Plenty of people (including myself) made huge life decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic – why? I interviewed Bruce Feiler, author of New York Times' bestseller Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age and Derek J. Koehler, a professor of psychology at the University of Waterloo. Read the story over at CBC Life.
CBC: Thinking About RVing? Here’s What You Need to Know to Hit the Road
My first story for CBC Life is about RVing in Canada.
Thrillist: Retro Motels Are Having Their Moment
With road trips making a serious comeback due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, retro motels are also roaring back. Read the story over at Thrillist
Horizon Guides: Inside Armenia’s Shipping Container Cities
Thousands still living in makeshift shipping container homes over 30 years after Armenia's devastating Spitak earthquake. Read my feature at Horizon Guides (photos by Stephanie Foden): https://horizonguides.com/journal/inside-armenias-shipping-container-cities
Thrillist: Toronto Is Making A Play To Become North America’s Cannabis Capital
The Canadian city is positioned to become the Denver of the Great White North. Thrillist: https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/cannabis-culture-toronto
Horizon Guides: Hiking in the Caucasus
I co-wrote a guidebook that helps inspire travellers to go hiking in the beautiful Caucasus region (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan). Find it at Horizon Guides: https://horizonguides.com/guides/hiking-in-the-caucasus
Canadian Geographic: Preserving Acadian culture in Cajun country
Descendants of French-speaking Acadians in Louisiana saw their culture and language slip away in the 20th century. Now, a new generation of proud Francophones is leading a resurgence. Check out my feature in Canadian Geographic.
Travel+Leisure: ‘Roma’ Is More Than Just a Movie — It’s One of Mexico City’s Most Vibrant Neighborhoods
I spent the beginning of 2019 living in Mexico City's Roma and wrote a story & guide to the neighborhood for Travel + Leisure on the weekend before the movie was nominated for 10 Oscars. Gorgeous black and white photos by Stephanie Foden!
Adventure.com: The patients who said ‘f*ck cancer’ and went to Burning Man instead
A few weeks before Burning Man last year, I saw a post from Aaron Muszalski, aka Slim, asking for help sending cancer patients/survivors to the annual "social experiment" in the Nevada desert. I couldn't help but wonder: Why would a cancer survivor want to go to Burning Man? It can be super dangerous for anybody. … Continue reading Adventure.com: The patients who said ‘f*ck cancer’ and went to Burning Man instead
TIME: He Saved the Largest Venomous Snake in the Americas. Now, He Hopes It Could Save Human Lives.
Which would you rather save, a cuddly panda or a deadly viper? The snake is more valuable than you think. I’m proud to finally share this story I’ve been working on since early 2018 about a man saving the world’s largest pit viper. Photos by Stephanie Foden Story on TIME
Joel Balsam 