Farsighted Fly Girl

Volunteering and giving back has always been an important part of my life. I've participated in several travel blogger charity events but I don't think I've experienced so much glee to give back as I did at The Passport Party Project .  The event is a global awareness initiative that gifts 10 passports to undeserved girls in 10 cities across the U.S. Travel blogger Tracey Friley of One Brown Girl gathers travel bloggers in every city to volunteer and guide girls into the expansive world of traveling.  So it was a given that when the event landed in my city of Chicago, I was totally there. The party kicks off in the morning and we lined a table with supplies to create personal travel vision boards. Of course, no party is complete in my book unless there is quality sugar involved.  These cupcakes represent a range of flavors and nations. We provided encouragement for the girls with tales of our travels, a show & tell session an...

Yesterday, a 7.0- magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, on the Caribbean island of Hispanola.  It was the worst earthquake to hit the country in 200 years, with the equivalent power of serveral nuclear bombs. When I heard the news last night, I couldn't believe it. Haiti is a country full of proud people, a vibrant culture and significant history but it suffers with violence, cruel politics and brutal poverty.  A disaster like this, piled upon  the other miseries just seems  unbearable.  When I was in the Dominican Republic, which shares Hispanola with Haiti, evidence of the agony and injustice that Haitians have to endure was unmistakable. Haitians were not allowed to cross the Dominican border, were widely discriminated against and agencies have documented Haitians being enslaved by Dominican plantation owners. I'll never forget the stoic faces of the Haitians that I spoke to. And now this.  Haiti's capitol, Port- au-Prince, has been devastated, wi...

Let them eat cake. That's what Marie Antoinette supposedly advised for feeding hungry masses but in this case, gobbling down cake (specifically red velvet cheese) will actually help supply food for the hungry. The Cheesecake Factory has joined Feeding America for the Drive Out Hunger Tour . September is hunger action month and throughout the month the program will tour 30 cities in 30 days, hosting an event each day to collect cans of soup benefiting the local food bank. If you can't make it on the tour day, head to your local Cheesecake Factory and donate 2 cans of soup on September 30. If you order from the ginormous menu, 10% of the check will be donated to the local food bank. For each slice of Stefanie's ultimate red velvet cake cheesecake sold, the Cheesecake Factory will donate a quarter to Feeding America. 1 out of 8 Americans is hungry or forced to skip meals regularly. Hunger is a reality everywhere, from cities, to rural areas, to the suburbs. Any donation can ma...

Today marks the first day for the Passports With A Purpose fundraiser. Four Seattle travel bloggers decided to rally the travel blogging community to raise money and awareness for Heifer International, which is a charity that combats hunger by teaching sustainable farming methods and donating livestock. I couldn't pass up a chance to help so thanks to a generous donation from A Taste of Harlem founder Jacqueline Orange, my raffle prize is two tickets to the Taste of Harlem Food and Cultural Tour . This three hour tour features six restaurants, tours of an art gallery, a historic bed and breakfast, shops and landmarks that reflect Harlem's storied history. I grabbed a chance to experience this whirlwind excursion last year and it opened my eyes and taste buds to parts of New York history that I never knew. Nestled in the Manhattan borough, Harlem holds some cultural tidbits that might fascinate you. The neighborhood hosts a huge Dominican population, for instance. I sampled sa...

Thanksgiving always helps me remember how fortunate I am. My life has been graced with much joy and opportunity, qualities that may be fleeting for people struggling for daily survival. Although I don't always remember to be grateful for every benefit I'm granted, this year has been a magical time of mind-blowing accomplishments and fulfilled dreams for so many. It makes me believe that despite the economy and the wars and the suffering, the world will get better. An example of this rush to kindness and hope is Passports With A Purpose . Last month, four Seattle travel bloggers decided to organize a fundraiser for Heifer International . As travel bloggers, we often witness the crushing inequities of poverty around the world. Heifer International is an inspiring charity that helps to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. The organization provides livestock and sound agricultural training in 57 countries, including the U.S. Their programs develop self-sufficiency fo...