When traveling in India, you have to be aware of the scams and avoid them at all costs. Many times, the scam starts off as a delightful opportunity to dive into the local culture—perhaps someone offers a chance to learn more about a cultural practice, or invites you to lunch. Sometimes, they’re offering a lot …
There’s a certain magnetism to tales of my time teaching English to young monks in a Nepalese monastery. The interest always humbles me because, let’s face it, recounting those moments reignites a fervor in me too. In Nepal, as in Cambodia, volunteering emerged as the cornerstone of my travel experiences—vivid tapestries of connections and insights …
Ireland is one of those countries that I can’t help describing melodramatically; the country just speaks to my soul. On the Diamond Hill hike in Connemara, Ireland I spotted this sheep among the fully blooming purple heather. The hike brought to mind the lovely song, “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go,” which I used to sing back …
The chicken bus bumped to a stop in front of the Valhalla Macadamia Nut Farm and I offered a first glimpse of Emilia and Lorenzo, an expat couple who have created an entire movement in this region Guatemala toward assisting indigenous people in developing self-sustaining agriculture. The Valhalla Experimental Station—a macadamia nut farm, restaurant and …
Have you ever had those trips where you just feel the planets aren’t aligned for you to be traveling right now? Everything is going minorly wrong, or it’s altogether more exhausting than you anticipated? Across my 15+ years of travel, sometimes travel fatigue set in quickly and made me feel tired, sad, and alone. I …
Learning was a driving force that caused me to jet off on a round the world trip back in 2008, and I love sharing cool little facts and tidbits that I’ve learned over the years (it’s a key characteristics most people either love or hate about me!). And it’s what led me to a detailed …
Sometimes I hate Los Angeles. It’s a sprawling urban tapestry, a maze of concrete and palm trees extending as far as the eye can see. It’s a city (rightfully) maligned for its traffic snarls, and the constant sun can sometimes seem as relentless as the pursuit of fame that drives many to its glittering streets. …
So there I am, 16 years old, hiding in the hotel bathroom while sobbing on the phone and spilling my teenage woes to my dad. And that’s when he hit me with my favorite advice from him: “Shannon, it’s just money. It’s not worth you being in a miserable situation, I’ll buy you a ticket …