This is kind of a depressing time to be a traveler. I started this morning in a cold, dark hotel room in the Midwest, binge reading the New York Times’ coverage of the coronavirus. And wondering why this room was so cold and dark. Seriously, the window is tiny and paper thin and letting in […]
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How Italians Stay Thin Eating Pizza & Pasta All the Time
After living in Italy for three years, this is the best thing I learned: How Italians actually eat, and how they enjoy food and stay thin at the same time. These 13 ideas go way beyond “the Mediterranean diet.” If you look at a menu in Italy, it seems like everything is carbs cooked in […]
Porto Layover: Portuguese Food, Wine, Photos & Advice from Locals
To call this a Porto layover itinerary is probably too grand. An itinerary is generally something you plan ahead of time and do on purpose. This is more a list of things that I ended up seeing, eating, drinking and learning – thanks to the fantastically helpful local people who I pestered for information. As many […]
Has Couchsurfing Gotten Sleazy? [Tips for Getting Started & Couchsurfing Safely]
In this post, you’ll find my tips for how to get started with Couchsurfing (even with no references), how to do it safely, and how to get back into it after years of “normal” travel. (This is Chapter 2 of a story about turning a layover in Portugal into an adventure. Next, there’s Chapter 3 […]
It’s 2020… Is Couchsurfing Still a Thing?
While contemplating whether Couchsurfing is still a thing – and how it’s changed – in the age of modern travel, I thought back on some of my favorite (weirdest) Couchsurfing stories. I also answer some Couchsurfing FAQs in this post. For beginner Couchsurfing tips, try this other post. When I was 19, I slept on […]
Why You Probably DON’T Need a VPN for Travel (Advice from a Cyber Security Expert)
So many blogs say you need a VPN for travel that I almost believed it. Then I talked to a tech expert about online security while traveling. Here are some snippets of that conversation, including something that’s much more important for your online security – a password manager. I’ll admit that for five years of […]
16 Things I Learned From An (Italian) Master’s in Sustainable Business & Energy
If you’re thinking about an MBA because you’re interested in learning business stuff (economics, corporate finance, managing a business) but also interested in recycling, pollution, electricity and climate change, AND you’re looking to drive yourself crazy… well then I have an idea for you: There’s a way to combine all of these. I spent 2018, […]
Indianapolis: US Culture via the “Most American” City in the USA
Back in May, I told a cab driver in Milan, where I had been living for three years, I was moving to the US. He said, “oh really? You mean New York?” This is pretty common. People all over the world tell me they’ve experienced the US – usually New York City, Miami, and/or San […]
Detroit, USA: Attempting Train Travel in the Motor City
“Do NOT get in line. I will LET YOU KNOW when the train is pulling into the station and I’m NOT gonna let anybody miss it.” She says this as if it were obvious. But it’s 10:24. Our train should leave in six minutes and still there’s no hint as to whether it’s here or […]
Summer in Chicago & Reflections on a Whirlwind Year
It’s almost Labor Day weekend, which in the US culturally marks the end of summer. But my mind is still on August 15, known as Ferragosto, which marks the middle of the Italian summer vacation season – not the end. Yet it was right around Ferragosto that Chicagoans started reminding me to enjoy the very […]
What is Italy’s “Ferragosto” and WHY Am I Not On Vacation?
…And why does Europe shut down for a month in August? Two years ago, I wrote a post called August in Milan about the Italian holiday period of Ferragosto, and how the city heats up and empties out. I spent much of that August sitting on the stone floor of my un-airconditioned apartment (the only […]
What Pink French Toilet Paper Taught Me About Globalization
Being an expat lets you discover the little things about different cultures that don’t change with globalization. Being an expat in France, one of those things is pink toilet paper.
