Author Archives: jollenl

It’s 5:30 am, and let me just say, mornings and I? Not friends. I’m like a solar-powered machine—functional during the day, productive at night—but I need my solid 8 hours of beauty sleep to run at full capacity. Fun fact: I can sleep anywhere. Yes, it’s my superpower. Planes, airports, hotel lobbies—you name it, I’veContinue reading “Rocco”

Ah, the magic of an early Saturday morning in New York City! The sun’s barely bothered to show up, and the streets are still catching their breath after last night’s marathon of noise and neon. And here I am, sneaking into the city’s embrace for the second (or was it third?) time this year. AsContinue reading “New York City”

So, there I was, zipping down the A2 highway with Hamza, my young taxi driver, who, out of nowhere, says, “I’m from France!” Now, I don’t know what he was reading off my face, but I was like, “Oh? France? Let me hear more about that later!” I had just wrapped up a wonderful weekendContinue reading “Utrecht”

Switzerland is like a postcard that got tired of being stuck on the fridge and decided to show off in real life. Famous for its mountains and valleys, you might be surprised when you roll into Basel and realize… it’s flatter than a pancake! Basel cozily snuggles between France, Germany, and Switzerland, so of course,Continue reading “Basel”

We’re hopping on the tram to the (almost, but not quite—more on that later) highest Skyview point in Hong Kong, a vibrant city right next to mainland China. Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 after quite the rollercoaster of a history. Things seem to have calmed down now, though, and you’ll spotContinue reading “Hong Kong Bamboo”