What is a Country Anyway?

Like many travelers, I keep track of my country count. How many countries one has visited is both a source of pride, and also of confusion. After all, the definition of a country isn’t exactly universal across all people. Let’s start with the basics. There are currently 193 member states of the United Nations. All…

Life as a Travel Writer

It’s still weird for me to think of the life I’ve built, and contrast it to where I was less than a decade ago. I was a suit and tie guy, working as the executive director of a large nonprofit organization, spending 60 or more hours a week in the traditional grind. I was also…

2023 Preview

As you read last week, 2022 was a solid travel year, my first since the beginning of Covid. As the pandemic winds down into endemic, 2023 looks like my first year back to my truly intensive travel schedule since 2019, and I couldn’t be more excited! While some things - especially later in the year…

An Honest Review of Avelo Airlines

For regular readers, you’ll know that I don’t write reviews of hotels, airlines, restaurants, or things like that, except as incorporated into a larger story. So why this one? A couple reasons. First, Avelo Airlines generously sponsored my flights to and from Humboldt County on my recent trip, so I actually paid much more attention…

Travel Themed Date Night: Lithuania

The small Baltic state of Lithuania has been in the news a lot recently, for some pretty cool things. Risking economic backlash from China, the country did the right thing and allowed Taiwan to open an embassy under its own name (rather than the commonly used Chinese Taipei). Second, it became the first European country…