Jambo from Kenya

When I checked into the hotel they asked, seemingly as a matter of routine, when my next flight was. That’s what happens when you stay at the airport hotel – they assume you are going somewhere else (because no matter how nice it may be, there’s usually not any other good reason to stay at […]

Preparing for the Rains

I bought the ticket for this flight back in November, and only after completing the purchase did I wonder, “Is that a good time to go to Kenya?” As it turns out, this isn’t generally considered a great time to visit East Africa, because April and May are the season of long rains. To be […]

In Which I Make Decisions

Some people could never imagine traveling alone and spending a week apart from others. I used to think I didn’t want to be somebody who would travel alone, but I’ve long since gotten over that. I love traveling with my friends, and I love traveling by myself. Both approaches have their advantages. I welcome friends […]

I Might Have Several Places In the World

I spent the last hour of my day at the rooftop bar of my hotel, sipping slowly at a glass of scotch and gazing at the glowing white spectacle of the Acropolis in the distance. It was exquisite and a great way to end the day. This day had begun much earlier, in Larissa, where […]

In Which I Realize Something I Already Knew

The woman behind the counter handed me the piece of cream pie in a flaky phyllo crust (for lack of a better description) as we spoke. She asked where I was from and I indicated New York. “What are you doing in Larisa?!” she was almost indignant that I should have come here. “I wanted […]

Aristotle the Great

Alexander the Great was one of the world’s greatest leaders and commanders. He conquered vast swaths of the known world and left his name everywhere he went. He founded several cities (20 seems to be a count with which Wikipedia is comfortable), and even named one after his horse. So you would think I would […]