May 19, Airport Lounge, JFK. Finally, the time has come for my next big international solo trip. It’s been a long 4 months of waiting for travel, even with a couple of great long weekend trips. This one is special, and I’ve been buzzing for weeks in anticipation. It’s not just a trip to Peru, … More Peru: Milestones and Machu Picchu
New Orleans is one of my places, a special city that over time has wormed its way into my soul and constantly calls me back. I got to know it as a volunteer, rebuilding homes after Hurricane Katrina while chaperoning a teen group; and have returned several times as a tourist. It’s a city of … More Tara goes to Jazz Fest
Oh, sloth. What is it about you that brings so many people so much joy? Is it your sly smile? Your fuzzy cuddle-ability? Or is it your sluggish movement that reminds us of our inner lazy bums? Whatever it is, I’m hooked. It’s one of the things that drew me to visit Costa Rica this … More Ode to the Sloth: A Costa Rican Adventure
Mexico City’s Dia de Los Muertos holiday taught me a new way to process death: through joy. As someone who grew up in the U.S., celebrating the dead and finding true happiness in their memories is not the way I was taught to grieve. No: death is supposed to be finite and sad. But things … More Orange and Blue
“Your technique is…interesting” the guide said to me playfully, as I reached the bottom of the Ribeira dos Caldeirões waterfall and clumsily collapsed into the refreshing water. It was my first time rappelling down a cliff, so it wasn’t like I knew what I was doing. Now I know: it’s not like the climbing gym … More Adventure in the Azores
Check out this video of me and my friends gallivanting through Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics!
My 82 year old father recently told me he’s been working on a project to enter some of his old travel and hiking journals onto the computer, which he described as a combination of field notes and personal reflections. This was perhaps a bit shocking to me, because that’s how I like to document my … More Budapest
A year ago, I spent Thanksgiving in Merzouga, Morocco in the Sahara desert. Over a quiet dinner at our resort, I instructed our small group of Americans, Canadians, Europeans, and our Moroccan guide to go around the table and share what we are thankful for. I was then, and forevermore, wildly grateful for the ability … More Sahara, Morocco video
Faial was my last island of the grand adventure. Part of the “triangle islands,” it is very close to Pico – you can see its tall peak very easily from most of the island – and also near Sao Jorge. Horta, the main town, is fairly developed and has a strong maritime and migratory history … More Azores: Faial island
The 4 nights I spent in Flores were marked by epic nature and adventure, on a smaller and less developed island. I rappelled down isolated canyons, zoomed in a fast boat into the open ocean with dolphins, and hiked to epic waterfalls. While I’m leaving with some itchy bug bites and a tired body, my … More Azores: Flores island
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