And the dream to visit Nairobi that I’ve had since I was 9 has come true! Everything left on time, everything was smooth, my second flight even landed 50 minutes early, and passport control was unusually empty, so it only took about 15 minutes. My driver was waiting for me, and I had a lovely […]...

I had planned on keeping up with this blog when I got home. Not only was I surprised and touched by how many people seemed to really like reading about my adventures, but Bonnie inspired me to want to blog about the stories that I either didn’t have time for or was too tired to […]...

Another place I’ve been super curious about since I read about it when I was 16 is Cu Chi and its famous tunnel system built by the Viet Cong. Imagine living underground in a tiny space for 20 years! Mind boggling. I paid extra for a boat tour instead of a bus tour, and it […]...

So, why do I love Saigon? Mostly, I love that Saigon has managed to integrate a Western cosmopolitan atmosphere while making it its own and still staying charmingly Vietnamese. The combination speaks to me somehow on a visceral level. Nothing specific happened, I didn’t see anything specifically to make me fall in love; it was […]...

I’ve had some pretty incredible days in Vietnam, but this was my favorite.  And Chicago’s 22-year run as my favorite city in the world ended today. It’s now Saigon. Hanoi is number three but very close to Chicago. And considering that in the last 22 years I’ve visited over 100 major cities in many countries […]...