Travel Checklists & Why Even the Most Experienced Traveler Needs Them

Travel Checklists & Why Even the Most Experienced Traveler Needs Them

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We’ve all been there. You think you’ve packed everything, done a thorough check, and then ten minutes after you’ve left for the airport you remember – that key item you meant to bring, that will now sit at home for the duration of your time away. Sometimes for me it’s even hours later that I suddenly realize in a panic what it is that I’ve forgotten. Fortunately it’s usually some non-essential item I can do without. And after that one…

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My Favorite European Skiing Tradition: Après Ski

My Favorite European Skiing Tradition: Après Ski

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Before you take off your skiing attire, before the trek back to your lodge, before a soak in the jacuzzi, there is après ski. Literally meaning “after ski” in French, après ski is originally a European tradition, although there are some popular après ski scenes at some of the more serious North American slopes these days. While only certain ski areas in the US or Canada may boast opportunities for après ski enjoyment, I’ve found that there is an après…

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Why Everyone Should be Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving

Why Everyone Should be Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving

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It’s that time of the year again, Thanksgiving. Whether or not you’re American, taking a few moments to think about what you are thankful for is powerful stuff. And not just because I said so, that is also what decades of research have to teach us about finding what for many is elusive – happiness. Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, lists gratitude as one of the main avenues to happiness. Read the book if you get a chance,…

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11 Ways Singapore is Like Hong Kong – and why you should visit both!

11 Ways Singapore is Like Hong Kong – and why you should visit both!

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I had very little in the way of expectations before visiting Singapore. I knew that its cuisine was a mix of influences from across Asia, and that food culture is strong. But really, I did not know much else. I booked my plane ticket without having a single item on my “To Do” list – although I had already gotten recommendations from friends for two places to eat when I arrived. And I have three different sets of friends living…

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Unexpected Foods to Seek Out in European Cities

Unexpected Foods to Seek Out in European Cities

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I wholly subscribe to my grandfather’s assertion that “travel is an adventure in eating” and enjoying the local food specialties of a destination is an essential part of my travel, especially lately. Living in Italy has given me a even deeper appreciation of the concept, as food here is not just regional (Italy has 20 different regions), but is often particular to a specific town with a traditional dish and a local grape that produces wine that pairs perfectly with…

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“Travel is . . . an Adventure in Eating”

“Travel is . . . an Adventure in Eating”

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“Here, try this” was probably the phrase I heard most often when dining out with my family growing up. It was typically uttered by my grandfather, with some morsel of food perched on his fork. As a pretty curious seven-year old, I would peer over and if I could not identify the food (or it looked slimy, or rubbery) I would shake my head emphatically from side to side. Which would then be followed by an even more insistent, “No,…

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10 Reasons to Travel Anyway

10 Reasons to Travel Anyway

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Excuse #1: I can’t afford to travel Why Travel Anyway: I hear this one a lot. Many people I know who do not travel much bemoan the fact that travel is too expensive. It can be, but it certainly doesn’t have to be! I find that because I live in a city with a decently high cost of living, there are many places off the beaten path that I can visit where my daily or weekly costs (including accommodations) is…

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How to Help Victims of the Earthquake in Central Italy

How to Help Victims of the Earthquake in Central Italy

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Last week’s 6.2-magnitude earthquake in central Italy is still front-page news here in Italy, but it has faded from the radar for many internationally.  The death toll is at least 290 people, and has continued to be revised over the past 5 days.  Destruction, especially in the town of Amatrice, has reduced much of the town to rubble.  And nearly 2,000 aftershocks continue to rattle the region. While the discourse here in Italy is already shifting to some of the…

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Top 10 Things to Eat (and Drink) in Naples

Top 10 Things to Eat (and Drink) in Naples

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1.  Coffee Of course, caffe’ simply means espresso, and is excellent all over Italy. So what makes coffee in Naples so special? Like the locals, coffee is surprisingly strong and concentrated. Due to its strength, it is usually served with water from a filtered tap by the bar, which you should drink before the coffee. 2.  Nocciola Although nocciola (hazelnut) is typically grown in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, this is a coffee drink that was invented in Naples,…

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Naples: Why It’s a Destination

Naples: Why It’s a Destination

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“Why do you live in Milan? People are unpleasant there. It is better here, where you can ride your motorcycle without a helmet and drive without a seat belt,” said my first taxi driver in Naples. Who when I paid the 19 Euro fare with a 20 Euro bill, objected to the tip because “that is the price of a coffee.” (I told him to keep the 1 Euro anyway). This is the chaos of Naples – you can do…

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