleaning the house or… Read more
I don’t know why it took me so long to realize how closely tied food and travel are. I don’t think I really got it until my first trip to Italy where good food is never more than a footstep away. Choosing a restaurant in a new city is as important as seeing the major tourist… Read more
For trips under three weeks, I usually miss very little. When I’m gone for this short amount of time, if I have time to miss anything that means I’m probably not exposing myself to new experiences and risks. If I open myself up more to meeting people, visiting new places or even eating new foods, there’s… Read more
I have some friends who have lived in the same city since they were small children. In a situation like this, it is easier to determine what home means. For me, it is less about a place since I haven’t lived in the town where I grew up in many many maaaany years (though I’ll be… Read more
One thing I can’t travel without: my iPod. Its old school (circa 2006) but it hasn’t failed me yet and it allows me to have my favorite music ready to go whenever I need a pick me up or to relax or to drown out the crying toddler sitting behind me. It also allows me to… Read more
Not your typical Carnaval shot. This picture was taken in a small town called Beberibe in the Brazilian state of Ceara. No huge samba parades in this town – just a big town square where people hang out, drink and listen to (not so great) music. One tradition I was NOT aware of is the Flour… Read more
That’s one of the best things about travel. Almost every day is an adventure. Even going to the store to buy a loaf of bread…if you don’t know the language or the customs or the currency…can be an adventure. I’d have to say one memorable adventure was camping out and then going on a walking safari… Read more