?>

ASIA

ASIAEATSTORY

Omurice: The Original Comfort Food (Japan)

By Tom Godfrey My wife and I sneak down a side street in Osaka.  It is quiet here–a contrast from the main drag that huddles around Tonbori River.  The road is full of cafes, the occasional cyclist, and a handful of traditional buildings with wooden accents that seem to belong to another time.  One of those buildings is the original branch of the restaurant, Hokkyokusei, where to eat omurice.   I am on a culinary pilgrimage with my wife, SiEun.  Our ...
ASIAIDEASSTORY

[VIDEO] I Have a Small Heart (Japan)

What does pilgrimage mean in an age of instant communication and high-speed travel? わたしのチイサナココロ [i have a small heart] from Bajir Cannon on Vimeo.
ASIAEUROPESTORY

Reza at the Wheel (Turkey)

By W Goodwin Reza is driving. Ever since we entered Turkey he won’t let me drive, even when he’s dead tired, because “Women shouldn’t drive in Muslim countries.” No arguing with him, so I’m in the front passenger’s seat, half-awake, my thoughts rambling… I’m fine with Reza and his religion, but these old-world Muslims we’ve been meeting seem to get confused when they confront a confident woman (me!). Their reactions are clearly affecting Reza and the further east we go, ...
AFRICAANTARCTICAASIABOOKSEUROPESOUTH AMERICASTORY

Nomadic Matt: A Travel Writer Interview

Editor’s Note: I got to ask travel blogger, writer, conference organizer, and travel guru Matt Kepnes of Nomadic Matt some questions about travel, writing, and books (some of my favorite subjects, and, luckily, his too). *This article contains affiliate link(s). Any affiliate link means that I may earn advertising/referral fees if you make a purchase through my link, without any extra cost to you. It helps to keep this magazine afloat and allows us to compensate our writers. Thank you ...
AFRICAASIAAUSTRALIACENTRAL AMERICAEUROPEFAMILYNORTH AMERICASOUTH AMERICASTORYUSA

The Best Of Times

By Sallie Lewis Longoria It’s coming on Christmas, and up and down my street, twinkle lights glow softly, like summer fireflies. While my own home will soon be decked for the holidays, the house next door remains dark and shuttered, a lingering reminder of what I lost. My grandparents – who I called Honey and Popo – were many things to me. Friends, first and foremost, role models, teachers, travel advisors, and much later in life, next-door neighbors. Together since ...
ASIASTORYUSA

There are Bridges (Cape May, NJ, USA; China)

By Ingrid Anders A canal dredged from Cape May’s harbor to the Delaware Bay separates the old seaside resort from the rest of New Jersey. This is the kind of island Brooke wants to be—man made and cut off, so separated from the mainland she can forget she was ever part of it. The open laptop on the kitchen table glows at Brooke, silhouetting the mug about to deliver its third cup of black coffee to her empty stomach. The ...
ASIASTORY

What Did I Sign Up For? (Raotang Boxing Club, Thailand)

By Bill Watts My eyes flickered open and I began to wonder, what time is it? Immediately, I remembered it didn’t matter. It’s Sunday. Today is a day for rest. Necessary, too–we had a hell of a night last night. I need more sleep. I rolled over and tightened my eyes, forcing my body to follow my mind into the void. As I began to lose consciousness, dull thuds and thwacks echoed in the distance. Ignore it, I told my ...
ASIASTORY

A Stranger to Them (In Cambodia)

By Lana Orndorff New things are scary. Strangers can’t be trusted. Unknown places are dangerous. The echo of these ideas are my personal soundtrack as I search for plane tickets. I click the “confirm purchase” button anyway. The intense screaming of my wanderlust, which sounds similar to a small child that has dropped his pacifier, has managed to drown out the low hum of doubt. Fellow travelers know what I’m talking about. But, for those close to me who don’t ...
?>