When people ask me what angle I take with my travel blog, I tell them I am to live like a local wherever I am. Admittedly, I still do touristy things, but I find every opportunity to experience life like people who live here do. Despite Santorini, Greece, being incredibly popular with the tourists (about 2 million of us go here a year), I’m finding ways to get at least a slice of local living.
If you want to dive into local cuisine and culture, one of the best things you can do is take a cooking class when you travel. This one was organized by our tour guide in Genova, Italy, at Creattivando (if you go, tell Mario and Cristina hi!). We made pesto in a mortar and pestle, handmade pasta, and a few other dishes. As we were led through the preparation process, we learned about Italian meal traditions (many nonnas still cook a big Sunday meal, but they take more shortcuts now) and cuisines. I left, sated, both from the food I helped make…
One of the best things about travel is how it gives you new eyes to the world. I see everything with the eyes of a newborn. Things that would be mundane at home (chips, streets, people) are glorious marvels. I’ve taken a lot of photos of doors. Why? Because doors look different in different parts of the world. They might be old and wooden or glass and modern. This door happens to be one leading to my friend, Gibi’s, outhouse. But it’s beautiful, isn’t it? He probably built the structure himself, lugging stones up the mountain to create what is…
Though I only see her when we travel together, my college friend Cordula is one of the people I have a strong bond with, thanks to our mutual love of exploring the world. This photo was taken in New York City about four years ago. We had a blast wandering around her favorite city, splitting up to do our own things, then reconvening for dinner and margaritas (it’s always margaritas with that girl). In a few weeks, I’m meeting her in Greece. I can’t wait to have another adventure with her, this time in another country for both of us.…