In different shades of light and love — The steady drum of rain makes it hard to get up. I open the curtain; a dim morning light permeates my room. My mind fills with uncertainty, the things I have to do today — the pressure I put on myself to do. I do my best to dispel the…

Struck by a revelation on the train — We’re often waiting for the next peak to bring us happiness, excitement, fulfillment. Over the years, I’ve grappled with this. Coming to Japan is a chapter that I’ve been counting on for years to change everything. Here I am. I made it. But soon, the novelty will fade. I’d be…

The spirit of Osaka, Japan, is embodied by the light-hearted characters who call it home. — There’s something so incredibly wonderful about what we are as people: the ways in which we interact and carry ourselves; how we laugh when with our friends and how we change when on our own; the wonder our eyes assume when looking at the sky, reflecting on ideas. How we…

It’s the seemingly mundane moments which make me feel the deepest. Transitioning to life in my new home. — An early autumn rain falls upon Osaka, Japan. I lay in bed writing after a day of work. I listen to the rain which pours outside my window. This is something I tell myself I have to do — write, dig, explore my changing thoughts as if that’s why I’ve…

Loose notes and observations from a week in Italy’s Southern, Uncut Gem — I try to evoke something with my words — an image, a scene, a feeling, most of all. Yet as much as I try, these words can’t fully capture the way life moves me. And life moves me deeply. I love to travel because it gives me the opportunity to…

Thoughts on travel and life from my first two days in my new home: Osaka, Japan. — Dusk falls as I leave Abeno Station. The air cools slightly, bringing with it a gentle rain. I duck into a sushi bar as I wander home, a small place with a few locals sipping beers. I step through the noren curtain which dangles in front of the shop. It’s…

The first page of my life’s next chapter — I write this from my apartment in Osaka after nearly 24 hours of travel from door to door. I made it — I’m living in Japan. I’m here because I never stopped believing I’d make it. When I visited in 2019, my dream of being a travel writer had just…

Unpacking the spirit and the tastes of one of the world’s most vibrant cities — In Tel Aviv, Israel, it feels as if there’s smooth, upbeat jazz resounding throughout the city at all hours. Its locals are simply moving to the beat. Music echoes on the boardwalk; it falls from the palms; it filters through the doors of buzzy cafes and bars. That is every…

The encouragement of a local will stay with me forever — Irecently wrote about how, when we’re learning something new or reading a book, the good shit sticks. Meaning, we’ll remember what we’re meant to. The same applies to traveling. …