Vegan Thanksgiving 101: Meatless Turkey Options

This morning I read that one-third of Americans are considering going meatless this Thanksgiving. These numbers seem too good to be true, but I’m staying hopeful! I am also hoping to be mostly vegan this Thanksgiving for the environment, animal welfare and for my health. From my past experiences, a 100% vegan Thanksgiving is super…

Veselka – Best Ukrainian Restaurant in NYC

Moving to Rhode Island was a great choice for my family. However, one of the things that I really miss about New York City is Veselka. It probably sounds familiar to you because it is quite famous and is mentioned in the TV show Gossip Girl. ‘Veselka’ means rainbow in Ukrainian. At the prices they…

Ukrainians in America: Diaspora near Rhode Island

One of the best things about America is that it is a melting pot of cultures from all over the world. While no cities and towns are quite as international as New York, it is not unusual to see various cultures living and thriving together. Looking more into this made me realize that there are…

The Highest View in Kyiv, Ukraine: Iron Maiden

Please get the images of heavy metal devils out of your head this instant. Ukraine’s Iron Maiden has nothing to do with the band. Although anyone who has seen it in person will agree that it is pretty metal. A little bit of history: This statue is actually called Rodina Mat (Motherland). It sits on…

Are the Dogs in Chernobyl Radioactive?

Last December, my mom organized a trip for me and my husband Isaac to Chernobyl, Ukraine. We went with a tour group and had a great trip learning about the tragedy that almost wiped out the entire continent of Europe. Oh and I’d like to point out that we went there before the Hulu show…

The Highest View in Kyiv, Ukraine: Iron Maiden

Please get the images of heavy metal devils out of your head this instant. Ukraine’s Iron Maiden has nothing to do with the band, although anyone who has seen it in person can agree that it is pretty metal. A little bit of history: This statue is actually called Rodina Mat (Motherland) and it sits…

Red Envelopes & Money Giving Parties

Money can be a taboo topic, especially when with friends or family. In China, however, it is not taboo to get excited about giving and getting money. This is why red envelopes are a fun tradition around the holidays! And by holidays, I mean any and all holidays. Taobao, the Chinese equivalent of AliExpress, owned…

King Richard’s Renaissance Faire: Massachusetts, USA 2019

King Richard’s Faire is a popular annual renaissance fair held in Massachusetts in October. This year was my first time visiting and I made the mistake of going on the very last day, and arriving 2 hours before it closed. In those two hours, I still managed to grab a drink, enjoy all the people…

Affordable Singapore Infinity Pool: Hotel Jen Orchardgateway

Everyone who visits Singapore wants to take a dip in the iconic infinity pools of Marina Bay Sands. I am not going to pretend that I am too hipster to go to the mainstream infinity pool with an absolutely priceless view of the Gardens by the Bay and the Supertree Grove. I do admit, that…

Can Travel Blogging Inspire Fictional Writing?

I’ve had a passion for writing for as long as I can remember. My parents still have the illustrated stories that I wrote in first grade. I could barely speak English but I turned the adventures I had with my friends into stories written in a mixture of English, Ukrainian, Russian and Czech. It wasn’t…

Are the Dogs in Chernobyl Radioactive?

Last December, my mom organized a trip to Chernobyl, Ukraine, for my husband Isaac and me. We went with a tour group and had a great trip learning about the tragedy that almost wiped out the entire continent of Europe. Oh, and I’d like to point out that we went there before the HBO show…

Flying to Prague, Czech Republic for Just $322

Sometimes, people in America ask my husband Isaac why he prefers to travel abroad when he could be exploring his own country. When we lived abroad the answer was “because it’s too expensive to fly to America.” We finally made the move to America in July 2018 and over a year later we have only…

Flying to Prague for $322: Czech Republic Travel

Sometimes, people in America ask my husband Isaac why he prefers to travel abroad when he could be exploring his own country. When we lived abroad the answer was “because it’s too expensive to fly to America.” We finally made the move to America in July 2018 and over a year later we have only…

St. Martin’s Day – Czech Thanksgiving

While the Chinese celebrate their singleness, Americans enjoy a day off in remembrance of veterans, Czechs are busy stuffing their faces with goose on November 11th.

Chinese “Singles’ Day” on 11/11 is like Black Friday

Happy singles day! Although I am not currently single, I can’t promise you that my husband won’t file for divorce once he sees how much I bought today. Why do I always become a crazy shopaholic on November 11th? Because AliExpress, my favorite place to shop, has everything on sale! To make things even better,…

Book Review: Sweetpea & In Bloom by C.J. Skuse

“When she was good, she was very, very good. When she was bad, she was deadly. Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret. Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhinannon’s life is normal now that her celebrity has dwindled. By…

Sweetpea & In Bloom by C.J. Skuse: Book Review

“When she was good, she was very, very good. When she was bad, she was deadly. Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret. Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhinannon’s life is normal now that her celebrity has dwindled. By…

Human Digestion System – From the Food’s Perspective

Hello, my name is Sally, and I am a chicken and vegetable salad. I am quite a nutritious salad, full of spinach, peppers, onions, sesame seeds and grilled chicken. Though I’ve enjoyed my time in the salad bowl, it’s time for what I was made for- to be eaten and digested by Isaac!  Isaac likes to get…

Plant-based is NOT a Synonym for Healthy

I began my plant-based (or vegan) journey over two years ago. In that time, so many alternative products have hit the markets and now you can buy vegan ice cream, pizza and even cheese at most grocery stores. Since changing my diet, I have actually gained about 20 pounds by eating the wrong kind of…

Ikea to Use Mushrooms Instead of Styrofoam

Mushrooms are fun to go foraging for and they are super nutritious as well as delicious. Recent studies have even shown that it is mushrooms, or fungi, that helped create life as we know it. Not only did mushrooms facilitate the creation of life itself, but they might be the key ingredient in saving it….

Bali Tourist Traps – Fake “Traditional” Villages

Bali was one of the coolest places I have ever visited! It was a tropical paradise, everything was affordable and the food was delicious. One of my only disappointments on the trip was the time wasted at tourist traps that were pretending to be traditional villages. These so-called villages are mentioned in all the tour…

Plant-Based Eating Tips: Infographics

Plant-based eating is very trendy right now and it can be a little confusing to start. When switching to a plant-based diet it’s important to keep track of your macros and make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need! There are plenty of guides online, but what I found particularly helpful are these…

Why I Spent $79 on Gum – My Zero-Waste Journey

Today, my $79 piece of gum has finally arrived! It is a fancy chew, imported from Switzerland and the second main ingredient to xylitol are actual flakes of 23 carat gold. It’s created by the same people who invented the $1,000 ice cream Sunday made with gold. You can pick up your jaws off the floor…

Camping on the Great Wall of China

It was three years ago that we went camping on the Great Wall of China. It is an experience that I think about often for two reasons, because: 1. It was a unique and once in a life time trip that was absolutely amazing. 2. It rained overnight and we were only able to actually…

The Geography of Rhode Island

Encompassing only 1.212 square miles, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is the smallest of the United States of America. Despite its size, it has a rich history, fascinating geography, and a diverse population of plants, animals and people.  Rhode Island‘s landscape as we know it today was formed, along with much of New England‘s, by glacial erosion….

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson: Book Review

One of my most recent reads has been Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson. It is basically the psychological thriller version of 50 First Dates. Except instead of a young woman going to the same diner every morning, Christine is waking up in a house that she doesn’t recognize next to a man that she…

Book Review: Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

One of my most recent reads has been Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson. It is basically the psychological thriller version of 50 First Dates. Except instead of a young woman going to the same diner every morning, Christine is waking up in a house that she doesn’t recognize next to a man that she…