I did SO MUCH in Turkey! Beyond Istanbul and Cappadocia, there were so many stops and surprises, and so much deep history to explore. Here is the map of our 15-day tour: And here are some of the highlights: Atatürk Mausoleum Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is the founder of modern Turkey, which began in 1923, after … More Turkey: The Other Stuff
High on my list for travel to Turkey was the region of Cappadocia, located in the center of the country and known for its unique geological landscape; the entire region classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. Our tour stopped there for 3 nights, staying in the central town of Göreme. We arrived just as … More Cappadocia, Turkey
As I reflect on my two and a half weeks in Turkey, I’m almost overwhelmed by all the surprises and wonderful experiences I had. It was fast paced, marked by an amazing tour group of new friends and travel soulmates. There was history, learning, curiosity, art, culture, nature, relaxing, bonding, goofing around, and so much … More Turkey: Istanbul and Traveling by Tour
August 26-28, Rethymno Hostel and Heraklion Airport My time in Greece is very soon coming to a close. I’ve been thinking about how at this point of a long trip, I’d be starting to think about going home and back to work. I’d feel some dread or perhaps a sense of nostalgia. It’s a little … More Crete Part 3: Rethymno and Reflections on Greece
It was difficult to research transit around Crete, but once I got the hang of it everything flowed smoothly. I decided to spend a few days in the very small southern coastal village of Agia Roumeli. This entailed taking a bus an hour and a half from Chania in the north to Sfakia in the … More Crete Part 2: The Tiny Village of Agia Roumeli
I really liked Crete when I visited in 2022, though it was only for a few days and entailed express tourism to see as much as I could. This time, I arranged for two weeks on the large and rugged island, which is the southern-most Greek island and is as close to Africa as to … More Crete Part 1: Chania
Friday, August 15, 2026 | Chania hostel I added a quick stay in Milos to my Greek odyssey, an island that has intrigued me by its white cliffs and reputation as a quieter but growing tourist destination. I arrived a little delayed from Naxos by ferry, and after checking in at my walkable hotel (the … More Milos, Greece
February 14, 2026 | Amtrak Train Staring moodily out of the train window, sun colorfully setting over the endlessly frozen Hudson River, I’m miserable. I’m on my way back from an overnight work trip to Albany, and it’s Saturday. It’s deep winter, the busiest work time of the year, and one of my closest friends … More A Tale of Two Sunsets: From New York to Naxos
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 | JFK Airport, Korean Air Lounge, 10:53pm And we’re off! The last few days were boring and slow and tedious, spent mostly inside cleaning and packing up the apartment. Today I got everything together and left for my parents’ at 1pm, leaving me about 8 hours to kill by sitting around, … More The Big Trip Begins / Athens
As I approach my last day in the U.S. for the next six months, I’m proud to announce that my planning document has a grand total of 94 items checked off the list. I often cope with stress by organizing my way out of it. And nothing like a huge, daunting project to kick the … More Do you want to see my Google Doc?
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