Anastasia78

He was quite beautiful in form, a replica of chiseled Greek perfection. He lay seductively before me completely nude and exposed. But despite his provocative pose all I remember thinking was what beautiful light there was in the Louvre. I went from statue to statue in the courtyard admiring and studying each piece of art feeling glad there was enough natural light I could take a decent photo with just my phone. That night I laid in my hotel bed and flipped through all the lovely photos I had taken that day at the museum. As I typically did before bed, I posted my favorites to my Instagram feed and within minutes would have a variety of nice comments. Not long after posting my photo of the "Sleeping Faun" I received a comment from a woman ... read more

Reading the news a couple weeks ago, I came across a story of a black woman in Chicago, a single mother, who had just buried her fourth and last child. All of her children had been killed from gun violence. One of her sons was named Jerome. My heart sank as I thought this could possibly be the Jerome from my last blog. I learned that it wasn't. Even so, it's heartbreaking to learn how difficult and dangerous life can be for many so close to home. It got me thinking though. Its not just Jerome that touched me. There are many others I've gotten to know close to home with unbelievable stories; people that deliver mail, make coffee at Starbucks, cut hair, clean carpet. They all have a story to tell. Take the time to ... read more

I've yet to meet a traveler, or vacationer for that matter, who doesn't have a trip to the Pyramids on their 'must see in this lifetime' list. By the time you get there, chances are you've coughed up a serious amount of cash and your parents are worried sick they'll be stuck raising your children. So make the most of it. I'm always a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to traveling. I want no part of the pre-packaged, shrink wrapped, "watch your step and stay with the group" trips. But Egypt humbled me. Egypt is the exception. Jeremy and I took a taxi from our hotel in Cairo to Giza feeling self-assured that our travel savviness would be sufficient. The taxi driver hadn't put the car in park before the vultures descended upon us. The guide that ... read more

This trip was somewhat of an afterthought. Where could we go that's warm, outside of the contiguous United States, can fly out in the morning and be on the beach by the afternoon, and somewhat affordable? Puerto Rico it was. I can say with certainty that if you're a fan beautiful clean beaches, a touch of Caribbean culture, eclectic shopping and beautiful architecture, then this is the place. For me though, that word "vacation" still hasn't found a comfortable place in my vocabulary. Why take a vacation when you could be traveling? Well, maybe because I have a husband who doesn't relish the idea of every trip we take involving a perpetual threat to the orphaning of our children. "I insist that the next trip we take will be to some place clean, got it Andrea?" ... read more

We had just returned from the rooftop pool. I threw my robe to the floor and collapsed onto the billowy white bed. I lie there in my shiny green bikini feeling so refreshed and comfortable. Then there was a pounding on the door. Having learned a thing or two about Middle Eastern modesty, I had the fleeting thought that I should probably cover myself before answering the door. Jeremy was too quick though. He swung the door open and was greeted by a 40-something, shy, Muslim hotel employee who announced, “Good evening, sir. I am here for your turn down service.” The man stepped inside, saw me lying scantily clad in bed and panicked. He put his eyes to the floor and said, “Oh sir, I am sorry. I am so sorry. I leave you.” “No! ... read more