"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
[below] giza, egypt: the great sphinx and pyramid
While some may snicker at the unbridled romanticism of Twain's aforementioned quote, I wholly embraced his impulsive carpe diem language upon my college graduation. Until then, my travel experiences were limited to Canada, the Bahamas, and the Eastern seaboard of America. Fulfilling experiences with my family, of course, but it wouldn't be until my post-grad solo travels when I would thrive in the paradoxical comfort of existing far outside my comfort zone.
[below] rio de janeiro, brazil: rocinha favela
The first time I visited Europe I was a week removed from my Boston College graduation. A whirlwind without comparison, this initial European adventure whet my appetite for the mystery, romance, and spontaneity of independent travel. After two weeks of traipsing around carefree with four of my best friends, I commenced my solo journey for the rest of the summer.
[below] nicoya peninsula, costa rica: epic sunset
I'll never forget that feeling my first night alone in a dingy gothic Edinburgh, Scotland hostel - scared, nervous, and unsure what lay ahead. It would only be days, however, before I would find my rhythm and rapidly embrace my newfound education. Within several years of this first adventure, I had journeyed through 40+ countries on five continents.
[below] ios island, greece: quiet in chora
I tend to embrace cities that are noxious, crowded, and contain at least three examples of drab, Stalinist architecture. Places like Bucharest or Sofia, Chisinau or Belgrade. In sum, most Balkan cities. Places where the unexpected is the norm, where I feel a million miles from home, and where I'm always checking my pocket to make sure my wallet is still there. There's a certain exhilaration I get from Eastern European or Latin American spots that demand my attention and require my effort in ways that the clean, majestic Western European capitals - e.g. London, Paris, Rome - never will.
[below] sofia, bulgaria: colorful cement block
While I adore relaxing on a deserted beach in the Aegean or celebrating New Year's excess on Laugavegur in Reykjavík, some of my travels have opened my eyes in a manner that my formal education never had the opportunity. The rampant poverty of the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland, and the mass graves of Srebrenica, Bosnia are just a few examples of places where no guide book is necessary to describe the horrific consequences of previous events. Memories of genocide in the Balkans are still fresh in almost everyone's minds, and the signs of a long, devastating war are everywhere - shrapnel damaged buildings, emotional roadside memorials, bullet strewn graves, and the omnipresent United Nations peacekeeping troops. To think that some of these injustices occurred 9-15 years ago is nearly impossible to believe.
[below] sveti stefan, montenegro: a popular resort
Each trip, no matter the location or duration, has provided experiences I will never forget. Some memorable instances are described in the laundry list below:
[1] witnessing the aurora borealis in iceland
My fifth visit to Iceland coincided with New Year's 2007. One night, while the rest of my group was out at Laugavegur's notorious bars, my friend Michel and I decided to make a trip to Iceland's vast interior for a Northern Lights expedition. After seeing maybe two cars over three hours, a few faint instances of the lights, and running low on petrol, we decided to give up hope and head back to Reykjavík. As we pulled a u-turn on a remote road in one of Iceland's majestic national parks, we looked up and saw one of the most awe-inspiring sights of our lives.
[2] attending the world cup in munich, germany
Somehow I was able to secure a ticket for the 2006 World Cup in Munich, Germany at the futuristic Allianz Arena. Even though the game - Serbia vs. Ivory Coast - was meaningless in the group stage, the unrivaled zealousness on both sides was spectacular. Flares were set off at each goal, thousands of fans were singing chants in unison, and I was bracing myself in the suffocating crush of the mad subway dash back to downtown Munich.
[3] finding my way through kosovo, alone
Why? That was the question I was asked by virtually everyone throughout my Kosovo adventure. Although a few years removed from the most severe conflict, Kosovo was still a rough, undeveloped land full of UN troops and simmering ethnic tension. I found the land fascinating and the people among the friendliest I've ever met. While I wouldn't classify the capital Pristina as a beautiful city deserving of UNESCO world heritage status, its urban grittiness did retain a certain intrigue in that unique Balkans manner.
[4] being detained by border police in transnistria
Perhaps the strangest, wackiest place I have ever visited is the de facto independent state of Transnistria, a small sliver of Communist-run land wedged between Moldova and the Ukraine. Getting in was difficult - I was pulled off the bus along with a translator and interrogated by a "border" agent with a vintage USSR cap, replete with hammer and sickle. He asserted that, since I was American, I must be in the military, and he also asked me if I sold religious books. After paying a small bribe I was given a one-day visa to this bizarre Soviet-style theme park. A genuine throwback like I've never seen before. A young female employee in the local football team store told me I was the first American she'd ever met. Another government agent radioed five different guards before I was allowed to take a single picture of their gleaming football stadium.
[5] getting robbed by a gypsy in braşov, romania
I had been warned many times about Romania. Most backpackers had been ripped off at least once while traveling through, and I was no exception. In the chaos outside the Braşov train station, I purchased a cheap bus ticket, waded through the chaotic crowd onto the bus, sat down, and discovered my wallet - previously in my front (!) pocket - was missing. As the bus took off, I noticed a mini Gypsy girl, about six years old, running away with my cash, credit cards, and vintage college ID. There are few things more frustrating than trying to cancel credit cards from a run-down hostel in Transylvania. Losing my treasured college ID, however, crushed me more than anything.
[6] celebrating the 4th of july in a turkish cave bar
My brother and I have spent several July 4ths abroad, with our Turkey experience near the top of the list. The region of Cappadoccia in central Turkey is composed of bizarre, lunar-like landscapes, with "fairy chimneys" full of little caves that contain dwellings, shops, and more. Our 4th of July celebration consisted of drinking and card games with two hilarious Aussie friends in a cave bar named "Flintstones." Ah, the reach of western culture! Curiously, we were an hour flight away from the Iraq border.
[7] meeting my girlfriend on July 4th in croatia
Thank God for the Happy House Hostel (rechristened "One Love") on the halcyon island of Korčula, Croatia. As noted on my about page, it was here in 2006, on the 4th of July, that I met my girlfriend Sarah at the Happy House. The sunset that evening was spellbinding and, although we actually spent little time together in Croatia, seven months later we would meet back in America and the rest is history.
[8] visiting horrific sites from the bosnian war
The senseless destruction of Bosnia during the Balkans wars is apparent throughout this hauntingly beautiful country. Every single city and town has countless visible scars. From the rebuilt bridge at Mostar (Stari Most) to the infamous Holiday Inn at Sarajevo and the horrid killing fields of Srebrenica, the Bosnians have suffered an incalculable amount. Most shocking is that the Srebrenica genocide, Europe's worst mass murders since World War II, took place only 13 years ago.
[9] experiencing rio de janeiro, brazil
I strongly believe Rio de Janeiro to be the most insanely beautiful city I've ever seen. The famed sands of Ipanema and Copacabana, hovered over by the dramatic Pão de Açúcar and the mesmerizing statue of Christ the Redeemer, all combine to form the most impressive big city landscape possible. I still get goose bumps thinking about my first passing glimpse of Corcovado late at night from the back of a speeding cab.
[10] wandering around the jesuit ruins of paraguay
Having entered Paraguay sans visa (not recommended), I endured a painful three-hour ride from the certifiably crazy Paraguayan border town of Ciudad del Este to Trinidad in the Itapúa region of this poor, landlocked country, the entire journey undertaken in the pouring rain on a bus with no windshield wipers and no lack of wandering cockroaches. However, the effort paid off, as the Jesuit ruins, constructed during the 17th and 18th centuries and now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were resplendent with their astonishing detail set against a placid Paraguayan field. There were no other visitors at the site.
[11] cave tubing the caves branch river in belize
One of the coolest things I've done was, ironically, the result of a group tour offered on a family cruise that stopped in Belize. My brother and I took a bus ride through the Belizean jungle with a tour operator who would not stop uttering, "Belize It!" and "Un-Belize-able." After hiking shirtless in the rain while vicious red fire ants attacked our unsuspecting feet, we entered the long, meandering cave system. Tubing through the caves, with major sections in pitch black, was absolutely exhilarating.
[12] getting a flat tire at the very tip of cyprus
Yet another comical adventure with my brother. During our visit to the unrecognized "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" we proceeded to drive through the Karpaz Peninsula straight to the extreme tip of the country. Unfortunately, our Euro-sized rental car earned a flat tire at the last few feet of Cypriot real estate causing us momentary anguish since there was no one within miles of this place. After my bro, professional tire changer, luckily threw on a barely capable donut, we only wound up being detained at the "border" for several hours as we tried unsuccessfully to talk our way out of a speeding ticket. Thank god Ayia Napa was an all-night party town.
[13] cruising down the nile river after a visit to giza
It's pretty tough to beat a tour of the Sphinx, the Great Pyramids, the renowned Egyptian Museum, and then cruise down the Nile River outside of Cairo, even if there are the usual mass-tourism drawbacks. The claustrophobic tunnels of the Great Pyramid coupled with the corrupt police officers looking for small bribes to take photos of tourists make for a priceless experience. I find it striking that most views of the Pyramids make it appear as if they stand alone in the middle of the desert, when, in fact, the packed tour bus lot and encroaching suburbs of Cairo creep right up to the eastern boundaries of the Giza Plateau.
[14] looking over athens at night from the acropolis
Love or hate Athens, one cannot help but feel a sense of awe when ascending the ancient Acropolis steps in suffocating heat. My love for Athens (one of those crowded, dirty, hectic cities) was confirmed on my first visit when my brother and I stumbled upon a dramatic late night panorama of the city from an outcropping near the famed Propylaea. The dense, flickering lights of Athens' sprawl beneath the flood-lit Acropolis combine for an unrivaled big city spectacle.
[15] hiking the mountains around bled, slovenia
Lake Bled is the reason postcards are produced. Although the town feels overcrowded in summer with European tourists (I would even recommend nearby Lake Bohinj for a more tranquil setting), I received a helpful local tip about a hiking trail outside the town that reveals a captivating panorama (above) at its apex. The sweat-inducing hike was obviously worth the result, as was paddling a row boat out to tiny Bled Island so I could ring the 15th-century church bells.
[16] staying overnight at rila monastery, bulgaria
Nestled in the Rila Mountains of southwestern Bulgaria, the 10th-century Monastery of Saint John of Rila is one of the Balkans' most important religious monuments. Along with two close friends, I was lucky enough to secure one of the monk's cells for one evening. Rustic, yet enchanting, our room lacked most modern conveniences. However, even when our 8pm curfew was taken into account (not that there was anywhere to go outside the walls), our night spent in faux 10th-century solitude was memorable by any definition. Even more entertaining was hitchhiking from Rila Monastery to Sofia, almost 100 miles away. Surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult as it sounds.
[below] christ the redeemer towers over rio
Although only a handful of my most impressionable moments, I hope you've gotten a little taste of why travel means so much to me. I'm thankful for the places I've been, the opening of my eyes, and the people I've met along the way, many of whom I still stay in touch with. As this website expands, I plan on adding significantly more travel content, including a full gallery from every country I've visited, city/country reviews, travel articles, more lists (top ten beaches / churches / hot dog stands, et al), guest travel columns, and more. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like me to host your network's travel show or write for your travel magazine!
[below] santorini island, greece: irresistible infinity
One final note - while I love reminiscing and even romanticizing my past adventures, I'm always mindful of Santayana:
"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."
- George Santayana