Hanah and I started the first leg of our epic South African adventure in the mega-city of Johannesburg. Home to a rich mix of 4.5 million blacks, "coloureds" and whites, Joburg is a much cooler place than I anticipated. We arrived early in the morning on a Sunday to the very popular hostel Curioucity Backpackers…
Category: Travel
Recalling a Life-changing Trip to the Philippines
Check this picture out! I'm in my early twenties, a zillion years ago, on my first trip to the homeland of the Philippines with my gramma. That's her in the background wearing one of her many muumuus. As I prepare to depart for South Africa, I'm thinking about that formative journey. I didn't know how…
Off the South Africa for a Safari, Penguins and Lindy Hop!
I'm so excited to share the news that I will be traveling in South Africa from March 17 to April 3! My friend Hanah and I are headed for a fantastic African adventure, including a four day safari, a week in Capetown, and a lindy hop dance camp! One of the main reasons for our…
Celebrating a Swing Icon and Pastry Bingeing in NYC
This week, I had the pleasure of visiting New York for a happy and sad occasion, a celebration of the life of Dawn Hampton, an icon in the lindy hop community who passed away late last year. I always love being in New York, a place that still has my heart, despite being away for six years…
Lindy Focus 2016 : Chick Webb, 20s Charleston, Almond Croissants and All the Feels
Me and my Lindy Focus "Wife" Jodie This is my third year in a row going to the Lindy Focus swing music and dance festival in Asheville, North Carolina. (Blog posts from 2014 and 2015.) It's always an incredible, inspiring experience, and a great way to close out the year. Here are some of my personal highlights from Lindy…
My 2016 in Pictures
It's been a strange year for a lot of people including myself, with a lot of drama and ups and downs. That said, I have a lot to be thankful for in 2016. Here's a pictorial recap of some of my favorite moments in the year. Dancing Dancing was a huge part of 2016, which…
Reindeer Ride 2016: Holiday Night Bike through San Francisco!
For year's I've been wanting to go on a holiday lights bike ride around San Francisco, to see all the beautiful decorations. This year I got the gumption to organize a "Reindeer Ride" with some friends a couple of weeks ago. Here's how it went. To prepare, I decorated my bicycle and helmet. It was easy to…
Lighting Up My Brompton Folding Bike with El Wire
On Friday, some friends and I are going on a holiday bike ride around San Francisco, something I have been wanting to do for awhile. I’m super excited about exploring my city and seeing the pretty displays. But honestly, it’s just a good excuse for me to decorate my bike with festive lights! You have…
Mickey’s Halloween Party: One of the Best Ways to Experience the Magic Kingdom
It was 10:58pm. The "spook-tacular" parade was winding to a close. Barry, Eve and I are sprinting through Fantasyland, past the Matterhorn Bobsleds … past Alice in Wonderland… past Pixie Hollow. We've entered Tomorrowland! Racing past the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster… now around the Astro Orbiter… we near our destination… Barry was the fastest, getting to the entrance to…
Herrang 2016: Solo Jazz, the “Bus Stop,” and Swedish Pancakes
I’ve been at the Herrang International Dance Camp — “The Home of the Happiest Feet” — for the past week and a half, along with hundreds of lindy hoppers from all over the world. It’s billed as the “most comprehensive and exciting dance camp focusing on African-American jazz dances from the Golden Era of jazz.”…