• The 4th Annual Butler Family Donut Hike

    I had been planning the Butler Family Donut Hike for months, trolling Instagram, scouring Google Maps, reading article after article of drool-worthy New York pastries. When I finally sent the itinerary to my family, I was pleased.…

  • On Leaving Ukraine

    I knew it was time to leave Ukraine when they knocked down the cigarette stands across the street. It’s not that I smoke cigarettes, but that was my go-to place for late night chocolate. I had established…

  • 5 Things to Know Before Teaching English Abroad

    Oh man, the dreams we have before embarking on expat life, the ideas we have before teaching English abroad! Visions of motivated students delighted with every inspired lesson, eager to listen to the wisdom you drop. Relaxing sunset…

  • Why Visit Odessa, Ukraine, for a Film Festival

    If you’re looking for general recommendations about what to do when you visit Odessa, Ukraine, including food, bars, and beaches, please scroll to the bottom of the page. It was 9:58am, and I had just run across…

  • Two Years of Expat Life, Three Lessons Learned

    Today is my two year anniversary of getting on a plane and flying over Canada to Tokyo, where I’d spend a brief, adrenaline-pumped fourteen hours before continuing on to Singapore. It was the start of my expat…

  • What To Do on Your Second Visit to Paris

    Your first time in Paris is a champagne-soaked vision of dreams come true. You eagerly check off all the must-dos, the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa, a Seine picnic. Paris the first time is all about throwing…

  • How to Get to the Tunnel of Love in Ukraine

    You’ve seen the pictures. A lush tree canopy over a train track, stillness and peace radiating from your computer screen. A leafy tunnel that looks like it leads to Narnia or Titania and Oberon’s realm or at the…