As a Californian, sometimes I forget that our involvement with the history of the United States doesn’t go back very far. California, a late 19th century state, is one of those middle children of the U.S. family. The East Coast — the older sisters — is where what we know as the United Read More…
You can tell you’re getting closer to the beach once the pedestrians you pass are wearing fewer and fewer articles of clothing. Suddenly, shirtless men abound, and loose T-shirts ending just below the backside are all girls need to throw on top of their bikinis. This perfectly toned, tanned, scantily Read More…
When the plan to visit Washington, D.C. this summer first materialized, red, white and blue flashed before my eyes before I could stop myself. What could be more American than the capital itself? I was one of the many clueless souls who thought that being there meant absolutely everything there Read More…
As my trip to Grand Cayman, the largest island of the Cayman Islands, came to a close, I realized that what I took away from the trip most was, well, a lot of extra pounds, if we’re being honest. The food can be a little pricey at times, but if Read More…
While California houses a large number of colleges and universities up and down the state, there are few towns that really exemplify what it means to be a small college town like San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly students seems to dominate the immediate population and can be found at almost Read More…
While most of us would love to be able to traverse the globe in our time off from school, such endeavors are quite costly and time consuming. It is much more realistic for most of us to be able to make our way to somewhere close enough to Berkeley and Read More…
Do you remember your first Hot Wheels? I was perhaps 6 or 7. It was the time when “Pocahontas” came out, and I watched on VHS how she so magnificently straddled around the woods talking to possessed animals and hopping to the rhythm of the rainbow-colored wind like a deer Read More…
As I sat in the car crossing the English Channel with complete strangers, the conversation turned to our weekend plans. I was tired and nodded idly when asked if I was meeting up with friends, not wanting to explain my situation or my motives — of which I wasn’t even Read More…
Beneath Paris’ city lights, an eerie and dark underworld preserves itself in silence from excessive tourist inspection. An entire network of passages, streets and squares lie invisible to the common crowds of chic cafes and busy restaurants. I took a detour from my usual Parisian night walks during the Christmas Read More…
I arrive early to the airport on my way home from Dublin. It’s the absolute best place for people watching, so I tend to sit like a five-year-old by the window, watching planes take off and land, while eavesdropping on conversations in various languages. (Is it still considered eavesdropping if I do not understand Read More…
