Why I Decided to Stay in Kiev
Two new coffee shops have opened up on my street in the last week. One is right down the block from a shop called Meat Loves Cheese, which I have yet to visit despite its tantalizing name.…
Kiev Street Art (+ a Side of Brunch)
He looks like he knows the answers to everything. I stand there, munching on my blueberry Pop-Tart (aka sugared cardboard) and imagine that if this were the Harry Potter universe, he would come to life and dish…
It’s Not About the Castle, Vladimir.
I was walking alongside the road, in a Ukrainian village I couldn’t have pointed to on a map before this trip, when I met Vladimir. We had been riding on the same bus, but he discovered I…
How to Use Kiev Public Transportation (and Live)
With Eurovision coming up, I thought it might be handy to write a guide to Kiev public transportation for our thousands of out-of-town visitors. But then I thought, Oh man, is there anything less sexy to write…
My Magical Weekend in Cluj Napoca, Despite the Odds
Perhaps I had grown lazy, or over-confident, but at the time, catching a bus for a weekend in Cluj hadn’t seemed like such a big deal. I had done some vague research on departures from Bucharest, and…
What To Do in Bukovel For Anti-Athletic People like Me
The original plan for my New Year’s break was a solo trip to Moscow. (Because what would be more fun than going from the epitome of European cold to even blisteringly colder? What could I enjoy more…
Dear Tasty Mexican Food, I Still Look at Our Photos
Dear Mexican Food, I’ve had a crush on you from afar all my life. As a kid, my favorite food was a cheese quesadilla from La Cocina (hold everything but the cheese, please – that’s right, just…
5 Reasons to Get a CELTA to Teach English Abroad
In 2012, I hit early retirement. If only. Wait, what I mean is, I was hanging out with my aunt down in Florida, having just quit my job without any plan for further action. Everything I owned…
10 Examples of What Solo Female Travel is REALLY Like
It would be nice to think that, here in the 21st century, solo female travel wouldn’t be that much different than solo male travel. It would be nice. But ignoring the differences between male and female solo travel…
Oaxaca: Where Local Life Spills onto the Streets
I arrived in Oaxaca in the middle of a protest. I had heard Oaxaca was a bustling city – but I was expecting parties and parades, not sit-ins and political rallies. In fact, I had planned my…
