I started the year where anyone dreams of being in January: the cold, dark capital of Finland. As affordable as the flights are to get there from New York, it isn’t enough incentive to get me to stay long.

With my project in Estonia moving at a snail’s pace, towards the end of November I once again agreed with my team to go remote until the project was ready to go live. So where to go? Since I had all my cold weather clothes, I figured I’d keep it cold and go even farther north. I’ve seen the Northern Lights before, but there was something intriguing to me about going up to the Arctic Circle for a couple weeks before heading home for the holidays.

After a not so memorable stint back in Tallinn that lacks enough substance for a post, I headed to Jordan to meet my brother for a couple weeks of being a tourist. Famously home to Petra, Jordan frequents the bucket list of a lot of avid travelers. With my brother forced to take more traditional American vacations, we organized what resembles a pretty normal vacation. Well, the cheap version of a normal vacation.

As the years ware on, I get increasingly worse about taking photos. Like, really bad. I have so many nice pictures from my first trip to Estonia; I guess that’s why I figured I didn’t need to take any more of the main attractions. It’s not as if they’ve changed much in 3 years. But anyways, I flew to Estonia to start a job, to actually move to a place and have a sense of permanence for the first time in years. Continue reading That test you passed… not everybody does. Welcome to the afterlife. →

Since this is primarily for my family, I’ve been really bad about writing this one, because after all they were all there. So here I am, like 8 months later vividly and accurately recalling all the good times we had without aid from anything but my memory. And by that, I mean reconstructing what we did from these pictures (most pictures that I have stolen from the family). Continue reading You write, I tour, we make it work →

My host sold the place I was staying and bought a new one, so I had to switch for my last few days in Tallinn. The new place was in the up-and-coming neighborhood where there is TONS of construction going on, and I was staying in one of the new buildings. Like, so new that they are doing another one right next to this one and it’s not even close to finished. But it’s much more modern, has a little enclosed balcony with a view of the sea, and it’s just a few steps from the seaplane harbor and old soviet prison. Extremely convenient if you like hanging out at defunct prisons or fly seaplanes.

Continue reading The only thing you ever cared about Stoney was nugs, chillin’ and grindage →

I haven’t been a very good tourist here in Tallinn, just kind of settling in quickly given my extended stay. I’m nearly 20 days in, and I’ve done a ton of walking around, but not a lot of going inside to see things. I can appreciate the reserved Estonian mentality, everyone keeping to himself/herself and more or less ignoring everyone else. Fitting just in, I’ve managed to go this entire time without having a conversation with anyone, despite everyone speaking good English.
Continue reading It’s a war over my tangerines →

Here we go again, the road beckoning. After a couple days in NYC (I stayed in the Upper West Side for the first time), I took a flight to Helsinki via Stockholm. In the Stockholm airport a simple coffee was nearly $5 (which was greatly desired after a red eye), which I didn’t to survive without, but I’m going to judge all prices moving forward in terms of Stockholm airport coffee.

Continue reading You city people are children of the moment →

I booked my flight home around Thanksgiving, so subconsciously I attribute that timing to my decision to end the trip in Turkey. In the end I only had a couple days, so there’s no way I’m going to be able to see all of Istanbul, so I’m going to take it easy and just do a couple things that look interesting. Continue reading If it gives us peace call it anything you wish →

I dragged myself out of bed after two hours sleep so I could leave at 4am and catch a bus to my flight. All went quite smoothly, actually, and I arrived and checked in to my hotel on Santorini just after 8am (room was available so I didn’t have to wait). Opted for a quick nap and began my day around 11am instead. Continue reading One original thought is worth a thousand mindless quotings →

A rainy day in Berat kept me cooped up most of the day getting some work done, then I took a bus from Berat to Gjirokastër at 2. The bus driver took two breaks, one to sit down and eat, on the 4 hour journey (in the middle of the afternoon, mind you). So because I didn’t get in until 6, I decided to stay two nights here instead of one to give me enough time to look around a bit. Continue reading Because when all was said and done that was the price one paid for sincerity →

I started my new, lonely Dubrovnik experience with a walk down to the new town and through the harbor. On the way back, I stumbled upon Cafe Bar Art and had a couple cups of coffee while I worked on my computer. It was colorful and quirky, with bathtub seats and odd decorations.  Whether that’s your taste or not, it was a great place to chill out and have a coffee or a beer, so I might go back. Continue reading Though I would treasure your friendship, I’m mainly interested in your facility with murder →

The bus from Split to Dubrovnik was a long one, but it was full of nice views of the coastline. There was also a nice sunset as we arrived in the city, but I didn’t get a picture of it because my window was weird. But it’s Croatia, so there’s plenty of sunsets to be had. Continue reading A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinion of sheep →

The first night I went to Charlie’s Bar with a guy from my hostel in Sarajevo, which was fun. The next night I went to Caffe Bar Mosquito to have some coffee, a beer, and get some work done. Similar to Iceland in that their coffee shops turn into bars, which is kind of cool. I’m mostly working, so not a whole lot of sightseeing is accomplished each day. Continue reading Even Beethoven had his critics. See if you can name three of them. →

Finally, I’m out of Belfast.  What a depressingly horrible place.  It should be sister cities with Rochester.  I finished it off by having a vegetarian fry for breakfast, getting some work done, then getting wasted on Irish car bombs at the Europa hotel #toosoon?, which was right next to my bus station.  JK I hung out at the coffee shop next to it.

And then I was off to Glasgow.  

Continue reading To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive. →

So I’m used to hostel breakfasts which are just toast, maybe some cereal, and tea. The hotel breakfast had all those things, plus juice, and fruit, and yogurt, and croissants, and you got to order something (so I got scrambled eggs). It felt weird, being waited on.

But anyways, my room is situated so that I actually get a pretty nice view of the Irish sea. Continue reading History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake. →