The definitive (and interactive) answer to everyone's favorite question: "so where all have you been?" Now with different flavored pins for how much I'd recommend (or not) each place.
Map, The.
Christmas Pajamas
What not to do as Americans in Europe: Christmas edition
Tree climbing – for Science!
When I arrived in the forest for Day 1 of the 4-day tree climbing course, I’d never touched climbing equipment before, and I’d only really used knots to tie friendship bracelets, and the only kind of climbing I’d tried was in a bouldering gym on routes that were designed for literal children. None of that seemed to matter.
Rainbows of Gran Canaria
The late-afternoon sun already touched the mountain behind me and I stood in shadow, but below me the entire eastern coast of the island blazed as a golden wave that flowed from my feet all the way down to the Atlantic.
Finding my style in Rome
Some days during my European life, there is little to disabuse me of the notion that I’ve slid sideways into a rom-com.
Hut-to-hut in the Swiss Alps
A deep inhalation spurred by exertion brought crisp alpine air into my lungs, and I used it as fuel to continue on up the Via Alpina, a 2,000-kilometer-long hiking trail that curls from one end of the Alps to the other.
The valleys of Lago Maggiore
Lost up a valley in the southern Swiss Alps, a series of old shepherding villages stand frozen in time.
A deep dive into Southeast China
We went to China's Fujian province to look at trees, and ended up also seeing tulou and tigers and geoparks and...
Insider’s Guide to Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is the best city in Germany. I promise I'm not just saying that because I've lived, studied, and worked here for 5 years; it's just a city that draws people in. Freiburg is a small city at the threshold of the Black Forest, but don't let the name scare you, because it's... Continue Reading →
An Unexpected Invite to Shanghai
Accepting an unsolicited invitation from a complete stranger to speak at a Shanghai conference after I published one single scientific article was objectively crazy.
Temple Run: 72 hours at Cambodia’s Angkor
You are presented with an endless series of open doorways. One will lead you into a slot canyon of carved walls and gnarled trunks. The next leads into a tumbledown courtyard filled with beehive temples. The next has you following the taffy-like trunk and roots of a single behemoth tree.
The floating jungle huts of Thailand’s Cheow Larn Lake
The wooden plank that served as my seat shivered in time with the longboat's naked motor as we shot across Cheow Larn Lake. Sheer limestone cliffs stabbed upwards from the jade water all around us. Every one of the hundred islands was shrouded in jungle trees that were shriveling their way through the dry season.... Continue Reading →
Holy Khao!
The second chapter of my 2024 Thai adventure was full of Khaos - Khao Lak and Khao Sok, that is, southwestern destinations near the ocean and jungle.
Alsace Wine Cycling Route
French Alsace’s medieval villages are an archipelago scattered across a sea of vineyards.
Tips for diabetic travel in hot climates
Traveling with Type 1 diabetes is always a delightful challenge, and hot climates can really kick the fun up a notch. Here are some hot tips I've learned from trial and error during my 20-odd years on the road through 40 countries and counting.
Thailand, so hot right now
The perfectly-square Old Town of Chiang Mai is a compact 1.5 miles on each side, yet the density of temples apparently rivals the concentration of churches in Rome.
Japan, Chapter III: Nara to Kinosaki Onsen
My final three days in Japan, which I spent patting wild deer amid temples in Nara, inhaling cheesecake in Osaka, and disintegrating in the volcanic hot spring waters of Kinosaki Onsen.
Japan, Chapter II: Fuji to Kyoto
I'm a firm believer in letting myself be surprised by a destination rather than doing too much research beforehand, which can have either disastrous or amazing results depending on whether I happen to miss or find the highlights.
Japan, Chapter I: to Tokyo
If I had to summarize my impression of Japan after my ten-day visit using only one sentence, it might be this: “I imagine Japan emerged from ancient East Asian culture in a similar way to how shibas somehow evolved from wolves.”
Where do I begin?
On my panicked internal response to the ubiquitous question of "How was your trip?" after I returned from a month traveling through eastern Asia.
Collecting Goshuin: my favorite Japanese souvenir and activity
Goshuin, or hand-made calligraphic seals that are painted and stamped at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, are scattered across Japan like a secret endless scavenger hunt to be found by those in the know. Here I show you the 22 goshuin I collected with a map if you want to collect them yourself!
RomE-biking
The basilica of Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, floodlit in gold, scintillated against the indigo sky. I flew beneath its lofty towers, only remembering that I sat astride an electric bicycle whenever I hit a particularly ill-placed cobble.
Gluten-Free in Italy
Italy. The promised land of cuisine: pizza and pasta, bruschetta and focaccia. Sounds amazing…unless your body has a problem with wheat. I'm here to tell you: absolutely don’t let this idea put you off of traveling in Italy. It’s 2023, baby, and we’ve got options now.
Cowboys of Venice
“Is it me you’re looking for?” the gondolier greeted us, his arms spread as wide as the grin that was tucked underneath his impeccable winged moustache.
A Dubrovnik travel guide
The following things are firmly on my "Would do again" list. Most are also on my “Have done again” list!
Tulip Pedals
Picture spending a long weekend biking through the Dutch countryside when it’s absolutely blanketed in blooming tulip fields. You pause wherever you want along the route, maybe for a cappuccino at the seaside, or a family-farm-made gelato, or a thousand photos of hypersaturated blooms that nestle right up against the bike path. Horses and ducks wander over to see what you’re up to. Squat wooden windmills wave cheerily at you from a distance.
When airlines give you lemons
While we’re on the subject of airplane food, let’s talk about British Airways.
Touring Edinburgh
Once upon a time I rarely took guided tours since I tend to be both a cheapskate and a lone-wolf wanderer. Then I realized that the most foolproof way to get locals to hang out with me is to pay them to do so. Talk about subversion of the captive audience!
Edinburgh: Harry Potter tour
I confess I’m a bona-fide Potterhead. I have the Deathly Hallows tattooed on my back and have taken more Sorting Hat quizzes than I know what to do with (Raven-puff, for the record, since I’m nerdy but also miscellaneous). I’ve been to the Leavesden studio tour near London and the Universal Studios theme park in... Continue Reading →
Edinburgh: Whisky & Folklore
As evidenced by my illustrious undergrad career, I do not need any help with drinking whisk[e]y. My sophistication, on the other hand, is always in dire need of a leg up. I’m one of those people who can tell you if wine is made from red or white grapes, or whether I like the taste... Continue Reading →
Scotland: West Highlands Tour
This time, I was in luck. Before I even boarded the tour minibus, the driver/guide Brian* offered me the copilot's seat right at the front and directly next to his. I accepted before he'd even finished explaining the footnote that my seat folded down to block the bus entrance so I'd always have to be... Continue Reading →
Window Seat Odyssey 