Life in immigration

Posted: 10/17/2020 | October 17th, 2020 As the Southern cotton economy expanded on the back of slave labor in the early 1800s, towns emerged to transport the cotton on the Mississippi River. New Orleans, Memphis, Vicksburg, and Natchez are the four most famous of these towns. Located high on the bluffs of the Mississippi River, Natchez, Mississippi, was established by French colonists in 1716. The defensible strategic location ensured that it would become a pivotal center for trade. In the middle of the 19th century, the city attracted Southern planters, who built mansions to show off their vast wealth from the cotton and sugarcane trade. Natchez was where planters came to escape the heat and isolation of the plantations. It was the Hamptons of the South — the place where the rich relaxed and socialized. I never heard of Natchez until a few weeks before I visited. While in Nashville, I met some local guys at a bar. Fascinated by my road trip plans, they gave me all the information they...

Last Updated: 1/13/20 | January 13th, 2020 I love Boston — and not just because I was born there. There are tons of free things to do in Boston, enough to keep any visitor thoroughly entertained. It’s also a historic city whose success (and survival) was tied to the very existence of America itself. With such historical significance, it should come as no surprise that I’ve always found the city fascinating (I studied history in college after all). Boston’s roots stretch back to the 17th century, when it was founded by Puritan colonists from Europe. It was a devout settlement, with enforced church attendance and marriage (persecution of sinners was equally enforced). The city was home to one of the first schools in America, as well as the very first college: Harvard. The settlement grew in importance, with its most significant role being during the American Revolution. No single blog post can do Boston — and its complex and important history — justice. For that, you...

Posted: 10/10/2017 | October 10, 2017 We’ve all heard the alarming statistic—only 40% of Americans own a passport. That number is rising, but only because Americans are now required to show a passport when going to Mexico and Canada. Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin first got her passport last year and has only traveled overseas to military bases in Iraq and Germany. In fact, she’s implied that traveling is for the rich: “I’m not one of those who maybe come from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents get ’em a passport and give ’em a backpack and say go off and travel the world. Noooo. I worked all my life…I was not, uh, a part of, I guess, that culture.” So why is it that the world’s superpower, a country with 300 million people, turns a blind eye to the rest of the planet, and political figures tout their lack of overseas travel as a plus? I believe there are a few reasons: First, there’s size. F...

Last Updated: 8/18/18 | August 18th, 2018 My first experience with hitchhiking was in Belize. Back in 2005, I hitchhiked the entire country, as it was the most common way locals got around. If they were doing it, why not me? It was a lot of fun and much easier and safer than I thought it would be. Since then, I’ve hitchhiked around a handful of countries and met some interesting (and not so interesting) people. Hitchhiking is still a popular and common way many people worldwide get around, but it evokes a lot of fears and concerns, especially among Westerners. Today, Matt Karsten from expertvagabond.com shares his experience hitchhiking around the United States and advice about how you can safely do it too. Enter Matt. It was a chilly and overcast day on the Oregon coast when I nervously stuck my thumb out on the side of Route 101. For the next 20 minutes, drivers passed me over and over again — most with looks of disgust on their faces. But I kept on smiling. Would anyone stop fo...

Posted: 5/23/2020 | May 23rd, 2020 Boasting a robust food scene (don’t miss Chicago-style pizza!), fun nightlife, and plenty of green space, Chicago is not only one of my favorite cities in the US, it’s one of my favorite cities in the world! While the winters here are harsh, it’s a beautiful, green city in the summer that offers visitors a plethora of things to see and do. I’ve been visiting Chicago for a decade and have stayed in a lot of hostels here. There are a lot of things to consider when selecting a hostel. The four most important criteria are: Location – Chicago is huge, and it can take some time to get around. Pick a place that is central to the sites and nightlife you want to experience. (All the hostels listed here are in central locations.) Price – In Chicago, you really get what you pay for, so if you go with a really cheap one, you’re probably going to get a hostel that is small and cramped and doesn’t offer great service. Amenities – ...

Last Updated: 1/15/2020 | January 15th, 2020 One of the most historic cities in the United States, Boston is the city I called home for the first 25 years of my life. More a collection of towns than a metropolis like New York, Boston is a city steeped in history (it contains a lot of historical firsts for the United States and played a pivotal role in its founding), delicious food, wide-open green spaces, first-rate museums, and warm, welcoming people. Visiting Boston offers all the benefits of a big metropolis without the intensity and fast pace of New York. Boston is easy to get around and compact, making it perfect for travelers. The subway will take you wherever you need to go. So how many days do you need to visit Boston? Most people visit for three to four days, and I think that’s a perfect amount of time. As someone who’s lived there, I can say that, since Boston is so small, you won’t waste a lot of time “in transit,” so you can pack a lot into your...

Posted: 02/18/19 | February 18th, 2019 I love the South. Over the years, it has become one of my favorite parts of the United States. Before I went traveling, I always had this perception that the southern states were backward. They were filled with racists, yokels, and obese, gun-loving, Jesus freaks. It was a perception born out of a quarter-century of living in New England and consuming mass media and stereotypes about a people and place I really didn’t know anything about. Then, at the start of my grand trip in 2006, I drove across the United States. As I made my way through the South, I fell in love with the region. I loved the food, the people, the scenery, the architecture. My perception of the South was wrong. Yes, it has a lingering history of racism, poverty, and is more conservative than I personally am, but no place is perfect — and no place is like the stereotypes you see. Driving through the South was the first instance in which I really confronted the stereotypes ab...

Warning: This is not a budget-friendly post, but it will make you thirsty! Last Updated: 01/17/2020 | January 17th, 2020 I love the 1920s — a lot. Midnight in Paris is one of my favorite movies. I had a Prohibition-era themed birthday party for three years in a row. I own vintage clothes. I listen to a lot of jazz. I swing dance. If I could live in any other time, I would pick 1920s NYC or Paris. The Jazz Age and I are besties. And that’s one of the reasons I love NYC so much — there are a lot of other people here who love the Jazz Age. There are events like the massive Jazz Age Lawn Party, swing dance clubs, Facebook groups, daily events, and lots and lots of Prohibition-style bars serving classic drinks while pumping out live jazz and swing music. While the fancy cocktails they serve may not be cheap ($12–15 USD), I’m hooked on the atmosphere. Stepping into these bars with the music playing, people dancing, and everyone dressed the part transports me back in time to an era when thing...