You know that idyllic image of American life in the 1950s? You know the one I mean:  pretty little suburbs with neat yards, low white picket fences and neighbors pruning their roses while tossing friendly hellos to their neighbors?
I wasn’t alive back then so I don’t know how much of that image was the peachy-keen, wholesome advertising of the era and how much was true, but I do know it’s not a part of our culture any more. Neighbors don’t bring you a fresh apple pie to welcome you to …

Everyone has those signature dishes they’ve tried in a new country – whether it’s a local delicacy or just bizarre street eat. But what about those fun snacks and new flavors on old favorites?
Delicious Snacks and Treats from Around the World
Some of these are sweets, some salty. But all are portable and can make a great treat on a long bus ride…interestingly, most of my favorites from my travels are centered in Asia!
NEPAL: Lapsi

Topping the list is this sweet jellied candy. I don’t even like chewy candies but this one …

Travel Memories:
Traditional Bosnian Coffee and Turkish Delight

I winced as I took my first sip of the jet-black Bosnian coffee – it was certainly not your average American brew! My couch surfing hosts in Sarajevo, Furkan and his roommates Anida and Sidak decided that I couldn’t leave Sarajevo without stopping in the Turkish quarter for a traditional Bosnian coffee complete with Turkish Delight.
After that first wince from the thick unsweetened coffee, Sidak got a kick out of watching me attempt to sip the battery acid…I mean coffee, from a delicate little …

It’s eight months into this trip around the world and I am falling apart at the seams. Two main things have happened:
1)      My computer is, quite literally, falling apart.
2)      I have an allergic reaction to a tick bite from my frolic in Plitvice Lakes National Park.
My computer has been showing signs of being ill for sometime now but I always just refused to accept that it might not make it back home with me in a few months. Finally, though it boycotted and the screen has no tension and …

The first glimpse of baklava over here sent me into waves of joy –I love the Greek baklava that was always a special treat in the states! My theory was that it had to be so much better over here, right?!Well…not so much. The baklava here was decidedly different from what you find in the United States. I happened upon a small dessert café in Sarajevo with three different types of baklava beckoning to me through the desert case and begging for me to wrap my taste buds …

Emerging from the train station in Mostar is a pretty humbling experience as the sun shines down on the glossy newly painted buildings standing right alongside buildings that are still bombed out and vacant even ten years later.
Sarajevo has some spectacularly pretty areas of town and much of the war damage has been repaired. Mostar is different though; the rebuilding process has taken longer. The stark differences between the war-torn past and the peaceful present is visible in the jux ta position between the pristine modern buildings and the crumbling …

A gentle summer breeze, a cool, water-misting fan and one creamy ice cream cone or ice-cold beer is all it takes to fit in throughout the Western Balkan States. The sidewalk café culture is alive and rampant in Bosnia and the locals and tourist alike spend hours people-watching or being people-watched.
The social activity in the late afternoon and early evenings is a surprisingly huge part of the Balkan culture; even in Croatia the café culture is prominent and towns come alive around 6pm as couples, friends, and even singletons …

I love Bosnia. Completely and with the whole of my heart this country is just a gem. With the help of my couch surfing host it didn’t take long to see the charm of Sarajevo. I’m rarely a fan of capital cities…not often my style. But, after reaching Furkan’s flat he offered up some refreshing home-made Turkish tea (he brings it back from his visits home because he loves it so much!) and then his roomies and whole gang of us headed to the city center to explore.
A sticky situation …