I’m blessed to have built a career in travel journalism over the last 12 years. Putting myself in the position to field hundreds of questions weekly across my platforms ranging from the best destinations around the world to the safety concerns of marginalized peoples. While Im honored to have this responsibility and trust thrust upon me, it can be time-consuming and at times, frustrating. A sentiment many other travel creators share. While it can appear to be a 1 on 1 exchange between you and the creator, it’s more likely a 100 to 1 or even more. With some creators spending hours trying to fie ..read more

Kerala was one of those overhyped travel blogger destinations I had no desire to visit. After seeing what had happened to places like Chiang Mai and Bali, it was way at the bottom of my desires list for travel. Oh, how misguided I was. Southern India is perhaps one of the most beautiful, welcoming, and “natural” places I’ve visited. I would argue it’s the most beautiful place in India. I’ve visited/worked in India enough to dread returning at times. I’m aware of the sheer chaos I’m going to experience. Pollution, traffic, food safety, and other issues are always in your mind as you explore ..read more

Vietnam and Cambodia are those kinds of places that stand out to travelers. A bit exotic but not too far off the grid for those that value safety and convenience. And with the internet making the world a smaller place, things are quickly changing in these Southeast Asian countries — some stuff for the best, others, not so much. While I’m all about getting off the beaten path, I think both of these countries have to be at the top of your travel bucket list. Beauty, culinary delights, and affordability are just a few of the reasons I would highly recommend exploring Vietnam and Cambodia with ..read more

Global tourism is experiencing a boom. And with that has come a slew of tour companies vying for your attention and dollars. But what should you be looking for in a tour company? With the most popular destinations having hundreds to choose from, it can be overwhelming. So I’m going to explain a few things that every reputable tour company should have and why I think Club Adventures tours have these qualities in spade. Flexibility As a travel photographer, organized tours are always a problem for me. The relative rigidness of itineraries makes it challenging to explore and understand a ..read more

My nose tells me when I’m in a good bookstore. The prose defines much of the literary world. Who, what, when, and where dominate how we think about and engage with books. But for me, how a bookstore smells tells me everything I need to know about it. Think about it; what do you smell when you walk into a new bookstore? Usually, plastic. The sterile, and yes lovely, interiors of most modern books stores turn me off. They feel cold and distant from the physical world of literature. It’s solely when I smell the vanillaish aroma of old books that I feel my synapses begin to come alive with exc ..read more

The conventional narrative around art has been created from a mostly male POV. With those primarily considered the “legends” of artistic forms being male. But what happens when a woman challenges those narratives? Well, she gets charged with obscenity, has her work confiscated, offends the church, and becomes the leader of the Russian Avant-garde. Natalia Goncharova redefined what art meant in Russia by documenting the shift of Russian culture from an agricultural one to an industrial one. From a natio ..read more

Today, the world is a far smaller place. And that’s due to the evolution of technology. In particular phones. Being a bit on the older end of the millennial scale I’m blessed to be of two worlds. One side that remembers when seeing a cell phone was akin to seeing a unicorn. And on the other side, the world where everyone is glued to their screens. While I maintain a great appreciation for both sides of the coin, I think I’m blessed to fall somewhere in the middle. Where I use my phone regularly by choice instead of social/cultural necessity. My appreciation for what cell phones do in conne ..read more

I’m always excited to present wonderful travel experiences. But one I didn’t expect to stand out was this cool coffee museum in Trento Italy. The #Traverse19 conference had some of the best pre and post trips I’ve seen. When I arrived I was extremely excited about this one. I’m a coffee head. And Italy has long been known for its amazing espressos. So when invited to check out a factory that’s actually older than the country itself I jumped at the chance.  The collection/museum is Collezione Bontadi or CoBo and can be found in Rovereto. About an hour away from Trento. Bontadi is Italy ..read more

One of the most common topics of conversation, when people find out what I do for a living, is dating. While I’m an open book, these conversations tend to become awkward. Simply because many aren’t used to speaking about dating and sex openly. Even though they might think they are. Dating is already complicated. And doing it overseas adds another level of frustration many aren’t prepared for. So I’m writing this piece for all the fellas, sorry ladies, because I haven’t seen much produced on this topic for us. So let’s get into it. Money Matters in a lot of Cultures Let’s get this ou ..read more

What we see when we travel has a lot to do with where we came from. How we were raised. And how we view those that are from a destination. We carry an inherent bias and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It makes travel a unique experience for us all. Giving each of us something special to call back to when we’ve moved on in our lives. While I’m blessed to live what some would call a privileged life, I didn’t always have it this way. Growing up in Cleveland you were surrounded by blue-collar men and women. I was raised by welders, mechanics, service folks, and farmers. People that made a l ..read more