Mannheim, Germany is an unassuming place. A small industrial city about an hour south of Frankfurt, a major hub for international travel, it is often overlooked. It is really not surprising. Compared to the major cities in Germany, Mannheim is austere and lacking in brilliant photo-worthy castles. It has a well-known university and most of … Continued
Our ship was scheduled to dock at the seaside town of Katakalon, situated off the Ionian Coast, at 9am. Referred to as the “gateway to Olympia” the town often gets overlooked as most visitors use it as a passage to ancient Olympia – the birthplace of the Olympic Games. It was the fifth stop on … Continued
Deep South Texas in the summertime is hot. The humidity is high and the constant Southeast wind is dry and full of dust. The ground cracks and the grass turns brown. Even the native plants droop and shrivel in the extraordinary heat. People hide inside with their air conditioners on full blast. During one long … Continued
The constant going of time has a petrifying effect. It worries me so much I end up diving even more into the dark swallow of inaction where I imagine there are undying puddles of steaming tar that bind me to the nothingness even more. Then, the cells in my body shout out all at once, … Continued
Searching frantically for scraps of food, like ants trapped inside a lunchbox, it was that all too familiar look of confusion mixed with a hopeful desperation that brought us together. We were the only Americans in the international terminal of the Manila, the Philippines Airport, five minutes into a four-hour layover on Christmas Eve. There … Continued
It’s the winter of 2009 and I find myself eager to take a holiday, to abandon my work and leave the cell phone and computer behind, but mostly to have a Christmas (since the death of my parents) that doesn’t involve my being an orphan at someone else’s table. It’s always a difficult decision, how … Continued
Maybe you never should have trusted a hot air balloon company whose name translates as Balloon Balloons. Maybe you should have backed out when the sunrise tour became the brunch tour. “Everybody in the basket,” the mustached Turk claps his hands. You and your best friend beeline for the balloon, trying to get a “window” … Continued
There’s no real reason to explain why I lost my mind one sunny afternoon in Bangkok. Maybe it was a vitamin deficiency, a desperate plea for action, or perhaps just a deep longing to get under the tough skin of Thailand’s capital city. Much like a scabby mosquito bite, Bangkok is an itch you already … Continued
Guatemala is a beautiful and lovely place whether you are going as a place of tourism or if you are going to work with the young children of the isolated villages. I first was able to experience this mountainous country when I was in the 5th grade. The first place I encountered was an orphanage … Continued
A Perfect Place to Mourn She was 8 and here. Always in between the line of life and death but with enough presence to make you forget her status. One day, she crossed the line while no one watched. New York City is not a decent consoler. Despite the pangs of pain that bombarded my … Continued