Birmingham, Alabama: A digital nomad guide
None of my friends could quite understand why I decided to go to Birmingham, Alabama. The only thing we remembered about Birmingham from school was the civil rights movement — which hardly makes it sound like a great place for a digital nomad to land. Birmingham...
Best parks near Toronto — no car necessary
Get out of the city and visit these amazing parks near Toronto — without needing a car.
The Tesla World Tour
It’s difficult to imagine what the world would be like without Nikola Tesla. He’s one of the most famous scientists who ever lived and has over 300 patents. His inventions power our lives, yet he died penniless and alone. Living in hotels all of his adult life, he...
The story of Toronto’s St. James Town
When we first moved to Toronto, I quickly became fascinated by St. James Town. While most of Toronto’s highrises are brand new, these ones hailed from an earlier age. Clearly one that didn’t catch on. The low prices and easy subway access were pretty tempting, but...
My time with Jesus People, USA
My experience with JPUSA (Juhpoozah) started with a search on CouchSurfing. Jane had so many references, wrote a bunch of books, has gone on epic bike trips, and lives in an intentional community. Obviously, I wanted to stay with her. Sure, I may be traveling in my...
NYC’s nerdiest day trips
Want to get out of New York? Here are my favorite spots to nerd out in the tri-state area. The Edison Museum What can I add when TMBG has it covered? Although you’ll be lucky if it’s as quiet as they lead you to believe. You can even walk there from NJ...
Buying a condo in Canada
You hear it all the time: Toronto is way too expensive to buy anything! In fact, houses downtown are over a million dollars! What’s wrong with this statement? The idea that you need to live in a house right downtown. No one talks about buying houses in Manhattan or...
Renting an apartment in Toronto
You’re finally moving up! Here’s how to find your new home in Toronto, from where to look for listings to what to expect in your lease. If you’re coming from a small town, renting in Toronto is probably going to seem really unpleasant. If you’re coming...
How to find a sublet in New York City
In an era before AirBnB I was a habitual subletter. I managed to live in New York for seven years without ever signing a lease, hopping from one sublet to another and crashing with friends (or my parents) in-between. Finding a sublet in New York is more difficult than...
Setting up your apartment in Canada
Once you’ve signed a lease or bought a condo, it’s time to turn your empty place into a home. Before you move in, you’ll need light, heat, water, internet, and furniture. How to move to Canada Utilities Insurance Furnishings Utilities Unless you’re okay with...
Toronto neighborhood guide
Neighborhoods of Toronto The neighborhood you live in has a huge impact on how you experience the city. Before you rent your first apartment or buy a condo, you want to make sure you’re choosing a place that fits with your lifestyle. Toronto is a big city with...
Looking back at 2017, looking forward to 2018
Every year seems to come with big changes and 2017 was no exception. Casey and I started the year by renovating the kitchen in our condo. As soon as we finished, we found pet sitters for our two cats and left for Europe. We didn’t exactly retrace the route of my...
The best places to stay in NYC
Choosing a neighborhood to stay in for your time in New York is intimidating. New York City is huge…and expensive. If you find a great deal on a room in Midtown, by all means, book it! But be warned that if it’s cheap it’s probably microscopic,...
The toxic history of Niagara Falls, NY
Niagara Falls has millions of visitors every year, yet the cities it connects are full of poverty, crime, and desperation. Most people want to hear about the falls themselves, death defying adventures and amazing engineering. Or they want to know the best spot to eat...
Why you should stay in Jersey City when you’re in NYC
If you’re looking at that picture above and thinking it doesn’t quite look like New York, you’re right. That’s Jersey City. So many maps of New York City leave New Jersey off the map. It’s given many New Yorkers the idea that...
8 reasons to love Zagreb
So many people see Zagreb as an airport to fly into when they can’t get a direct flight to Dubrovnik. They’re missing out. Here’s what I love about Zagreb Secret cafes So many of the best cafes and bars in Zagreb can be found down alleyways and in courtyards. This...
Red Bank, NJ: A perfect day trip
So many of the things I thought were cool as a high schooler haven’t aged so well. Just about everything. Somehow, Red Bank is still one of my favorite spots to spend a Saturday. Back in the oh so charming town of Red Bank New Jersey tonight. This place has...
When you could take a year off – with pay
A friend of mine in Brussels casually mentioned how she’d wanted to take a sabbatical, but the new government had changed the program. She’d hoped to take some time off to work on personal projects, but she worried about what would happen to people who relied on a...
Cologne: A digital nomad’s guide
Cologne is hardly the most popular city for visitors to Germany, but I can’t seem to stay away from it. It may only be Germany’s 4th largest city, but it’s my personal favorite. What to do and see I’ve obsessively researched Cologne’s history, from it’s Roman...
Baltimore in a day
Baltimore is a pretty unique city. It’s the last real affordable city in America. It’s got a fantastic walkable downtown core, a bustling streetscape, solid transit connections, and great architecture. They call it charm city for a reason. Except for when they don’t....
The layover: 8 hours in Toronto
The shiny new Union-Pearson Express will get you from Pearson Airport (YYZ) to Union Station in 30 minutes. Take this time to charge your phones and get in a quick catnap. You’ve already seen your first Toronto landmark: Union Station. Look across the street and...
Rotterdam for design nerds
As soon as you step out of Rotterdam’s Blaak Station, you’re looking at Piet Blom’s famous Cube Houses. Turn around and you’ll see the Markthal. The Cube Houses form a pedestrian bridge over the highway, from Blaak Station to the Oude Haven. Across the harbor is...
Florence
it I had the unfortunate experience of visiting Florence at the height of tourist season, at the hottest time of year. The days were oppressive. At night the stones oozed with the heat of the sun. Tour groups clogged every passageway. While my intent was to see all...
