Enoshima Island Spa

My first spa experience was at a wonderful place in New Orleans, and it was very relaxing for me. After getting beaten up by a traditional masseuse from the Lahu tribe on the Myanmar/Thai border, I was put-off by the idea of massages and spas in general, since massage seems to be such a big […]

Gojo Falls

Just 30 minutes or so outside of our fair city of Kawagoe rests a beautifully forested area near Chichibu, which I am slowly coming to adore. Mountains, rivers, and meadows dominate the landscape, and it was in this setting that my wife discovered a short hike to Gojo Falls. Easing me into an eventual hike […]

Finding an Apartment in Japan

First coming to Japan can be incredibly daunting, especially since you may not have any housing when you first arrive. I’ve heard stories of professors coming over and having to settle their housing the first day after arrival! The process can be dizzying and confusing, but hopefully, sharing my experience will help other foreigners out […]

Horseshoe Bend

There are a ton of really cool natural wonders here in Arizona: The Grand Canyon, Montezuma Well, The Petrified Forest, The Painted Desert, and so many more. On a chilly winter trip up to Page, we decided to take a quick stop at one place you may have seen in photographs before: Horseshoe Bend.

Lafitte Swamp Tour

One thing that many people suggest that you do when visiting Louisiana is to take a swamp tour. They come in two flavors: The slower pontoon-style boat tours and the quicker airboat tours. For the uninitiated, airboats are the ones with the giant fan on the back that help the boat skim across very shallow […]

The Five Cs of Arizona: Cotton

This article is part of the five Cs of Arizona, which are climate, citrus, cattle, copper, and cotton. Cotton, for most of us in the United States, is a Southern crop. It harkens back to the causes of the Civil War, grand plantations, and light, breezy shirts that are a joy to wear in the […]

Arizona Water: Nestlé, The Saudis, and Me

When you think of the southwest of the United States, you imagine a pretty arid, desert-like landscape, and you would not be too far off from the truth. Phoenix contains a large swath of the northern bits of the Sonoran desert, which give it its dry, blistering heat during the summer. You would be surprised […]

Apartment Life in Winter

While nowhere near as challenging as living in a ger during the most frigid of months, apartment living can be a bit problematic, especially if you’re not in one of the larger cities in Mongolia. Infrastructure problems can be challenging. Let’s see if any of you apartment dwellers out there outside of Mongolia face similar […]

Ger Life in Winter

I can finally write about the quintessential Mongolian experience: Ger life in the winter (My apologies to other volunteers who know this life all too well reading this post; been there, done that, right?). The traditional Mongolian dwelling– a felt circle tent known as a ger– is designed to be lived in by more than […]

Drink the Water, Follow the Customs

Unbeknownst to intrepid youth There was a slaughter going on Right outside his front door. Earlier the family had mentioned Going into the city to buy A sheep, so it was no surprise When on was chained to the fence. He stayed inside, the family Turned phantom, so outside he went. His eyes met with […]