After leaving the bustle and hip-but-not-even-trying vibe of New Orleans, we spent a night in Destin, Florida, which, as a city, is nothing to write home about (or, more aptly, nothing to blog about). Except for the fact that the beaches are fine white powder sand and warm sea water. Watching the sun set while […]
After we left the fun, casual vibe and tacos galore of Austin, Texas, we were on to our next stop: Louisiana. Our destination was New Orleans, but to break up the drive, we stopped in Cajun country and stayed at an AirBnB for the night. Tip: When arriving to a sprawling bayou cabin, get there […]
We’ve officially departed Spain and are in the thick of our congressionally-mandated month of home leave. You’ll recall when we left Yemen, we spent our home leave driving around the American West and then up the coast of California. It was magic. This home leave we’re taking a different tack and going south. First stop: […]
For the better part of my twenty-one months living in Madrid, I visited heaps of coffee shops in the hopes of writing a blog called “Madrid’s Top Five Work-Friendly Coffee Shops” And as I finally write this post from one of Washington DC’s dozens of coffee shops (where everyone is engrossed in either a business […]
From the moment I arrived in Porto, I was delighted with the city’s colorful old buildings, sparkling river, steep streets, and possession of a lively, but peaceful charm. I knew I made the right call for a quick overnight trip. Situated along the Douro River in northern Portugal, Porto is one of Europe’s oldest cities. […]
One of the first things I do when I move to a new place is figure out a new workout routine. In Yemen, it was running from bullets. Just kidding, it was swimming laps and doing Crossfit in the hyper-masculine hotel gym with Marines who blasted death metal. Before that, in Washington DC, it was […]
There is a trend among Foreign Service bloggers right now to write about the pros and cons of their posts. It’s summer bidding season, which means this is the time when Foreign Service Officers and their families pore over lists of open jobs in countries far and wide. We “bid” on a different cycle so […]
I recently returned from Paris after completing my third residency as part of New York University’s Paris Writers Program. Another year – and two more residencies to go – and hopefully I’ll have an MFA, and more importantly, a decent draft of my novel. Residencies in Paris are inspiring and exhausting. I love every minute […]
Our Spanish tour is on its last legs. Soon, it’ll be hummus and ancient history in Jerusalem in lieu of siestas and tapas. I’ve got two months left here, and you can bet I’ll be savoring my favorite Spanish things during that time. Here’s what I’ll miss most when I leave: 1. Cheap (and Good) […]
One of the more interesting parts of this moving around all the time thing (or, really, one of the more interesting parts of travel) is the markets and grocery stores. Everywhere I go, the grocery stores are so different – different products, different ways of paying, different people – and yet, in many ways, they […]
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