The minibus lurches forward as we depart Spanish Town, leaving behind the well-worn tourist paths that funnel visitors from Montego Bay and Kingston to all-inclusive compounds. I'm headed to Portmore,...
Standing atop the Mount of Olives looking east from Jerusalem, I could almost see it – that shimmer of blue in the distance marking the lowest point on Earth. The Dead Sea has beckoned travelers for m...
The road less traveled often yields the most profound rewards. After three decades analyzing municipal budgets in Riverside, I never imagined I'd find myself wandering the verdant hills of Liberta, a...
While Amsterdam draws the crowds like moths to a neon light, Utrecht sits just 30 minutes south by train, flowing at its own deliberate pace—a pace that, at 62, I've come to appreciate more than the f...
The Danube River cuts through Budapest like time itself, dividing Buda from Pest while connecting past to present. I found myself standing on the Chain Bridge last October, watching the autumn sun cas...
Standing at the edge of Izmir's azure coastline last spring, I couldn't help but feel like I was perched at the crossroads of human civilization. This western Turkish city—once known as Smyrna—has wit...
The speedboat cut through the muddy waters of the Essequibo River like a machete through jungle vines, spraying my weathered face with a fine mist that felt refreshing after three days of equatorial h...
The ferry cuts through the Gulf of Izmir like a knife through baklava, revealing Turkey's third-largest city spread across the hillsides in a sweeping panorama. After three decades of analyzing munici...
At 62, I've learned that the most authentic way to navigate unfamiliar waters is through local cuisine. After three decades analyzing municipal budgets in Riverside, I now find myself dissecting flavo...
The desert has always reminded me of the open ocean – vast, humbling, and full of life if you know where to look. After three decades scrutinizing municipal budgets in Riverside, I've developed a knac...
Like the rings of a tree revealing its age, Hong Kong's skyline tells the story of its remarkable journey through time. Having spent three decades analyzing municipal budgets, I've developed an eye fo...
The first time I approached Copenhagen's transportation system, I felt the same analytical thrill I used to get when tackling a particularly elegant municipal budget. There's something beautifully eff...
The Caribbean has always struck me as a place of contrasts – luxury resorts alongside authentic local experiences, pristine beaches adjacent to bustling markets. Georgetown, the capital of Saint Vince...
Twenty years crunching municipal numbers taught me one thing: there's always a way to balance the books without sacrificing quality. The same principle applies to travel, particularly in a metropolis...
The morning sun had barely crested the ancient stones when I spotted them – a family with two young children, perhaps 7 and 10, their faces illuminated with wonder as they gazed upon Angkor Wat's mass...