Music and Memories
I don’t have a specific travel playlist, but certain songs remind of places and people around the world. I studied Spanish in Cusco, Peru for 2 months after high school. Many songs remind me of dancing salsa in dingy bars into the wee hours of dawn and bumping along dusty roads in white vans filled with indigenous women...
Embracing Change: pondering new methods for creative pursuits abroad
I am restless. I constantly want to be in two (or more) places at once. I find change to be healthy and refreshing, although frustrating at times. I can adapt quite easily to new places, and I’ve learned that minimalism and flexibility are key to a successful nomadic lifestyle. However, I’ve found my creative pursuits to pose...
2011 Travel Goals
Ever the goal setter, with an array of disorganized post-its, pages in notebooks and digital to-do lists, I am pleased to say that I accomplished all my travel goals this year! Yay! This year, I aspired to move to Seoul, South Korea to teach English, while devoting time to art, writing and travel, and visit...
Rock Climbing with Sanirang
I’m climbing and my friend is belaying at Suri mountain with San’s rock climbing meet-up group. Photo source: Sanirang Fall in Korea is an ideal time to spend your weekends on one of hundreds of mountains dotted along the peninsula. Although the hiking is fantastic, why not put your endurance to the test by rock...
10 Publications to Submit Travel Narratives
If you are an emerging travel writer, like myself, you’re probably looking for potential online and print magazines to publish your writing. This list includes 10 publications that all feature personal narratives (although many publish other types of writing as well) and are geared towards independent, adventurous young travelers, mainly between the ages of 18-40. These...
Seoul Lantern Festivals
There are various lantern festivals throughout Korea each year. In May, there is a parade for Buddha’s Birthday, complete with beautifully crafted floats in central Seoul. These photos were taken at the fall 2011 lantern festival in Cheonggyecheon, Jongno-gu. The lanterns, elegantly crafted from wire frames and multicolored hanji rice paper, calmly float in the stream. They portray characters...
Beijing’s 798 Art District: where fine art and commercialism collide
China’s rapid development and economic growth have sparked a creative explosion in the international art market. Beijing’s 798 Art Zone, otherwise known as Dashanzi art district, is part of this movement. Located in the Chaoyang district, the galleries exist in communist-era, Bauhaus-style factory buildings, originally named Joint Factory 798. Contemporary artists on the lookout for...
How to Eat Sannakji: Korean live octopus
“It escaped my wrap!” My friend exclaims as she struggles to chew a severed piece of an octopus’ tentacle. It’s lathered in sesame oil, squirming out of a folded piece of lettuce. We all laugh nervously, fully aware that our turn is next. We are sitting Indian-style on floor cushions at a restaurant near Noryangjin...
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