Puerto Vallarta, Revisited

In the distance, a pod of whales dips in and out of the ocean, drawing excited yelps from my mouth. I pull out my phone just in time to catch the last of their swim before they disappear beneath the surface. I feel light in this moment, buoyed by the laughter of my friends, the sounds of Afrobeats and R&B mingling with the waves, and the cool sea air whipping past my face.

Desert Dawn: A Visit to Joshua Tree National Park

I shut off my phone alarm at 5:15 am on a Sunday morning and drag my sleep-laden body out of bed. It’s one of those mornings when it feels like I only shut my eyes for an hour, so I get ready on autopilot—wanting to be asleep but excited enough to let the promise of adventureContinue reading “Desert Dawn: A Visit to Joshua Tree National Park”

Traveling Mexico II: Tulum

I often arrive and depart places in the dark. There’s a simple reason for this: flights are more affordable when they’re getting you in and out of cities at dawn or in the middle of the night. When we arrive in Tulum, after a 2-hour journey from the closest airport in Cancun, the sky has melted from pastel blue to inky black.