Year: 2015

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Rebecca Hill

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“I took a quick trip to Morocco in the summer of 2009 while attending a friend’s wedding in Andalusia, Spain. I was the only American on the ferry and got looks in Tangier as a woman traveling alone rolling two big suitcases along the bumpy, narrow sidewalks. This was the first international trip I had taken flying solo, in a country where I didn’t know the language at all but got by with a smattering of French. On my second day there, I got the courage to go to a local cafe by myself and write, as if I were William Burroughs. The waitstaff was a bit confused, waiting for someone to join me, but no one did, and having ordered a fair share of mint tea and pastries, I was left well enough alone. I hope to go back to Morocco this summer, continuing on my journey to learn Arabic and the beauty of the culture.” – Rebecca Hill AKA @lymie16   008/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Georges Ekwensi

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“For someone who is interested in how governments, corporations and everyday people are responding to rapid urbanization, there is no better place to visit than Lagos, Nigeria. Everything and everyone has a story to tell, from the infrastructure, to the advertisements, to the millions of people who navigate this vast metropolitan area every day. The energy of the people, the colors of their dress against beautiful dark skin tones, and the rhythms created from car honking and conversation create a place that isn’t quite like any other… An encounter that sticks in my mind is one that tells the true reality of the Lagosian hustle. It is not uncommon to be driving or to be being driven and have people try to sell you anything from candy to home furnishings right out on the street. I can imagine that on a particularly traffic heavy day, one may tire and pick up a sack of water or some fruits or nuts to eat but my father never opened the window for more than the morning newspaper …

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Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Weda AKA The Shortest Fuse

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“As clichéd as it sounds, my idea of a perfect afternoon is people watching and writing at a sidewalk café in Paris. I’ve traveled to 25 countries sampling everything from the exotic to the banal — yet nothing quite thrills and humbles like an overcast Parisian sky where I’m aimlessly café hopping. It promotes the ennui and the gratitude in equal measure. Being in Beijing, where I’m currently teaching, the café culture is geared understandably towards foreigners, as the Chinese are largely tea drinkers, though even this is slowly changing. Thus, I’ve learned that if I truly want to observe life among the locals – and as an expat, I do because isn’t this why we chase travel in the faraway – I need to abandon my default café lounging and take to the rambling alleys, what we call “hutongs” here, where the real shit happens: the grandma basking in the sun with her precious grandbaby, the bike mechanic slaving away at his makeshift repair stand, the couple setting up their family dumpling shop at …

Confessions Of A Jetsetter w/ David Jones

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

It seems like each time I have the opportunity to travel abroad and immerse myself in a different culture, Louisiana finds me there. Every time, without fail. It’s in those moments that I’m once again reminded at how absolutely magical this place is that I call home. She holds the title of “Sportsman’s Paradise”, “Festival Capital of America” and even “The Happiest State”, but Louisiana is so much more than Bourbon Street and LSU Football… She’s as diverse and full of flavor as the gumbo we’re famous for serving up, with every cultural & ethnic group imaginable represented in contributing to all that Louisiana is today. From the food, the music, the gorgeous nature found all around and the warm Southern hospitality, it’s impossible to keep the collective soul of this place from entering your own. As a “born & raised” Louisiana musician currently living in New Orleans, I’m always trying to push the envelope to communicate sound and sight and feeling to others about this her, and I think I’ll close this off with …

Confessions Of A Jetsetter w/ Tanwi Nandini Islam

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“I’ve always been drawn to the motley scents of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, my motherland… After a day of riding through Old Dhaka’s winding alleys and street side shops, we stopped at the Dhakeshwari Temple, one of the oldest Hindu temples in the country. We entered a large courtyard with nooks and arches for ceremony and worship. Three different wedding ceremonies commenced, simultaneously. We were wedding crashers. But no one seemed to notice. Circles of witnesses formed around the newlywed couples. In the corner, far away from the fanfare, I noticed a woman, hunched and praying so deeply that she seemed to be collapsing into herself… Trails of a hundred lit incense sticks rose above her, and she paid the reverie around her no mind. In this courtyard, the scent of burning wood from a havan, burning incense, and spring flowers brought stillness in a city that only knows chaos.” – Tanwi Nandini Islam // @hiwildflower   004/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project  

TIM KAU-Jetsetterproblems.com

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Tim Kau

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“Four years ago, I bought my first bike in New York City. Prior to owning a bike, I got around the city walking, taking the subway, hopping on the bus… and reluctantly taking cabs. Once I started riding my bike, I was hooked. I found myself cutting my commute time in half, without having to use my MetroCard or to pay the taxi fare (or Uber bill). I also could control the speed with which I could absorb all that was around me.  I found myself creating mini “road trips” to the different neighborhoods of the city… Being on a bike freed me up to explore and check out different boroughs… even riding my bike across the Williamsburg Bridge is exhilarating and gets your heart racing. It’s good exercise. I could ride and be free – in a way that wasn’t hindered by train traffic, car traffic or people traffic. The autonomy of deciding which route to take and being able to mix up my commute… all of these options opened up with my bicycle.  …

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Confessions Of A Jetsetter w/ Nathan Chambers

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  “If I could live a parallel life anywhere in the world, without hesitation, my top choice would be Dubai. I have become overly obsessed with this city since living there briefly last year for business school. Every day spawned a new experience. The people, the food, the service, and the stellar architecture have captivated all my senses. Expat life in Dubai is definitely in the near future! I’ll be back there next month.” – Nathan Chambers   002/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

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Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Jessica Painter

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“I’ve taught on four continents and in six countries. No matter where I am or who I’m teaching, I always walk away having learned something. Teaching has helped me to see that it doesn’t matter if I’m teaching big kids, small kids or grownups, learning is continuous. Having good holidays also feeds my wanderlust and makes me want to see more of the world. Right now, I teach in Cairo. Who wouldn’t want this as their fave spot to hang out at each weekend?!” – Jessica Painter // @jessisawanderer   001/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

#The100DayProject-Khadijat Oseni

#The100DayProject w/ The Great Discontent & Elle Luna

Published by Khadijat Oseni

One of my greatest joys as a travel blogger and cultural curator is connecting on the road with others and sharing stories from perspectives that often go unrecognized. When I stumbled across #The100DayProject Instagram initiative rekindled by artist/designer, Elle Luna and The Great Discontent Magazine, I knew there was no doubt but to submerge myself into this intensive, creative pool of possibilities. This action proves to be a timely Spring reminder of working towards purging unproductive procrastination (not all procrastination is created equally :)) and further combining my love of travel, community and story-telling via developing more glimpses into my “Confessions of a Jetsetter” series. I’ll be interviewing fellow explorers across various creative disciplines and sharing 100 different travel confessions starting today April 6th and ending July 14th! If you’d like to be featured as one of the 100 people I’m attempting to profile, feel free to contact me and I’ll send over a random question for us to collaborate on! Shy?! No worries! Come along for the ride anyway as well as take up …

Confessions Of A Jetsetter w/ Tim Okamura

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“I think being a painter does facilitate seeing the world through a different lens than normal. I often find aesthetic appeal in places others might consider dilapidated, unremarkable, or even ugly. In the urban environment in particular, I’ve always been attracted to aging buildings, cracked walls, and empty lots. I love the effects of rust, faded paint, layers of graffiti, signage, posters, and patchwork attempts to repair broken façades. All of these things combine to create what I consider a kind of poignant organic beauty that I think is both viscerally appealing and a pure visual record of the conflicting forces of man-made constructions and nature. This viewpoint often leads me to stumbling across inspiring motifs when I least expect it, and incorporating them into my paintings by direct, detailed documentation, or more suggestively in abstract form. I hope that through my painting I can point to ways for others to see the world differently, to view their environment in a positive way, and perhaps discover a sense of previously unacknowledged beauty in their own …