Destinations: Africa, Destinations: Asia, Destinations: Central America, Destinations: Europe, Destinations: Middle East, Destinations: North America, Destinations: South America

Take ownership of your freedom to choose kindness and compassion and show up as a united humanity.

March 19, 2020
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Coronavirus. That’s all that is in the news (and on everyone’s minds) these days. It is no longer just a “Chinese virus” or an Italian issue or a problem for the poor countries, those with fragile health systems. Unlike humans, coronavirus, aka COVID-19, is unbiased. It’s an equal-opportunity giver that has traveled more distance and spread faster than any of our wildest imaginations could have fathomed. And while COVID-19 continues to travel far and wide with no end in sight, it has produced the reverse effect on humankind. As city after city heads into lock-down and country after country closes their borders, we are eminently changing the very notion of what travel and freedom mean to humans all over the world. 

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Destinations: Africa

“Akwaaba!” – Welcome to Ghana, the friendliest country!

March 10, 2020
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“Akwaaba!”, a stranger shouts to me, with a big grin, waving to me as I walk by on the streets. “Welcome! You are welcome”, he says to me.

After four weeks of living in Ghana, I’ve become accustomed to being greeted in this way from familiar faces and strangers alike. ‘Akwaaba’ is the Akan word for “Welcome” and has become the symbol for expressing Ghanaian hospitality and friendliness, especially towards foreign guests.

Ghana is indeed a friendly country. It certainly is the friendliest country that I’ve been to and I’ve been to over 80 countries! The people of Ghana are warm, welcoming, and trusting — even with strangers. Something that I’m still adjusting to having come from a western culture (New York City no less, where your ability to ignore others is a benchmark of being a true city resident).
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Destinations: South America

My Ayahuasca Journey – Surrendering to the plant medicine

December 31, 2018
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What is my purpose? Am I on the right path? What makes me happy? What do I need to do to prepare for the changes coming in the next chapter of my life? Am I listening to my heart enough? These questions have danced through my mind with increasing frequency as of late. Presumably a result of the significant life changes I’ve had over the last year. From moving 2900 miles across the country to a city where I feel a lack of deep seeded friendships to thriving in a new role at work that has expanded my career opportunities. From finding out that the embryos my partner and I have frozen may no longer be viable due to a malfunction of the storage tanks they were in to getting engaged to the love of my life. Life has thrown me up and down, left and right and completely discombobulated me. That’s when these questions started recurring incessantly.  And for no apparent reason, I awoke one day and felt a sudden pull from Mother Ayahuasca. I decided I would end the year with a 5-day retreat to Peru where I’d meet with Mother Ayahuasca herself to find answers. Continue Reading…

All About Food

Food is medicine: My 6 weeks of no alcohol and 30 days of vegetarianism

April 2, 2018
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Another 30-day challenge: DONE. Two challenges to be exact: being alcohol-free (for 6 weeks!) and eating a Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (for a month). For those new to my 30-day challenges, I’ve decided to experiment with my food choices to see how it impacts my overall wellbeing. And I’ve been writing to share my experiences with you in hopes that these stories might inspire you to rethink what you’re putting into your body. Last time, I did my challenges simultaneously: no caffeine and no sugar. This time around, I decided to cut out alcohol first for two weeks before embarking on the vegetarianism challenge. That way I could see if one of the changes had a bigger, more-positive impact on my overall well-being versus the other. My assumption was that both of these changes would be good for me and that I’d feel better from both changes. I learned this wasn’t the case for me. Continue Reading…

All About Food

Food is medicine: My 30 days of no caffeine and no sugar

March 12, 2018
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“You are what you eat.” Food has a greater impact on your overall well-being than you might believe. I once heard Kevin Plan, CEO and founder of Under Armour say, “It’s absurd that you know more about your car than you know about your body”. That really struck a chord with me. If you think about it, it’s so true. You know what type of gas, the mileage, you know when you need to get the oil changed and a tune up. So why don’t we know all this about our bodies? Why don’t we take better care of ourselves by putting only the best kind of fuel into our bodies? After all, our bodies are like finely tuned vehicles. If you give it good fuel, it will take you places.  Continue Reading…

Travel Tips

Top Seven Reasons Why it Might Make Sense to Join an Organized Tour

August 14, 2017
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Organized tours often get a bad rep, especially within the travel community. In fact, organized tours are often associated with being for “old people” and conjure up images of tourists wearing wide-brim hats hopping on and off large buses to follow a tour leading donning a flag in hand. There’s also the belief that they offer little flexibility and cost a lot. The truth of the matter is that tours come in all shapes and sizes. I’ve traveled solo, but also enjoy organized tours (which seems to shock a lot of people). That’s because tours offer a variety of benefits, which I quite like. Continue Reading…

Destinations: Africa

Surviving Kilimanjaro: A Humbling Experience

July 5, 2017
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Standing at the top of Uhuru Peak, I broke down in tears; a mixture of emotions from pure exhaustion to sheer happiness. I hugged Evans, my guide, and expressed my gratitude for him pushing me (or rather dragging me) to the top. I was humbled. You see, when I set the intention to climb Kilimanjaro I knew it would be challenging, but I was pretty confident that I could make it to the top. After all, I’ve always been a tough cookie. If I set my mind to do something I have always completed it no matter how hard. Whether it was climbing Mt Fuji, trekking the Inca Trail, backpacking Patagonia, running the Tough Mudder (and getting electrocuted) or a marathon, I’ve always toughed it out. So why should Mount Kilimanjaro’s 19,341 feet be any different? Continue Reading…

Destinations: Africa, Travel Tips

Surviving Kilimanjaro: Your Ultimate Packing List

June 5, 2017
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Each year, nearly 40,000 people (and growing) attempt to climb Africa’s highest mountain: Kilimanjaro. Only about half successfully reach the summit of this iconic peak at 5,895 meters (19,341 feet). Before embarking on such a journey, it is critical to be prepared with the right gear, but knowing what you need to survive can be daunting. As I prepared for my own trip, I found a multitude of tips and lists, but none that were all encompassing. I had to piece together the puzzle from the variety of resources. If you are wondering, “Where do I even begin?” then you’ve come to the right place. The recommendations and tips below are broken into sections based on gear for each body part and then equipment needed from general climbing gear to personal toiletries. Enjoy and happy climbing! Continue Reading…

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