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LEARNING HOW TO BE JAPANESE ONE HANDICRAFT AT A TIME

You’ll probably eat miso on a trip to Japan, but what if you could also learn how to make the fermented soybean paste? What insight might you gain into wabi-sabi, the Japanese appreciation for the imperfection and impermanence of life, if you learned how to restore  broken ceramics using a centuries-old technique called kintsugi? Not only do these experiences afford deep dives into Japanese culture, but they also provide personal connections to the history, techniques, and philosophy behind centuries of Japanese crafts and cuisine.

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CRUISING MARK TWAIN’S MISSISSIPPI RIVER

All Aboard America’s greatest writer, Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, grew up on the western shore of North America’s greatest river, the mighty Mississippi. Abraham Lincoln called it the Father of…

The Global Quill: Immersive International Travel Writing

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The Latest Book Review

GOING LOCAL | EXPERIENCES AND ENCOUNTERS ON THE ROAD

Publisher Trip Rambler Media | Authors Nicholas Kontis and John Gottberg Anderson
Reviewed by Stiffany McCourt

The tourism landscape is being transformed by the growing number of travelers embracing the sharing economy. Never before has it been easier to “go local.” Instead of patronizing corporate travel brokers and global hotel chains, travelers are discovering they can rely upon the expertise of local residents to explore a new city. Of course, those who enjoy more conventional experiences will remain loyal to major hotel brands close to popular tourist attractions in the center of a city. But today’s savvy young travelers seeking a more memorable experience are checking into houseboats, treehouses and Airbnbs operated by hosts well versed in the destination’s unique culture. Instead of staying in a hotel in Sydney’s Martin Place or New York’s Times Square, they are heading to quieter locations with authentic flavor and ambiance. Neighborhoods like Psari in Athens, Lapa in Rio de Janeiro and San Francisco’s Mission District. Read More