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" E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle. (And thus we came forth to see again the stars.)"
- Dante Alighieri, The Divine Commedy
Hotel Review: Statler Dallas
They say that everything is bigger in Texas, but there are many Texan hotels that maintain an intimate feel, despite their state’s reputation. The Statler is one of them. With 159 rooms and 219 apartments (down from the 1,001 guest rooms that were in place when it...
First Impressions of Marbella
Today marks my first week at Les Roches’ graduate school for hotel management. I am a bit of an unconventional student – 28 years old with no formal hospitality background. But while hospitality must start from a state of mind, finesse in the subject is an art that...
7 Reasons Why JetBlue Mint Is Absolutely Worth It
Going on vacation is exciting, and flying first class is like an extra bonus trip on top of it. On long flights especially, choosing to fly first class can make all the difference when you’re settling into your new destination or returning home. You arrive at your...
Hotel Review: The Setai Miami Beach
When a person thinks of Miami, they probably conjure images of wild parties, music, and libations that flow from day to night. A hotel can either cater to the carousing crowd or provide a respite from the revelry. Somehow, the Setai manages both without...
Tulum: Nature’s Paradise Or Tourist Trap?
Tulum is known for its yoga, tranquil beaches, eco-luxury waterfront bungalows, and an underlying ethereal magic that keeps luring visitors back. English signs telling you to “be yourself” and “embrace the mystery” pepper the one thin road to the ocean, where...
Teyzes, Terrorism, and Turmoil: Voices from Anatolia
The room was quaint and smelled of roses. A glass cabinet filled with china adorned the side wall and a pink rug rested on the middle of the floor. It was a striking contrast to the image of Turkey one gets from the media, though to me the most striking part about...
New Friends In Old Places
During Kurban Bayramı, a holiday celebrating Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice for Allah, I flew to Istanbul instead of sacrificing a ram. In a sense, this holiday is like the American Thanksgiving — everyone goes home to their families, eats a specific animal,...
Barış Olsun
They call me American. I am not just yabancı — foreigner — but a particular breed of outsider. People back home often ask me what it’s like to be an American in Turkey, fearing the stereotype that the “Middle East” resents the United States and thus its progeny....
Drink The Tea
Today I ate the last of my Reese’s Cups. Usually this would be an inconsequential event, one that would hardly merit a second thought, but this time I ate the last of the Reese’s in Turkey. And Turkey doesn’t have Reese’s Cups… or peanut butter at all for that...
Almost-Beginnings in Turkey
Standing still in front of the security line a cushioned sixty minutes before my flight, it was easy to forget that hours earlier I had been frantically cramming long shirts, pants, and dresses into my single suitcase. I knew I should have brought two—one largely...