A Reflection in Life & Travel from ‘Y Tu Mama Tambien’

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I leave to Colombia in less than a week and whenever I gear up to jet below the equator, I turn towards Spanish films, radio, books and music to brush off the cobwebs on my out-of-practice Spanish. I just finished watching the Mexican film Y Tu Mama Tambien where Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal play naive, rich teenagers who embark on an impromptu road trip to a beautiful beach with the radiant and alluring Luisa, who is played by Maribel Verdu.

The Fight for the Congo’s Virunga National Park

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Last night I watched the powerful documentary, Viruga, and with tears steaming down my face felt that all too familiar feeling of both inspiration and frustration. Inspired by those fighting to change the world; frustrated by feeling helpless to help change it, I pulled out the only weapon I have: my words.

The Reality of Living on One Dollar a Day

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More than 1 billion people live on under $1 a day and more than 80% of our global population lives on under $10 a day. In the new documentary, Living on One Dollar, four college boys head to rural Guatemala to experience extreme poverty first hand.

Exploring the Impact of Tourism with “Gringo Trails”

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a screening of Gringo Trails, a documentary film that begs the question if tourists are destroying the planet or saving it? By following the stories of travelers from Bolivia to Thailand, Gringo Trails explores both the positive and (in the case of Haad Rin Beach) negative affects of tourism.

Discovering China with Panda Guides

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While my travel style is all about living like a local and getting lost in a destination, I like to rely on guidebooks to give me a deeper understanding of the culture I’m visiting and the history that surrounds it.

Fighting Hunger in America with ‘A Place at the Table’

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Like most, when I hear of famine I picture a child from sub-Sahara Africa with a swollen belly and sallow face sitting on the floor of a dirt-packed hut. The last thing I imagine is an overweight person in small town America with a paying job and relatively pulled together appearance. My thoughts on hunger always seem to gravitate towards the extreme-if one is hungry they must be homeless, unemployed and devastatingly thin-a notion that many carry and that this film aims to disprove. In fact, obesity and hunger go hand in hand in America as do a variety of sicknesses associated with malnutrition.

Movies & Books that Inspire Wanderlust

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When the monotony of the corporate world, the hurriedness of New York City and lack of immediate travel plans have me scanning airline sites like a religion, I turn towards feel-good books and inspiring movies that take me on an adventure, fuel my wanderlust & leave me breathless with excitement for my next trip.

‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ Movie Review

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‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ was a fantastic movie that really captures how traveling can change your world, give perspective and take you far from where you started. Whether traveling for a week, a month or a year–the movie shows that the only person to ever keep us from living our dreams is ourselves.