During one of the cold storms of Illinois I felt like I had no choice but to run away and warm up during the weekend. The visit to Mexico City left a lasting impression on me and so I was
Visions of Cologne: Germany
In my recent academic tour of Europe I made my first ever visit to Germany. Although Cologne is not considered a very big tourist attraction compared to some of the other German wonders, I wanted to visit the local university
Visions of Los Angeles : California
A conference at Long Beach provided the much needed escape from the mid-western ice cold winter, and a chance to revisit the wonderful city of Los Angeles. Some people dislike L.A. for all sorts of reasons, but I’m sure that
Visions of Phoenix : Arizona
Looking to warm up in south-western US, I made a stop to visit Phoenix Arizona and experience some of the infamous desert scenery. Although I only made a stop for a couple of days, and those were around Christmas time
Visions of San Diego : California
To warm up from the freezing cold up in Illinois, I was looking for a warm Christmas destination to warm up. Finally, I was able to find an affordable holiday ticket to sunny San Diego with a stop-over in Phoenix
Visions of Paris : France
After many years of being away, this year I was finally able to spend more time in Europe. Earlier I visited the Netherlands, which increased my appetite, and so after wrapping up my life in Hong Kong I decided to
Visions of Mexico City
I wasn’t planning anything special for Thanksgiving, but two weeks of -10c average daytime temperatures in Champaign ignited the need to escape to warmer climates and so – way past last minute – I begun looking for cheap tickets and
Visions of Nara : Japan
This post concludes my visit to the lovely city of Nara – the ancient capital city of Japan, an hour south from Kyoto and east to Osaka. Temples, shrines, huge seated Buddhas, museums, Japanese gardens, and most importantly – deer,
Visions of Jerusalem #2 : Israel
Although I’ve lived in Jerusalem for most of my young life, Jerusalem remains a treasure of hidden gems and spectacular beauty. Every time I visit back I get to see and capture more of its beauty, appreciate things that I’ve
Visions of Holland : The Netherlands
During April of last year I had a few days to visit the Netherlands and after many years of being away from Europe it was just what I needed to remind me of the beauty of this region of the