Introduction South America beckons with ancient ruins, vibrant cities, and breathtaking landscapes that will forever transform how you see the world. My recent journey through Peru and Panama delivered everything I hoped for and more—from the misty peaks of Machu Picchu to the modern urban landscape of Panama City. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or
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July’s reading list brought together two seemingly unrelated books: The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee and Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen. One is a harrowing personal memoir of escape from North Korea, the other an investigative deep dive into one of America’s most secretive military sites. Yet, beneath the surface, both books reveal
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The wind was the first thing I noticed. It wasn’t just a breeze; it was a force of nature—howling, unrelenting, alive. As I stepped off the tiny plane in El Calafate, Argentina, it greeted me like an old friend who had been waiting impatiently. It was my first taste of Patagonia, and it immediately stripped
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I’ve been pretty bogged down with work lately so I am playing catch-up with my 2025 travels. Here is a recap of a trip I did to Mexico City in March of 2025! When I planned my trip to Mexico City, I knew it would be a whirlwind of history, culture, and incredible food—but nothing
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This June, the pages took me across continents, kitchens, and codebases—with three wildly different books that, surprisingly, share common ground. On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu by Rick Steves, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, and Empire of AI by Karen Hao each dive into cultures—some vanishing, some hidden, and some just beginning to form.
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This month’s collection of book reviews features four powerful and thematically rich works: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, One Day Everyone Will Have Been Against This by Omar El Akkad, Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion by Gary Webb, and North Woods by Daniel Mason. At first glance, these
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April was a whirlwind — flights, long drives, and stolen hours in unfamiliar cafés flipping through pages while waiting for the sky to clear or chasing the next sunset. Travel kept me moving, but books kept me grounded. While I’ll be sharing some overdue travel stories soon — Patagonia, the Chilean steppe, and that one
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March was a compelling month for reading, as I dove into four books that spanned genres, centuries, and even planets. Despite their differences, “Intermezzo” by Sally Rooney, “Red Mars” by Kim Stanley Robinson, “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine” by Rashid Khalidi, and “Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism” by
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Last week, I found myself in desperate need of inspiration. As a photographer, creativity can ebb and flow, and sometimes, the best way to reignite that passion is to step away from the familiar and immerse oneself in nature’s raw beauty. Hawaii turned out to be the perfect destination for this rejuvenation. From the moment
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This month, I read three books—Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov, and Taming Silicon Valley by Gary F. Marcus. Though vastly different in style and intent, each offers profound insights into the intersection of technology, society, and human nature, drawing striking parallels with today’s world.
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