Farsighted Fly Girl

What a whirlwind of travel experiences that 2015 ushered in! As I look back over the year, it feels like I stuffed two years worth of adventures into one. I traveled to 11 different destinations and I'm grateful for the sights, sensations and memories that will always be with me. I can't adequately list every single favorite experience because there were so many but here are the standouts: Walking through the cold and rainy cobblestone streets of the Czech Republic and being dazzled by the fairy tale scenery, like in the UNESCO town of Telc, pictured above. I strolled through castles dating from the 9th century,ate dinner with singing Czech miners and explored the oldest and best preserved Jewish quarter outside of Israel. And that's just a few of my Czech memories. The colors and vibrant culture of Guatemala immediately grabbed me, there was so much history and life, everywhere I turned. I climbed my third volcano, sampled classic Guatemalan ciusine and met Liria...

The quickest way to understand a place is to dive into the culture. In Stockholm, I was extremely lucky to be invited to experience the Swedish ritual of fika . An important part of Swedish life that involves enjoying coffee and pastries with friends, family or co-workers, fika reveals the Swedish love of home life and sweets. Strolling the narrow streets of Stockholm, I noticed that every cafe was crammed with people lingering over coffee and big, puffy, rolls. Turns out those rolls, called Semla, are a hugely popular part of the Lenten ritual of fattening up before the fast. Only people seem to gobble more Semlor (plural) than they practice Lenten fasting these days. I was fortunate to arrive in February, just when the Semla craze stirs up and even more fortunate to have two Stockholm based friends, Lola Akinmade Akerstrom  and Germaine Thomas  to invite me to fika  and guide me through the tradition.   Fika (pronounced fee-cah)  is like a coffee br...

When I landed in Stockholm for the first time, I was surprised at how familiar it seemed. Perhaps it was because of the daily snowfall and the people rushing through streets and train stations bundled against freezing blasts. This is my Chicago reality and Stockholm really was not that different at all. Gamla Stan, the city's old town and city center, was where everyone suggested I start my exploration. So I hopped on the metro and arrived in the winding labyrinth of Gamla Stan streets. This sculpture is the first thing I spotted as I climbed out of the metro. Stockholm is a city filled with art and aesthetics but this was my first up close look at an art piece. I was charmed by the whimsical lines and the parents sheltering a smiling child. I thought it was a good representation of Stockholm's overall welcoming vibe. Gamla Stan was built in the '1300s but most of the buildings date from the 18th and 19th century. The cobblestone streets were narrow and slippe...

It's the dead of winter in Chicago and I'm excited about visiting some place warmer; Stockholm, Sweden. Yes, the arctic north is actually warmer than Chicago at this point but regardless of the temperature, I'm thrilled to be traveling to Scandinavia for the first time. I'm joining an international delegation of journalists from India, China, Russia, Turkey, Japan and Romania to cover Stockholm Design Week. I'll be learning about the inspiration and philosophies behind the famous Swedish design principles as well as exploring the "Venice of The North." I didn't realize that Stockholm perches on 14  islands and makes an archipelago comprised of  24,000 tiny ones. Knowing my love for water and islands, I expect to be happy indeed, despite the snow and ice. Stay tuned for posts exploring Stockholm's lovely architecture, design and culture, soon.