-
Whenever I think of Japan or anything Japanese, my mind goes back to middle school, when we were learning about the fall of the Qing dynasty and the start of the “century of humiliation.” As a 12-year-old sitting in that classroom, listening to my history teacher describe how the Eight-Nation Alliance soldiers including those from
-
John Muir once said, “In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.” In today’s world, where we’re constantly pulled toward glowing screens, notifications, and the endless scroll of social media, it’s easy to drift away from the simple reality of our surroundings. Many of us move through life half-present, immersed in a world
-
I set out from Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro as I had every other morning on the Camino. The town lay silent, almost ghostly around 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Shuttered windows, empty streets, and the quiet figure of a pilgrim statue marking my way. I moved quickly through, my footsteps echoing on
-
Long before I ever stepped foot on the Camino, I was sitting in a café in Trieste, Italy with a local girl named Sveva. It was my first time in the city, in the middle of February. The weather was brutally cold and windy, so cold I could feel it cutting through my face like
-
I’ve been to Coonskin Park numerous times over the past four years, but somehow, I never knew the Alice Knight Memorial Trail existed. Maybe it’s one of those local gems that hides in plain sight, just sitting there and waiting to be discovered. Yesterday, I finally found it, and I’m glad I did. Just a
-
I’ve tried to do one hiking trail every weekend if possible. While I was searching for a place to hike near Charleston, I found a nice shady trail called Charles and Betty Russell Park Hiking Trail in Ashland, Kentucky. It’s about an hour drive from Charleston, WV. I passed through the quiet neighborhood near King’s Daughters Medical Center
-
Recently I started to dream often about my hometown. The first image I remember when I wake up in the morning is myself on that muddy country road with rain boots, just walking. I couldn’t see my face, the only thing I could see was the boots. Everything seemed very refreshing in the dream: the
-
Situated in the heart of the Monongahela National Forest, the Falls of Hills Creek is one of those places that feels like a secret treasure. On my recent visit, I was reminded how powerful and peaceful nature can be when left untouched, and I couldn’t resist sharing the experience. The Walk There The trail begins
-
Welcome back to the road! Today, we are visiting Quincy, Illinois, a town situated on the bluffs above the mighty Mississippi River. Known as the “Gem City,” Quincy is a place where history, architecture, and community spirit come together in a remarkable way. From its early days as a frontier settlement to its role in
-
The Qing court must have seemed quite venerableto the regular people going about their business beyond the walls of the forbidden city. Min Gong Rui, a non royal duke in the court, was half amused thinking of the merchants and peasants just outside the walls looking with awe at the imposing city within a city.