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Dining on Sashimi & Ramen in Niigata, Japan

“they’re all exact expressionsof the one soul,each a perfect fulfilment of heaven’s template,mackerel essence.” – Mark Doty, from A Display of Mackerel Life is full of regrets, and my travel regrets are directly related to my stomach. That being said, I was pleased with the food in Niigata, Japan, as I was with almost everything during my trip. I could have chosen better, but I was satisfied…

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Exploring Beyond Whisky in Oban, Scotland

Most travelers will looks at Oban, Scotland, and think that it’s a great stop on a whisky tour, particularly for one of the oldest whisky distilleries. And it is. The Oban Distillery is world renowned and offers tours, if you book far enough in advance to get a spot on one of the tours. For those who miss out on the distillery tour, there’s enough in the town to keep you busy along the way to…

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Traveler Reads: An Atlas of Extinct Countries by Gideon Defoe

“There’s a strangely consistent psychological profile that fits Guys Who Set Up Countries. Dead dad, raised by a doting mum, serially unfaithful, sting in the army or navy, writer or journalist, can’t be trusted with money, fantasist.” Have you ever wished you could visit a country that’s no longer on the map? Perhaps a nation that only existed for a short period of time, or even only a matter…

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Free Bike Rides in Sakata, Japan

There wasn’t a lot that I had to see in Sakata, the seaside town of about 100,000, but I had planned on biking around to enjoy the area. As I found out, the town’s tourism office offers free bike rentals — there’s a main rental shop across from the train station by the library, but all hotels have their own fleet (the main shop also has ebikes for a fee). Visitors, both foreign and domestic, just…

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Ryokan Stay in Tsuruoka, Japan

A stay at Yutagawa Onsen Tsukasaya Ryokan in Tsuruoka, Japan. A small ryokan serving local cuisine and sake.

My first night in Yamagata Prefecture was a comfortable experience and a wonderful place to begin my trip in Japan. As I was visiting my friend’s home prefecture, she arranged the accommodations for the trip, and Yutagawa Onsen Tsukasaya Ryokan in Tsuruoka was a relaxing experience to recover from jet lag. It was the quietest stay I’ve had at a hotel. The ryokan is located in Yutagawa, a small…

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Watching Sunset at Griffith Observatory

“Once, it was like seeing the night for the very first time, only someone dangled black ice cubes in front of my eyes. Each street, each story melted on a page…” – Marisela Norte, from Lost in Los (Angeles) My friend didn’t have an itinerary for our trip to Los Angeles. I had ideas of what I’d like to do, but I wasn’t sure what she wanted (I also had to figure what was possible with public…

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On a Hiking Pilgrimage to Mt. Haguro

“They lived their lives as if their sights were set on the clouds beyond the hill they were climbing.” – Akira Kurosawa, from Something Like an Autobiography Hiking Mt. Haguro (羽黒山) was one thing I knew I had to do no matter the weather. This was the top item on my itinerary for this trip to Japan. My friend had told me about her home prefecture of Yamagata, and it inspired this vacation — a…

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The Good and Bad of Drinking in Chicago

I knew I’d have plenty to try in Chicago — there are a lot of breweries in the city, plus some distilleries. It was a matter of planning the excursions for drinks so it wouldn’t interfere with sightseeing and meeting friends. Fortunately, a lot of the breweries in the Windy City are in a semi-compact area, making it a little easier to visit more than a couple. Bock at Great Central Brewing I…

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An Architectural Tour of Chicago

“Chicago’s one of the rare places where architecture is more visible.” – Frank Gehry One of the best reasons to visit Chicago is the architecture. So much of the city is a work of art, and there are plenty of tours around the Windy City to keep a visitor busy for days. Within the downtown area, there is a lot of beauty from early 20th century buildings to more modern residential high rises — the…

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First Impressions of Chicago

Chicago has been on my travel list for a long time, but I never got around to going. It’s a city full of history, art, sports, and food — everything I could want in a vacation other than a few mountains, but I can overlook that last point. My American friend in Taiwan visiting home for the first time in three years provided the excuse I needed to finally visit the Windy City. Everyone has to see…

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A Colorful Tour of Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

While planning the trip to Portugal, the recommendation I received the most from friends, family, and travel stories was to take at least a day in Sintra, the UNESCO World Heritage site about an hour outside Lisbon. With all the transportation options to the region, I settled on a day tour — I figured it’d be easier to have a guide to take me to all the destinations around Sintra and Cascais…

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Dining on Seafood Around Lisbon, Portugal

Some of the best food I ate in Lisbon. #travel #foodporn

“standing there,eating forkfulslike white violets,ponderinga sky darkwith storm and rain” – Henri Cole, Sardines I had a list of restaurants to try before arriving in Lisbon, though I knew I wouldn’t be able to get to them all. The plan was to check my offline map pins while I was sightseeing to check out what was nearby. Of course, my experience in Porto made dining a bit lighter along the way…

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A Rainy Tour of Porto, Portugal

“In the faint shadows cast by the last light before evening gives way to night, I like to roam unthinkingly through what the city is changing into, and I walk as if nothing had a cure.” – Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet I thought Porto would be the highlight of my trip through Portugal. The hills overlooking the Duoro River, the port wine houses, river cruises with plenty of wine, and…

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Taking a Free Walking Tour of Lisbon

“I’ve arrived at Lisbon, but not at a conclusion.” – Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet I thought it’d be a good introduction to Lisbon upon arrival — a cultural tour of the city with some of the sightseeing highlights. I waited until the day before departure to book the tour to make sure the weather would cooperate, and it definitely did. I had an overnight flight and arrived at my hotel…

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Back to literary events in the area. It was a wonderful evening with three talented poets in the city. A reading and discussion with Terrance Hayes, Claudia Rankine, and @ocean_vuong (he's the only one with an account). Definitely going home with a bit of poetic inspiration. #poets #poetry #poetrymatters #poetryislife #詩 #在家 #poetslife #poetrylovers #poetryisnotdead #poetrygram #writers #writersofig #poetsofig #literary #literarylife (at Skirball Center Nyu) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpTxpBVsEbg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Stalking prey in the city. Caught this city feline trying to hunt a pigeon. I don't know if the hunt was successful. #cat #catscatscats #貓 #紐約 #紐約生活 #nyc #newyork_ig #newyorkcity #cityscene #catlife #catoftheday #cats #hunting #nycphotography #nycadventures #nycgo #nycats #gato (at Chelsea, Manhattan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpJLWxjPSXM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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If anyone is wondering which team I was rooting for in the Super Bowl, this should answer some questions. This is how I've felt about my team for a long time. Also, it was unintentional to have the dumpster in the background (it wasn't even on fire then). A couple seasons ago, a friend asked what I thought about the Jets' draft picks. I replied, "They could draft Superman and still find a way to lose." They'd probably sign kryptonite as the new center. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl, commercials, drinks, snacks, and Monday hangover at work. #superbowl #funny #football #nfl #nflfootball #footballgame #nj #tailgating #足球 #玩笑 #好玩 #buttfumble #sports #superbowlsunday #superbowl2023 #superbowlweekend (at MetLife Stadium) https://www.instagram.com/p/ConQ5c3veRa/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=