Off The Beaten Path
My Favorite Moments in Antarctica Adventure, Antarctica, Off the Beaten Path
My trip to Antarctica was one of the most moving and inspiring journeys I’ve ever taken. Without a doubt, Antarctica is the best place I’ve ever been, as well as the most beautiful. I’ve written about how Antarctica shattered my ego, changing me as a traveler and a human. But as profound as that was, my Antarctica trip was also about joyful, scintillating, and sometimes scary moments. There are so many moments that I want to share with you — I could go on forever. Instead, here’s a list of the absolute best moments on my trip to Antarctica with Quark Expeditions. I hope you enjoy reading about them.
In Odessa, Romance and Grandeur Cities, Off the Beaten Path, Ukraine
I was intrigued by this city I knew so little about, and after reading the back of the book, I decided to buy it. And while I liked the idea of the plot, about a twenty-something woman who tries to carve out a life for herself in Odessa and starts working part time at a mail-order bride company, it was the description of the city that won me over. Odessa: a place where the streets were lined with candy-colored buildings, where people had conversations about classical music and art and literature, where cooking for friends and family was the greatest way to express your love, where women wore sky-high heels with miniskirts and clattered down the street. From that point on, I knew I had to visit.
Finland in the Summer: Quirky, Isolated, and Pretty Festivals, Finland, Nature, Off the Beaten Path
A few years ago, I worked with Visit Finland to cover the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival. It was my first trip to the country and I was struck by how much I connected with Finland as a whole. What I love so much about Finland is that I feel like I understand it on an intimate level. I appreciate the quiet of its residents, how they choose their words carefully, their tendency not to make a spectacle, their outdoorsiness and athleticism, their penchant for bright colors, coffee, and Fazer chocolate.
