Book lovers rejoice! These dreamy bookshops around the world will inspire your future travels. Plus, enjoy locally-inspired reads in each location. I once took a Kindle backpacking in an attempt…
How One Jewelry Company Is Changing the Game for Women Entrepreneurs
Did you know that 85% of artisans’ work never makes it into markets? How about that 15 million tons of orange peel and unused seeds go to landfills each year?…
Meet the Part-Time Expat Changing Tourism for Colombia
It’s morning, but the normal horn honking is missing from the city sounds. Half of carrera septima in Bogota is closed for the day. The street is lined with vendors…
White at Home and Brown Abroad: Navigating Race and Identity as a Latin@ Immigrant and Traveler
I am white. But I am also a person of color. My race and ethnicity seem to be defined more by who I am speaking to when I travel than by me or my heritage.
The 5 Coolest Global Mobile Libraries
Books on a burro! Image from Wikimedia Commons via Acción Visual/Diana Arias. No better method has ever been devised for reaching the dweller in the country. The book goes to…
Stick to Your Travel Goals in 4 Simple Steps
Following a few simple steps will help you bask in the glory of sticking to your travel goals! Image by Jill Robinson. How do you stick to your travel goals…
A Few of the Strangest Things: On Readjustment to US Life
Giant local parking lot, with not a building or a person in sight… I recently moved back to the US after living abroad as an urban Peace Corps Volunteer in…
Close of Service: Goodbye, Peace Corps Colombia!
On Dec 6, 2013, I rang the bell marking the “Close of Service,” or COS, of my Peace Corps Service in Colombia. My service, like most things anticipated since forever,…
Pumpkin Pie Thanksgiving Abroad
This year will mark my third Thanksgiving in Colombia. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I have a conveniently large group of North Americans to celebrate with. Every Thanksgiving, Volunteers and…
Veterinarian Visits Abroad
Spread the word about castration! -Zanycat 😉 On a sunny morning a few weeks ago, I walked down the street receiving more than my fair share of strange looks. In…
The Secret to Having an Awesome Adventure Vacation
Happiness studies have shown that pre-vacation anticipation gives as much or MORE happiness than the vacation itself. Within days of returning, vacationers don’t report being happier than those who never…
Providence Island and Its Seven-Colored Sea
It’s not easy to get to Providence Island, but after experiencing what it has to offer, it’s even harder to leave. Providence is the smaller of Colombia’s two sublime islands…
4 Reasons to Be an International Gym Rat
Do you workout while you’re traveling? How about when you live abroad? Image from guardian.co.uk article. Last month, I did something I never thought I’d do during my time as a…
Friends, Young and Old: Changing Your Perception of What Makes a Friend
Five months ago, I was sitting on the sofa at a friend’s house. I took a sip of my Bloody Mary and then frowned a little, looking around. There were…
Nature v. Nurture: On Noise and Dancing
After a year and a half of Peace Corps service in Barranquilla, Colombia, I think I’m closing in on about as “integrated” as I will be. Two things I still…