When I started making content, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted. More followers, more reach, more eyes on what I was putting out. I was new to it and I did what most people do when they're new to something: I looked at what was working for everyone else and tried to replicate it. Trending...

(Machu Picchu, Peru)   There it was. One of the most iconic travel destinations in the world, one of the seven wonders, and I was standing right in front of it on my 43rd birthday, having dragged myself out of bed at 3:30 in the morning to get there.   What did I feel? Annoyed...

(Hanoi, Vietnam)   There are two banh mi spots that come up often when people talk about Hanoi. One of them is Bánh Mì 25. Thousands of positive reviews, easy to find, well documented across every travel platform in every language. I'm sure it's good. I didn't go...

(Mexico City, Mexico)   If you spend any time in Mexico City food circles online, you'll notice a pattern. The same neighborhoods come up constantly. Condesa. Roma. Polanco. Beautiful areas, great food, and absolutely full of people who are there for the same reasons you are. I lived in...

(Hanoi, Vietnam) She couldn't have been more than five years old. She'd already said bye-bye once and run back to her parents, and I'd assumed that was the end of it. But she came back, holding out her half-drunk bottle of water because she'd noticed I didn't have any. I said...

So is train street worth it?   If you're staying in the Old Quarter, you'll probably end up here whether you plan to or not. It's tucked into the neighborhood, easy to stumble onto, and by now famous enough that most people put it on their list. Here's what I think is worth...