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Puerto Rico virtual experiences

If a trip to Puerto Rico was on your spring break itinerary, those plans were probably derailed thanks to the coronavirus outbreak. Even though you can’t visit Puerto Rico in person, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t take a virtual trip. It’s no replacement for the real thing, but it might be just enough to tide you over until travel is safe again. Discover Puerto Rico is launching a virtual Puerto Rican cultural experience this weekend, March 27-29, bringing the island’s traditions right into your living room.

According to a press release, Discover Puerto Rico wants to “extend an important part of our culture — our salsa music and dancing, our mixology and our delicious cuisine — to uplift people during these challenging times. We encourage travelers to daydream about our Island now and consider a visit later, when the time is right. In the meantime, we’re excited to join them in their living rooms for this virtual getaway.”

Over the course of three days, viewers will be treated to a salsa-dancing lesson with choreographer Tito Ortos; a cocktail-mixing class with Roberto Berdecia, co-founder of La Factoria in Old San Juan; and a cooking demonstration with Puerto Rican chef Wilo Benet.

The official schedule is as follows:

Salsa Dancing: Friday, March 27, from 8-9:00 PM ET

Salsa lesson with Tito Ortos, choreographer to the stars>/li>
Join via Zoom, URL: https://zoom.us/j/293759126/, Meeting ID: 293-759-126

Mixing Cocktails: Saturday, March 28, from 7-7:30 PM ET

Cocktail-mixing class with Roberto Berdecia, bartender and co-founder of the famous La Factoría in Old San Juan
Via Instagram Live: @discoverpuertorico

Cooking Demo: Sunday, March 29, from 7-7:30 PM ET

Cooking demo with Puerto Rican chef, Wilo Benet from Wilo Eatery & Bar
Via Instagram Live: @discoverpuertorico

You can participate in all sessions by joining via Zoom or Instagram Live. Then get to planning your trip to Puerto Rico for when the coronavirus crisis is behind us.


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The post Make cocktails, cook, and salsa dance with Puerto Rico’s weekend of free virtual classes appeared first on Matador Network.

Impact of virtual drinking trend

Life changed slowly in the beginning of 2020, and then all at once when the realities of COVID-19 set in. Restaurants and bars that were filled in February were shuttered until further notice by mid-March. Thousands of hospitality workers lost their jobs, and small-business owners had to make the tough decision to stay open for takeout, close for now, or close for good — decisions that will shape cities around the world for years to come. It’s impossible to know what’s going to happen next, but it’s pretty clear things aren’t going back to how they were.

“Things started changing in my neighborhood about a week ago,” Natalia Cardenas, the Miami brand ambassador for Woodford Reserve, says. “Slowly every day, the rules of normal engagement became more and more strict. Day after day, the freedoms that we once took for granted were slowly disappearing. The freedom to connect to friends, strangers, and bartenders.”

A new way to connect has arisen as we all embrace self-isolation: the virtual happy hour. This may seem like a very quarantine-era phenomenon, something we’ll leave behind once we’re allowed to socialize in public once again. But according to industry experts, sociologists, and menta-health experts, virtual happy hours are going to change the way we drink forever.

Virtual happy hours were once a last-resort way to spend time. The effort was too large compared to just going to your neighborhood bar, and the concept felt a little too close to an excuse to drink (somewhat) alone. If we had a virtual happy hour at all, it was with friends and family who lived far away, not with people in the same city. Yet as self-isolation and social distancing became the terms du jour, acceptance — and promotion — of virtual drinking sessions quickly grew. Publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal wrote stories that quickly mainstreamed what is essentially a way to drink without guilt while chatting into the tiny camera on your phone or computer.

No, we aren’t looking at a bar-less future. But virtual happy hours are helping people learn about the value of intimate gatherings with friends and family they don’t always keep up with.

The once awkward video chat, in other words, is normalized.

Bars are adapting to a new normal

Photo: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

Some bars across the country were quick to adapt. Bar-led virtual happy hours popped up within 24 hours of California shutting down bars and restaurants, says Rachel Potts, the Los Angeles brand ambassador for the Scotch whiskey brands Glendronach and BenRiach.

For instance, The Mermaid in Los Angeles live-streamed its regularly scheduled programming of Karaoke Sunday, Metal Music Monday, trivia, and bingo night. The winery Kendall-Jackson started virtual tastings on its social media feeds starting the last full week of March. Kingfisher, a cocktail bar in Durham, North Carolina, started video happy hours from behind the bar and held a split-screen conversation with author and spirits writer Kara Newman that was one part promotion for Newman’s latest book Nightcap, one part basic cocktail lesson, and one part virtual drinking session with the 40-45 people watching from home.

Under normal circumstances, this many people wouldn’t watch a bar’s virtual book chat happy hour (myself included) on a Saturday at 4:30 PM. But for those who like to commune over a drink, there were few other options.

“We are seeing that there is a distinct need for social interactions that is linked directly to mental health,” Potts says. “With the increase in video chat, these interactions are still happening, but on a much more intimate scale. Instead of meeting up with 20 to 30 coworkers for happy hour at the usual stomping grounds, people are sharing a drink over FaceTime with maybe two to four of their office mates. While large group gatherings will still be part of the social culture [after the pandemic], there is now more importance being associated with maintaining small, yet meaningful, relationships. Every connection in quarantine counts, and there is a feeling of urgency to reinforce those connections.”

Prioritizing intimate hangouts between a couple friends over large group gatherings likely won’t stop when the threat of COVID-19 stops. We carry the habits we build during times of crisis with us even after the crisis is over. In a recent Politico story about what the future may look like, Georgetown University professor Deborah Tannen said the question may shift from “Is there a reason to do this online?” to “Is there any good reason to do this in person?”

“Catastrophes have caused permanently altered behavior in the past,” says Viktor Sander, a counselor who specializes in human behavior.

Take the general state of excess during the Roaring ‘20s after World War I and the Spanish Influenza, for example. Sander adds that “It’s likely that COVID-19 will normalize new behaviors — virtual hangouts being one” though “there needs to be other factors in place to sustain the new behavior.” (Less travel because of climate change is one possible factor Sanders cites.)

Drinking alone, together, takes some getting used to. A recent Zoom happy hour with former co-workers and friends — who haven’t hung out as a group, or even talked in some cases, in over two years — had some awkward quiet moments and some unintelligible moments where everyone talked at once. You can’t retreat to the bar or start a side conversation that’s only interesting to a few people when only one person can talk at a time and there’s nowhere to go but the screen. Still, it’s a sense of community — and one that carries far less of a commitment than going out and meeting people IRL.

“Well, it is much better than the alternative, sitting alone somewhere staring out the window, at a wall or at a painting,” Ullom says. “You can chat, sniff, swirl, sip, and share your ideas and thoughts still in real-time. The glassware might be different, and the air around a bit different, but that is all.”

How this could impact the way we drink together

Photo: Fabio Principe/Shutterstock

Bars could continue to build relationships with customers via video streams after this is all done. They could bring in authors like Kingfisher did for virtual book happy hours watched by people who live far from the bar’s physical location. Another thing bars may continue to do is host virtual karaokes with regulars on slow nights, or virtual bingo for bar gift cards during rough weather instead of opening and paying the overhead. In pre-COVID-19 times, these strategies might have seemed odd. Post-COVID-19, it might feel normalized.

Tonya Cross Hansel, associate professor at Tulane University School of Social Work, thinks that bars, cafes, and restaurants can’t be replaced. Still, the virtual happy hour mindset will stay with us long after the pandemic ends.

“It also provides opportunities to network and meet people that do not live in your general vicinity,” Hansel says. “Online dating has been popular for a long time and I see no reason why this cannot extend to other types of relationships.”

For those who already lived in isolated locations, or generally suffered from loneliness prior to the pandemic, the burgeoning scene of virtual happy hours — or just more frequent virtual check-ins of any kind — could be the most socialization many have had with distant friends in a while. In a post-COVID-19 world, the acceptance of virtual happy hours can help both those who live far away and those who suffer from crowd anxiety or agoraphobia. It can also serve as a reminder for normally busy, social people in major cities to check in on those friends and family more regularly.

“While the quarantine is revealing that social interaction is a necessity, these virtual engagements are allowing those who could not formerly go out to stay connected,” Potts says. “Those who are sick, older, or are not comfortable in large group settings can now engage on the same scale. While I believe that the vast majority of people will resume going out to bars and restaurants when the quarantine is over, we may see these virtual interactions remain.”

Plus, it could just be the perfect thing for anyone who doesn’t feel like getting ready after a long day of work, but still wants to unwind with friends.

“The beauty of forming these small, virtual interactions is that there is no pressure to be ‘seen,’” Potts says. “You don’t have to worry about what you wear or how your makeup is. Instead, this is a chance to see other people on a completely genuine and stripped-down level.”

No matter what, we won’t take the freedoms of connection so lightly after quarantine restrictions lift, Cardenas adds.

In an ideal world, we’ll once again return to the bars that fostered so much connection. Sitting at the bar next to strangers again may take some getting used to, and these creative ways to connect people were forced to rely on won’t disappear entirely. Regardless of what happens, though, one thing is for sure: The pandemic will change how we socialize for good.


More like this: This Italian grandma is holding virtual pasta-making classes to keep us connected

The post How the rise of virtual drinking will change the way we socialize appeared first on Matador Network.

How to reduce family stress at home

Times are tough, as we’re locked into our homes with family, navigating a reality that feels rather surreal. In addition to the anxiety each of us is feeling for the world at large — and many more for their livelihoods — some people are experiencing increased stress at home. We spoke with two experts on mental health, families, and relationships about how we can take care of our kids, our partners, and, importantly, ourselves.

Modeling for our kids

“The first thing to do as parents is to see how we can move from this more panicked place to a more healthy level of anxiety. If we think about our kids needing a lot from us right now, we can’t give it to our kids if we haven’t given it to ourselves,” says Dr. Susan Wilkens, a clinical psychologist in private practice in San Francisco who specializes in children and families.

A characteristic of excessive anxiety is the overestimation of risk and underestimation of one’s ability to cope with it. Wilkens asks us instead to recognize that, “This is going to be hard, and we’re going to be able to handle it,” and to communicate that message to our kids. We should also avoid catastrophic words like “always” and “never.”

While we can tell young ones that we don’t have answers to basic questions like when school will restart or whether a loved one will get sick, we can also reassure them that the family will be able to cope with whatever comes its way.

At the same time, we should still acknowledge our kids’ own concerns. “There’s an opportunity for parents to be more transparent, not in scary ways, but in compassionate ways, as in, ‘Yeah I know this is scary. This is scary for all of us,’” says Wilkens. “It’s reassuring to them that they’re human, there’s not something wrong with them, that they’re having such big emotions.”

Reaching agreements with partners

Tensions can also arise when partners are unsure of how to cope with the virus itself. One adult in the household may feel an ultra-hygienic approach is merited, but their partner may be less supportive.

Kristen Donato, a family therapist in the San Francisco Bay Area, says many couples have come to her with that concern, including a husband who questioned, “‘My wife says I can’t kiss her. Why can’t I kiss my wife?”

Adding to the challenge, says Donato, is the lack of data about coronavirus. No one really knows how much caution is too much. Under normal circumstances, when it comes to household habits — like, say, dirty kitchen dishes — Donato tells couples, “There is no such thing as a standard. Everything is a negotiation.”

With those negotiations, Donato says you can take turns, flip a coin, or look for whom making a sacrifice is easier. The final approach is to consider for whom the choice is a dealbreaker, asking, “For somebody, is it so deeply tied to that person’s values that that has to trump everything?” This last option may come into play more often during the pandemic.

“If someone really has anxiety, and they’re a germaphobe, and they’re losing sleep at night, I say we do the negotiation based on trying to help that person — given that they’re really isn’t a good standard, there’s no medically prescribed standard for how we’re supposed to really be,” recommends Donato.

Physical space

Carving out space within a household under shelter-in-place regulations can also be a challenge. While kids may have bedrooms to retreat to for online classes (or other educational websites if classes have been canceled altogether), and one parent may even have a home office, the other parent may find there’s no private space left for them. And even then, this luxury of space is the rarity.

Wilkens says that for the stay-at-home parent, or the parent who worked from home but whose child was at school during much of the day, it can feel like “their space has been invaded. Their space…is now a free for all.”

Donato agrees, calling on us to feel compassion for people who have to hole up in confined quarters. She recommends creating a space of your own, if possible. “I just carved out the foot of my bedroom and that’s my space, but at least it’s mine. So if you can isolate a corner of the dining room table,” you should, says Donato.

Donato also thinks it’s important for family members to agree on when they are going to come together. She proposes having “a family meeting to agree upon when we want to be in each others’ space and when we want our separate spaces.” For her own family, Donato says, “We agreed we want to gather for lunch and dinner, but we made it a family choice.”

Flexibility and coming together

Sitting down as a family for meals is part of the process of opting between being flexible and sticking to a routine. On the one hand, Wilkens suggests we relax about things like a messy pile in the house but recognizes the comfort routine can give, especially when we’re living in close quarters.

“There’s an opportunity for us to be coping by being flexible while also not throwing out the importance of routine and structure, and holding some family expectations. Because that’s how a team works together. The team is still meeting, the team is still having lunch together,” says Wilkens.

It may be tempting to think that with the whole family under one roof for long stretches of time, it isn’t necessary to consciously come together — but Wilkens cautions against that thinking. “With the online school, with parents potentially working online, there’s a lot of separateness. And that separateness, in the microcosm of your home, is happening in a world where we’re being asked to be separate,” she notes.

Wilkens says it’s important to stick to rituals like dinner together and to check in as a family, perhaps at the end of the day.

Add playfulness and avoid the news

Moreover, when you do come together as a family, use that time to reduce stress. Where possible, Wilkens recommends trying to inject a little playfulness into your home. She says she has balls all over the house, which she and her kids have been throwing around.

Donato recommends puzzles and board games as a way for the family members to focus on something other than the pandemic. Even if the game being proposed is not your favorite, go ahead and play it, she urges.

The flip side of seeking playfulness is limiting your exposure to the unsettling news. “If you’re exposing yourself, it’s going to trigger your anxiety. There’s no doubt about that,” says Donato. “You have to limit your exposure.”

Wilkens has the same message. While it may feel like we need to stay informed, Wilkens says, “People need to understand you can get post-traumatic stress from checking the news all day long. That will impact your nervous system seriously.”

Wilkens says she herself avoids too much news, noting, “I check things once a day or I ask my husband, “What do I need to know?’”

Paying attention to your body

Both Wilkens and Donato say a central step in reducing stress at home is self-care, which starts with our own bodies. While being nervous nowadays is to be expected, if we notice that our heart rate is up, that we are speaking quickly, that may agitate the very kids who need our reassurance.

We need to ask ourselves, “What can I control here?” says Wilkens.

Donato agrees that our body will tell us if we are overly stressed: “If you can feel the tension in your body and it’s a constant rate of hyper-arousal. If you’re just noticing that you’re on edge often, that’s the sign. Your body does keep the score.”

Donato recommends meditation to try and restore a sense of calm. While she likes Headspace and Waking Up as two meditation apps, she also appreciates The Mindful Movement for offering 10- or 15-minute meditations on topics like gratitude or sleep. She suggests dedicating even a few moments to meditation.

Wilkens also feels that if you already have a meditation practice in place, you should stick to it — regardless of how occupied you may now find yourself at home. To parents who say they don’t have time for meditation or self-care, Wilkens says, “I’d say it’s the opposite.”

Yet Wilkens adds, “If you’ve never meditated before, this is a really hard time to sit down and do that, because you’re going to think, ‘What’s wrong with me? This can’t be right. I don’t feel calm.’” With the stress of the pandemic, Wilkens says, “I like letting go of the idea of calm. We’re probably not going to feel calm for a while.”

Connecting with nature and others

Instead Wilkens calls for mood-boosting. She asks us to consider the things that naturally make us feel better. She says, “Anything you know about yourself, whether it’s knitting, whether it’s running…I can’t stress how powerful movement can be right now, especially if you can be outdoors.”

Wilkens says being outdoors is a “natural antidepressant” that can be “healing,” adding that when you are outside and your attention turns to the natural world, “all of that internal focus, which is the problem with anxiety, shifts outward and now you are out of your head.”

Even if you aren’t allowed to go outdoors, or nature isn’t a short walk away, you can also get out of your head by connecting with others, Donato reminds us.

“Pick up the phone. Start calling friends and having a phone date,” says Donato. “Be the change you want in the world. So if you’re seeking connection, then you create a Zoom group, and assume whatever it is you need, everybody else needs it too.”


More like this: A therapist’s guide to boosting your mental health when you’re socially isolated

The post How to reduce family stress at a time of crisis appeared first on Matador Network.

Best online classes

If you’ve already made three batches of homemade pasta with Nona Nerina, cleaned your house from floor to ceiling, rewatched the 10 seasons of Friends, and gone through a couple of good books, it might be time to switch gears if you want to stay sane and entertained during this time of self-isolation. To keep the boredom at bay for the next few weeks, sink your teeth into a long-term project that will keep you busy, and start with online classes. Whether it is sewing, drawing, dancing, or even writing, there’s plenty you can do right now to gain new skills, remain engaged, and reach a sense of accomplishment while staying safe at home.

Learn from the best with MasterClass.

Photo: MasterClass/Facebook

The crème de la crème of online classes, MasterClass is not cheap but it delivers. The teachers are the best in the world in their discipline, so you’re sure to gain precious insight in whatever topic tickles your fancy. With more than 80 classes comprising about 20 lessons each, MasterClass will keep you learning for a little while, especially if you schedule a homework routine for yourself between each lesson. If you have a stash of spirits at home and well-stocked pantry, you can learn mixology from experts Lynnette Marrero and Ryan Chetiyawardana; if you’d rather hone your writing skills, David Sedaris, Margaret Atwood, and Neil Gaiman (among many others) can help you write the next Pulitzer Prize for fiction; and if it’s tips about improving your photography skills that you’re looking for, Annie Leibovitz will set you right. Browse the list of classes to find what interests you the most, and if you’re unsure that MasterClass is the platform for you, you can obtain a few free sample classes by signing up on its website.

Dance the quarantine away with free professional ballet lessons from Tiler Peck.

Photo: tilerpeck/Instagram

Slip on your tutu and your leotard (or more likely, your leggings) and tune in with Tiler Peck, principal dancer at the New York City Ballet. The dancer generously gives free lessons, Monday to Friday, to whoever wants to stretch and learn a few of the tricks of the trade. Since she’s stuck at home, like the rest of us, and needs to train, she decided to share her practice with her followers who are willing to develop their pointes or improve their fifth position while holding on the kitchen counter. So, move the furniture to make some space and prepare to exercise muscles you didn’t even know existed.

Get your arts and crafts on with Creativebug.

Photo: Creativebug

Mastering a craft requires time to learn and practice, and right now we have boatloads of the stuff, so it’s your chance to get started. Creativebug caters to everyone with an interest in creating beautiful things, from super beginners who want to know how to mend clothing properly, to more advanced crafters who wish to make a modern quilt or get to grips with embroidery techniques. And there’s more than textile art on offer: lessons on jewelry making, decoration, ceramics, printmaking, and the like are all available on the platform at the click of a button. Most shops are closed at the moment, so getting material may be an issue, but each class offered has a list of materials on display so you can make sure you have everything you need before you sign up. There’s a no-commitment free trial option for those who want to give it a shot without getting too invested.

Turn your brain into an encyclopedia with The Great Courses.

Photo: The Great Courses/Facebook

For most of us, once we’re done with college and we start working, we give up the learning of traditional subjects like history, science, literature, etc. Although for some it’s a blessing not to have to think about math or medieval Europe ever again, for others, it’s a bit of a downer not to have time to expand our knowledge of the world we live in. But, the exceptional situation we currently find ourselves in opens up a wide range of learning opportunities that can easily be filled with the many fascinating classes to be found on The Great Courses. With courses on classical mythology, German, the art of the ancient world, decoding the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphics, botany, calculus, biochemistry, and many more, this platform is a great way to learn away from school — and maybe even train for that Jeopardy application you’ve always thought about.

Doodle and draw daily with renowned illustrators.

Photo: Kennedy Center/YouTube

Both Mo Willens and Jarrett J. Krosoczka are New York Times best-selling authors and illustrators, and they both offer online drawing classes during the coronavirus health crisis that keeps them and us at home. Willens invites you into his studio via YouTube every weekday at 1:00 PM ET for “Lunch Doodles,” while Krosoczka welcomes you into his space, also via YouTube, every weekday at 2:00 PM ET for more intricate drawing lessons. Both are children’s book authors so the lessons are appropriate for adults and kids alike.

Learn about happiness for free from Yale.

Photo: Coursera

One of Yale University’s most popular courses, “The Science of Well-Being,” is now available for free on Coursera. The course, taught by psychology professor Laurie Santos, digs into the neuroscience behind the feeling of well-being, our misconception about happiness, and the habits that we can all create to achieve a state of happiness. Over 1.1 million people have signed up for the course that takes about 20 hours of classes. Although auditing the course is free, if you want to complete assignments, have them graded, and obtain a certificate at the end, it will cost you $49.

Go birding from the comfort of your own home with the Cornell Lab.

Photo: Cornell Lab

It’s not because you’re to remain at home that you should forget about the natural world outside your window. To help you remain connected with the beautiful wildlife that populates our skies, take a course with the Cornell Lab’s Bird Academy. Beginner classes, starting at $29.99, will help you become a better birder by teaching how to identify bird songs and recognize birds by size, colors, and patterns. More advanced courses include bird biology and observation and drawing skills. And remember, you can still open your window and make use of your binoculars to put your knowledge to the test. You can even take a walk in nature as long as you respect the rules of social distancing.

Color yourself busy thanks to contemporary artists, libraries, and museums.

Photo: oanabefort/Catherine Willett/New York Botanical Garden

If you’d rather focus your artistic endeavour on something a little easier than learning to paint or draw, get your crayons out and get coloring instead. An activity that has gained popularity with adults in the past few years, coloring is a great way to be in the moment, be creative, and relax. During this difficult time, artists from around the world have made some of their designs accessible online for free so you can print them out and color away. Catherine Willett is offering a download of her Women’s History Month coloring book so you can bring to life black-and-white drawings of Dolly Parton, Toni Morrison, and more. Designer and illustrator Oana Befort has also created some beautiful coloring pages with her unique whimsical and floral designs. To combine art and culture, check out Inuit artist Sarah Ayaqi Whalen’s coloring pages that represent scenes of Inuit legends, Arctic animals, and other traditional Unuit designs. Many libraries and museums have also released coloring books featuring works from their collections; from floral designs from the New York Botanical Garden to the strange creatures of the Wangensteen Historical Library, there’s something to color for every bored person out there.


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The post Online classes that will keep you busy and inspired during isolation appeared first on Matador Network.

Travel memoirs to read

So the only view you have right now is the one outside your bedroom window. It’s easy to feel cramped, your longing for travel stifled by your equally strong urge to protect public health. There is a way to travel while you’re stuck indoors though. All you need is the right book. These travel memoirs, part personal journey, part travelogue to new and uncharted territories, will lead your imagination on wild adventures to places far beyond the confines of your couch. Dog sled across the arctic tundra with Blair Braverman in Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube, explore France’s culinary treasures with Julia Child by your side in My Life in France, or bicycle across continents with Dervla Murphy in Full Tilt. If you’re feeling claustrophobic escape into these stories which offer a much needed change in scenery.

1. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin

Photo: Penguin Random House

Bruce Chatwin’s memoir of his travels through Patagonia — a rural region shared by southern Chile and Argentina — is a love letter to a wild country. He imbues strange and unfamiliar lands with a thrilling electricity. Chatwin tracks down the places where Welsh immigrants once settled and bandits roamed, his passion for adventure and history propelling his journey forward. Among the many characters Chatwin encounters are an unlikley incarnation of Butch Cassidy, a guacho posse, and a touring piano player. Credited with infusing the travel writing genre with renewed energy, as well as interest in Patagonia as a travel destination, one might feel compelled to follow in his footsteps, backpack in hand, before even turning the last page of the book.

2. My Life in France by Julia Child

Photo: Penguin Random House

In 1948, Julia Child moved to France with her husband Paul, an officer at the US Information Service at the US Embassy. She knew nothing about French cuisine — not even how to make beurre blanc. Not one to sit around feeling useless, Child enrolled at the Cordon Bleu and discovered a remarkable talent for cooking. Today, we know her as the woman who introduced French cuisine to American housewives, but this memoir tracks her beginnings. Child’s travels through France as she discovers the recipes and ingredients that would become the second greatest love of her life (Paul being the first) is a lively, vibrant tour of the Parisian palate. But it’s Child herself who makes this book sparkle: Gregarious and warm, but full of barbed opinions, she is a refreshingly honest and friendly narrator you will wish you could have dinner with the moment you close the book.

3. Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman

Photo: Harper Collins

At just 19, Blair Braverman left her home in California and moved to Norway to learn how to drive sled dogs. Quite the extreme career move. Arctic life suits Braverman, and eventually, she lands in Alaska, where she becomes a tour guide, before settling in Wisconsin with her partner (dogs in tow of course). Traversing the icy tundra with her pack of dogs at the helm is dangerous and exhausting (she finds herself stuck in caves and blizzards), but Braverman is a fearless adventurer, carving out a place for herself in a profession dominated by men. Interspersed with action-movie-esque sequences, Braverman’s memoir takes readers on a tour of a perilous yet utterly intriguing landscape.

4. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

Photo: Penguin Random House

Considered a classic of the genre, this memoir follows Steinbeck on a 1960 road trip across the US, accompanied by his standard poodle, Charley. Steinbeck said that after devoting his writing career to the landscape and outlook of the American people, he wanted to see the country for himself, but his son Thom claims that he actually took the trip as a sort of last hurrah, as he knew his heart was failing. Steinbeck visits Long Island, the Pacific Northwest, the Badlands of North Dakota, Maine, and the Salinas Valley in California — his birthplace — on his quest to find out “What are Americans like today.” But Steinbeck was a novelist by trade, a predilection that may have influenced his so-called memoir. Recent scholarly work has pointed out that Steinbeck may have fabricated some of the conversations in the book, and new editions contain a note warning readers that it would be a “mistake to take this travelogue too literally.”

5. The Voices of Marrakesh by Elias Canetti

Photo: Barnes and Noble

Nobel-prize winning author Elias Canetti is best known for his memoirs of childhood in pre-Nazi Vienna, but he also wrote a slim volume recording a weeks-long visit to Marrakesh in the 1950s. This vibrant recollection of his time in Marrakech is a series of snapshots: He encounters camels, buys bread, drinks at French bars — small moments that add up to an intimate, loving portrait of a city full of character. This mosaic narrative brings together the city’s Arab, European, and Jewish residents, all of whom Canetti treats with dignity and compassion. His account is full of sensory details too — how the city smells, how it’s organized, and the way its people move and congregate — resulting in a memorable (though perhaps slightly outdated) portrait of the city.

6. The Colossus of Maroussi by Henry Miller

Photo: Penguin Random House

In 1939, Henry Miller traveled to Greece with his friend Lawrence Durrell, a naturalist, to escape the looming Nazi occupation. Miller intended to seek out poet George Katsimbalis, the “colossus” of the book’s title. On its surface, this book pretends to be a portrait of Katsimbalis (who Miller does meet) but it’s also a travelogue. The author hops between Athens, Crete, Corfu, Poros, Hydra, and Delphi in the nine months he spent in Greece, before moving to the United States at the outbreak of World War II. Miller felt something beyond love for Greece — the place where he became “free and whole.” Poor, but full of the spirit of an adventurer, Miller sunbathes naked on a beach, visits a village with just one stove for all its residents, and marvels at the country where he wrote “God’s magic is still at work.”

7. Epic Continent by Nicholas Jubber

Photo: Nicholas Brealey Publishing

There are stories that stick with us now, and then there are stories that have stuck with humanity for centuries. We learn about them in school and we study them in college — think titles like The Odyssey, Beowulf, and The Song of Roland. Nicholas Jubber, an award-winning travel writer and author, visited the real-world locations of these and other classics (at least as close to the original location as can be determined) to see how those stories hold up today. He meets activists who tell him about how the Nibelungenlied shaped Nazi, and later neo-Nazi, rhetoric in Germany, and how The Song of Roland has influenced the way people perceive honor across northern Europe. In the Balkans, he sees the lasting impact — both positive and negative — of the lessons behind the Kosovo Cycle. Everywhere he goes, he learns a little more about himself, the stories we tell ourselves, and how stories are used to build a national cultural identity. —Nickolaus Hines

8. Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams

Photo: Penguin Random House

Douglas Adams’ quirkiness and humor is legendary, but pair it with a side of travel and you’ve got one of most joyful, fulfilling, and touching adventure memoirs out there. In Last Chance to See, Adams joins his friend, zoologist Mark Carwardine, on a trip around the world to see the last specimens of some of the most amazing and most endangered creatures on the planet, and learn what is being done to save them. Together, they travel to China to see river dolphins; to Indonesia to observe Komodo dragons; to New Zealand to see a vibrantly colored and flightless parrot; and more. Last Chance to See is hilarious, heartbreaking at times, and decidedly uplifting, and if there’s one thing we could all use right now, it’s wit, fun, escapism, and adorable animals. Note that if you can’t procure yourself the 1990 book at this time, there is an excellent 20th-anniversary version of the expedition available on Netflix featuring Mark Carwardine and Stephen Fry, which is also a great mood lifter.

9. The Consolations of the Forest by Sylvain Tesson

Photo: Rizzoli

Sylvain Tesson is a hardcore adventurer. He’s gone just about everywhere and roughed it every time. At 21, in 1993, he biked around the world with his best friend Alexandre Poussin; In 1997, he and his same friend crossed the Himalayas on foot; in 2001, he traveled around Central Asia on horseback; in 2003 and 2004, he walked from Siberia to Calcutta, India; and more. But he is no Bear Grylls — he’s not out there to prove his manliness or his ability to survive in the most extreme conditions. Instead, he travels to feel and learn the things he knows he can’t access by staying home in Paris. His most popular expedition, his living in an extremely remote cabin in Siberia for six months, is not a story of wandering adventures and significant encounters, but one of the beauty of isolation in nature in a world where solitude and wilderness are harder and harder to come by. The short novel that recounts this trip, Consolations of the Forest, is filled with sadness and fear, but it’s also punctuated by moments of intense, simple happiness. A reflection on the power of nature and self-contemplation, Consolations of the Forest is the travel memoir that will highlight the positive aspects of this time of isolation, but will also make you crave for the great outdoors for when the time that we can all get out there again comes.

10. Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy

Photo: Eland Books

In 1963 in Ireland (just like today in just about every country in the world), a 31-year-old woman was not expected to take off on her own to India on a bicycle, but that’s exactly what Dervla Murphy did. One of the most astonishing female travelers of the 20th century, Murphy is no ordinary wanderer — she claims that it was at age 10, when she received a bike and an atlas as birthday presents, that she planned this epic 3,000-mile adventure across Eastern Europe, Turkey, and a large chunk of Asia. Full Tilt is the diary she kept during her six-month trip and it will remind you of the joy of traveling to which we will all (hopefully) return to very soon. Note that Dervla Murphy traveled all her life and published a staggering 26 books relating her adventures around the globe, so if you like Full Tilt, you’ll have plenty more to read in the same vein.


More like this: Cheerful books that will bring you joy during this isolating, scary time

The post The best travel memoirs to read while you’re stuck inside appeared first on Matador Network.

Sports announcer commentating life

In the absence of sporting events, the announcers, who live for the thrill of commenting on live games, are left with the unquenchable urge to call something, so this rugby announcer turned to the most obvious alternative — everyday life.

Nick Heath, a rugby announcer from London, is spending his lockdown days providing color commentary for the mundane events of everyday life. Using only his phone, Heath recorded himself doing play-by-plays of a range of everyday activities, from people shopping to mothers pushing their babies in strollers. His commentary on two dogs chasing each other in a park has been viewed over 750,000 times on Twitter.

Dogging.#LifeCommentary #LiveCommentary pic.twitter.com/BuRkVWAGjX

— Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) March 21, 2020

Since Tuesday, when he first began posting these videos, his Twitter followers have increased from 15,000 to around 104,000.

After the lunch break now…

2020 Crossroad Dash. Live.#LifeCommentary #LiveCommentary pic.twitter.com/QFkW0SUqy8

— Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) March 17, 2020

Heath told USA Today, “It was just going and having a bit of fun and keeping my followers on social media entertained. But it obviously has blown up a bit since.”

Regional Qualifiers Market Bartering. Live.#LifeCommentary #LiveCommentary pic.twitter.com/On36myTsNu

— Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) March 17, 2020

He went on to explain how doing real-life play-by-plays has been cathartic for him in a world without sports. “I’ve sort of referred to it a little bit as almost being the placebo for real sports,” he said, “because sport for me is as much about the sound of it, the look of it, the feel of it as the action itself. So I think if you can embody the sound of it to a degree, then you’re almost scratching the itch for some people.”

Middle Class Arena. LIVE.#LifeCommentary #LiveCommentary https://t.co/jokricAmLd pic.twitter.com/KSlEbQezox

— Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) March 18, 2020

Find A Bargain Steeplechase. Live.#LifeCommentary #LiveCommentary pic.twitter.com/ny3ru4XN8u

— Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) March 18, 2020

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Four Seasons offer free rooms

A stay at the Four Seasons in NYC typically doesn’t come cheap. In these turbulent times, however, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals will soon be able to stay for free at the Midtown hotel. To prevent medical professionals from infecting their families, and from enduring long commutes to work, the hotel is offering free housing, according to an announcement from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday.

The Four Seasons Hotel on 57th Street will provide FREE lodging to doctors, nurses & medical personnel currently working to respond to the #COVID19 pandemic.

Thank you @FourSeasons.

The first of many hotels we hope will make their rooms available.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 25, 2020

On Friday, March 20, the hotel will be closed to the public and won’t be taking reservations until at least April 15. That means there are plenty of rooms available. It’s also conveniently located near several hospitals, including Bellevue, NYC Langone, NewYork-Presbyterian, and Mount Sinai.

In a statement to WCBS, Ty Warner, the chairman of the hotel’s corporate owner, said, “Our health care workers are working tirelessly on the front lines of this crisis. Many of those working in New York City have to travel long distances to and from their homes after putting in 18-hour days. They need a place close to work where they can rest and regenerate. I heard Governor Cuomo’s call to action during one of his press conferences, and there was no other option for us but do whatever we could to help.”


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The difference between truffles

Truffles are among the most highly sought after mushrooms in the world. They’re far from the most frequently eaten — in fact, much of their popularity stems from seasonality and limited supply — yet truffles are revered by fine-food lovers. There are hundreds of known truffle species. Of these, fewer than 10 are eaten. And of those, there are two that dominate the conversation: black truffles and white truffles.

Both types are native to Europe. White truffles (Tuber magnatum) are the more rare and expensive type, and primarily come from the Piedmont and Tuscany regions of Italy in the northwest and central parts of the country. The growing location is where white truffles get the other common names of Alba truffle and Piedmont truffle. Black truffles (Tuber melanosporum) originally come from France, especially Perigord in the south-central region of the country.

Regardless of the type, people wouldn’t be able to enjoy truffles without a little help from humans’ best friend. Well-trained truffle dogs (usually the water retriever breed Lagotto Romagnolos, but always very good dogs) sniff out the fungi hiding underground near tree roots.

Photo: Luca Bambi/Shutterstock

Before there were dogs, there were pigs. Truffles grow underground and depend on animals to spread the spores. The strong aroma draws wild pigs that dig it up — which is why pigs were historically one of the only ways to find truffles. Dogs, however, are much less likely to keep a portion of the truffle find for themselves.

This aroma is behind the appeal of truffles. The fresher the truffle, the more powerful the flavor. For the best truffle tasting, sample the fungi as close to where it was dug up as quickly as possible — hence the popularity of truffle festivals in Italy and elsewhere.

You don’t have to travel to Europe to observe a truffle hunter and his pups searching for the valuable fungi, though. A yearly harvest of black truffles is collected from the Kendall-Jackson Winery property in Sonoma County. The practice dates back to when Jess Jackson planted inoculated hazelnut and oak trees in 2011. In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, more than 30 pounds of black truffles ranging from walnut to softball-size were harvested.

“It’s a kind of secretive industry, but with the info that’s publicly available, we believe our orchard is currently producing more black truffles in the US than any other,” says Tucker Taylor, the master culinary gardener who’s in charge of overseeing the winery’s truffle program.

Kendall-Jackson is one of 10 farms producing truffles in Sonoma County, and the only one at a winery. The soil and climate are just right for black truffles, as is the demand from farm-to-table restaurants in San Francisco and the Bay Area. These fresh domestic truffles are a seasonal delight for anyone who can get their hands on them. For the rest of us, imports will have to do.

These are the key differences between black and white truffles to know before investing in a fresh shaving of the fungi on your pasta and pizza.

Taste and appearance

Photo: Mahony/Shutterstock

White truffles are smooth with a slight yellow tinge. They’re the more pungent of the two, with a heady musk aroma and a garlicky flavor. Both the taste and smell of white truffles can easily overwhelm a dish, so they’re usually microplaned sparingly over pasta or used as a garnish.

Black truffles have a rough, rigid exterior, similar to tree bark. Their flavor is more subtle than white truffles, accompanied by an earthy aroma. The taste is similar to the aroma, with some slight nutty notes. Black truffles typically blend a little better into sauces.

Regionality and season

White truffles have stubbornly remained regional despite attempts to domesticate and grow them in other parts of the world. They’re found in Piedmont and Tuscany in Italy, as well as select parts of southern France and Croatia. The season runs from September to January, with peak truffles harvested from late October to November.

Black truffles, on the other hand, have found some new homes, including other parts of Europe, Australia, and northern California. They come from Perigord, France, but are grown in other parts of Europe, as well as Australia and the United States. The key is the types of trees that the truffle grows around: oak, hazelnut, chestnut, elm, and poplar. Black truffle harvest season is December through March, with peak truffles coming in January and February.

Cost

Photo: Eskymaks/Shutterstock

White truffles are the more expensive of the two, with prices well upwards of $200 an ounce depending on the season. White truffles are rarer and can only thrive in very specific environments, which hikes up the price. Because black truffles are a little more flexible, able to grow if a farmer has planted inoculated trees, they tend to run a little cheaper, at around $50 an ounce.

Which one is in truffle oil

Neither, in most cases. Common truffle oil like the kind you’ll find on truffle chips and truffle fries is actually made with artificial ingredients to imitate the smell and taste. Next time you see “truffle oil” on a menu masquerading as a fancy ingredient, you are allowed to be skeptical.


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How to combat skin problems

From greasy street food to cheap hotel soap, travel shakes up all the good habits that keep your skin happy and healthy. In fact, the flight alone is the biggest skin stressor, causing the body to lose up to 1.5 liters of water on barely a three-hour flight. Factor in long-haul journeys combined with varying weather and environmental changes, and your skin is exposed to mega dehydration before you’ve even checked into your first hotel.

If you notice annoying breakouts and flaky dry skin that only seem to appear when you travel, you’ll want to pinpoint the cause. Here are the main reasons why your complexion freaks out and how to best prepare and care for it while traveling.

1. You bought skincare products you don’t usually use.

Whether you plan to rely on the hotel creams or you’ve bought whatever travel-sized cleansers you found at the drugstore, this is not the time to forgo your regular skincare routine. On average, it takes about 28 days for skin cells to turn over, which means you need to wait at least one month before you’ll see results. This is especially risky for those with sensitive/irritable skin or who are acne-prone, notes Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse, a board-certified dermatologist at SkinSafe Dermatology.

For the best results, grab reusable travel-sized containers and fill them with your normal products. These BPA-free silicone bottles are a great sustainable option for your core products. You can also utilize an old contact lens case to store expensive serums and eye creams.

2. You’re not getting enough rest.

Even if you prioritize sleep, uncomfortable beds, time changes, and noisy nightlife can still keep you awake. For long-haul travelers, supplementing with melatonin — the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle — can help cure jet-lag while noise-canceling headphones will become crucial for quality sleep on that plane, hostel, or overnight bus.

It’s not just to avoid baggy under-eyes, either. “Lack of sleep can trigger inflammation (hello, pimples!), water loss (dry, flaky, tight, irritated skin), and puffiness,” explains Shainhouse. Sleep allows your skin cells to recharge, repair, and regenerate so you wake up feeling and looking rested.

3. You’re not prepared for the cabin climate.

Every time you board a plane, you’re stepping into stale, recycled air with only 10 to 15 percent humidity. And when there is lack of moisture, the air will draw water from any source it can — including your skin. “I recommend skipping the heavy makeup look and instead going for a fresh-faced, light appearance,” says Catie Wiggy, vice president of marketing and product innovation at MyChelle Dermaceuticals, “and a hydrating cream with hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture.” Also key in your in-flight skincare routine is SPF — windows on planes not only don’t block ultraviolet rays but also leave you exposed to more UVA light as you climb 20,000 feet closer to the sun.

4. You traveled to a place with a different climate or season.

Our oil glands respond to hot and cold climates by going into overdrive, so jumping geographic zones quickly doesn’t give our skin time to acclimate. If you have oily skin, arm yourself with a mattifying lotion like the Murad Oil and Pore Control Mattifier and its clarifying body spray to help fight body breakouts. People with dry skin and those in windy environments will want to protect the moisture in their skin with extra serums and a lip balm with solar protection. Try the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm with SPF 25 for any destination.

5. You’re gorging on the sweet stuff.

Even if your mantra is that vacation calories don’t count, it’s important to understand how your skin’s health depends on the balance of your digestive system — including sugar. Studies show that your body has a buffer to handle short-term overeating of up to about a week. Anything more than that can affect your insulin production and lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and skin changes. “High glycemic index [sugary] foods are associated with acne development,” explains Shainhouse, noting to splurge when you want but to try out a moderate diet plan on extended vacations if you’re acne-prone.

6. You’re not wearing enough SPF.

“It’s a myth that sun clears up acne,” says Shainhouse, noting that sun exposure puts you at risk for painful sunburn and UV-associated inflammation which can actually cause breakouts. Even if you apply sunscreen before heading on a day tour, you’ll want to prioritize reapplying throughout the day — which is just as important. The good news is sunscreen can be properly applied over makeup so you can take it on the go. Catie Wiggy’s favorite: the MyCHELLE Dermaceuticals Sun Shield Liquid, a 100 percent mineral sunscreen for maximum UVA/UVB broad-spectrum protection.

7. You’re in a city with high air pollution.

No matter if you travel to a big city or a rural town, almost 80 percent of the world’s population breathes polluted air, according to NASA. While there are adverse effects of pollution greater than bad skin, traveling to a city with higher pollution rates is a skin concern for most people. Not only is your skin’s exposure to air pollutants associated with dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis, but small airborne pollutants can get stuck in your pores, causing acne-like breakouts. This is often called chemical- or pollution-induced acne.

Smog, especially the ground-level ozone it causes, depletes natural antioxidants on the skin, like vitamins C and E. To combat this, look for anti-pollution skincare products formulated with antioxidants. Try the Sunday Riley C.E.O. Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream, an antioxidant-infused moisturizer with lime pearl extract and exopolysaccharides, which fight micro pollution found in smog. You can also add leave-on AHA or BHA exfoliants to your travel routine if you’re headed to a big city. This extra step helps dislodge the pollutants that get trapped in your pores.

8. The water quality is different from what you’re used to.

Hard water has a high accumulation of dissolved minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium, and it’s a nuisance in most major cities. While it has no known adverse health effect, hard water can’t properly dissolve soaps, leaving leftover residue on your skin that draws out your natural oils and leaves your skin feeling dry and irritated. A water softener — currently the best solution for a purer rinse — is not feasible for travelers. If you’re dealing with tight-feeling skin from hard water while traveling, Westlake Dermatology recommends opting for a gentler face wash than your normal go-to for less irritation. If acne is your problem, consider using only distilled water for your facial cleanse.

9. You’re stressed out.

Physiological and physical stress can create undesirable changes in our skin. So between pre-travel jitters and navigating foreign territory, it’s easy to send your cortisol (stress) levels into high gear. Check in with your anxiety levels both pre- and mid-trip so you can fly with confidence, then embrace the right travel mentality so you can enjoy the experience and keep acne at bay.


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12 books by black authors to read

Just when the Black Travel Movement was gaining so much speed, we now all find ourselves confined to our houses. While the onset of COVID-19 has put the entire world on the no-fly list, we don’t have to pass this time idly. Instead, we can use these weeks we’ll be grounded to absorb the work of the legends that paved the way for us to be able to lead our nomadic lives. If you have been previously unfamiliar with the work of black travel writers, you’re in for a treat: Black travel writers can offer a perspective on cross-culturalism that you may not find elsewhere. If you’re unsure where to start, here are 12 exceptional examples of travel memoirs and other books written by black authors.

1. Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale-Hurston

Photo: Harper Collins

As published in the Guggenheim Foundation’s annual report for 1935-36, Zora Neale-Hurston was awarded her fellowship that year for “the gathering of material for books on authentic Negro folk-life, in particular a study of magic practices among Negroes in the West Indies.” The resultant manuscript was Tell My Horse, a work that is part travelogue, part ethnography, part strict, addictive narrative.

Interestingly, she uses quite a bit of her bandwidth in this work ruminating on the existence and the validity of the black diaspora — something many of us take for granted to exist today — as if she had someone to convince of our mutual heritage and cultural touchstones. I would imagine that she would be satisfied to know that this work still resonated with contemporary black readers and that for us, those touchstones do exist.

2. Due North by Lola Akinmade Åkerström

Photo: Lola Akinmade Åkerström

This Nigerian-born, America-educated travel writer and photographer has had quite the storied career — one that included a stint right here at Matador Network as an editor. These days she’s based in Stockholm, and her book, Due North, is a 2018 Lowell Thomas Gold Award Winner for best travel book, and you should definitely read it if you’ve ever had a dream destination.

In this work, Akinmade Åkerström tells the origin story of her desire to see the world; of being a teenager fascinated by maps; of deciding that she would, one day, go to the north pole; and of how this elusive feat has shaped her life and travels. It is a must-read if you have a yet un-attained travel goal.

3. Mandela, Mobutu, and Me by Lynne Duke

Photo: Penguin Random House

A 1985 graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, the late Lynne Duke was nominated for a Pulitzer before the decade was over with her incredible reporting from Miami Florida, about the crack epidemic that was then ravaging black neighborhoods. Though she is also well known for her depictions of post-9/11 NYC life, she is maybe most popular for her reporting from Southern Africa in the ‘90s. This book one of the results of those travels.

Mandela, Mobutu, and Me is an account of what Lynne would call, her “Africa beat” — that time in her life when she gave up everything else to tell this story, when she gave her whole self to this time and place that saw so much history: the fall of apartheid; the rise of Mandela; the spiritual and literal end of the nation of Zaire and, with it, its leader, Mobutu Sese Seko. Long hailed as one of the best reports of southern Africa in the ‘90s, it offers a perspective that navigates western ideas about the African continent while accurately depicting the corruption that existed in African politics at the time.

4. Richard Wright’s Travel Writings edited by Virginia Whatley Smith

Photo: Amazon

Possibly most famous for his 1945 bestselling memoir, Black Boy, which details his life as a boy and young man, Richard Wright came a long way, literally, from Roxie, Mississippi, where he was born. Wright first relocated to Chicago, then New York, eventually fleeing the United States completely, where he famously became one of many black American expats in Paris, France in 1946.

This collection of essays details some of his travels and shows his proclivity to approach cultures as a student rather than a colonizer and vulnerably relate his awakening to the concepts of French existentialism and pan-Africanism. While now this type of immersive travel is commonplace, this was a radical approach at the time. Even now it is worth revisiting the unprecedented way he portrayed his relationship with African and black people in travel writing.

5. Kinky Gazpacho by Lori L. Tharps

Photo: Simon & Schuster/Shutterstock

An associate professor of Journalism at Temple University, Lori L. Tharps credits her time in Spain for helping her to understand her own blackness in a global context. Born in an all-white suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, her relationship to race was colored by the experience of frequently being the only black person in school or in her neighborhood.

Kinky Gazpacho tells the story of her personal journey after moving to Spain, and how she managed to navigate Spanish ideas of blackness while simultaneously maneuvering through life in a new country. This book is a very personal tale that is so very relatable to the scores of black women who have ever left the United States hoping to escape the racism that they have endured, only to have found it again in a slightly different package. This story is not devoid of hope or optimism though — it also chronicles the author’s story of falling in love, all with the backdrop of the Iberian peninsula.

6. All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou

Photo: Penguin Random House

American author, poet, and luminary civil rights activist Maya Angelou spoke frequently, throughout her entire body of work, about her relationship to blackness, Africanness, and her conflicts with nationality and sense of belonging. This is arguably the memoir that tells this origin story.

The fifth installment in a seven-volume memoir, All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes chronicles her time living in Accra, Ghana, between 1962 and 1965. Those who are looking to explore the relationship that Africanness has to American blackness will adore this poetic work, as her famous resiliency is tempered by the idiosyncrasies of her immersion in a different culture.

7. Looking for Transwonderland by Noo Saro-Wiwa

Photo: Noo Saro-Wiwa

Nigerian-British Noo Saro-Wiwa came to her intercontinental life by happenstance rather than choice. Born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and a member of the Ogoni — an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose traditional homeland was pillaged for its oil reserves — she is the daughter of famed revolutionary Ken Saro-Wiwa.

Ken was a poet, an academic, and, much to the chagrin of Sani Abacha and his dictatorial military regime, a radical environmental activist. Partially because of her fathers’ political leanings and the subsequent danger that could have put Noo and her mother and siblings, they moved to Surrey in 1977, leaving her father behind in Port Harcourt to continue his work with the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, the same work that precipitated his execution by military tribune in 1995.

Though Noo long vowed never to return to her native Nigeria, this work is the product of her doing exactly that. In it, she describes navigating the landscape that she finds both familiar and foreign while she oscillates between decrying and protecting Nigerian culture. If you yourself are a bi- or multicultural person, you will likely relate enormously to this dexterously crafted, humorously vulnerable book.

8. An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie

Photo: Penguin Random House

Born in Togo in 1941, Tété-Michel Kpomassie came across a book as a child that sent his life on a strange and singular trajectory. After having a run-in with a python that left him injured and indebted to a snake priestess to whom he credits with his recovery, he soon left his native Togo with the goal of reaching a land that he had only read about in Dr. Robert Gessain’s The Eskimos from Greenland to Alaska.

As one of the premier works of black travel writing in history, this book is an introduction to many of the particulars of the genre. While many are charmed by Kpomassie’s unyielding devotion to reaching Greenland, many disagree, finding the way he relates this long tale childish or naive. But maybe this work, rather than being the agent that divides people, merely shows us where we already divide ourselves as travelers: either we are inherently optimistic or we plan for the worst. This work may be perfect for you if you’d like to know which one you are.

9. Finding Faith by Faith Adiele

Photo: Adiele

Nordic/Nigerian/American travel writer Faith Adiele was Thailand’s first black Buddhist nun, and it was these very experiences that informed her brilliant debut, Finding Faith. More than just a travel writer, Adiele has centered her brand around recontextualizing what travel writing is by promoting a decolonized approach to navigating other cultures.

By contextualizing this pursuit within the microcosm of this one singular, though arduous, endeavor, the reader has the opportunity to learn the nuances of what it can be like to engage with people whose lifestyles may differ from your own without infantilizing their way of life. Those whose travel experiences have been inspired by works such as Heart of Darkness and Burmese Days are particularly invited to read this important work: For just as we need to decolonize travel writing, we need to begin decolonizing the way we travel.

10. Blue as the Lake: A Personal Geography by Robert Stepto

Photo: Amazon

Dr. Robert B. Steptoe has had an impressive career in academia. Currently a professor of African American studies and English at Yale University, he is an alumnus of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, Trinity College, and Stanford University where he earned his Ph.D. It is maybe this affinity for and success within this arena that informs his ethnographic memoir, Blue as the Lake.

This is a book that weaves his personal tales and travels with those of his family, thus connecting their stories to those of black culture cumulatively. Stepto achieves this with a deftness that few in the world can emulate; engaging with his work imbues the reader with the sense that they are on a journey with him, one that makes many important stops along the timeline of black American history.

11. Hardly Working by Zukiswa Wanner

Photo: Black Letter Media

A South African journalist who currently resides in Kenya, Zukiswa Wanner puts her pan-Africanness on full display in her eighth book, Hardly Working: A Travel Memoir of Sorts. In this work we see her traveling about with her partner and young son on a book tour to mark the 10th anniversary of her debut novel, The Madams.

Born of a South African father and a Zimbabwean mother in Zambia, Wanner’s relationship to African multiculturalism may be one she was never going to be able to escape. A huge part of this work is spurned from the personal responsibility she feels to pass the importance of pan-Africanism onto her son, and like James Baldwin and Tá-Nehisi Coates before her, put this pursuit in print. So much of travel writing is reserved for those going at it alone, but this work is a must-read for those who believe a family can only enrich your relationship to the wide world.

12. A Stranger in the Village edited by Farah J. Griffin and Cheryl J. Fish

Photo: Amazon

If this list has seemed a bit overwhelming and you’re not sure where to start, this may be the perfect book for you. A Stranger in the Village: Two Centuries of African American Travel Writing is an anthology of short essays, memoirs, personal letters, and lectures of black American nomads spanning 200 years. This book showcases luminaries you may be familiar with, like Angela Davis and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., alongside some authors you may be surprised to learn about.

Of the pieces collected into this work, you’ll find Ntozake Shange’s take on the influence of Motown in Nicaragua in the mid-20th century; an excerpt from Matthew Henson’s 1912 book, A Negro at the North Pole; and the work of many other black nomads with which you are going to want to become familiar. Many of the tales in this collection may have been lost save for their inclusion here; maybe we all should make 2020 the year we revisit these authors and give them the acclaim they rightly deserve.


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