One of the most interesting and rewarding things about traveling west is observing how much the terrain changes in relation to elevation. On our way north from Phoenix to Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon, we saw the landscape change from jagged, barren mountains to… Read More ›

U.S Travels
Snow-birding in Arizona, Part I
A few years ago, I wrote a bit about my initial observations of the American Southwest; I was floored by the nature but not all that impressed by Phoenix, the city I spent most of my time in. Maybe it’s… Read More ›
A Weekend in Trump and Bernie’s America
The weekend of January 20th was to be the moment I finally learned to embrace winter. Gone would be the sun-deficiency induced darkness that dramatically pervades my being somewhere in mid-December. No more winter blues inspiring deluded fantasies of moving to Dallas or… Read More ›
White River National Forest and Dinosaur National Monument
This past summer, my husband and I visited lots of National Parks Sites: White River National Forest, Dinosaur National Monument, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, with long drives through Ashely, Custer and Gallatin National Forests. What can… Read More ›
The Beartooth Highway
I’m having nomadic withdrawals right now and fantasizing about a life on the road; since I can’t actually go anywhere at this particular moment, I thought it would be a good time to relive my Rocky Mountain 2015 summer vacation… Read More ›
Experiment in Cold Weather Camping
I wanted to start the New Year off on the right foot, surrounded by beautiful scenery, so I told my boyfriend we should try winter camping. Also, I tend to go into somewhat of a depression in winter, so I’m… Read More ›
Rural Virginia, River Fishing and Waterfalls
When I was in Montana a few months ago, I felt like I’d arrived in a land where you could theoretically do whatever you felt like doing, few questions asked. It’s an immense, mountainous place where the largest “city” has just over 100,000… Read More ›
Whisky, Kitsch and Mountains
This past Saturday I went to Sperryville with my family, a tiny town (population 342) just outside Shenandoah National Park. I like this town because it doesn’t let its small size get in the way of fancy-sounding attractions. This is… Read More ›
In Preparation for Yellowstone
I’m going on vacation to Colorado, Wyoming and Montana this summer, which means I’ll be doing a lot of hiking and camping because this is an outdoorsy-type vacation. I’ve been walking a lot to prepare for this trip, but it turns out that… Read More ›
I Spent Thanksgiving in Cactus Siberia
Over Thanksgiving, I went to Phoenix to visit my uncle and grandma. I made the following observations: 1.) As a city, Phoenix kind of sucks. Not that it’s a bad place to live….there’s nice weather half the year, you can… Read More ›
A Weekend Among Leaves, in Pictures
One of the best things about living in Virginia is great fall foliage. This past weekend I convinced my brother to join me for a short fall tour of central Virginia and we headed southwest to the great town of… Read More ›
Long Time No Blog: Madison/Milwaukee
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. While I was gone I took a few vacations (Lake Anna, Wisconsin, New York) and got my own place. I’ll write more about that later, but for now, a few pictures of my… Read More ›
Detroit: Garden of Earthly Disappointments?
This past weekend I went to visit a friend in Detroit. I’ve been vaguely intrigued by Detroit’s story of lost grandeur for several years now, and it was so interesting to see this once great American city up close and… Read More ›
From Boyaca to Bogota to Warren to D.C
Last Saturday was my sister’s bridal shower and my aunt brought some old-timey photos to share with the family. A while back, I posted some pictures of my maternal grandparents in 1950s and 60s Bogotá. Well today I thought I’d share… Read More ›
West Virginia
When you live in a place like the D.C area, you sometimes forget that the vast majority of the country feels very different. In some ways, D.C is a bubble: Relatively wealthy, highly educated, opportunities for most (arguably), culture, sophistication,… Read More ›
Beautiful Baltimore?
I’ve been busy and haven’t had much time for blogging, until today. That’s because yesterday I went for an evening walk after work and somehow I twisted my ankle and found myself flat on my butt in the middle of… Read More ›
Buck Mountain Road and Proper Wine Glass Holding Etiquette
This past weekend I had one of the best small-town/weekend trips that I’ve had in a while. My friend and I decided to go “camping” (air-conditioned cabin located within a campground) about an hour and a half west of D.C… Read More ›
43 Mile New York Bike Ride
This past weekend, my best friend, my best friend’s mom and I biked a grand total of 43 miles in the NYC TD 5-Boro Bike Tour. Impressive, no? Especially considering we aren’t, ahem, the most physically fit bunch out there…. Read More ›
Two Rivers, the Dirty Dawg Saloon and Civil War Ghosts
Two of my favorite things in life are road trips and small towns. This past weekend a friend came down to visit from upstate New York and we decided to head over to West Virginia— Harpers Ferry, to be exact –… Read More ›
El Asador y La Iglesia Fuente de Vida
I was in the Spotsylvania/Fredericksburg area with a friend last weekend and I spotted this slightly downtrodden, solitary strip mall on the outskirts of town on my way home. It was a cloudy, drizzly late winter afternoon – the kind… Read More ›