Breakdown 45 days. No sweets. No treats. Dropped 15 pounds and feeling smug as hell—until Milwaukee happened. More specifically, Leon’s Custard. A temple of temptation disguised as a roadside stand, lit up in enough neon to guide ships home in a storm. It broke me. Back to the Future Inside, it’s a postcard from 1956—soda…
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Algeria Calling I couldn’t wait to get back to Algeria after wrapping up the 193. Out of all the countries I’d visited, Algeria was one that stuck with me the most. Why? Because it was the first place to completely shatter a stereotype I didn’t even know I was carrying. I remember 2016 like it…
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St. Pierre is Miquelon’s older, louder sister. But before we go there—do yourself a favor and read the Miquelon entry first. Seriously. Otherwise, you’re missing the whole “drinking wine in France without leaving North America” magic. I won’t repeat myself. Go read it. I’ll wait. Now, after 24 hours soaking in the quiet charm of…
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You know what keeps me addicted to the road? After hitting all 193 countries—the entire UN roll call—you’d think the surprises would dry up. But no. There’s always some geopolitical curveball waiting to slap you in the face. Like this: France. In North America. And no, I don’t mean the usual Caribbean suspects—Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint…
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Never thought I’d say this—and yeah, it still feels a little strange rolling off the tongue—but here we are: I’m Mexican. Officially. On December 16th, 2024, after a bureaucratic marathon of forms, fingerprints, interviews, and the kind of language exam that leaves your brain bruised and ego humbled, I crossed the finish line. This all…
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To The Extreme It’s been a minute since I pulled off what I like to call an “Extreme Layover.” For the uninitiated, that’s when the universe hands you a layover long enough to do something stupid, brilliant, or both—like running headfirst into a city with barely enough time to taste its grit and maybe get…
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I’ve been to a lot of bakeries—hundreds, in fact. From the historic, flour-dusted kitchens of France to the legendary patisseries of Vienna and Munich. I’ve seen it all, tasted it all. So, imagine my surprise when a tiny bakery in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, gets my top honor for pastry. But that’s the beauty of this…
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Surprise, Surprise Travel, at its best, is a series of surprises. The little ones—the perfect cup of coffee in some hole-in-the-wall café, the back alley neighborhood that somehow dodged the tourist mobs. Then there are the big ones—the moments when you step into an entirely different world, completely by accident. That’s how I found myself…
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