Today is my 37th birthday. I’m feeling wonderful about it, and as always, am taking a look back at the past 365 days and what I learned along the way. This year I discovered the shoehorn. What a magnificent invention. I’ve never really used one before. I always thought they were an old man thing. […]
Turning 37 and Being Happy Where You Are Read More »
This month, I finally got back to solo travel. My first solo trip since 2019. Since Newfoundland. That is a long-ass time to go without taking a solo trip while writing about solo travel for a living! It wasn’t supposed to be like that. I had plans for a monthlong solo trip to Peru and
AK Monthly Recap: May 2021 Read More »
One of my favorite movie moments is from Cool Runnings when the Jamaican bobsled team steps out of the airport in Canada for the first time — and freezes at the horror of experiencing subzero temperatures! Throughout the movie, Sanka is finding different ways to stay warm! As much as I laugh, there have been
Introducing Gamma, the Smartest Travel Jacket Yet Read More »
What’s it like to travel alone in the Florida Keys? I absolutely love it! If you’re looking for a tropical escape with warm temperatures and beaches, as well as cool activities and a quirky local culture, I bet you’d love the Keys, too. The Florida Keys are one of my favorite US travel destinations. These
Solo Female Travel in Key West and the Florida Keys Read More »
When you move overseas, how do you send your luggage to your new home? This is something that I had to deal with recently, with my move from the United States to the Czech Republic. There was a time when the vast majority of my belongings fit into one backpack — a time when I
Moving Your Luggage Abroad with My Baggage: Review Read More »
Looking for the best things to do in Oaxaca? I’ve got you covered! Oaxaca is one of my favorite places in Mexico, and I think it’s one of the most special cities in Latin America. Oaxaca (pronounced wa-HA-ca) ticks all the boxes — it’s an incredibly beautiful city, it’s an endlessly interesting city; it’s large
The ABSOLUTE Best Things to Do in Oaxaca, Mexico Read More »
At some point, we will take our first post-COVID trips. For many of those who have been vaccinated, it will be summer 2021. It certainly will be for me. For others, it might take a little longer. But with vaccines being distributed in greater numbers, post-COVID travel is on its way. And that goes for
Your First Post-COVID Trip Should Be to Croatia Read More »
We did it! 2020 has come to an end! When I wrote my last monthly update, I wrote that we were leaving lockdown in Prague. And we did…for two weeks. Now, we’re back in the situation that dominated November: restaurants are closed, cafes serve coffee out their front doors, non-essential shops are closed, and we
AK Monthly Recap: December 2020 Read More »
I thought that 2016 was bad. This was worse — SO many times worse, universally worse. The year that will be written about forever as the dumpster fire of the early 21st century. We’re going to look back at 2020 as the year when everything fell apart. But even in the year that brought us
My Worst Travel Moments of 2020 Read More »
When you ask me where to go in Europe that’s a cool city to visit for a few days — somewhere a bit off the beaten path, but not TOO off the beaten path — that’s when I start talking about Riga, Latvia. As a Latvian-American, I have a soft spot for Riga. In 2015
9 Reasons Why I Can’t Wait to Return to Riga, Latvia Read More »