War. What is it good for. Mostar Edition.

Any time we mentioned we were traveling to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the first question was always the same: “Isn’t that the place with the war?” Yes. But the war ended 30 years ago. It’s safe. Don’t worry! That answer was usually met with a head shake and a muttered comment […]

Bosnia and Herzegovina: One Country, Two Regions, Three Nations

What is a country? It’s a strange question, especially from someone who has traveled extensively.  But the answer is not quite as simple as a glance at a political map might suggest.  We have been to countries that no longer exist (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, USSR), regions that used to be countries […]

Smuggling Molcajete

One of my most impractical dreams, born from years of travel, is this: I want to decorate each room in my house in the style of a different country.  The bedroom would be designed like a chamber in an Indian palace with ornate fabrics, carved wood, and a hint of […]

Dancing with Chinelos

The old, battered bus was bouncing on the road with dusty Mexican countryside rolling outside the window.  Google Maps on my phone was showing we were approaching our destination – Yautepec de Zaragoza.  Before the trip, I could not even imagine that we would be trying to get to this […]

Rioting in Cuernavaca

We were enjoying a quiet breakfast of an omelet and sopes on an outdoor patio, taking in the beautiful view of the central plaza. Like so many town squares in Mexico, it featured all the familiar elements: a park, a gazebo, a historic church, and the oversized colorful letters spelling […]

Summer in Norway

By Julia / August 8, 2024

What does summer look like in one of the northernmost countries on Earth? That is the question I should have asked myself when packing for our trip.  But I didn’t. “It’s summer after all!” I thought, shoving shorts and T-shirts into my backpack.  I wasn’t even planning on bringing my […]

No Way! Norway!

By Julia / August 2, 2024

It feels like every time I start a post about a new country, there is the same theme.  “Look, we are doing something we’ve never done before!  We usually don’t travel like this, but we made an exception this time!”  A long time ago, we started out as budget travelers […]

How I Sent My Parents To The Concentration Camp

By Victor / July 24, 2024

Because my parents still live in Belarus and I live in the States, I like inviting them to join our trips from time to time.  This way, we can kill two birds with one stone: enjoy some quality family time and explore a new destination together.  Over the years, we […]

San Diego. Finally.

By Julia / June 20, 2024

After twenty years of traveling, we have been to over forty countries, almost every U.S. state, most national parks, and basically every major U.S. city.  But there are still places out there to explore. “We have still, somehow, not been to San Diego,” Victor said. I vaguely remembered how.  We […]

King’s Day in Amsterdam

By Victor / June 13, 2024

Earlier this year, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago and saw the city turn into one big green, drunken mass.  Despite having lived in Chicago for over 20 years, we rarely participate in St. Patrick’s Day festivities and normally avoid the downtown area during that weekend altogether. So, when […]

Tulip Paradise

By Victor / May 30, 2024

As we started to descend towards Schiphol Airport, I was peeking through the plane window and could not hold my excitement: -Look!!! Tulips!!! Colorful strips of tulip fields started to appear out of nowhere and stretched to the horizon. On the train ride from the airport, we passed more tulip […]

Subscribe to receive our stories in your inbox

Loading