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Growing up middle class in the small San Francisco suburb of Millbrae, California, population 25,000, I never really imagined myself traveling to exotic locations or climbing on ancient ruins a la Indiana Jones. Neither of my parents had traveled abroad at that point. There just wasn’t a precedent in our family for world exploration. Even […]

When are you at your best? I’d argue that many of us are at our “most alive” when we’re on the road, traveling. Some travel qualities that come to mind are: curious, adventurous, spontaneous, joyous, present, resilient and open to wonder. That’s why I started this blog – to explore how we show up when […]

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When you think of ancient ruins, what comes to mind? The Parthenon, perhaps? The Pyramids of Giza? Petra in Jordan? Well, here’s another amazing ruin to add to your list. One that hardly anyone knows about! The Cave Ruins of Ellora crouch near the modest town of Aurangabad, India, about 200 miles NE from Mumbai. […]

Thailand is a country of glittering temples.  They’re everywhere – in vast complexes, down non-descript alleys.   You can’t throw a cell phone without hitting a temple.  (But why are you throwing cell phones in Thailand?!!)  Most of these structures are pretty darn marvelous.  I love Thai temples!   Not surprisingly, when I first heard about the […]

When I first heard that there were these super-cool, mosaic steps in San Francisco’s Sunset District, I was a bit skeptical.   I mean, what’s so “wow” about mosaics?   A few stairs decorated with colored glass – big deal. Well, the 16th Avenue Tiled steps (actually located on Moraga Street) ARE something special.  Leading up to […]

  It’s 1984. I’m 21 years old, on my first trip to Europe, determined to visit all the artwork I’d read about in my college art history textbooks. The problem:  my favorite art is so spread out!  The Mona Lisa is in Paris.  The Guernica is in Madrid.   Botticelli’s Venus is in Florence.   If only […]

With 238 flavors on display, La Casa Gelato in Vancouver, Canada might just be the largest ice cream shop in the world.

#2:  Thip Samai — The Best Pad Thai in the World Tucked away in a (relatively) quiet corner of bustling Bangkok is perhaps the best Pad Thai restaurant in the world.   Thip Samai does nothing but pad thai, and they do it gloriously. Here’s what they say on their website: “PADTHAI or previously known as […]

  If you love crazy Japanese temples, or just love cats, this is the place for you.  My buddy, Adam, and I were cruising from Tokushima to Kochi, deep in the heart of Shikoku (Japan’s “forgotten” island) when we stumbled on the amazing Omatsu Daigongen Shrine. Legend has it that in the mid 17th century, […]