September in San Diego: a photo journal

Balboa park is filled with people who buy berry-flavored gelato or pose for photos at one of many picturesque spots. a girl hands me her phone and then jumps into her partner’s arms. wrapping her legs around his torso, she presses a cheek close to his—smiling. I snap as many shots as possible, freezing the moment, and trying but failing to hide a smile of my own.

A Weekend in L.A.

Yemi and I are in the backseat of her parent’s car listening as they recount wistful memories from living in Los Angeles. “A straight bus down Wilshire is essentially a tour of L.A.” Aunt E. says as we pass by familiar places—the second-story apartment one of her kids jumped down from, LACMA, someone’s old school.Continue reading “A Weekend in L.A.”

Everyday Mexico City: A Photo Journal

It’s late enough in the morning that the streets are already packed with people who flit in and out of restaurants and stores, wait in line at taco stands and ice-cream shops, and [like me] point their cameras at or above eye-level to capture the city’s sights. I use the Zocalo [main plaza] as a startingContinue reading “Everyday Mexico City: A Photo Journal”

An Afternoon in Napa Valley, California

I’ve spent years wanting to visit some of the world’s most famous wine regions and now I live in one. I searched ‘wine country’ on Google while writing this and the first place that came up was California. I’ll be honest, when I dreamed of traveling through wine regions, I imagined vineyards in South Africa,Continue reading “An Afternoon in Napa Valley, California”

Puerto Rico’s Islands: Culebra

If you’ve ever tried to get to San Blas from Panama City, Isla Baru from Cartagena, or -in our case- Culebra from San Juan, you’ll find that you need to leave early. As-the-sun-is-just-setting-up-for-its-shift kind of early. D & I know we have to wake up for 6 am but we want to go out dancing,Continue reading “Puerto Rico’s Islands: Culebra”

An Afternoon in Bushwick, Brooklyn

If there’s one thing I miss about living on the East Coast, it’s being a short flight away from New York.  Bushwick is to NY what Wynwood is to Miami. An outdoor art gallery, with ever-changing pieces by a diverse group of artists. The Bushwick Collective – started and curated by Brooklyn native Joeseph Ficalora-Continue reading “An Afternoon in Bushwick, Brooklyn”