Travel

Despite the expansion and alteration of Boston’s land, many streets from the original colony still wind through the city as mementos of a time long past. The earliest Bostonians settled along State Street and Washington Street, the colony’s two main thoroughfares. Washington Street also traces the route of the Boston Neck where it once connected the settlement to the mainland. Colonists spread from State and Washington Streets northeast along the shore to form the North End, and southeast to form the South End, now Boston’s financial district. 

Lan Na – meaning  ‘many rice fields’ – is the name of an ancient kingdom in northern Thailand. And this unique restaurant is modeled on a northern nobleman’s longhouse and decorated with stunning antiques, including several large, rare, wooden Buddhas.  Start with crispy golden-fried squid rings with garlic and zesty Thai spices; or minced duck mixed with an array of herbs. 

The presence of an arts scene is always an indicator of great culture and L.A. boasts a thriving one. A stroll through downtown and its surrounding districts reveals a vast offering of art exhibits, ethnocentric festivals, and architectural gems. Not to mention all of those countless food trucks that churn out anything from Korean-Mexican fusion dishes by the Kogi truck to whiskey and Lucky Charms-flavored ice cream sandwiches by COOLHAUS, a philosophy of ice cream architecture inspired by the Bauhaus movement and Rem Koolhaas. 

Today, “Plaza de los Coches” buzzes with activity as merchants sell fruit piled onto wooden crates, tourists carry shopping bags by the latest designers along with indigenous mochilas, and performers dressed in bright-colored dresses dance along to bachata. This plaza is where the slave market used to take place.  It served as the meeting point of three worlds—European, Indigenous American, and African—as the international trade created a process of ethnic and racial exchange. 

Driving along Bob Hope Drive, Gene Autry Trail or Frank Sinatra Drive in the California desert city of Palm Springs and the surrounding area, you understand why Hollywood legends once called this place home.  Situated along the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, this oasis seems out of a Hollywood studio backlot.  Lush, green golf courses and homes landscaped with pink and red bougainvillea contrast the looming mountains of rocks and boulders, sans any vegetation.  

Considering Gotham’s controversial history, no wonder the citizens possess a distinctive edge. The vibrant culture of the city induces feedback from every visitor -- even if the opinions are based on half-baked stereotypes. But having a New York story is what every visitor seeks; because in New York, like nowhere else, the exposure is the attraction. The soul of the city is felt on the sidewalks and subways, on the front stoop and back alleys. You just can’t paint it on the walls. 

Italy may have been unified since the mid-19th century, but visiting just several of its major cities is enough to make it obvious that cultural homogeneity is virtually nonexistent. My mini-tour of the country began in Naples, capital of the southern Campania region and my home base for exploring the nearby archaeological sites and coastal towns, and concluded in Venice, the revered cradle of modern democracy.

Born a third-generation American, I was raised with a vivid sense of pride for my country. Born in New York City, however, my perception of what this country exactly is remained far more tenuous for a long time. What did the soil feel like one thousand miles away from either coast? What scent did the trees give off resting between the Appalachians and the Rockies? Most importantly, what were other Americans like? What does that word mean, apart from the ideals and laws we all uphold and debate over? I set off from my home city with two close friends, determined to make it to the west end of South Dakota, committed to answering these questions.