Welcome to all the places I've been.

Business Insider

I avoided all-inclusive resorts for years until I unknowingly stayed in one. I hate that I loved it.

For years, I viewed the term "all-inclusive" as a travel red flag, signifying an overpriced experience that would be sacrificing quality for gluttony.

When I'd think of all-inclusive resorts, I'd picture a generic space filled with plentiful (but just OK) amenities for the masses and travelers binge-eating at bland buffets or slamming back enough cocktails to get their money's worth.

To be fair, these were my assumptions mostly built on stereotypes. I'd never been to an all-inclusive because I...

Finding power in (small) numbers at St. Croix Pride

While snorkeling on Buck Island in St. Croix, I followed a school of blue fish, propelling my body toward their sphere, but I couldn’t infiltrate it.

Having never snorkeled before, I faced the wrath of the red-faced, blonde female captain of Caribbean Sea Adventures, who scolded me for not disclosing my inexperience before it was time to don the gear and plunge into the turquoise sea. I bit my sassy tongue, determined not to spoil my first encounter with a woman at the helm of a boat.

I was pl

Fodor's Travel Guide

Bar Crawl Through Buenos Aires’ Dazzling Speakeasies

I wouldn’t notice Frank’s, tucked away on an ordinary block at Arévalo 1445, if I didn’t immediately recognize the bouncer, who is always dressed more dapper than anyone waiting to enter the club. He’s the handsome gatekeeper to a splendid evening, and you will find the passcode to enter via the bar’s Instagram or Facebook, which earns you a numeric code to get through the secret passageway inside. I walk through a hallway, opening a set of doors that leads to a phone booth in the distance. Maki

Fodors Travel Guide

How Bravo’s Real Housewives Transformed Desert Travel Into a Luxury Trend

The desert is not your typical dream vacation; its dry, barren landscape evokes a focus on survival rather than luxury. At least it used to. Enter the Housewives—who are not your typical women—who have collectively reimagined what desert travel can be. Although the franchise has thrived since 2010 on a pedestal of wealth, friendship, and drama, one more subtle theme has played a significant role in its success: the regular cast trips featured in...

Chicago Tribune

Romance away from home: The 6 sexiest cities in America

For many of us, traveling is an aphrodisiac. Fueled by adventure and new experiences, romance feels more passionate in a different ZIP code. However, you don’t need to cross oceans or even get a passport to achieve the dopamine rush of being in a new place.

‘You could feel the energy like an earthquake’: Argentina’s World Cup win offers welcome optimism for visitors

During the World Cup, you could hear the screams of Argentines from every block in Buenos Aires on match days. You didn’t need to watch Argentina play to keep track of the score.

I am not a sports person – what felt to me like mob mentality, rooting for your colour, has never appealed. But my Porteño (Buenos Aires local) friends threatened to exile me if I didn’t participate in what I hadn’t grasped was history in the making.

The first time Argentina were declared World Champions was in 1978 o

Business Insider

I stayed at an Airbnb with a pet pig and realized I liked dogs better

After a month of living alone in Medellin, Colombia, I decided I wanted to try to make local friends and booked my second month there with a roommate.
I had been third-wheeling my best friend and her boyfriend, also expats, and I realized I needed pals who weren't madly in love. I was beginning to feel like a golden retriever, always waiting for them to play.

An expert-approved guide to 24 hours in San Francisco

No need to wait for PTO, babe—a weekend is plenty of time to add a new destination to your memories. We’re raising the stakes with 24 hours of queer wanderlust, starting in the gay capital of America: San Francisco.

The Bay Area is famous for its rich LGBTQ+ history, but its eccentric, inclusive spirit is still very much open for business! The rainbow shines bright here, and the pot of gold is found in its dining, leisure, and entertainment.

I recruited my lesbian travel comrade, Monica M...

In Buenos Aires, This Band of Drummers Is a Hit with Both Locals and Tourists

The lights went out, and my new friends and I fell silent. We and the rest of the crowd were standing in a courtyard with brightly painted, graffiti-covered walls, and the anticipation was palpable. The curtains rose to reveal the words “La Bomba de Tiempo” lit up on a screen, as well as a band of 14 drummers in red boiler suits being led by a conductor. Suddenly: an explosion of rhythms unlike anything I had ever heard. The only thing I knew when I arrived at Ciudad Cultural Konex in Buenos Air

How to say ‘Hasta mañana, Medellín!’ with a day trip to Guatapé – Colombia’s most colorful town

There are multiple ways to arrive at Guatape, an Andean resort town located in Antioquia, Colombia, that bridges upscale luxury with unabashed local culture. If you can’t handle worlds and social classes colliding, then maybe just roam within the compound of one of its surrounding 5-star hotels.

For travelers and ex-pats making the journey from Poblado, Medellin: rent a car or hire a driver. During weekends, plan for traffic.

Contracting a local driver obviously comes with the perks of Dolce F

Fodors Travel Guide

Go List 2023: South America

Three airports may lead to Guatapé (the nearest being Medellin Jose Marie Cordova), however, the Andean resort town is a road trip destination to most municipalities within a driving radius. Piedra del Peñol is undoubtedly the face of Colombia’s most colorful town, overlooking meandering lakes and prolific islands. In the pueblo, you’ll find pastel colors for days in the infrastructure and painted blocks—or zocalos—on the side of local family homes embodying their livelihoods or histories. The p

Business Insider

My childhood friend invited me to their destination wedding. I turned it down because I wasn't given a plus-one.

When I was invited to a friend's three-day wedding celebration in Colombia, I was ready to book my flights. We'd met in high school more than a decade ago, and though we weren't as close as we once were because of time and distance, I felt like I wouldn't miss it for the world. As I looked into the logistics, I was more hesitant, but still on board. It would cost me more than $2,000 for flights from the Midwest to Colombia and back, plus hotel accommodations. I changed my mind, however, once...

Houston Chronicle

Can a U.S. metropolitan city adopt the siesta? Experts, expats and Houstonians weigh in

When I moved to Europe, I learned the Swiss charge for wine by the deciliter, making indulging in American-sized portions financially impractical. Becoming a beer drinker felt like the biggest challenge I’d face — that is, until I arrived in Spain and learned that doing errands in the afternoon is against the law (well, not quite, but it feels that way).

The Sexy, Liberating History of the Leather Bar on 'American Horror Story: NYC'

The walls are painted black; the lighting dimmed to the point you can only see what's in front of you. Masculine faces and bodies take up the perimeter; many are shirtless, wearing harnesses or leather gear; some try to lock eyes with you. But, of course, if you're only experiencing a gay leather bar via fiction on a screen, such flamboyant promiscuity must mean that danger is near. The mystique and allure of gay leather bars make them such a convincing setting for trouble. For over 40 years sin

Chicago Tribune

The 5 most LGBTQ-friendly cities in America

Commissioned by Smarter Travel Media, republished nationally in over twenty-five newspapers, I explore the most LGBTQ-friendly cities across the United States.

Being in Buenos Aires for the 2022 FIFA World Cup redefined my sense of community

The first time I experienced the phenomenon of soccer was when I was 13 years old, visiting my father for the summer in Bogotá, Colombia. Long story short (if that’s ever possible from a 1st-person narrative writer), he’d force me to play against my will with my quadruplet brothers and the local teens and young adults, who’d meet up at the same makeshift concrete field at the same time every day for matches.

I remember my resentment towards him at first and my surprise when I began to enjoy mys

Medellín, Colombia's best gay bar is the city's hub for drag and queer culture - so.gay

Returning to my native country, Colombia, for the summer of 2022, nearly two decades after my departure, I assumed there would be changes – evolution. After all, I arrived with a tally of about a hundred men under my sexual belt, a stark contrast from when I used to merely fantasize about being with one.

The prospect of visible gay acceptance seemed unlikely in my Catholic machismo culture. I had yet to look into Bogotá’s thriving gay scene, the capital, and my birthplace (it has Theatron, th...

"The White Lotus" Brings Up a Good Point: Does Travel Make People Hornier?

Despite portraying one of the most unlikable characters "White Lotus" has ever seen, Patrick Schwarzenegger was somehow all of us in the season 3 premiere when his character, Saxon Ratliff, scoped out all the attractive bodies at the pool like a sniper. (You know what they say about broken clocks.) Vacation makes the world feel like your oyster, and resort grounds are the perfect gateway for adventures of the heart and boners alike.
Unfortunately, Saxon stopped being relatable when he proceeded...

"Raw Dogging" a Flight Can Be Meditative If You're Not a Dick About It

On the internet, a particular breed of bros specializes in two things: convincing others they've mastered the mind by conquering self-imposed challenges and then patting themselves on the back for doing said performative tasks. It seems the sky's the limit for arrogance, and recently, TikTok's enlightened vikings have been singing their own praises for sitting still on long ass flights doing absolutely nothing. The endurance! The mental power! The masculinity!
Dubbed "raw dogging," this travel t...

Matador Network

I Traveled Solo to New Orleans for a Date With Jazz Fest, and This Hotel Was the Perfect Base Camp

Traveling solo to a new destination can stir up a mix of emotions. But when I landed in New Orleans, I felt all the excitement with none of the accompanying hesitations. I didn’t worry about whether the restaurants’ vibes would welcome a table for one or if I’d end up lingering without making friends while going out. I was there for Jazz Fest, nothing more, nothing less. As someone who grew up in Miami and went to Ultra Music Festival every year before I learned to drive, massive musical celebrations hold a special place in my solo traveler heart.

New York Daily News

Romance away from home: The 6 sexiest cities in America

The 14 Best Beaches in Florida

At least 189 'official' beaches reside along Florida's 360 miles of coastline. From serving as a movie-like refuge for wildlife to a respite for tourists hungry for adventure, we've ranked the best and most unique beaches in the Sunshine State.

Florida may be unpredictable in the news cycle, but you can always expect one thing when visiting: to experience some of the best beaches America has to offer. Some of the finest luxuries in life really are free, at least the majority of beaches. However

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