Sugarloaf Ski Resort In December 2018 I travelled to Maine for a ski trip. When crossing the Maine state border, I was struck by a sign that read: “Maine. The Way Life Should Be.” Wow. Now that was a bold statement. Yet it left me intrigued to know more about this idyllic lifestyle. Could these…
Continue reading ➞ Mexin’ it up on the mountain: Skiing in Maine, or, learning how to confront fear
A view of Hoover Tower in Stanford University Earlier this year my friend and fellow writer Griselda Benavides asked me if I would be willing to give an interview for her book, Thirty Before Thirty: 30 Q&As from around the world on Life, Love, and Travel. She wanted to ask me about my twenties, specifically…
Continue reading ➞ A first-gen student at Stanford: Lessons from grad school
In Ireland or, "the Emerald Isle" as it's called, you'll find a culture steeped in the art of storytelling. Ever since I first read James Joyce's The Portrait of An Artist as a Young Man in high school I knew I wanted to visit Ireland. I remember reading the novel in the living room of our…
Continue reading ➞ Ireland, James Joyce, and Game of Thrones Tour: A Journey into Fandom
I found an excellent Hip-Hop class in Palo Alto, CA. I know what you’re thinking. Hip-hop in Palo Alto!? I know. I know. This city is far from the California West Coast hip-hop scene that we know and love and definitely not mentioned in the litany of cities that Tupac gives a shout out to in his song “California Love.” While he does mention the … Continue reading Where to find a Hip-Hop dance class in Palo Alto, CA. (It’s possible)
Clockwise, from upper-left corner: Cuyana, Le Tote, Everlane, and Amour Vert Have you heard of fast fashion? It's a term that pretty much sums up most of the clothing available for the average consumer: apparel that is massed produced, "in" for a season or two, and attractively priced. These rapidly consumable goods are not only…
When you think of the best cities in the world, what comes to mind? NYC, Paris, and Barcelona? Yes, all those cities are amazing but you would be missing out if you've never made it to la Ciudad de México or CDMX. It has world class art. Mouth-watering food (I had the best tacos of…
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"What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) I looked up the word "Chicana" in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and this is what I found: "An American woman or girl of Mexican American descent." While that is technically correct (and…
Continue reading ➞ What’s in a name? Chic-ana in the 21st century
In my previous post I pointed out the highlights of my trip to Rome: the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, the Vatican City, the food tour, and meeting up with friends. Hanging out with some friends who were visiting Rome from California was a nice surprise since I originally had planned this trip as a solo…
Continue reading ➞ Rome part II: is traveling solo all that great?
So, you're going to Rome. I'm excited for your trip! It seems that a lot of people are traveling to the Eternal City these days and the city is having a moment (not like it hasn't had its significant moment in history as the birthplace of the Roman empire, roads, and other wonders of Western…
Critical Chica 