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Costa Brava may very well be the best kept secret in Spain.  This September, I spent time in this region of Catalonia for the first time ever, and I was blown away by its sheer beauty, the variety of things to do, and its warm hospitality. From beaches to cities, from jamon to tomatoes, Costa Brava is filled with so many treasures — and if you’re anything like me, you’ll fall in love with Costa Brava quickly. Here are 13 reasons to fall in love with Costa Brava: Wild Coastline I’ve seen the coasts of California, Croatia, and the Faroe Islands, and Costa Brava’s dramatic coast blows all of them away.  Pounding surf, wild rocks and stunning beaches dot the landscape — it’s impossible to not want to photograph them all! Where to go: Lloret de Mar.   This may seem like a tired party town, but the coastal walk is absolutely spectacular.  This shot is just one of many. Beaches Not just beaches — absolutely gorgeous...

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, I had read a quote somewhere that Sarajevo today “bears few scars of its war-torn past.”  Well, that couldn’t have been less true.  There are scars everywhere you look — half-destroyed buildings, bullet holes, a devastated landscape. As we drove around the city, past bullet-strewn buildings and piles of garbage heaps, I kept thinking of how different Sarajevo was from Croatia — in fact, it reminded me more of Cambodia than anywhere else. But not all of Sarajevo is like that.  There are modern parts, beautiful parts — like the cool Bascarsija area, with lots of cafes and restaurants and high-end shops. But firs...

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you already heard the news.  I’m in Portugal and Spain for five weeks! I just got to Lisbon yesterday and I am already bowled over by this city.  It’s incredibly beautiful, remarkably intuitive, and surprisingly affordable.  I have no doubt that Lisbon will be one of my new favorite cities. I was a bit worried about the weather, knowing that April and May would be optimal months for visiting Portugal and Spain, not February and March.  But so far, Lisbon is in the low sixties (about 17 C) and, honestly, it’s delightful after my long winter in Turkey, England, Massachusetts, Scotland, and Shetland. I wouldn’t book a Mediterranean cruise vacation with Virgin during this time of year, nor would I camp out on the beach, but these springtime temperatures are perfect for walking around and exploring — WITHOUT a coat! Here is where I will be visiting for the next five weeks: In Portugal: Lisbon.  Two days for now.  On We...

During my time in Edinburgh, I stayed at a hostel with THE BEST HOSTEL SHOWERS I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED.   They were brand-new, they had so many different levels of pressure and temperature, and they were spotless.  I felt like I was in a hotel, and a nice one — not just a hostel — and I stayed in that shower far longer than I should have. The home of this majestic shower?   The brand-new Haggis Hostel in Edinburgh. I was invited to stay here by Al and Chris, the owners of the hostel, and I’m so glad I took them up on their offer.   This hostel is truly a special place, and not just because they invited me to stay there.  In fact, it was one of my best hosteling experiences ever. When you stay in as many hostels as I have, you get used to just having a bed on which to crash.   So when you get something extra special, you notice it — and Haggis Hostel is full of these extras. Beds with comfy mattresses, fluffy pillows, and thick comforters. After a day of r...

  Oaxaca, Oaxaca.  It was so delightful to visit this place and then write all about what I experienced.  Sometimes, I ran out of words to describe the emotions, flavors, and textures I encountered during my short trip. Because of that, I have decided to share some of the things I learned while visiting this awesome Mexican state. Facts about Oaxaca, Mexico Here are 15 interesting facts in order to wrap up my coverage of this city and state: 1. Most of the municipalities in the state are governed by a customs and traditions system with recognized forms of self-governance.  This is a place where “modern” laws seem to have no place. 2. Oaxaca contains 18 indigenous groups who retain their languages and traditions (Zapotecs and Mixtecs are the most populous).  Since the state is very rugged, these cultures survived better than in other states. 3. The name of the state comes from the name of its capital.  The name comes from the Nahuatl, “Huaxyacac”, which refers to a tree. 4. ...

That day in Oahu when I hiked to a waterfall, which ended not really being a waterfall, was full of great emotions. After our hike thru the Ko’olau Mountain Range and Manoa Valley, we returned to the starting point in the town of Manoa.   Next adventure: biking down a sinuously road. Our guide took us to a high area in the mountains. The area was next a rural road.  I knew we were really high because I saw the views when we were going up.  In addition, I felt how my ears were clogging due to the altitude. In there, another guide was waiting for us with bikes.  We received some instructions.  We were going to ride about 22 miles downhill. The road, because of its location among the mountains, was infrequently transited.  So, that made it perfect for us to ride without the hassle of cars passing us in a crazy manner. One guide was leading the way in a bike.  The other was driving a van behind the bikers.  The guides were communicating all the time.  If a car was spotted behind the van...

Having wild, curly hair is a double-edged sword.  Yes, there are occasions when it looks amazing — but most of the time, it’s out of control with a mind of its own! If you have wavy, curly or otherwise uncontrollable hair, you’ve likely got styling it down to a science: perfect products, tools and humidity conditions. But when you travel, especially long-term travel, you don’t have those luxuries. Here are the steps to traveling with uncontrollable, curly hair: 1. Get the right cut. When you go to the salon, ask your stylist for a haircut that works with your hair’s natural shape — NOT a style that requires a round brush and a flatiron. If you’re traveling long-term, get a style that can grow out easily without requiring frequent trims. 2. Keep your hair hydrated. Keeping your curly hair moisturized and hydrated is the key to keeping it from becoming a frizzy mess. For starters, stop highlighting your hair.  In addition to requiring fr...

I’ve seen a lot of strange things on various subways around the world. My favorite subway incident happened on the Metro in Paris in 2004.  This guy had an old-school boom box held over his shoulder, was holding a  microphone in the other, and was rapping to 50 Cent’s “In da Club”!  And yes, he collected donations. Anyway, that was the good of subway adventures. This morning, on the MBTA in Boston, I saw something disgusting. I got on the train — and this was going on: Who CLIPS THEIR TOENAILS on the subway?!  SO DISGUSTING. Can you believe it?! Perhaps even more unbelievably, nobody said anything to her.  We just exchanged incredulous glances as the lady finished clipping her toenails and dusting off the subway seats around her. By the time this lady and I got off the train, this image had already gone viral, thanks to Universal Hub and BostonTweet.  I had the urge to tell her that, but resisted. Now, is this the worst thing you’ve ever see...

A Night in Sevilla So recovery turned into late night jamming on the roof of the hostel with some cool people we met from Australia, New Zealand and the States. The guitar has been a lot of fun, more so now that the weather is nice. After a couple days touring the tapas bars (FYI, tapas are much better in San Sebastien) and getting soaked in the warm rain, I took a trip to the 3rd largest Cathedral in Europe. It is a very impressive Gothic building that supposedly houses Columbus. Still trying to meet up with Fannie from Edmonton. They got lost on there way to their hotel last night and by the time they got to the bar we were gone. We may try and hitch a ride with them as they are on there way to Morocco. How cool would that be? If not, off to Grenada tomorrow.

So, you said it. You told them you were going on a trip. As you’re one step closer to the “big move”, your family and friends might be wondering if you’re taking the right decision, if you’re ready for this and if you’re lucky, they might be wondering what they can do to help.  If you’re planning your big trip, you might want to subtly give this list of gifts for someone moving abroad/going abroad to the people around you. On the other hand, if you received this list or if you have a traveler in your life, these gift ideas for travel lovers could inspire you and make them smile. For the purpose of this article, I’ll pretend I’m speaking directly to the traveler in your life – just because. *If I do switch talking to the gift buyer – bear with me. #Sorry.   Top Gifts for Someone Moving Abroad/Going Abroad   Share the love – Top going abroad gifts   Let’s start by explaining why I think that a “move abroad” and a long-term trip is pretty simil...