Atlanta, Georgia — on a cool evening in February, a rag-tag group of adventurers, in need of a brief and safe COVID respite, desired tapas. The destination? The outside patio at the Inman Park location of Barcelona near downtown.

If you’re a fan of this blog, you understand that I am someone who enjoys fine living, food and general luxury experiences, and Salamander Resort & Spa, owned by noted African-American billionaire – Sheila Johnson, was a luxurious escape in the exact measure I enjoy.

Lanzarote is located west of Morocco and is part of a Spanish archipelago collectively called The Canary Islands. Craggy and desolate from the volcanoes that formed it, there are pockets of civilization and quite a few resorts dotting the landscape.

A 3-hour flight south from Kuala Lumpur found us in one of the more popular destinations in the world at the moment: Bali, Indonesia. You can’t visit many travel blogs or Instagram profiles these days without seeing pictures of the island; whether it is a flower petal bath, the swings, the aesthetically pleasing yet ultimately deceptive “reflection pool” temple photos, the monkey forest, and so on.

Breaking the silence of the early morning light, the first of five daily adzan is heard; not sleep disturbing, but accessorizing the urban beat of a waking city. This was my introduction to Kuala Lumpur. Not often am I surprised about the places I visit, but the former tin colony was a delightful shock to the system.

Cuba was a massive eye-opening experience for me. As a place that wasn’t high on my list of places to visit, it captured my attention with its old-world charm, culture, food, and grit.

This is part two of “I should have blogged about this a long time ago”.

My visit to Cape Town, South Africa was one of those times when I caught myself saying that “I could probably have a vacation or second home here”.

After two years of sitting on it, I was finally in the frame of mind to finish writing about my trip to South Africa..from the beginning of 2017. After a tumultuous two years, I feel like I can finish what I started what seems like aeons ago now. First on the list is Johannesburg, South Africa. A bustling city with an out-sized personality.

Mexico City was not a place that was front of mind when considering where to travel for vacation.

I never thought I’d find myself in the Pocono Mountains.