First there was the book, then the movie. Eat, Pray, Love. Thanks Hollywood: now nearly everyone has fantasized about falling in love in Bali. But how many of them have heard of Yogyakarta, pronounced, JOGE-Ja-karta? Very few I bet. Let’s change that. Continue reading
Porto was the first stop on my first visit to Portugal in 2015. I’m happy to report that almost nothing has changed, it is as perfect and pretty as ever. This is how I spent three days with my friends. Continue reading
I traveled to this tiny landlocked Eurasian country to partner with the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia so that another hard-working family could have a decent place to live. Our base for the week was the capital city Yerevan, an unexpectedly delightful and lively city. Armenians are night owls y’all! Continue reading
The Republic of Georgia has been enjoying its time in the travel media limelight. It seems every travel blog I read waxed poetic about the tiny country with a familiar name. Perhaps because of its generous digital nomad visa, allowing expats to stay a full year, or because of the great food and the easy-on-your-wallet prices, travelers are flocking to the country firmly anchored by the Caucasus Mountains, straddling the intersection of Europe and Asia. Continue reading
All things French Quebec City was everything we hoped for with a few surprises. Here’s our seven-day itinerary for visiting at ‘the most wonderful time of the year’! Continue reading
[This post is part of a 10-day driving itinerary for Sofia, Melnik, Plovdiv, and Veliko Taranovo.] Days 1-3 | Sofia Days 4-5 | Melnik DAY 6 | THE NARROW GAUGE TRAIN TO PLOVDIV En route to Plovdiv, you’ll have the chance to see the beauty of the southwestern mountainous region of Bulgaria, traveling at first … Continue reading
[This post is part of a 10-day driving itinerary for Sofia, Melnik, Plovdiv, and Veliko Taranovo.] DAYS 1-3 | SOFIA DAY 4 | RILA MONASTERY TO MELNIK A must-see on the way to Melnik is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, founded in the early 10th century, by St. Ivan. Rila … Continue reading
[This post is part one of a 10-day driving itinerary that includes Sofia, Melnik, Plovdiv, and Veliko Taranovo, which each have their own post.] I’d never visited Bulgaria, which is usually reason enough for me to go somewhere. Before meeting my Global Builders Team in Cluj, Romania in mid-April, I decided to give myself ten … Continue reading
DAY 1 | Over the hills and through the woods to BREB VILLAGE we go! For our 4-day tour we hired a wonderful local guide, who is from Maramureș, who expertly planned the trip with us, drove, and guided us. Heading north from Cluj into the mountains we stopped at Casa Dobro for a coffee … Continue reading
Lima is known for many things, perhaps best as the gastronomic capital city of South America. Given some advance warning, you can try to get reservations at some of the hottest foodie destinations anywhere. I flew into Lima just one day in advance of meeting my Global Builders team, 15 volunteers who would be building houses with me and The Fuller Center for Housing. Without a lot of time to get to know this enchanting seaside city, I could only check a few items off my list. Guess that means I’ll have to come again! Here are a few highlights that I highly recommend and the ones I would have done if I’d had more time. Continue reading
Global Staci 