Experiencing Pre-Trip Jitters
Bamako, Mali. Photo courtesy of Goran Hoglund via Flickr.I have butterflies in my stomach as I write this. It’s just over 12 hours until I...
Searching for St. Ivan’s Chapel
Staring ahead of me, all I saw was green. The leaves were an amazing bright color of green, occasionally reflecting the glaring sun that they...
Deciding When It Is Not Safe to Travel
Riding a camel in Egypt in 2007.I have never thought much about safety while traveling.This may seem odd, but let me explain. Most of my...
The Grass Isn’t Always Greener
Just over a week ago, I stood in front of a room of about fifty people talking about lessons I learned while I was traveling...
Why I Love to Fly Southwest Airlines
Photo courtesy of Michael Dorausch via Flickr.Every now and then I come across a tweet or Facebook status update complaining about flying Southwest Airlines –...
The Square: Personalizing the Egyptian Revolution
It’s not often that I tell anyone that they absolutely must see a movie.In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever done so in my life....
A Hidden Gem at Navy Pier
The Field Museum.The Art Institute.The Museum of Science and Industry.These are just a few of the museums that most visitors have on their to-do lists...
When Home No Longer Feels Like Home
I dragged my massive suitcase onto the 81 Lawrence bus at Jefferson Park and carefully grabbed a seat, piling my smaller backpack on my lap...
Getting Scammed in Cairo
Map of Islamic CairoI left my Cairo hotel around 1:30 p.m. and attempted to hail a taxi to take me to Khan el Khalili. I...
Back to the US Open
I step off the 7 train just half an hour before noon and scurry past the crowds on the boardwalk leading to the Billie Jean...