smile.

Travel is the start of the most beautiful friendships.

the first thanksgiving.

Although I'm currently in Eastern Europe, over 5000 miles away from home, I managed to gather all of the ingredients for a proper Thanksgiving...

Hand-Turkeys.


Reflection about what I'm thankful for...


Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.


Amazingly delicious food.


Chicken (turkey substitute), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, stuffing, rolls, and salad. Mmmmm.


Good friends.


I caught this Pilgrim eyeing Pocahontas over the salad.


This combination made for a fantastic day with new friends and great memories. There were a few additional noteworthy moments as well...

My Indian debut. Everyone had an Indian name and headband with feather/leaf.

After dinner, we walked up to the castle grounds to have a few drinks and talk amongst friends. It was a wonderful and surreal way to end the evening. (It definitely beat watching football in my opinion!)

london, england

It had been quite some time since I had visited an English speaking country, making my first trip to Great Britain a pleasant and different European experience. Being one of the most "directionally challenged" people I know, it was priceless being able to ask almost anyone directions to destinations.

I definitely enjoyed London with special regards to: exploring the amazingness that is the department store Harrods, picnicing with Maggie in the lovely Green Park on our way to Buckingham Palace, spending loads of money shopping at the Brick Lane markets and on Oxford Street, and wandering around the art exhibits at the National Gallery and Tate Modern. Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey were breathtaking and Picadilly Circus, Chinatown, Soho, and Trafalgar Square were all hustling and bustling with life. In addition, Hyde Park and the area near St. Pauls Cathedral were calming and serene, as was - oddly enough - the financial districts of Canary Wharf and Bank, on the weekends of course. I found a large used book market, passed Shakespeare's Globe Theater and the unique Southwark Cathedral just strolling along the Thames River.

London was altogether a fantastic trip - complete with old friends, an assortment of art, beautiful buildings, good food, and pleasant people.
Cheers mate!

Canary Wharf.


Double-Decker Bus!


Bank financial district.

Bank financial district.

Maggie and I in front of the O2 and Thames River.

The Travel Bookshop in Notting Hill.

British Telephones.

Harrods.

Buckingham Palace.

London Bridge.

St. Pauls Cathedral and the Millenium Bridge.

The London Eye.

Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, and The London Eye.

Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey in the distance.

Big Ben.

barcelona, spain

My trip to Barcelona was a sweet taste of home with the warm sunshine, pleasant weather, and beautiful coastline. The city had a lovely combination of Spanish and Catalan culture with smiling faces, amazing food and drink, and modest building structure. This was definitely one of my favorite trips thus far and is a country I plan to return to in the future.

I visited the Picasso Museum and Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), viewed multiple pieces of Gaudi's artwork, adventured at a local flea market, and strolled along La Rambla.

Also, while I was away for the weekend Prague had its' first snowfall of the season! It was definitely a shock on Sunday to be on the beach in the morning and amidst snow at night!

View of Barcelona from Parc Guell.


This weekend was the commencement of the Barcelona World Race, a non-stop around the world yacht race. We took the Torre San Sebastia (cable car) from Barceloneta to Montjuic with views that spanned the city and the coast.


On Sunday morning, I went bike riding on the beach.


Barcelona had pieces of great artwork all over the city.

Mediterranean Ocean.

La Sagrada Familia by Gaudi.

La Sagrada Familia.

Mosaic ceiling at Parc Guell.

Parc Guell.

Casa Batillo by Gaudi.

La Pedrera by Gaudi.

Crossing paths.

Seagulls at sunset on the Mediterranean Sea.

Monument a Colom (Christopher Columbus).

At La Boqueria off of La Rambla.

amsterdam, the netherlands

I went to Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands this past weekend. The city was bursting with life and was unique to the extreme. The quaint canals, museums, and parks were a perfect contrast to the hustle and bustle of the night life. It was a great trip!

Tulips dominate the flower markets.

Canals of Amsterdam.

Anne Frank Huis.

Red Light District.

Me biking through Vondel Park. Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, with an estimated 1M bicycles in circulation.

The Royal Palace.

National Monument.

One of the many canals.