What is it about language that affects your perception of a people? In regaling others with tales of foreign lands, you find yourself pronouncing certain foods and locales with accents, often without consciously… Continue reading
At night, Rome sizzles with a subtly sensuous sheen. As tourists retire to their luxury suites and their budget hostels, as shops lock their doors and street vendors return home, the city’s historic center –its Centro Storico– eases away… Continue reading
I guess you could say it started with a kiss – a Perugina Bacio, that is. Shortly after introducing me to delectable hazelnut chocolates with love notes, Nicolò goes off to work, and I proceed… Continue reading
It’s a pleasantly crisp February morning as the sun shines brightly over Piazza del Risorgimento. Mischievous gusts of wind whip through narrow, cobbled streets as The Eternal City relishes a leisurely start to another wonderfully… Continue reading
Try the pork chop. Juicy. Or, ooh, the trout. Tasty. And look, you can top all dishes with an egg – double yay! What am I talking about? A restaurant. In Calistoga. Called Farmstead. That… Continue reading
Italian Cyprus and olive trees line the winding driveway to a 13th century castello and every curve you pass on the gentle climb up affords a wider panorama of green expanse. A pale,… Continue reading
Beyond Napa, the cool air of wine country breezes through Calistoga, sitting pretty in the northern hills of California’s Napa Valley. Here, we find the likes of renowned Schramsberg, lesser-known Castello di… Continue reading
Cleaning out some files on my computer, I stumble on photos with a recurring theme: BIG. So without further a-do, here we go. America, represent! A giant NASA astronaut and a giant fluffball… Continue reading
“Space: the final frontier.” Ok, so this isn’t an episode of Star Trek, but it is still about dreams of lunar landscapes and Martian colonies, of boldly going where no man has gone… Continue reading
Spatial relationships are a funny thing. Look at something from directly above or dead center. Now look at it from down low, up high, or off to the side, and you’ve instantly got… Continue reading
Breakups are hard. Unless you weren’t in love anymore…or in my case, ever. So the breakup with boba was easy, cold turkey (my usual style), and pain-free (unlike my recent gallbladder surgery).… Continue reading
Washington, DC. The Nation’s Capital. The Federal City. The American Rome (Don’t ask; I didn’t make up the nickname). Where, during your short workout, your hotel might have suddenly been overrun with Secret Service… Continue reading
The Smithsonian Institution, the largest museum/research foundation in the world, welcomes 30 million museum-goers each year. Given the staggering numbers, it’s amazing its museums remain largely free. Not only are they conveniently gratis,… Continue reading
This reminds me of a Taylor Swift song. “Are we out of the woods yet?” Or perhaps we’re heading Into the Woods of a whimsical movie set. Inside a fashionable, yet… Continue reading
Are we in the United States, or in Europe? The façade of this building makes me do a double take for a second. Just a split-second. In this split-second, the façade… Continue reading
Is that the Capitol Building? Oh let’s do pay a visit. We are, after all, in the nation’s capital; it’s only appropriate we see where legislation is passed, and where transformative history has… Continue reading
The temperature is warming, the rain is subsiding, and the flowers are in bloom. Taking a leisurely walk (leisurely is as fast as I can move right now) after my recent –and unanticipated–… Continue reading
Day 1: The Procedure “Take a deep breath for me,” says the anesthesiologist, placing a mask over my nose and mouth. I inhale. Blurred images from the day swim behind my closed eyelids:… Continue reading
Fun Fact: Did you know the Turkish province of Izmir was home to Homer (of Iliad and Odyssey fame)? Actually, many cities have claimed Homer’s citizenship, but evidence favors Smyrna – what we… Continue reading
Marble streets. The third largest library in the ancient world. The most well-preserved Greco-Roman amphitheater today. These are just some of the treasures you’ll find in the ancient city of Ephesus. … Continue reading
You’ve probably heard the expression “streets of gold,” but have you ever heard “streets of marble?” I have. I’ve seen them too. In the ancient city of Efes Örenyeri (the Ephesus Archaeological Site),… Continue reading
Pamukkale /puh-moo-kuh-lay/ City in Turkey’s Denizli Province. Translates into English as “Cotton Castle,” from the Turkish portmanteau of pamuk (cotton) + kale (castle) Pamukkale is one of those under-the-radar destinations that isn’t… Continue reading
Be honest: Do you think “Göreme Open Air Museum” is a bit of a bland name for an archaeologically significant piece of history on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites? Yes, it is actually an… Continue reading
If you’re on Instagram, you’ve probably seen at least one or two photos of the spectacular backdrop behind myriad hot-air balloons at sunrise – most often in a particular, desert-like area in Turkey.… Continue reading
This crisp, rainy, Anatolian morning, we’ll have to stoop down to get through cave tunnels carved into the subterranean rock of Kaymaklı Yeraltı Şehri – Kaymaklı Underground City. Watch your head! I just… Continue reading
It’s a rare day I’m up before daybreak. It’s an even rarer day I voluntarily expose myself to the cold; being an island girl, I’m literally not built for it (or so I… Continue reading
Kapadokya, Türkiye (a.k.a. Cappadocia, Turkey) is most often associated with hot-air balloons and fairy chimneys. While this is a fine claim to fame, there is more to the Turkish heartland. At… Continue reading
Can you imagine living in a city that straddles both Europe and Asia? Picture commuting to work on a different continent by simply taking a ferry or driving across a bridge. Residents of… Continue reading
I’m at Pasaport Kontrolü (Passport Control) in Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, patiently answering questions from the immigration officer…while also observing that said officer’s colleague, seated beside him in the very same kiosk, has already… Continue reading
Efficient porters deftly weave through the crowds, bearing trays of hot, caffeinated goodness. It’s always a good time for çay, Turkish tea, or Türk kahvesi, Turkish coffee. Shop after shop, stall after stall,… Continue reading
Say “Istanbul” to a group of travelers, and they’ll often reminisce about vastly different experiences. One person might marvel at a city residing on two continents: Europe to the west and Asia to… Continue reading
Istanbul may not have nearly as many palaces as Germany has along the Rhine, but you can still ramble about the city and inadvertently stumble upon a royal residence. A palace in the… Continue reading
Coconut swans swim gracefully in a pond of purple orchids. Oranges and orange peels comprise the hide of a resplendent dragon. Multi-colored potatoes pave the way in an English countryside estate. … Continue reading
I rarely feel more alive than when I travel. Heightened senses, increased awareness, delight in even the littlest foreign oddities. There’s something different in the air of every city I go to. It… Continue reading
The entrance of The Broad, leading up to the central exhibit area on the third floor, doesn’t take you through conventional passageways. Then again, The Broad isn’t a conventional building. It houses collections… Continue reading
You arrive in Los Angeles and it’s getting dark. What to do? Well, since it’s the holidays (or the end of the merrymaking season), you can start by checking out holiday lights at… Continue reading
Call me adventurous. Call me curious. Call me restless. Call me an addict, even. My choice of drug? It’s no secret: It’s travel. As a Filipina who grew up on Guam, lives in… Continue reading
You know that vacation you’ve been fantasizing about all year, but haven’t gotten around to planning? That trip you always wanted to take? That time you wanted to just walk on the beach… Continue reading
It often feels like I’m looking upwards in Chicago. This is no wonder considering we’re in the city where the world’s first skyscraper was built. But when I say I’m looking up, I’m… Continue reading
Camouflaged in the center of downtown Chicago is a beauty sometimes overlooked for Millennium Park right across the street. You know, Millennium Park, the one with the giant bean that everyone takes a… Continue reading
