The Yacht Week x The Monsoon Diaries: French Polynesia Day 2: Plage Hana Iti
Believe it or not, we worked in a solid night of sleep before waking up the next morning to another Polynesian sunrise. While I personally had expected to wake up again to footsteps of our crew getting underway for our 4 hour sail from Raiatea...
The Yacht Week x The Monsoon Diaries: French Polynesia Day 1 – Tahiti to Raiatea
We're now a far cry from Iraq a month ago: I finally journey westwards to the French Polynesia this week for our next monsoon with 13 other beautiful people. Along the way I took advantage of well timed omakase at Sushi Kashiba in Seattle (happy...
You’re Going to Miss … Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt
PRESS play and read the post with the music . . . Adventure is a mindset, not a destination. The thought of it alone both hurts and invigorates, for no pleasure can exist without pain. No desire without restraint. No sweet without the sour. Therefore...
Egypt Maktoub
Adventure is a mindset, not a destination.Last month after I had spoken at Mercersburg Academy and returned to DC, Kimmy, Ihita and I debated what we could do with our extra 4 days after Iraq now that Syria would likely be once again postponed. It was...
Where Do Dreams Come From? Part II: Not Your Usual, Jordan-ary Return to Petra
I'm back, and this time with a tripod. The last time I was in Jordan, it was nearly 11 years ago on one of my first monsoons and I had regretted not leaving enough time to visit the Dead Sea or bring a tripod for the awe-inspiring Petra by Night. Be it so that...
“Samarra” Happy To Be Here!
For our third and final day in Iraq, we embarked on our journey to Samarra, capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and the only remaining Islamic capital retaining its original architecture, plans and relics. Before leaving we were treated to the royal treatment when...
What Are You Babylon About Again?
After a morning paying our respects in the holy city of Karbala, we enjoyed a private chicken and lamb lunch at a rest stop in Hillah before another 30 minutes' drive to Babylon. Upon arrival we first posed in front of the only remaining (and bullet-riddled)...
Not Cutting Out the Karb-ala!
For our second morning in Iraq, we drove an hour onwards to Karbala, the "mecca" for Shi'ite Muslims where tens of millions of Shi'ite Muslims visit twice a year to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali. As we approached, they made sure all...