This is a timeline of my experience traveling to Hawaii from the mainland US in December, 2020, plus current COVID-19 restrictions for Hawaii, the pre-travel test I took in the airport, and whether the trip makes sense during a pandemic – ethically or otherwise. A long, long time ago, I wrote a pair of posts […]
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Sustainable Toiletries: The Best Low-Waste Brands [That TSA Won’t Steal]
My travel-friendly, less-waste, and mostly plastic-free toiletry routine: After lots of trial and error (which I’ve covered in other product reviews over more than a year of testing!) this list contains only the best brands in each toiletry category! Look no further for plastic-free toiletries that are mostly gender-neutral and feel like a treat to […]
What Makes Cruising THAT Bad for the Environment?
An overview – in plain English – of the biggest sustainability problems with cruise ships, and some solutions for how to fix them. (From interviews with experts!) Among other foiled travel plans this year, I had scheduled a dreamy sounding trip in Mexico with UnCruise, a company that bills itself as a sustainable alternative to […]
LastSwab vs EarthSider Review [How to Avoid Zero-Waste Greenwashing]
A detailed, honest review of the pros and cons of all of LastObject’s reusable products (LastSwab “cotton” swabs, LastRound cotton pads, and LastTissue) and exactly why they’re more sustainable than the competition. What’s your biggest pet peeve? If you know me, you probably know that I can’t stand anything fake. Things, people or companies that […]
How Do You Actually Move Abroad? [11 Strategies from a Serial Expat]
A few weeks ago, I got a text from an American friend asking me one simple question: “How can I move abroad?” Understandable, I thought. Especially this year. Understandable any year, really! I’ve been bitten by the move-abroad bug many times. I first “moved” to Spain to study abroad in college for six months, then […]
Update: Why I Moved Home to the Mountains & What’s Next
Where I am now (in Montana!), why I’ve left Chicago, and why you’re suddenly seeing posts about plastic-free products on this blog. Almost every year around the end of summer, I write an update post. Maybe it’s the back-to-school vibes that make me feel like this is the time for taking stock. And putting things […]
12 Life Lessons from 6 Years of Travel Blogging
If you’re looking for technical blogging advice, this is not it. This is not about websites; it’s about life, creativity and small businesses, and what I’ve learned from very slowly building a travel blog and a business. 1. If you’re trying to figure out what you want to do for a career, look at the […]
Plastic-Free Laundry & Cleaning Swaps That Are Easy to Stick With (UPDATED 2021)
I didn’t write this because I think cleaning products are fun, I wrote it because they’re easy to give up. Plastic pollution can feel impossible to solve, so start with something easy.
4+ Shampoo Bar Reviews [A Low-Pressure Intro to Plastic-Free July]
2021 Note: This was my very first sustainable product review! I’ve updated it with product changes, and I’ve since written many more reviews, including of my new favorite shampoo & conditioner bars. Check them all out and let me know in the comments if you have questions! Does anyone else feel like they’d like to […]
Italian Aperitivo Stories [and Expert Cocktail Recipes]
All about aperitivo culture in Italy, plus three expert cocktail recipes for the classic Italian aperitivo cocktails: the (Aperol) Spritz, Negroni, and Sbagliato. Enjoy! A recent highlight of life in lockdown came when I tuned in to a virtual aperitivo cocktail party – the kind we’ve probably all had with someone in recent months, even […]
Italo vs TrenItalia vs ItaliaRail [An Expat’s Guide to Train Travel in Italy]
This guide is all about how to navigate Italy by train. After living in Italy for three years, I’ve answered every FAQ I could think of about Italian train travel, and explained the different options for buying train tickets: TrenItalia, ItaliaRail, and Italo. Now that I’m back in the land of highways and huge distances […]
Racial Justice, a Militarized America, and Why This is on a Travel Blog
Today, I’m writing about the national protests after George Floyd’s murder, and the context of racism and violence in the US. I’m using the same perspective from which I’ve written about injustices and cultures around the world – that of an outsider and a traveler. I don’t speak for Chicago, and I clearly don’t speak […]
