We took the bus from New York to Boston, sleeping through most of the four-hour ride. Once we arrived, Jesse and I got ourselves over to our friend Emily’s place, and we decompressed until it was time for dinner at Cinquecento just down the street. Between the beautiful spring blossoms everywhere and the spirit of Easter…
Springtime in New York City sure beats every other season in New York. Never mind the fact that there was still snow on the ground when I arrived in April. What the air still lacked in warmth, it made up for with a sense of promise. Cherry and magnolia blossoms were out in full force,…
We were certainly greeted by the cold Nordic air once we arrived in Denmark. But with its cutely colored houses lined up along the water, Copenhagen certainly had more than enough charm to make up for the weather. It was probably my favorite city of the three we visited on our Europe trip. Our first…
The air was crisp, the temperature oscillating between a generous warmth in the sun and a slight chill in the shade. I was easily charmed by San Sebastian with its clear-green waters arranged in a U-shaped sound and its historic town nearby. We started walking from our airbnb apartment to the east of the sound and worked…
Everything about La Sagrada Familia is incredible. Part of my awe is of course owed to the building itself, with its utterly unprecedented forms and endless elements of craftsmanship and symbolism on every surface and in every corner. But I am also left with this lingering thought… What is it that allowed Gaudi to become…
Our red fold-up bicycles wavered over the cobblestone surface as the four of us each rode in small circles, getting acclimated to our new mode of transportation. Soon, we would be following our guide Pablo, navigating the narrow, serpentine alleys of the old city, slowing to a crawl to avoid the pedestrians or bursting forward…
My boyfriend is quite the sweetheart. For my birthday, Jesse took me out to Quince, a newly-minted two-star Michelin restaurant in San Francisco (upgraded from one star last year). The service was impeccable, the food of course delightful, but most notably, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and not overly pretentious. Jesse even had them…
Stepping into the nave of Grace Cathedral, I let the sense of awe wash over me. It would be enough to walk into any church this beautiful, with the elegant stained glass and the expansive space, but there’s something extra special here: twenty miles of beautifully colored ribbons hanging from the ceiling. It is quietly…
Many thanks go to my friends and to my boyfriend for celebrating my birthday with me. Jesse flew in for a few days, escaping the snow in New York and trading it in for some sunny California adventures instead. Our first meal: Roka Akor, a Japanese robataya house. We got seated at the bar, right…
Sushi Nakazawa was poised for fame from the start. Its namesake chef, Daisuke Nakazawa, is prominently featured in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi as the apprentice who recounts his struggles to perfect his tamago-yaki. Once restaurateur Alessandro Borgognone successfully brought Nakazawa to New York City, the rising star chef and the city that adores sushi would…
I spent Christmas Day lounging around at home until it was time to head to the airport. Overnight, I flew cross-country to New York City, and there I arrived, dark and early, at 6am. This was my first time spending the holidays in New York, and with all the crazy snowstorms this year, it was…
When you head out of San Francisco on the Golden Gate Bridge, driving northward under the iconic International Orange towers, you cross into a decidedly different peninsula. The first stretch is undeveloped hills, and then through a tunnel and off to the right, you can visit the town of Sausalito, a posh little area lined…