528 articles tagged with solo travel
Standing atop Mount Aksla, watching the midnight sun cast golden hues across Alesund's pastel Art Nouveau facades, I realized I'd found Norway's most underrated architectural treasure. After the devastating 1904 fire that destroyed much of the city, Alesund was rebuilt...
The moment my feet touched Tofo's powdery sand, I knew I'd found something special. This unassuming fishing village on Mozambique's southeastern coast has evolved into an ocean lover's paradise without sacrificing its soul. After years exploring natural wonders from Arizona's...
They say life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. After 40 years of helping others secure their financial futures, I've found my own freedom in places where ATMs are scarce and Google Maps struggles to keep up. Dolisie—Congo's...
There's something wonderfully familiar about the anticipation of exploring a new city's nightlife – that same flutter of excitement I feel before tackling a complex orthodontic case. After years of calibrating braces in Calgary and now Rio, I've developed a...
The pulsing rhythm of samba drums echoed through the narrow streets of Lapa as I wandered alone through Rio's historic bohemian district. The city's energy was electric, reminiscent of those all-night Berlin warehouse parties from my stage design days, but...
There's something magical about places where waters meet. Standing at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers in Lewiston, Idaho, I felt that familiar coastal energy I've chased across continents—except here, I was hundreds of miles from any ocean....
The first time I saw Neuschwanstein Castle, I wasn't prepared for how it would hit me. Not just the fairy-tale silhouette against the Bavarian Alps—that's the money shot everyone expects—but the *journey* there. Like a good marathon, getting from Munich...
Standing in São Paulo's chaotic Tietê bus terminal with my medical pack slung over one shoulder, I found myself doing what I always do in unfamiliar territory—assessing my options with the same methodical approach I use during triage. The 430-kilometer...
As someone who's navigated high-security situations across the globe, I can tell you that few things rival the efficiency of Helsinki's public transportation system—especially in winter. My first visit to Finland's capital coincided with a joint international security conference, but...
The moment I stepped off the plane in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital welcomed me with its distinctive blend of dust, diesel, and determination. Far from the whisky trails of Scotland or the neon-lit gaming districts of Tokyo, this West African...
The taxi driver looked at me with genuine confusion when I told him I was spending a weekend exploring Pune. 'But why not Mumbai or Delhi?' he asked, navigating through the morning traffic. It's a reaction I've grown accustomed to...
There's something magical about a city that unfolds itself to you one cobblestone step at a time. As someone who's tracked weather patterns across continents and guided athletes through recovery in some of the world's most stunning locations, I've developed...
The moment my feet left the board and I found myself suspended—if only for seconds—above the South China Sea, I understood why kite surfers from around the world make the pilgrimage to Mui Ne. This coastal fishing village turned water...
The Sonoran Desert unfolds like a canvas painted with saguaro silhouettes and rust-colored mountains as I arrive in Tempe, Arizona. Having scaled peaks across three continents, I was admittedly skeptical about what this college town could offer an adventure seeker....
Standing alone beneath the dancing emerald lights of the aurora borealis, surrounded by nothing but pristine snow and the whispered secrets of ancient Arctic forests, I experienced a profound educational moment no classroom could replicate. Finnish Lapland, with its otherworldly...
