Not Giving Up on Kymyz

World travelers often disagree about what constitutes “visiting” a country.  What is the minimum requirement that one needs to satisfy? Do you need to stay overnight? Spend a full day? Or is it enough to hang out for a few hours at the airport during a layover without going outside? […]

Uzbekistan: One Conversation at a Time

We were in Margilan, a medium-sized town in the Fergana Valley, on a quick day trip when we stopped at the street market for lunch. We found a tiny café serving hot tea and potato samsas, sat down, and ordered a pot of tea with three samsas to share. As […]

Monterrey, Mexico: World Cup Edition

Back in February, we climbed Cerro de la Silla and marveled at the striking Estadio BBVA from above. There, on the hiking trail, I had an interesting thought: “How cool would it be to see this mountain from the stadium seats during the world’s biggest sporting event?” Later that evening, […]

2026 FIFA World Cup: Hogwarts vs. Narnia

Those who follow this blog know I am a big soccer fan and try to attend games in every country I visit.  This fact is even listed in my section of “About Us” on this website.  So, it won’t surprise anyone that attending the World Cup this summer was on […]

Travels with My Mother: Uzbekistan Episode

During the pandemic, our favorite show on Netflix was Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father.  In this series (filmed in pre-COVID times), the British comedian Jack Whitehall travels the world with his elderly, curmudgeonly father, Michael, who detests travel and the exotic destinations Jack takes him to.  The show is […]

Itinerary Hell: I Hate It Here, I am Never Coming Back!

By Julia / January 23, 2020

One of my very first trips, straight out of college, was a group tour around Europe with my best friends.  We were completely inexperienced in international travel, the Internet wasn’t really as useful back then as it is now, and we had no idea how even to start planning something […]

Perfect Pitch – Jazz and Baseball in Japan

By Victor / December 17, 2019

If someone tells you that they experienced jazz and baseball on their trip, would you be able to correctly identify the country? If you guessed the U.S., try again! I am talking about Japan. The Japanese are passionate about jazz and baseball. The American presence after World War II left […]

Portugal: And This Is Why We Don’t Drink

By Victor / December 11, 2019

We rarely drink alcohol.  Julia claims that she is too much fun as is and that alcohol would be wasted on her. I like to keep my head clear and maintain a healthy lifestyle. When we are in the U.S., we don’t drink at all.  But when we travel, we […]

The Places We Go and The Places We Stay

By Victor / December 4, 2019

If I ever decide to run for a political office, I will take an unconventional step of having Airbnb provide my character references. A quick glance at our Airbnb guest review page will quickly demonstrate what an honest, punctual, clean, quiet, and non-intrusive person I am. It really sounds like […]

A Night in the Cemetery – Picnic with Ghosts in San Andres Mixquic, Mexico

By Julia / November 26, 2019

Continuing from the previous post: Day of the Dead in Mexico – This is not Disney’s Coco. After the Day of the Dead parade was over, we grabbed a few tortas and coffee at a local restaurant to warm up.  It was 5 pm, and the weather was turning again […]

Day of the Dead in Mexico – This is Not Disney’s Coco

By Julia / November 19, 2019

We had conversations for years about visiting Mexico on the Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) but wanted to wait until celebrations fell on the weekend.  Finally, in early 2019, we bought tickets to Morelia and excitedly started planning the trip.  Around Lake Patzcuaro, an hour from Morelia, […]

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