5 Things-To-Do Before You Visit A New Country
I love to travel. My favorite thing is to travel to a new place. Even better than that is if that new place is a country that offers me a fabulous new stamp on my passport. In the past year, I traveled to the Netherlands, Italy, the U.K., and China all for the first time. I loved exploring these new lands and indulging in the culture. In Amsterdam, I ate Dutch Pancakes and took a boat cruise along the canals. In Italy, I ate and I drank, then I ate and drank some more. In Manchester, I ate Sheppard’s Pie, Blood Pudding, and toured the city’s oldest pubs. In China,…
Adventures in La La Land: A Love Letter to Los Angeles
I’ve never written about Los Angeles and that’s always surprised me. Growing up, I felt drawn to L.A., like a sunflower to the sun, despite never visiting. Maybe it was the idea of Hollywood and my passion for films that fueled my fascination with the Southern California city. It makes sense. Last year I loved La La Land. I mean I La La Loved it. The first time I saw it in theatres I cried the entire subway ride home. The next day, my girlfriend, Rachelle, who’s also a shameless nerd, and I had an hour-long conversation about La La Land. The film isn’t just a love story between two…
A Chelsea Market Adventure
Chelsea is one of the hippest areas of New York. The well-known neighborhood is filled with art history, it was, after all, the original theatre district of New York City. It was also officially founded by Clement Clarke Moore who wrote The Night Before Christmas. Moving into the 1960s and 1970s Chelsea was famed for the rock stars residing in the infamous Chelsea Hotel including Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, and Janis Joplin among many others. Chelsea is known for being many things – gorgeous, artistic, gentrified – but mostly, Chelsea is just cool. On my recent adventure to Chelsea, I explored Chelsea Market, a hub for local artists and vendors.…
The Hostel Life: The Good, The Bad, & The Smelly
Growing up I always imagined having that grand European adventure where my only belongings were stuffed in a backpack and I’d find lodgings in local hostels along the way. But in between those daydreams life happened and my adventure never did. Then at thirty, my opportunity for a European adventure finally arose. And for a few nights in the Netherlands, I got my hostel life experience. Backpacking through Europe and staying at hostels felt like a rite of passage. It’s just one of those things you do when you’re young and hungry to see the world. While thirty might not be the age of a spring chick, I say to…
Adventuring in New York Neighborhoods: Fort George
One thing I love about New York is that the opportunity for adventuring is endless. I’ve been living in New York City for nearly three years, yet there’s still so little of the city I’ve actually seen. There are so many cool bars and restaurants in SoHo, Lower East Side (LES), and Williamsburg that it’s easy to forget how many other areas there are to see in New York. Well, I say enough of that! The time for adventuring has commenced. I’ve decided to explore all New York City has to offer by spending a day sightseeing each of the neighborhoods and discovering their unique personalities and offerings. I couldn’t…
Live to Adventure and Adventure to Live
Over the past few years, I’ve slowly discovered my true passion in life. You know, the thing that motivates you to keep chugging along. It’s the soul of the goal you‘re constantly striving toward. It turns out, my passion is adventuring and my goal is to adventure in as much of the world as possible. Prior to moving to New York, three years ago, I had only left the United States once and that was on a visit to Jamaica. Since moving to New York, I’ve touched ten countries and three different continents. That’s just internationally. Domestically I’ve visited Vermont, Philadelphia, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Napa Valley,…