It’s Where the Train Stopped
“This is what I want you to understand,” said Mateusz as he drew lines and dots on his crude map of Poland. 10:30 am. We were sitting in a coffee shop in Stare Miasto (Old Town). They weren’t even open … Continued
A story about Mexico that’s also about me
I have been thinking a lot about the situation here in Mexico that has led to long lines for gas and an explosion killing 90‐some people in the state of Hidalgo.
The Holy Land: Israelis and Palestinians Today
Chapter 9 in Rick Steves’ book Travel as a Political Act covers a topic that is close to my heart and about which I have strong feelings: the Holy Land. In 2013, after Rick got back from his trip to … Continued
Europe: Smart on Drugs
The full title of Chapter 7 in Rick Steves’ Travel as a Political Act is “Europe: Not ‘Hard on Drugs’ or ‘Soft on Drugs,’ but Smart on Drugs.” It’s an awful title in my opinion, but it’s an interesting topic. … Continued
Denmark: Highly Taxed and Highly Content
Chapter 5 of Rick Steves’ Travel as a Political Act is about Denmark. I visited Denmark in 2012 and really fell in love with it. I didn’t look upon my visit to Denmark as a political act, so it was … Continued
Europe Unites: Successes and Struggles
Chapter 3 of Rick Steves’ Travel as a Political Act covers a broad range of topics: economics, diversity and immigration, the refugee crisis, sex, drugs, alcohol, nudity, and the wide range of European passions for their culture. I will only … Continued
Lessons from the Former Yugoslavia
In 2014 I traveled in the former Yugoslavia. I wrote about my walking tour of Sarajevo with someone who had grown up during the siege there in the 1990s. And I wrote about three of the local people I met … Continued
Travel as a Political Act
I recently finished reading Rick Steves’ Travel as a Political Act. Originally published in 2009, its third edition was released last month. I found the book provocative and illuminating. I learned a lot and found much to ponder. This is … Continued
Traveling While Gay
Is there is a difference between being a gay traveler and traveling while gay? One of the blogs I most enjoy reading is called “Travels of Adam.” Adam Groffman started his blog in 2009, when he was still working as … Continued