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Snapshot Sunday: Gone fishing, the salt pans of Gozo
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An Afternoon with Art: Visiting the Matisse Museum in Nice, France
Matisse Museum Visit Every year for my birthday since I had moved to Philadelphia I made the tradition to commence the celebration by spending an afternoon at the Barnes Museum, taking in the innovative mixed of styles of art, an amazing aesthetic of early modern and impressionist paintings alongside American antiquities, African art and Asian sculptures. It’s a place of contrasts, the quiet calm of Albert Barnes’ home turned museum alongside the wild back story which leaves the history behind the art maybe more interesting than what is framed on the walls. (If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching the documentary, The Art of the Steal to…
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Snapshot Sunday: Indonesia on my mind
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My Favorite Moments of 2014
2014, what a whirlwind! I had several one of a kind experiences this year and I think I spent a lot of time pinching myself making sure I wasn’t dreaming, exploring new places, meeting new friends and enjoying life has a way of seeming unreal. It has been a treat to go through TONS of photos of the past year and I’ve collected a few to share some of the stand outs. My day as a Maltese falconer By far and away one of my more favorite memories of this year. While in Malta I decided to take the Maltese Falcon story to the next level and go to the…
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Snapshot Sunday: Malaysia in a minute, A Video Wrap Up
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What Long Term Travelers Can Expect When Returning Home for the Holidays
Welcome Home… I think? You’ve been away on a gap year, a semester abroad, a sabbatical trip or long getaway. The end of the year approaches, it’s the holiday season and a great time to come home to visit family and friends. The best, but difficult part is that things are different after long term travel ends. The reality is that they may never be the same. I’ve spent the majority of the last seven years on the road and each time I return home it seems to be a mixed bag of emotions. I’m excited to see family, wash my own clothes, not live out of a suitcase and…
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BirguFest: Vittoriosa by Candlelight
For one weekend each year one of the oldest cities in Malta shuts off all of its lights and holds a festival that showcases the beauty of the medieval city in a wonderful glow of candlelight. Thousands of candles line the streets, rest on balconies and window sills as they guide your way through the town where vendors sell crafts, Maltese food is served and in the center square musicians and performers entertain the crowds into the evening. By the warmth of all the flickering candles it’s one of the more interesting ways I’ve explored a new city; mostly in darkness. Candles are placed on ledges, along the streets,…
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50 Shades of Blue: The love story of Malta and the Sea
“Ha, it’s like 50 shades of blue, get it?” he snorted laughing to himself he pointed to me as he snapped my picture and handed back my camera. I looked down to realize I have a blue shirt and blue shorts on in front of the clear blue sea and this poor guy is trying to make a joke. “Yep” I answered with a forced chuckled then a few minutes later while peering into the water I thought, “Damn it, he’s right, there’s blue everywhere you look.” The island is small so for a lover of the sea it is a perfect place to spend the late summer months, you…
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Ggantija: The UNESCO Site and My Colossal Rainstorm
I had arrived in Gozo the day before and was excited to have a week dedicated to relaxing and writing. The little island is a third of the size of small Malta and with it’s scenic ocean views, tiny villages and laid back attitude I was content to have a quiet days with some peace at the beach. I decided to spend the morning exploring Ggantija Temples, a UNESCO site and then rewarding my educational efforts with some beach time later in the day not realizing I would be needing my bathing suit while being soaked by rain water NOT by the refreshing waves of the Mediterranean.  Ggantija As…
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Passports with Purpose: Giving back this holiday season
Giving back globally, bringing together bloggers, travel lovers and non profit organizations, Passports with Purpose is kicking off their yearly fundraiser on Giving Tuesday, December 2nd until December 17th and there is an easy way that we can ALL participate! This year the online fundraiser is supporting Sustainable Harvest International, a non profit organization that provides tools and education for better farming practices in Central America and for this particular program the focus is in Honduras. For every $5,000 we raise, SHI will have the means necessary to aid a family in sustainable farming techniques which will benefit them for years to come. The best part is that 100% of…
