By staying a week longer in Merida, I was able to partake in what was seven days of events celebrating the Day of the Dead recognized by the Mayans as Hanal Pixan, meaning “feast of the souls”. Indeed, it is! A well-orchestrated series of communal events to honor the spirits of those who have departed this world by welcoming their return. Celebrating and reconnecting with those that are no longer with us……
For those who are not familiar with my blog, 2023 became the year for revamping my entire life by closing my 38-year-old consulting practice, downsizing all that I have hoarded over the years to fit into two 10×10 storage units and become a nomad. Besides a 6 week stay in New York City, I have already moved to Mexico with plans to stay for 6 months and then to Italy through next year. Here is what those first 30 days of beginning a new chapter have been like….
“Si te quieres divertir con encanto y con primor sólo tienes que vivir un verano en Nueva York”— El Gran Combo
The song “Un Verano en Nueva York,” which translates “A Summer in New York,” performed by the popular Puerto Rican salsa band “El Gran Combo “ captures people’s fascination with the city’s vibrancy and scale. It is a timeless homage to the Big Apple from the Latino community. A community whose history and cultural roots have left its imprint on the city’s landscape. Its lyrics evoke memories and dreams of living in the city, longing to return or be there. In my case, it was about being there as I have never lived in the city. Spending 6 amazing weeks in Midtown, a bucket list dream I won’t forget soon. Hopefully inspiring others to make a similar leap. So how much was I able to cramp in those 6 weeks? Enough to want to come back again and again. Here’s what happened….
Since the High Line Park opened in 2009, I have been enamored with its development over the last 14 years, its significance to the city and how we as a society can reinvent historic abandoned structures to conform to a new future. This is known as “creative place making” and NYC has many exemplary models of how it does this. For me, the High Line, (a green oasis in the sky surrounded by skyscrapers), remains an exceptional prototype of what is possible. Here is a bit of my perspective on why a visit to this place is good for both your imagination and soul…
I always loved the idea of living in New York City without the hassle of a job, just being a city traveler navigating this urban jungle of cement, steel, glass and its many famous landmarks. Over the years, I have been enamored with how the Chelsea neighborhood has become this vibrant and evolving community, a veritable melting pot of everything I love about city life. For too many years, I have been a suburbanite. A six-week stay in the center of Chelsea, 2 blocks from the High Line is a dream come true. Here is what I have experienced just in my first two weeks…..
Many of us are making plans to travel this summer at a time when the tourism industry is exploding from so much demand caused by the pandemic. Besides the increased costs, and the huge crowds, there is also the growing concern over safety. When I mention to folks about my plans to move to Mexico for 6 months, I am often asked “isn’t it too dangerous to go to Mexico?”. The assumption being that the entire country is not safe. Let’s be clear, crime is everywhere, much like in the US. It’s important to be guarded at all times and to take as many precautions as possible. Increased tourism generates more opportunities for crimes to happen. As I prepare to travel, I have been researching what I can do to protect myself. Here is what I’ve learned …..
Sustainable travel continues to evolve as more environmentally conscious travelers are seeking ways to reduce their carbon print in response to the climate changes we are all seeing throughout the world. But sustainable travel is more than cutting back on emissions. It is also how you, as a tourist or traveler, treat the countries that you visit and how your decisions from buying bottled water to souvenirs impacts the local economy of countries and their indigenous communities. Are you interested in knowing more?
Did you know Latinos account for over $56 billion in leisure travel every year? Yet there is no national or regional community presence for empowering Latinos to connect and travel. Well, at least not until recently, thanks to what was started as an online community Facebook travel group. Latino World Travelers (LWT) seeks to empower Latinx to explore the world and diversify the face of travel. A pretty bold statement that certainly may me curious to attend their first in person conference this year …..
This story sums up the series on my October trip to Africa and speaks to the most profound part of my visit in recognition of Black History Month. So little is known about how Africans were enslaved and transported to the Americas. How the Portuguese, the British, the French and the Dutch built and managed a series of slave ports on the West African coast which transported over 12 million slaves to the New World with more than 2 million dying during this treacherous journey*. We visited two slave forts—-the island of Gorée and the Elmina Castle, both tell a story that should never be forgotten… a visit of conscience.
“Travel is back and stronger than ever”…. that seems to be the motto for this year’s annual travel show. In early January, the former New York Times Travel show was packed with folks booking deals on what is expected to be another crowded travel year. Besides over 100 exhibitors of vacation destinations, there were plenty of celebrity speakers on all that is good and bad about traveling in 2023. For sure, there was plenty of advice on how to travel like a pro and discover one-of-a-kind destinations. Here is what I learned ….