Dig This: Mineral de Pozos

After spending the afternoon watching the parade and dance competitions in the ghost town of Mineral de Pozos, we had just enough daylight left to visit the one site we had actually planned: the abandoned Santa Brígida mine. The rain, clearly summoned by the relentless swirling and drum banging of […]

The Ghost Town That Wasn’t

We were in San Miguel de Allende, enjoying all the classic traits of a pretty Mexican town  – a gorgeous church dominating the skyline on the main plaza, colonial architecture with carved wooden doors and wrought-iron balconies, winding cobblestone streets, and quaint local markets where indigenous women sold traditional crafts. […]

From Tulum Trauma to San Miguel Magic

Our flight to Monterrey got cancelled again.  The first time, a year ago, we rebooked it for Mexico City, but this time airfare to León was cheap enough to make us consider going there… again. We had already taken the same flight a few years earlier and spent three wonderful […]

Mexican Chicago

Back in 2003, when I’d just arrived in Chicago, my first apartment was in Hermosa on the city’s northwest side. One evening, when I was in the back porch relaxing after a day of work, the street was suddenly filled with the sound of the revving engines. Motorcycles and cars […]

Go For Gözleme

The previous post about fish, bread, and never giving up on food dreams reminded me of something that happened two years ago, during a road trip from Izmir to Antalya in Türkiye. We left our Airbnb early in the morning, eager to start a long day of sightseeing, and skipped […]

Our Travel Wishlist: Yemen

By Victor / October 17, 2025

This will be a different kind of post. Normally, we describe places we’ve been to, but today we want to tell you about a country we want to visit. Recently, the area where we live saw a boom of Yemeni coffeehouses popping up here and there. These spacious, lavishly decorated […]

Against All Advice: Finding The Perfect Beach Near Istanbul

By Julia / October 10, 2025

Planning a trip for just the two of us is now easy, as we know what we like and what kinds of trips bring us joy. But earlier this year, planning a family reunion trip to Istanbul with Victor’s father, brother, sister-in-law, and niece was a whole different story. Victor’s […]

Is Istanbul Now More Expensive Than Dubai for Tourists?

By Victor / October 2, 2025

In August, we spent a week in Istanbul meeting with my family, and the city once again left us speechless. But this time, it was not for the reason you might expect. I could write about incredible sites or delicious food (of which Istanbul has plenty), but, as a travel […]

What Else Is on the Menu?  Bosnian Edition

By Julia / September 25, 2025

Where in the world could you walk into a sweet shop and find a blonde, blue-eyed girl selling Turkish delights to a family from Istanbul? Where could you see Omani tourists admiring “oriental rugs” while a Slavic shopkeeper explains their designs and the centuries-old story of his family business? And […]

Don’t Call It a Burek!

By Julia / September 18, 2025

I am a simple person. I see a bakery, I go inside a bakery. Or at the very least, I stare at the goods in the window display like a hungry orphan from a Dickens novel. A cup of coffee and a baked good is our usual go-to lunch while […]

Sarajevo: From Olympic City to Besieged City

By Victor / September 11, 2025

My mom rocks me gently in her arms. I’ve just turned one and stare at her with my big green eyes. She watches me lovingly but occasionally glances at the black-and-white TV in our living room. The TV broadcast shows snow-capped mountains, the open-air stadium, and cheering spectators. She would […]

Subscribe to receive our stories in your inbox

Loading