Retro 1920s and Jazzy Cocktails with Gogobot NYC

The Auction House 1920s decor

From Oktoberfest to the 1920s! Here's a glimpse of the "Retro 1920s and Jazzy Cocktails" Gogobot NYC event I had the honor to host last Saturday evening. Given the cold is upon us, I envisioned a throwback to the 1920s, adorned with large, vintage mirrors, lush, red velvet sofas and grandiose chandeliers, a hidden speakeasy of sorts where one can sip a cocktail and travel back in time. The elegant Auction House on the Upper East Side … [Read more...]

The winds of change, inside and out

Fall in Upstate New York

 As I watch the leaves falling, gracefully dancing into the air, rapidly changing colors and announcing a new season, I can’t help think that so am I. With several trips now behind me, and plenty of change to last me for this year and the next, I thought I would be writing every day, sharing the many ways in which my heart filled up with sheer content. Instead, I had nothing to say. I felt overwhelmed, waiting as the leaves falling, for … [Read more...]

Interview with Jodi Ettenberg: An Asian love affair with soup & spices

Mien Cua

Jodi from LegalNomads.com is one of those people whose travel sites I had been following for a very long time, but I had yet to meet. She usually lives in Asia for half of the year, so when the opportunity came to see her at TBEX Toronto, I was very pleased. Our first talk was brief; better said, our quick hello and her warm hug. With 1,300 people attending the North American TBEX this year, it was close to impossible to have a conversation … [Read more...]

Architecture in Cuba: the emblematic buildings of Havana

Colonial architectura Plaza Vieja Old Havana

This past September, I started an exciting project working with Insight Cuba - the leading provider of legal Cuba travel for Americans - as their freelance Social Media Manager, as well as a contributing writer. As I prepare to visit Cuba in the next few months, I am writing a series of posts on Cuba's emblematic culture. Given my passion for architecture, I was fascinated to learn about the diversity of architectural styles of Havana. Going past … [Read more...]

Discovering Venice’s secret passages with Walks of Italy

Venice Italy gondolas

I was 17 years old when I first went to Venice, in what was to be a comprehensive tour throughout all of Italy. I remember it clearly how we embarked a local vaporetto to take us across the salty island waters, past the gondolas, towards a sunny inamorata Venetia. I was instantly mesmerized; the city’s aura had blindsighted me. Such as a flawless diamond’s reflections, so were the sunshine’s rays brimming unto the city walls. La Serenissima … [Read more...]