What does it mean to be an American? We are a 236-year-old relatively nascent country of immigrants, influenced by cultural values from around the world. Every few decades a new wave of immigrants enter and form their own diaspora communities for a few generations until they slowly assimilate into what we call the American culture; but […]
Myanmar has been making headlines across news platforms and social media for its military’s persecution of the Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority, which United Nations experts now call “textbook ethnic cleansing.” Because of this humanitarian crisis and the government’s public denial of its gravity, many ethically-mindful travelers have called for a boycott of Myanmar travel. These […]
Three trips to Cuba just weren’t enough. I still yearned to spend more time in the country connecting to the Cuban life. So in early 2017, I enrolled to the University of Havana and moved in with family friends in the beautiful Vedado neighborhood, as immersed as a yuma could be. Being a cultural hybrid […]
I first began traveling to Cuba in late 2015. Like many others, I’d been intrigued by the elusive island for years. Upon finally stepping foot on Cuban soil, I was captivated. The island embraced me with open arms and squeezed me tightly. Two months later, I was back. I had to see more. I “hitchhiked” from […]
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is a country of 55 million people, uniquely situated between India, Bangladesh, Laos, China, and Thailand. Due to its unique location, this captivating country is home to various ethnicities, religions, and languages. Although not-so-well-known, Myanmar has recently been frequenting the front pages due to what experts have determined to be […]
“I wish I had your perfect life.” An Instagram user sent me this message recently. It isn’t the first time someone has sent me some variation of that message this week. These, coupled with the growing accumulation of other questions and comments from readers and Instagram followers has motivated me to finally clear up a few […]
I had originally planned to skip right over Bangkok during my 2017 world tour. Why bother going there? All anyone ever said about Bangkok was that it was dirty, congested, and trashy. But my lovely cousin convinced me that we should stay there for just a few days in between flights. So I gave it a […]
A lot of folks have been asking me my opinion on the legal changes to Cuba travel announced in June 2017, by President Trump. I’d been quiet about it for many reasons: 1) I’ve been busy traveling throughout Central Asia since the announcement; 2) The changes were still pending official implementation by the Treasury and Commerce […]
In Cuba, the country of scarcity, healthy eating takes a back seat in the country’s long list of priorities. Lovers of healthy eating or those with nutritional requirements headed for Cuba may face some hurdles. But with preparation and knowledge, it is possible to eat nutritiously in Cuba. Whether you’re moving long-term or touring for a short period, I will […]
“Make sure you buy the biggest and baddest water gun!” my friend Brian gushed. He’s lived in Thailand for years and was graciously preparing me with tons of travel tips. It turned out I was coincidentally arriving in Chiang Mai the week of Songkran- Thailand’s New Year festival. I didn’t know what it entailed nor […]