Who says turning 39 means having to always be an adult? The question runs through my head as I unabashedly bang a large drum in the experience gallery here at the Musical Instrument Museum, an incredible modern institution in north Phoenix. I smile, my beating getting louder as I attempt to accompany the group of…
Panama City bills itself as the hub of the Americas. From a geographical standpoint, it is certainly true. The city sits at the joining of the continents, as well as at the mouth of the Panama Canal which joins the oceans. The city is modern and bustling, vibrant and historic, a financial center, transit hub,…
Ah, Portugal. Mysterious nation at the western end of the Iberian Peninsula. Land of nata tarts, salt cod, and port wine, of fado, salty ocean air, sunsets, and surfing. It is the only continental European country on GMT, and it is also my first stop on my Iberian adventure! For the most part, my month…
I spent the first three months of 2019 in France, living, exploring, and discovering both an amazing country and myself. I can't even begin to describe how life-changing of an experience it was, to realize that I am able to thrive in a foreign country with a language and customs different from my own. I…
This could be Miami. The thought hits me for at least the hundredth time since I arrived here in Panama City, Panama. Blue waters, green parks, and tall glass buildings blend together in, if not harmony, at least a reasonably peaceful understanding. It stands in sharp contrast to most other major Central American cities I've…
This is always one of my favorite posts to write each year. As the year comes to a close, it is a great excuse to think back on all of the amazing places I went, all of the incredible experiences I had, and reflect before moving ahead with the following year. In 2019, I became…
A few articles ago, we spoke at length about the world-changing Panama Canal. However, a mere three million years earlier, Panama played host to an event that changed the world even more: it was born. From volcanos beneath the seas, land rose up, first as islands, and then as an isthmus, joining what would come…
This morning, in a private no-frills ceremony at the Consulate General of Germany in Los Angeles, I got to do something that most Jews have only dreamt of. I got to - in my own small way - give the middle finger to the ghost of Adolf Hitler on behalf of myself and my family.…
Few tourist attractions can be said to be things that have truly, objectively, changed the world. This is one of them. From the moment the Panama Canal opened on August 15, 1914, the world was forever changed. It was made smaller, more accessible, easier to traverse. Goods could reach new markets, or the same markets…
The rain feels cool on my face, a refreshing break from the December heat even while upping the relative humidity. It trickles down my neck, mixing with the spray from the waterfall cascading in front of me. The rains here are intense but short, and once this one passes I will return to the beach,…