Travels
I'm the kind of traveler who will pass up five star hotels for living like the locals. I travel to lose myself quietly among the hum of daily life. I find hidden gardens and courtyards where all you can hear is the chatter of neighbors who could be the French or Italian version of your mother. I've had some beautiful experiences as a result.
Italy
I studied abroad in Florence, Italy for six months, but Venice was the true reason I came back after visiting with my parents. I spent a frigid night in the Venice train station after Carnivale since all of the hotels were full. My friends and I slept in rows like vagabonds, leaving our colorful masks on from the celebrations to remind us that this kind of discomfort was still in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Guatemala
At the marketplace in Guatemala, I befriended a woman selling handicrafts. Her eyes lit up when I showed her the currency in my wallet: an odd mix of rupees from India, Euro from Italy and American dollars. She tied a cloth bracelet on my wrist when we parted. I didn't take the bracelet off for months -- it reminds me of the very essential human connection.
India
I am blessed with immigrant parents and a strong culture. I visit India every few years to see family and travel. In Goa, India, my cousins and I traveled through hills and along beaches in a rented convertible jeep with no backseats. We used a seatbelt to hold the passenger's door to the car so it wouldn't fall off. At night we ate in shacks on the beach and danced under straw tiki huts.I cannot imagine a better vacation than that December in 2005.
Where I've Been
Canada, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, England, France, Spain, India