When I got invited to join a food tour through New York’s Little Italy and Chinatown, I was excited — but a bit skeptical. Isn’t Little Italy a giant tourist trap? I thought. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for authenticity, shouldn’t you leave Manhattan altogether and head to the Bronx and Flushing? I was wrong. Little
Eating Through Little Italy and Chinatown with Ahoy Tours Read More »
After seeing the remnants of war all over Sarajevo, I thought I had seen my fill of Bosnian devastation. Little did I know that Mostar — beautiful, tiny, freshly rebuilt Mostar — would be even worse. This post was published in 2012, based on a June 2012 visit. Shortly after arriving at Hostel Nina, our
Mostar: The Rose That Grows Through Concrete Read More »
I’m in a midtown nail salon, watching as my toenails are layered in iridescent fuchsia. It’s been a while — since leaving Southeast Asia, I can’t justify paying more than $5 for a mani-pedi. And it shows. For most girls, a pedicure is just for decoration; for me, this time it was more like reconstrutive surgery.
Confronting My Ghost Life in New York Read More »
The Faroe Islands are famous for their exquisite beauty and isolation. Yet of all the islands and villages and regions, one place stands out as the most unspoiled, most unique, and perhaps even the most beautiful. That place is a little island called Mykines. Mykines (pronounced MEE-chin-ness) is the westernmost point in the Faroe Islands,
Mykines: The World’s Most Unspoiled Island Read More »
How do you go on after living through hell? This was the question I asked myself again and again as we toured Sarajevo, Bosnia’s capital and a city synonymous with destruction during the 1990s. Constant bombings; lack of food, water and electricity; and being surrounded by Serbian forces led to a violent isolation. Before arriving,
Life After War: Sarajevo Today Read More »
It’s not very often that I get to experience the best restaurant in a country — but in the Faroe Islands, I got to do just that. KOKS is the restaurant at the excellent Hotel Foroyar, famous for hosting Bill Clinton a few years ago. (It’s also not very often that I get to stay
Haute Faroese Cuisine Read More »
Dubrovnik — the pearl of the Adriatic, Lord Byron’s paradise, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Dubrovnik was the final stop on our Busabout Croatia Cruise, and I was looking forward to seeing this beautiful city in real life after dreaming about it for years! Dubrovnik didn’t disappoint — it was
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“I am not Danish. I am Faroese.” Oddmar’s eyes grow serious as I tentatively bring up the notion of Faroese independence. “I have my own genes, I have my own history, I have my own language. “I am a Faroese,” he repeats, softer this time, though no less intense. “Not a Dane.” I’m having dinner
What It Means To Be Faroese Read More »
I have been to the end of the Earth — and it is GLORIOUS. My time in the Faroe Islands was absolutely enchanting. These are some of the most beautiful islands I HAVE EVER SEEN. That’s not something to say casually! I mean it. Maybe the most beautiful islands in the world aren’t filled with
The Unfathomable Beauty of the Faroe Islands Read More »
Here are my photos that best exemplify the colors blue, red, yellow, green, and white: Blue Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh is a magical city on any given day — but on a sunny day after a rainstorm, the cobblestones on the Royal Mile actually glow blue! I was thrilled to witness this phenomenon on an early morning
My Photos That Capture the Colour Read More »