by Cori | Jun 1, 2026 | New Jersey
Discover how the hidden legal and structural transformations of World War I quietly shaped the baseline of modern American life. Using the dramatic history of Guglielmo Marconi’s wireless network as a historical mirror, this essay explores the origins of the everyday infrastructure we now take for granted—from standardized time zones and the mass income tax to the lives of digital nomads—alongside the highly controversial modern legacies of wartime surveillance, border search exceptions, and critical infrastructure control.
by Cori | Jan 10, 2026 | Asia, History
Japan is famous for its group of elementary school students walking to school on their own, all dressed in distinctive school clothes with distinctive backpacks. For some reason, people love to mention that these bags cost the equivalent of around a thousand dollars....
by News Report | Sep 20, 2025 | Canada, Canadian History, Moving to Canada, New York State
School kids in the US all learn about the underground railroad. The other day, I came across a reference to people fleeing to Canada on the underground railroad and wondered what I really knew about it. Plenty of the things I learned about history (and science!) were...
by Cori | May 5, 2025 | Expat Life, Nomad Life, Quebec
There’s a popular idea that it’s easy to learn a language as a child and after a certain age it’s just not possible. When you look beyond the headlines, there’s not a lot of support for this theory. It’s no surprise that there’s...
by Cori | Apr 26, 2025 | USA
There’s a lot of media coverage about people being interrogated by US border security, denied entry, and held for weeks before being repatriated. Travelers are freaked out. Lawyers are telling people to fly with a burner phone. People are cancelling trips to the...
by Cori | Feb 26, 2025 | Nomad Life, Portugal
It baffles me that people don’t visit Flores in the winter. In fact, all of the places in the Açores that are mobbed with tourists in the summer are empty in the winter. This, despite the fact that the temperatures are in the low 50s to mid 60s (10 to 19...
by Cori | Jan 18, 2024 | Portugal
Portugal has been trending. Perhaps you’ve been looking at flights to Lisbon or considering a free TAP stopover. Even in this age where we have endless information about “off the beaten track” destinations, I can still escape the tourists by going a...
by Cori | Nov 9, 2022 | Expat Life, Portugal
It seems like everyone is talking about moving to Portugal. Is it inflation? Rising mortgage rates? The continued chaos of US politics? The media coverage planting seeds in our minds? For me, it was two years of various stages of lockdown in Canada. The winter weather...
by Cori | Jul 12, 2022 | Media Coverage, Moving to Canada, New York City
I was delighted to get a comment recently on my story about Jessi Highet and Mike Varley, who walked 26 miles a day for a year through the streets of NYC, sampling scallion cream cheese bagels. It was from a reader who had her own themed walking adventure to relate:...
by Cori | Jun 30, 2022 | Canada, Moving to Canada
Far more people talk about moving to Canada than actually make the move. This is true, despite the high likelihood that there’s a way for many Americans to legally move to Canada. If you have a US passport, you could probably be living in Canada a few weeks from...
by Cori | Jun 29, 2022 | Adulting, Expat Life, Immigration, Living Abroad, Nomad Life, USA
How far can your US passport take you? Here are your options for a temporary or permanent escape.
by Cori | Sep 1, 2020 | Asia, Europe, Expat Life, Nomad Life, North America
Despite all the rhetoric that we need to #stayhome, there’s no requirement that you literally stay home. Those whirlwind tours of 14 cities in 14 days are verboten, but it’s easy to travel while following all restrictions and guidelines for staying safe...
by Cori | Nov 29, 2019 | Canada, Canadian History, History, History & Destinations, USA
To celebrate releasing the fourth edition of Moving to Canada and my 2019 Cross Border Tax Guide, here are the books I’ve found fascinating recently: Understanding Canada A History of Canada in Ten Maps It’s a challenge to find books on the history of...
by Cori | Nov 28, 2019 | Asia, Europe, USA
I wish I could have the tour start in San Francisco’s nascent cat museum, but alas, the fledgling museum and it’s pop-up shows seem to have fizzled out. Who’s ready to revive the project? Instead, let’s begin in Ohio. Feline Historical Museum,...
by Cori | Nov 14, 2019 | British Columbia, Sharing Economy
I grew up as the kind of person who scoffed at country clubs and gated communities. Scoffing is actually a generously polite description of my feelings on the matter. I viewed the type of people who are members of country clubs as part of the problem. When I thought...
by Cori | Oct 18, 2019 | Nomad Life, USA
Sure, any tourist knows what to see for a weekend in DC. But what about those of us who aren’t just any tourist? As a nomad we have time to explore, but we’re there for a lot longer than the typical tourist. While I’m free to spend an afternoon in a...
by Cori | Jun 30, 2019 | Toronto
Toronto has a lot of things going for it as a place to live, but one of the things that is a source of constant heartache is just how not dog friendly it is! Sure, there are plenty of restaurants where you can clip your pup to the patio railing and they can look at...
by Cori | Jun 20, 2019 | Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, New York State, Queens, Staten Island
Sometimes the big, obvious choices are must-sees. Other times you’re better off skipping the crowds and going someplace totally weird. As a Brooklyn CouchSurfing Ambassador, I would get asked for recommendations all the time. Here are my top recommendations for what...
by Cori | Mar 12, 2019 | Nomad Life, Ontario
Can’t drink another latte? Here’s where to get some work done on your laptop in Ottawa that isn’t just a list of coffee shops.
by Cori | Feb 26, 2019 | Toronto
Now that I’ve been living in Toronto for a while, people ask me for recommendations all the time. Here are my favorite spots in Toronto: Art Museum: Ryerson Imaging Center The exhibitions here are always fantastic. Not only are they well curated, but...
by Cori | Jan 8, 2019 | Nomad Life, USA
Forget free museum nights, go for free on your own schedule If you’re a nerd like me, museum admission fees can add up quickly. Sure, many museums have free nights. I’m sure they’re a lot of fun in some cities, but in places like New York or Toronto...
by Cori | Dec 18, 2018 | History, Manhattan, New York City, Queens
Every time some article promises to share some hidden NYC attraction my ears perk up. And it’s just about always somewhere that requires some serious connections (or spy skills) to access. Let’s agree to stop pretending these are places tourists can go....
by Cori | Dec 11, 2018 | Living Guides, Toronto
Curious about what it’s really like to live in City Place? Here’s what Toronto’s waterfront neighborhood is like.
by Cori | Nov 13, 2018 | Living Guides, Toronto
Leslieville has all the charm of Cabbagetown’s adorable houses and tree lined streets, mixed with the diversity Toronto is famous for.
by Cori | Oct 16, 2018 | Brooklyn, Living Guides
What it’s really like to live in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn New York, USA A small town in a big city The first time I stepped off the subway and walked into Ditmas Park…I was so confused. Where was I? Where had the city gone? I had no idea that Brooklyn had...
