Thanks for joining us on this journey! I'm so glad you're here. I'm a writer and travel essayist with a goal of "Rolling to 100" countries in my lifetime. For me, it's not about checklist tourism, but about deep, immersive travel and the life-changing lessons we can learn from it. In my spare time, I provide writing support to others through Rollerbag Goddess Global Communications. I'll take on almost any kind of writing, including speechwriting, blogging, websites and much more! Travel and food writing are my twin passions, which are only eclipsed by my relentless pursuit of experiences worth writing about.
Thinking about traveling longterm on Amtrak? Here’s what you should know, and some tips for hitting the railways the next time you travel. … More All Aboard: I Spent A Month on Amtrak, Here’s How it Went
Here’s your random travel photo of the week. There’s something about this tree. It inspires me to take photos of it every time I’m near. It makes me want to construct Andy Warhol-esque wall hangings of it with deep saturation of primary colors. I love the shape of it, the way it leans over Lake … More My Favorite Tree
Your random travel photo of the week: the mission San Xavier del Bac. Looking out from the front of the mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, Arizona.Photo by Charish Badzinski. A beautiful place to stop and contemplate, San Xavier del Bac is considered to be the best example of mission architecture in the United States. … More San Xavier del Bac: Random Travel Photo of the Week
Fewer than 20 years after the peace accord was signed to bring quiet to war-torn El Salvador, wounds from the oppression of the people and civil rights violations are still fresh: poverty is rampant—nearing 75%, gangs are gaining influence, and an estimated 500 to 750 Salvadorans cross the border each day in the hopes of … More The Cooperative Spirit in El Salvador’s Lower Lempa
A dear friend of mine once gave me a life-changing gift: A Drop in the Bucket. It’s a fund raising effort aimed at building wells in El Salvador, so families have clean drinking water. Children celebrate the installation of a well in El Salvador. The water on the rightwas, until the well installation, the only … More The Gift of Drinkable Water
In Yesterday’s New York Times, writer Jeff Gordinier took a bite of tournedos Rossini and took a trip down memory lane. In “A Pool of Memories” the author’s transportive dish is a French classic, consisting of some of the most decadent items in the food world: filet mignon, foie gras and black truffles, bathed in … More Food and the Nostalgia Factor
Mini Vacay! 25 seconds in Cambodia….. Child vendors pause in their day of selling to watch an American learn a local game. When new tourists arrive, they get back to work. Video by Charish Badzinski. Taken at the Temples of Angkor in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Join our community of travelers and enjoy exclusive content … More Child Vendors at the Temples of Angkor, Cambodia
Here’s your random travel photo of the week. Photo by Charish Badzinski. An idyllic sight in Manzanillo, Mexico: tranquil waters, a colorful umbrella to shield you from the sun’s hot rays, and a little fishing boat.What are your favorite idyllic settings in the world? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Join our community of travelers and enjoy exclusive content by … More Manzanillo, Mexico
Candyland in Minneapolis. Expect a line.Photo by Charish Badzinski. On 7th Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, you can take a step back in time and enjoy classic candies at a little oasis called Candyland. Simply follow the intoxicating smell of fresh caramel corn. Classic candies line the shelves at Candyland. Don’t forget to floss afterward!Photo … More A Sweet Little Stop: Candyland, Minneapolis
A tour group explores the lovely Cape Tribulation Exotic Fruit Farm in the Daintree Rainforest in Australia. Photo by Charish Badzinski. This time of year in the midwest, we begin to lust for the fruits of summer: tangy tomatoes just off the vine, ripe berries bursting with juice, melons with rampant sweetness that courses unguarded down … More Sampling Exotic Fruit in Australia’s Daintree Rainforest
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