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
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
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