Lots of tour companies in Greece can take you out on a sailboat for a day – usually with sunbathing, cocktails and swimming stops. But instead of hopping on one of those when I visited the island of Paros, I found my way onto a scientific research trip, sailing its way through the Greek islands, […]
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Group Trip? Planned! [How to Book These 4 Eco-Luxury Villas in Europe]
As I’m writing this article, I’m wondering if it’s almost too good to be true. These luxurious European vacation rentals are stunning, sustainable and – if you get a few friends together – bizarrely affordable. I’m talking less than $100 per person per night for a beautiful villa in Europe with a private pool. When I […]
Best AirBnb Alternatives with Flair: 13 Unique & Sustainable Options
Traveling with Airbnb used to mean something pretty different from what it’s come to mean today. When it was founded in 2008, AirBnb was about staying in local people’s homes, helping them make a little extra cash, and having some level of cultural exchange at the same time. It was pretty close to what Couchsurfing […]
7 Plastic-Free Face Wash Options Tested (Bars, Oils, Powders & More!)
Zero-waste face wash options have come a long way. These facial cleansers in bar, oil, and powder forms have top-quality skincare ingredients, and plastic-free packaging! (And of course, all are carefully tested and vetted by yours truly.) The brands that met my standards for this review: Dew Mighty, Blueland, Activist Skincare, Earth Harbor, Ethique, Youth […]
Mississippi Blues Trail Guide: Local Businesses, Restaurants & Can’t-Miss Stops
Driving south from Memphis, down the famous Highway 61 through the Mississippi Delta, the area sure doesn’t look like much – and that’s the way many people have thought of the Delta for years. Although it could be an easy sell for tourists, with its deep music history, the Delta is just as famous for […]
8 Italian Habits You’ll Pick Up After Living in Italy
Let’s go beyond the obvious – talking with your hands, kissing cheeks in greeting and, yes, eating lots of pasta. These are some deeper Italian habits, cultural values, and personality traits that I picked up (and learned to love) as an expat in Italy. I’ve lived in a lot of places in my adult life, and […]
How to Use Ferries for Greek Island Hopping (And the Best Way to Book Your Tickets)
This is a guide to traveling by ferry in Greece (and between Greece and Italy), including how to buy Greek ferry tickets with FerryHopper, how far in advance to buy them, the truth about potentially saving money buying ferry ticket “passes,” and many more tips! At the beginning of a recent trip exploring two Greek […]
Paros Travel Guide: the Best Sustainable Hotels, Restaurants & Packing Tips
After a two-week trip to Paros and Naxos, I was amazed by how hard I fell for Greece’s Cycladic islands. Food is usually the first consideration in my travel plans, and the cuisine in the Cyclades does not disappoint! (The restaurants on Paros particularly impressed me.) But you’ll also find striking scenery – from the […]
Activist Skincare [& How to Spot Genuinely Sustainable Skincare Brands]
In this review, I’m sharing my experience with the entire Activist Skincare line, including a comparison of all seven refillable(!) products, and a few of the best alternatives I’ve found while building my zero-waste skincare routine. After a lot of research and comparison shopping, I think Activist Skincare is easily one of the most sustainable […]
A Chef’s Recipe from the Island of Ischia: Pasta with Beans & Mussels
Pasta with beans and mussels? I’d never heard of this Southern Italian combination until I took a beautiful, early summer trip to Ischia – one of the picturesque little islands in front of Naples. Capri is its more famous neighbor but, as I learned, Ischia is more laid-back. I took the trip with my husband, […]
Visiting “Clean Blue Paros” [The Reality of Greece’s Plastic-Free Island]
The island of Paros is small, rocky, and just slightly under-the-radar, as Greek islands go. And it’s just starting to develop a reputation as a plastic-free travel destination. My husband and I arrived on a blustery day in October, picked up our delightfully toy-sized rental car, and headed for our first hotel, which I’d chosen […]
The Leaf Razor: A Painfully Honest Review from my Adventures in Sustainable Shaving
Thinking of upgrading your shave to a sustainable, plastic-free safety razor? After testing lots of (much less painful) plastic-free toiletry swaps, I decided to do the same. So I’ve thoroughly tested three plastic-free razor brands for this review. (TL;DR: The Leaf is the only one that didn’t hurt me.) These are the razors I tested […]
