Can I share with you my happy place? My dream vacation spot in this season of life? My family’s favorite hotel? It’s truly a fairytale. Residing in a quiet corner of Switzerland’s Alps, the Märchenhotel Braunwald is an extraordinary family hotel that we have had the pleasure of visiting twice now – staying 2 nights…
Bangkok’s Colorful Grand Palace
The most popular tourist destination in all of Thailand is not a beautiful beach paradise, but rather a royal compound and spiritual haven located in the bustling city of Bangkok. The Grand Palace attracts 8 million visitors to the Southeast Asian capital each year and ranks the third most-toured royal site in the world, according…
When The Earth Shakes
A magnitude-7.8 earthquake turned the nation of Nepal into a disaster zone on April 25, causing severe devastation throughout the region. Many of Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites were flattened and now lay in piles of brick and dust – unique pieces of history lost forever. Even worse than the destruction of these historic landmarks is…
An Afternoon in Angkor Wat
When I was a kid, I came across an old copy of the 1982 May issue of National Geographic. Since that moment, I have never forgotten the enigmatic stone face glaring out from that magazine’s cover and the fantastical images of the jungle-run ruins of Angkor held within its pages. While planning a two week trip to Thailand, I…
A Light in Cambodia’s Dark History
On a blistering hot afternoon in the Cambodian countryside, we walked into a landmine. A landmine museum, that is. About 25 km outside of Siem Reap resides the Cambodia Landmine Museum. This little complex has a big heart for healing war-torn Cambodia and a mission to care for and educate children who have been directly affected…
Summiting El Misti
In addition to hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Justin and I tackled another peak of Peru in the fall of 2013. Together, we conquered El Misti, an active volcano that looms ominously large over Arequipa. Although the journey was not nearly as long as the Inca Trail, summiting El Misti was no less…
12 Tips To Hiking The Inca Trail
A Domeck Dream came true in the fall of 2013: Justin and I completed the 4-day, 3-night hike along the traditional route of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. It was an incredible journey, rife with majestic vistas and physical challenges. To this day, we still ask ourselves, “Would we ever do it again?” My answer…
Taiwan Bound
On a new adventure I soon embark. My heart, full of joy and gratitude, looking forward to this foreign place: Where East and West collide to create a modern fabric of ancient traditions, A sweet potato surrounded by rolling waves, A land of old and new, whose rugged physicality mirrors a turbulent history. I am…
Orlando by Neighborhood
Did you know that there is more to Orlando, Florida than a famous cartoon mouse, a famous orca whale, and a famous British wizard? No? Then, please, allow me to introduce you to the real Orlando in this “More Than Mouse Ears” series. First, we focused on the creative and collaborative culture emerging from DOWNTOWN ORLANDO. Today, let us survey Orlando by neighborhood to understand…
More Than Mouse Ears: Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida. Best known for Mickey, Minnie and Cinderella’s castle, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the controversial splash of Shamu, and copious amounts of sunshine, heat, and humidity. Right? Yes, the gang’s all here… and we really do love them! BUT unless you live in Central Florida, you may not realize that Orlando has so…
Orlando’s Oasis: Leu Gardens
In the heart of Orlando, Florida, lies a marvelous oasis brimming with lush vegetation, winding paths, cheery birdsong, secluded gazebos, rose gardens, and one of the largest collections of camellias in the United States. With such an incredible amount of floral biodiversity, the Harry P. Leu Gardens is a paradise unto itself. In fact, this historical landmark is a local…
(A)irbnb is for Amizade
Amizade is Portuguese for friendship. Through the adventures we are having in our own home, my husband Justin and I have more reasons than ever to know and understand friendship in multiple languages. Why? Because we are Airbnb hosts. If you are unfamiliar with the company revolutionizing the travel industry, it’s time for an introduction: Founded in August of 2008…
A Look at Lisbon
Lisbon maintains an air of Old World charm, a shadow of a bygone era when Portuguese sailors bravely explored oceans and lands around the globe. Unlike many of Europe’s impeccable capital cities, Lisbon is more like a crusty oyster than a porcelain vase, unpolished and rough around the edges, and waiting to be cracked open…
A Merry Munich Christmas
Wishing the world a Frohe Weihnachten with photos from the Christmas Markets of Munich! What cities do you like to visit during the Christmas holidays? Where in the world do you like to experience the Christmas spirit?
10 Reasons to Love Munich
I had the opportunity to spend five weeks in Munich, Germany over the course of 2014 – three glorious weeks in July and two weeks in the magical month of December. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the city. To honor this love affair, I created a list of ten reasons…
“I am Jean Michel.”
It was a blustery autumn evening in 1970. The alpine winds whipped off Lake Geneva with unseasonal gusto. The leaves rustled in the trees and rained down in a lazy, haphazard manner, making their whirling descent toward the cobblestone streets below. Lamp posts offered stations of false warmth to pedestrians passing under their soft glow.…
10 Lessons from the Road
Back in July, I met my dear friend and travel buddy, SK, in Barcelona, where we rented a car – a beautiful black Audi we named Jacques – and set out to explore southern France and Andorra. Here are a few lessons I learned from the road. Lesson 1 – Ignore your inner Ricky Bobby.…
The Quiet of the Wild
Lately, I’ve had a lot of reasons for reflection. I left my full-time job at the end of June. Took up residence in Munich for a few weeks in July. Explored some amazing places in Europe. Started this website. Celebrated marriages, birthdays, and actual birth-days. And lost my dear aunt to cancer. Certainly, it has…
Victor & Camille, Two Misguided Hearts
“I’m going to shoot myself,” he said. What? Why would he say that? He shook his head slowly and then moved close to her face. She leaned towards him coquettishly in response. Vodka tonics. Red wine. They had already consumed an unknown number of drinks, and it was around the sixth hour of the transatlantic…
The People of Peru
A three-week journey throughout Peru with my husband and another married couple last year was an incredible and unparalleled adventure. Our travels in this multicultural country awarded us exceptional glimpses into the lives of the marvelous people of Peru. Lima: The Capital City The Region of Cusco: The Inca Trail + Machu Picchu The Region of Cusco: Merchants + Markets The Region of Puno:…
Tiny Country Spotlight: Andorra
Tucked away in the eastern Pyrenees mountains is a tiny country that many non-Europeans have never even heard of – or if they have, they know very little about: the Principality of Andorra. Although Andorra may not require much space on a world map, if you make room for it on your travel itinerary, Andorra may…
Holy Moments in Munich
Shortly after I passed under the Karlstor, the prosaic medieval gate that leads into Munich’s city center, my senses were bombarded by the trendy merchandise posing provocatively in the windows of retail empires. As much as my inner-diva wanted to reply to their beckoning call with a quick embrace and a credit card swipe, I…
Into the Souks of Marrakech
Just behind the Djemaa el Fna of Marrakech loom the souks, a twisted maze of a marketplace where merchants sell “typical Moroccan goods”: brightly colored slippers, lavish carpets, polished wooden pieces, tea sets, ceramics, jewelry, olives and mint leaves, spices, smelling salts, and salves. Hassling and haggling are a way of life in this mercantile manor, and the average…
Websites and Tropical Fruits
In elementary school, I took typing classes a few times each week. We had to watch the letters fall down the retina-burning blue screen and try to punch out each letter before it careened out of sight – all without looking at the keyboard. I’m not going to lie: I got pretty good at typing. In middle school, I took…