My writing career began in high school. To prepare myself, I posed for a photo in my room, holding a fake Stratocaster, pointing at the camera with shades on. I got out a piece of paper and a Sharpie and drew the profile … Read on
I wrote an article on “dark tourism” for National Geographic Traveler yesterday. Coined by researchers in 1996, it refers to travel to places associated with death or suffering. When travelers go and share thumb’s up photos on Facebook from Auschwitz, criticism roars. But, … Read on
I took a Balkan roadtrip last December, and one of the surprising highlights was the Kosovo town of Prizren. It was cold and foggy. I couldn’t even see the castle on the hill above town. And the town introduction was unusual. Crooked cobbled … Read on
I don’t mind lists. They are OK in moderation, and if their creator cares about them. Nurtures them. Or at least approaches one like any travel story: ensuring what’s written adds to the conversation of a place or topic. Because otherwise it’s just … Read on
People like to say they live without regrets, but people can be liars. So let’s not be silly: everyone regrets something. And in this month’s UK version of National Geographic Traveller I explain why I have heaps of travel regrets, and how that … Read on
I like Eastern Oregon a lot. I wrote about it for National Geographic Traveler, and helped a five-year-old make a video about it last year. More recently, I wrote this piece for the Los Angeles Times on why Portland doesn’t own the Oregon … Read on
