Urban
Travel in bustling places
-
Kuching: The White Rajas of Sarawak and a Floating Mosque
My first thought, as my Grab car speeds through the night, is that Kuching is a sharp city. Sharp, clean lines. Paved roads and sidewalks. Even washed in night, it looks clean. The lighting is like what I see at home: bright and white or blue or red. Crisp. It doesn’t flash, like cheap attention grabbers.
-
Solo Travel Snapshots in Vietnam: Street Food in Nha Trang
The smoke draws me first. And the crowds. Only after I get closer do I realize this is exactly the little restaurant I am seeking; the big red 51s on the plastic banner above the shop give it away.
-
Death by Starfruit & Other Things I Never Considered
June 22 I’m laying in my hostel dorm bed. I’m on the bottom bunk. My shower towel is draped over the bar by my face like a curtain closing me off from the rest of the room. This is good, because I feel like I’m unraveling. I feel like I can’t relax my limbs. My neck is tight. My heart…
-
Solo Travel Snapshots in Vietnam: Trapped in Ha Giang
I didn’t know anything about Ha Giang until I met my first crew of SE Asia backpackers in Bali. And then my next crew in Flores and the next crew in East Java. Everywhere I went, everywhere I ran into backpackers, there the words were again: “Ha Giang Loop.”
-
High Heat and Home Visits in Hanoi, Vietnam
In Hanoi, I walked. And I sweated. Walking at all meant wiping my upper lip, wiping my forehead, feeling water prickle at my hairline, feeling sweat stick my shirt to my back, running down my neck and into the collar of my shirt.
-
Singapore Kaleidoscope
May 20-22
-
Beginning in Bali: The Start of My Asia Travels
When I arrived in Bali, the heat and humidity fell over me like a bag of bowling balls. Waiting for my driver in the Arrivals hall was like standing in the dryer room at my mom’s laundromat while also taking a hot shower—sweat rolled down my face but there was nothing to wipe it with because my arm was encased…
-
A Quarter of a Century Old in Sydney, Australia
I cried when the plane left New Zealand, but in the air, as I crossed the Tasman Sea, I regained my sense of exploration and landed in Sydney, Australia with the wide eyes and the eager heart of an adventurer.
-
A Kaleidoscope of Rotorua and Taupo – Central North Island of New Zealand
Rotorua is a geothermal town. Think of Yellowstone National Park, but with a town built on top. Steam comes out of grates in the ground or wafts over roads and walking paths in the park--and not the kind of park where ducks swim in the water and toddlers splash around in the summer.
-
Crash Course: All the History I Need to Get Started in New Zealand
The Auckland Volcano Field, which holds Auckland city at its center, is home to 53 ancient volcanos. Many have eroded or been built on. But, from high above, I could spot several green hills, the bones of old volcanoes, rising above rooftops. Only 600 years ago, Auckland's youngest volcano, Rangitoto, rose from the sea when an underwater volcano erupted with…
-
Amsterdam for Introverts like Me: How to Make the Most of a City Known for Weed & Sex
European Adventure: Part 2 of 6 The second stop on my Great European Adventure of 2022 with my friends was the city of Amsterdam. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. I’m not a city girl. I prefer small towns, nature vistas, farmer’s markets, and quiet streets. I went to Amsterdam after Delft (one such small, quiet town). When I stepped…
-
4 Days in New York City During Covid
Day 1: All the Busy, Bustling(?) Tourist Spots Covid is good a for a few things. One of them being LESS PEOPLE. Even on the streets of New York City. Masks were required on the subway and in a few buildings, but we mostly enjoyed the perks of the Covid rather than the downsides. We started out our first afternoon…
-
Media Minds: How France Writes about Muslim Footballers
As a recent grad from the University of Colorado, I now find myself in the position of having spent four years working towards receiving a piece of paper, and a year of research and writing to add three little words to that piece of paper: summa cum laude. Now I'm asking myself what the hell I'm supposed to do with…
-
Covid Catastrophe in the Czech Republic
I can't say that I didn't know any better. But we thought we were untouchable. We thought the chaos wending it's way through the world was ridiculous. There was no precedent for everything shutting down. Surely in a week or two everything would be back to normal. Do you remember when we all thought that?
-
Paris à Pied: Exploring the City of Love in 30 Hours
I spent 30 hours in Paris this weekend–a whirlwind vacation. My friends were busy, so I hopped on a train by myself and came to the City of Love. (Pairs is both the City of Love and City of Lights). Lucky Paris–to be known for both great things! Paris Catacombs I kicked things off with the Paris Catacombs. The underground…
-
Barcelona Basics: Food, Friends, and Gaudi
Barcelona was a non-stop adventure. I arrived at midnight on Friday night and made my way to Don Moustache Hostel via the Aerobus. My friends, Kate and Sarah, had arrived Thursday night. After a good night’s sleep (despite all the snoring–good thing I always travel with ear plugs!) we started off Saturday morning with some Gaudi. Antoni Gaudi is Barcelona’s…
-
A Day in Marseille: History and Street Art in France’s Oldest City
La Porte d’Aix is Marseille’s triumphal arch, like the Arc de Triomphe. Construction begun in 1784 to honor the Peace of Paris, which ended the American Revolutionary War. The arch was finished in 1839. It marks the entry point to the city on the old road from Aix-en-Provence. Marseille has existed as a port city for over 2,500 years, the…
-
Nice Carnival: Battle of the Flowers
Carnival kicked off in Nice today with a Flower Parade, called Batailles des Fleurs. We embraced the sun and the season (even though all the locals were in coats and scarfs). It is a Flower Parade, so we wore our flower clothes! There are a bunch of performers and floats, but what is most unique is that the floats feature…
