I can pinpoint the moment I became a hip-hop fan. It was October 1994 and I was 10 years old. I was returning from a school field trip to the Bunker Hill Monument, and the boys kept yelling at the bus driver, “One, two, three — NINETY-FOUR POINT FIVE!” Any Bostonian will immediately recognize that
Why Hip-Hop Belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Read More »
Many years ago, I was reading an article in a magazine about how Starbucks adapts their store menus to the tastes of different American regions. There was a line that read, “For example, in Louisiana, we serve larger, sweeter cakes. Here, people want to linger.” It’s funny how I’ve always remembered that. People want to
In New Orleans, The Sweet Art of Stillness Read More »
When’s the best time to visit New Orleans? New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in the world — bustling and animated; filled with music, food, and art; home to incredible people you’ll never forget. Many American cities can be visited comfortably at any time of year, but you need to be a bit
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Is this the only month of my life that I’ll begin in the Middle East and end in the Caribbean? Maybe, maybe not. But I’m fairly certain it will be the only month I begin in Lebanon and end in St. Croix! This was an extremely busy travel month — far more so than I
AK Monthly Recap: June 2018 Read More »
I landed in Cyprus with a smile. More than 17 years after I first set foot on the European continent, I had visited every country in Europe. (47 countries by my count, which includes all UN-recognized nations plus Kosovo and the Vatican. I count Turkey but I don’t count the Caucasus.) To be honest, I
On Visiting Every European Country, and Goals that Matter Read More »
I think back to my first trip to Lebanon, and I’m so glad that I traveled solo. I had a great time! As a woman who writes about solo female travel for a living, I purposely went to Lebanon because there is almost no information online about traveling Lebanon alone as a woman. I wanted
Solo Female Travel in Lebanon: Is Lebanon Safe? Read More »
“You have to get out of the city once per month.” Since I moved to New York more than two years ago, this has been advice I’ve always taken, yet rarely put into action. This is a city where people are driven to work work work, do more, make more money, and as individualistic as the
A Weekend at the Wylder Hotel in Tilghman Island, Maryland Read More »
What a wild month! Three trips, three countries, one conference, one talk and one panel. I’m typing this from Starbucks in Nicosia, Cyprus, and I’m exhausted. For the past two years or so, I’ve been very good about balancing work and travel (for instance, I’ve kept my travel down to about 25% of the time,
AK Monthly Recap: May 2018 Read More »
Traveling alone to New Orleans? Is that…a good place to travel solo? Don’t most people go to New Orleans with their partner or a group of friends, at the very least? Well, sure, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go! A lot of US cities are perpetually recommended to solo female travelers. San Francisco? You’ll
Solo Female Travel in New Orleans: How to Stay Safe and Have Fun! Read More »
Day trips from Florence, Italy can take you to the best places in Italy within a few hours. Just hop on a train and in no time you can be riding in a gondola through Venice or sipping wine in Chianti or eating your way through Bologna or taking hilarious selfies with the Leaning Tower
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