I don’t know when the idea for this year’s Halloween costume originated. Rand and I have been talking about it for years. It’s the sort of thing that stays simmering on the back burner for so long that you almost have to wonder if it’ll ever come to fruition, or if the idea will simply […]
I have yet to call my in-laws (my husband’s grandparents) in the wake of a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. A few days have passed. For the collective American consciousness, the lifespan of a mass shooting is short. The newscycle has already moved on, as has everyone’s social media posts. (Even this post, written two […]
Since I was a child, I’ve been entranced by two things: books and faraway places. Though I didn’t leave the country until I was 15, I explored as much as possible without going anywhere. I read stacks of books. I took my red wagon to the library. I called an empty closet my ‘travel room’, […]
Welcome to American Expats, a series that shows you what expat life is like in cities around the world. Today Kate will be sharing about the ups and downs of living in Stockholm. Stockholm seems like a gorgeous, livable city so I loved hearing her take on living there as an expat. Kate is Canadian, and […]
Me at my college graduation in 2012 In my twenties, I’ve felt so much pressure (both internal and external) to find the right career. I think most of us have. Since graduating from college, I’ve worked in sales and marketing. I’ve freelanced and blogged and au paired. I’ve entertained many, many career paths, from journalism […]
One thing that surprised me about my trip to Azerbaijan? The food. It turns out Azerbaijani food is amazing. It’s healthy, varied, and fresh, with lots of sour notes and pickled components. Overall, Azerbaijani cuisine is most similar to Turkish food. You’ll also see influences from other neighboring countries: lots of pomegranates (commonly used in […]
Northern Europe is one of the most beautiful areas of the world to explore, and whether your fancy is to see the sensational cities and architecture of the region or to view spectacular natural scenes, this region of the world has so much to offer. Scandinavia is famous for its rugged landscapes and as you […]
Spain: land of the Costa del Sol, tasty Paella’s and the siesta’s. But next to the crowded coast and the great food, Spain has a lot of great cities to visit! Not only the famous Barcelona, also the capital of Spain, Madrid, has great parks and interesting musea. Also Valencia or Malaga are beautiful cities […]
South Korea is a country that has attracted regional visitors from Asia for years, but is a country that is relatively mysterious for many people who are considering visiting from further afield. It has many attractions that does make it an interesting destination, being an advanced country with a good transport system, and a range […]
There is no shortage of interesting things to do in Baku, Azerbaijan – by any measure, it’s a fascinating place. Some people like to say that Baku is “the new Dubai”. I’m here to tell you it’s not. Thankfully, Baku couldn’t be the new Dubai – it has too much history. While you will see […]
(Above: my student ID in 1999. Let’s just keep our comments to ourselves.) There’s this pattern I keep seeing. It goes like this: Woman accuses man of sexual assault. Man denies accusations. Man’s PR team then releases numerous letters from women saying that he’s not a sexual harasser because, you know, he didn’t harass them. […]
Welcome back to American Expats, a series that shows you what expat life is like in cities around the world. Today we’re speaking to Cynthia, an English teacher living in the Czech Republic. Ahead, she talks about quirky Czech fashion, the live-and-let-live Bohemian lifestyle, and the food she craves when she’s missing home. Cynthia’s background: In […]
Have you ever gone somewhere you knew nothing about? That’s what Azerbaijan was for me — the unknown. My friend Matt and I decided to travel there in a ‘Why not?’, spin-the-globe sort of way. We wanted to go somewhere different. What we found was a former stop on the Silk Road, a one-time Soviet Republic, […]
Russia is one of the world’s largest countries, and while it is famous for the architectural achievements and the wide open expanses, there is no doubt that visitors to Russia will find a destination that offers a very different experience compared to those in the West. The country has an immense landscape, and when it […]
I googled about a million Camino de Santiago packing lists before starting my pilgrimage. I wanted to get it right – after all, the Camino takes around 36 days, and crosses nearly 500 miles. It’s not short. Because the Camino is so long, it’s extremely important to pack the right gear. It’s equally important to […]