Viewing entries tagged
food

What I Ate (and Drank) in Cozumel

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What I Ate (and Drank) in Cozumel

Eating is a favorite pastime of mine. What better way is there to experience a new country than to eat my way through it?

I believe you cannot know a people or a culture until you’ve tried their local cuisine—and not just from the tourist stops. The history behind their food or the nostalgia and pride they have in certain snacks is exciting to me.

Different from some of my other posts on “what I ate”—this one includes more focus on alcohol! I don’t usually drink in the countries I visit, but this time I did more than usual. I suppose New Years Eve and all of the tequila tastings around Cozumel lured me to partake.

In this post, I give you the highlights of my foodie—and drinkie?—experience in Cozumel!

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Central Market Highlights in San Jose, Costa Rica

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Central Market Highlights in San Jose, Costa Rica

The last two nights of my time in Costa Rica were spent in the city where it all started: San Jose. I purposely booked a relaxing stay with nice amenities so I could recoup from all the adventuring I’d done in the previous 2 weeks (best decision ever!).

It was time to sit back, relax, and take in some Netflix! Of course, the adventurer in me couldn’t sit still long. I had to get out and see a bit of San Jose. San Jose’s famous Central Market was the main attraction for me!

This 140+ old indoor market had everything I could possibly desire. I mention a few of its highlights but there’s one place in particular that had what I needed. This place had possible the most unique ice cream I’ve ever tasted made in 20 different ways. Read on to learn more as I close out my Costa Rica trip experience.

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10 Must-Sees For 24 Hours In Stockholm, Sweden

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10 Must-Sees For 24 Hours In Stockholm, Sweden

Carolina and I had time to kill in Stockholm for a day as we waited for her daughter to arrive from Italy. After recovering from our red eye flight from Greece with a car garage nap, we wandered the streets and did a little self-guided landmark and art museum sight-seeing.

We were on our own and pretty aimless until we met up with an old friend of mine. Giles took us around to a few of the more interesting spots including a sunken warship museum with a funny backstory.

This top 10 must-see’s include some typical stops but also some unexpected ones, like where to find Stockholm’s legendary stone face crying over—you’d never guess it—a sculpted vulva! Keep reading to find out more about our 24 hours in Stockholm!

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I Love Greek Food (Part 2): What I Ate in Santorini

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I Love Greek Food (Part 2): What I Ate in Santorini

For our last few days in Greece, our visit to Santorini forced us to take it up a notch in terms of food prices and dinner views. Our eating experience was different from our time in Crete mainly because it was so centered around getting the best seats for sunset.

I managed to find ways to balance out the price of our view-centered dinners. Alas, we could not have experienced the best of what Santorini had to offer without recommendations from our villa stay host. We ended up taking up several of his suggestions and they were all excellent.

The best part was the last night when I finally got to eat one, single vegetable that he insisted we must not miss: a Santorini cucumber.

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Glamping at Runaway Bay in Seville, FL

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Glamping at Runaway Bay in Seville, FL

This past weekend, I took a weekend getaway trip up North for my friend Kim’s birthday. A group of us stayed at an Airbnb that was a really unique experience. The stay was so different and delightful that I am devoting an entire blog post to it!

I will be mixing in highlights from the weekend and what we did during our stay. But mostly this post is all about this place, Runaway Bay—including its charming rough edges and what we took advantage of while there.

I don’t usually post about specific paid accommodation but this blog is all about not doing what is typical anyway! I don’t necessary mean for people to run and book this particular Airbnb after reading about my experience (although nothing is stopping you!). What I hope is it will inspire others to try something new—a different type of accommodation—when you have the chance.

The run of the mill Hotel or even Airbnb stay can get stale. This adventurous option was just the deviation I needed!

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What I Look For In A New Place As A Solo Traveler

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What I Look For In A New Place As A Solo Traveler

My friend recently asked me this question. I decided to create a post around my answer.

This is one of those “into my brain” posts. It’s different from my posts on How to Decide Where to Travel—The Practical Deviation and How to Decide Where to Travel—The Personal Deviation. This one is more process-based, where you get to see how my brain works when I start planning for travel. It’s also based on what I do now as a short-term travel soloist.

My process now is budget-based and interest-based with a final look at safety. I have to admit, it’s something I’ve been doing a lot throughout the pandemic. I look up destinations and plan trips I can’t go on yet. Sounds a bit sad writing it like that but this has actually helped me get through this long period of no travel. Now I have several trips in mind, ready to be booked when the time feels right!

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Eating & Drinking in Grand Cayman

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Eating & Drinking in Grand Cayman

We are all still stuck in quarantine, probably getting tired of our own cooking. But that doesn't mean you can't daydream about delicious Caribbean cuisine, am I right?!

I ate my way through Grand Cayman when I visited the island for New Years. You may remember how much I love Island-style food from my post about the food in Niue, Curaçao, and other island countries. This post is a similar take on those foodie experiences. But it's Grand Cayman-style!

From coconut water to rum cake, Grand Cayman cuisine is similar to other island countries I've visited but it also has its own unique treats. So as you make your way through your non-perishables at home, make your way through this in-depth look at what I consumed over 5 days in Grand Cayman.

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Key West is Quirky and Queer

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Key West is Quirky and Queer

A part of getting to know Key West was getting to know its unique side. Not only is Key West a beautiful, tropical paradise, it's also queer, artsy, and a tad nerdy. This is basically all of the things that I love in one place!

There is lots of queer culture to soak up, whether it's through the drag shows or a beautiful AIDS memorial. With its rich, queer history focused on inclusivity and social justice, Key West is a major destination and home to the LGBTQ community.

I also loved the art galleries and unique themed restaurants in Key West. Brightly colored modern art and even "sexy" titled desserts made up more quirky surprises than I could have imagined.

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3 Days in Denver: Nightlife and Mountains (Part 1)

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3 Days in Denver: Nightlife and Mountains (Part 1)

You know what's awesome? Having friends as adventurous as I am—friends who aren't afraid to travel across the country to try on a new lifestyle. That's what my friend Dasha did over a year ago when she moved to Denver, CO.

A hiker like me, Dasha left her Brooklyn life seeking higher elevations. When I visited for her birthday weekend back in April, I had the privilege of experiencing some of Denver's gorgeous mountain views.

We also had the chance to explore a bit of Denver's nightlife and restaurants. I did a ton with Dasha in just the first 24 hours in Denver—but there's more! This 3 day weekend in Denver is in 2 parts. Here is part 1...ready, set, go!

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Dominican Republic: My First All-Inclusive Resort Stay

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Dominican Republic: My First All-Inclusive Resort Stay

I am so not an all-inclusive resort type of traveler. I'm the type of traveler who goes camping across New Zealand. I pour buckets of water over me at hostels for a shower in Iceland. I party and couchsurf with locals in South Africa. In general, I adventure travel on a budget with minimal environmental impact and maximum exploration of culture and countryside.

But I got that style of travel out of my system in Africa. This week, I am taking a break from my posts about Africa to fast forward to my trip to the Dominican Republic. I broke all my travel norms to have this romantic, Caribbean getaway with Ang! It was her birthday, so I was down for whatever she wanted to do. And an all-inclusive, adults-only resort was it!

Breaking my own travel norms meant I had the chance to pop many travel cherries on this trip. I had my first resort experience, my first swim-up bar experience, my first Caribbean vacation, and my first visit to an international country South of the United States! Woo! Who knew I had so many cherries to pop after all the travel I've done? Well, this post is my take on all these new experiences, from the good to the not so good.

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Exploring Windhoek and Partying With Queer Namibians

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Exploring Windhoek and Partying With Queer Namibians

Who knew Namibia had a queer scene? When I planned my trip to Namibia, I never expected to meet Namibian queer folk—and party with them! But that's exactly what happened through my couchsurf host in Windhoek, Namibia's capital city.

I stayed with Naville, a friend of a friend in the couchsurf community, while in Windhoek. Naville lives close to the city center. So it was super easy to access and explore shops, restaurants, sights, and bars from his place!

In this post, I share everything I squeezed into 1 full day and night in Windhoek. This included ethically shopping African souvenirs from local tribes and learning about local LGBT rights over ciders at a bar.

Despite limited time, I ended up making some great memories and even greater friends!Who knew Namibia had a queer scene? When I planned my trip to Namibia, I never expected to meet Namibian queer folk—and party with them! But that's exactly what happened through my couchsurf host in Windhoek, Namibia's capital city.

I stayed with Naville, a friend of a friend in the couchsurf community, while in Windhoek. Naville lives close to the city center. So it was super easy to access and explore shops, restaurants, sights, and bars from his place!

In this post, I share everything I squeezed into 1 full day and night in Windhoek. This included ethically shopping African souvenirs from local tribes and learning about local LGBT rights over ciders at a bar.

Despite limited time, I ended up making some great memories and even greater friends!

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12 Foods You Must Try in New Orleans

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12 Foods You Must Try in New Orleans

At the end of 5 days in New Orleans, I felt like I had gained 100 lbs because of all of the eating we did. I regret nothing!

New Orleans is considered Americas "food city." There is literally something for everyone including some serious cultural eating you cannot get anywhere else. Yes, I'm talking about the Crescent City's famous Cajun and Creole influences.

In this post, I give a short review of all the traditional foods you cannot miss and the best places to order them. You'll also learn about the current BBQ craze and up-and-coming Vietnamese trend. Catch them both before they go out of style!

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New Zealand Food: The Most Comprehensive Guide for Non-Kiwis

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New Zealand Food: The Most Comprehensive Guide for Non-Kiwis

Non-kiwi foodies may look no further than this post for the most comprehensive guide on what to eat while in New Zealand. If you've never been to Aotearoa , the "land of the long white cloud," then you have probably never heard of the majority of the items appearing on this list.

I devoted 10 months of my travel time to living in and eating my way through New Zealand. Inevitably, I ended up sampling almost every food for which New Zealand is famous or infamous.

I still find myself day dreaming about eating some of New Zealand's foods again. This guide describes all of them.

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What to Eat in Nashville: 6 Foods and Eateries to Try

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What to Eat in Nashville: 6 Foods and Eateries to Try

Nashville is well-known for two things: It's music and it's food. I'm starting with the food this week since it's such an important part of every culture I've encountered in my travels.

The striking thing about eating in a new location in my own country is both the similarities and stark differences across state lines. America gets the reputation around the world for being the home of the hamburger and also for doing fried chicken and breakfast (especially pancakes!) very well. Nashville takes all of these American staples (and more) to a whole new level!

The down side to my food experience in Nashville was that I had only one weekend to enjoy it! Four days is simply not enough time to eat at all of the amazing restaurants. The following are the foods I did have time to try. At the end of this post, I'll suggest some of the others I missed!

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Life After Travel: On Being Back and Lessons From Deviating

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Life After Travel: On Being Back and Lessons From Deviating

Once I landed back in New York, I did like all New Yorkers do: I hit the ground running. I began flitting around the city, catching up with old friends, and eating my favorite American foods. Then I shot upstate to spend time with my family and reacquaint myself with American consumer culture.

In this post, I'll give you a fast-paced run-through of my arrival back in New York. But then I'll slow it down a bit, as it wasn't until I was tucked away in upstate New York that the full impact of my travels settled in.

Inevitably, I returned with knowledge of languages, cultures, people, and foods that have all become a part of my every day thoughts. Most importantly, I have returned with the challenge of integrating lessons from my travels with my lifestyle back home. During my travels, I learned how to resist planning ahead and allow my innermost wants to guide me. Now it's time to apply these same lessons to the chapter ahead.

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5 Motorbike Tour Highlights With a Local Guide in Northeastern Bali

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5 Motorbike Tour Highlights With a Local Guide in Northeastern Bali

On my last full day in Bali, I hopped on the back of a motorbike with a local who showed me the highlights of the lower Karangasem Regency. My tour guide was Han, a local who offered to take me around the region. His tour turned out to be the perfect wrap up to my time in Bali.

There really is no experience like the one you can get from a local showing you around. I got a personalized tour of the region with opportunities to learn about Indonesian culture and take in some of the sights on my own terms. Han ended up driving me to 5 separate locations, including a traditional Bali village, two water palaces, a chocolate and soap factory, and a chilled-out, sandy beach. Below, I describe my experiences visiting each of these places, but the real story to share is how wonderfully well-rounded Han had made this tour.

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Christmas in New York: Sightseeing and upstate family traditions

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Christmas in New York: Sightseeing and upstate family traditions

It's Christmas! And I'm in New York! I'm home spending the holidays with my family in upstate New York. I thought I'd share a few of our family traditions in addition to my own tradition of seeing the holiday sights around The City.

In between upstate shenanigans, I was in New York City a couple of times over the last few weeks. I got to check out Rockefeller Center, view the decorated Macy's windows, and watch people fall on their faces ice skating in Bryant Park (my favorite!). But now I'm home, baking up a cookie storm with Mom and preparing for our family tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve.

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How I ended up planting potatoes at midnight in Niue

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How I ended up planting potatoes at midnight in Niue

On a remote island like Niue, getting to know the locals is as easy as stepping outside your guesthouse door. A cultural exchange with a local was bound to happen—we just had no idea when or how. We met the Tongia family from nearby Tonga on our 3rd day in Niue. Palemia, a shuttle driver for Matavai resort, gave us a ride home from dinner.

He then offered Jono a chance at free diving with a local spear-fisherman. As a thanks, we offered to help him and his wife, Louna, with their farm work. We ended up planting potatoes through the middle of the night and enjoying other wonderful cultural exchanges with this delightful little Tongan family who live and work in Niue.

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