Anime Central (or ACen as local con-goers call it) is the Midwest’s largest anime and manga convention. Taking place one weekend a year in Chicago, typically in May, its 30,000+ attendees puts it in the top three anime conventions in North America. Sure, I haven’t watched an anime series in almost three years and I can’t even […]
Researching where I’d stay in New York City, I realized something. NYC is filled with tiny, tasteless hotel rooms. I was less and less impressed with each option as I scrolled through the page on Agoda. Sure, it was a short trip and I could have easily just settled with some fifth floor walk-up with no […]
Living in Osaka, I became well-acquainted with one of the region’s specialties– okonomiyaki (お好み焼き). We’d often eat this for lunch and dinner whether at home with my host family or when out with friends. Like a pancake of sorts, okonomiyaki is made from batter mixed with cabbage. Sure, that might not sound all that exciting (or tasty), but […]
The thing I hate about flying budget airlines, is that they always get you there at the worst time imaginable. Typically after midnight or in the wee hours of the morning when public transportation isn’t even running yet. Romania’s Blue Air is no exception. Sometimes I just try to wait it out or sleep at the […]
When I was younger, my family had a boat but I honestly never thought too much about it. Sure, as soon as it was warm enough in summer we’d take it out on Lake Michigan, but I didn’t love or hate being on it– I was always pretty indifferent. I guess it’s true that people take things for […]
I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but like most Americans, my only two preconceived notions of Romania involved communism and Dracula. However, probably unlike most Americans, those were both two big draws for me wanting to visit. So when I was invited to #EnjoyBucharest for a week, I jumped on the opportunity no questions asked. Romania: […]
Every Friday I’ll be sharing a photo from someplace in my travels. This week’s photo is of the Unification Boulevard as seen from the People’s Palace in Bucharest. Leading up to the grand People’s Palace is Bulevardul Unirii, known in English as Unification Boulevard. The boulevard was modeled after the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Of course, Ceaușescu couldn’t […]
Every Friday I’ll be sharing a photo from someplace in my travels. This week’s photo is of the Sutro Bath ruins in San Francisco. The Sutro Baths opened in the late 1800s as the largest indoor swimming complex in the world. Somehow surviving earthquakes, fires, and other natural disasters, the baths finally saw their demise when […]
Every Friday I’ll be sharing a photo from someplace in my travels. This week’s photo is of the Japanese stone lantern on Tidal Basin in Washington DC. This stone lantern is one of two made in honor of Tokugawa Iemitsu’s death in 1651. The pair of lanterns were put on display in Tokyo’s famous Ueno Park, until […]
Every Friday I’ll be sharing a photo from someplace in my travels. This week’s photo is of Bucharest as seen from the InterContinental Hotel. Sadly, most of Bucharest’s historic buildings were destroyed by ex-dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who cleared the way for larger and grander buildings to be made in his honor. The neighborhood of Lipscani was also […]