In this series, we share local adventures and help you find ways 

to be a tourist in your own hometown

I am guilty of silent tourist shaming. When you watch someone try to maneuver an unfamiliar place...well, let's just say it's quite amusing. There are the confused faces, the camera faces, the awestruck faces when they stare up at a monument you rush past every day. Tourists are very easy to spot, but how come? Perhaps it's their mannerisms or dress -- I mean, who wears ankle socks in the middle of summer?! But that's not quite it. Tourists are easy to spot because they're simply paying attention - to everything. Sounds, signs, storefronts, street art, statues...everything from magical to mundane is worth a few more seconds to think about, look at, listen to, or capture. They are in a constant state of trying to put together as many pieces as possible despite knowing they may never see the entire picture. They are, simply, in a different mindset.

Tourism, done well, has little to do with distance. You could travel to the opposite side of the world and be considered a "bad" tourist. Because, at its core, tourism is all about learning and curiosity driven discovery. And that can happen every single day, right outside your door. I never really thought this was possible until I tried it for myself and it's completely changed how I view my city. So, I'm excited to start this new series that will showcase ways you can capitalize on what your city has to offer. To start, I've gathered a few tips below on how to get your mindset ready to travel like a tourist in your hometown...

Thoughts | Caught in the Middle

Now that we are a few days into the new year, I can't help but notice how hard it is to let go of 2015. When I sign my name, my hand automatically scribbles down "1/5/2015" on the date line. When I look at my milk's expiration date, I happily smile to see "2015." But then, I luckily realize -- nope, that's expired. It's like I'm caught in the middle. Not completely past 2015 but not completely into 2016. Although difficulty adjusting into the new year happens, indeed, every year for me, I began to think a lot more about why this is so...

Food | London's Most Colorful Places to Eat, Part 1

I absolutely love Brazil. I've travelled there twice, got engaged there, made great friends there, and I'm waiting for the day when I can return again. In the meantime, anything that can bring back such incredible memories of the vibrant and complex Brazilian culture is a win-win for me. When I travelled to London this past month, I sought out some of the most colorful places to eat. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed one bit! I was especially surprised (aka...freaking out) to discover one of the most colorful buildings in the city is also a Brasilian Barbeque restaurant. Needless to say, it was a perfect match. Keep reading to see just how colorfully delicious this place is in every way!

Travel | London | Conrad St. James

I've always wanted to go to London. I don't know when this longing began and I don't know exactly why, but London was just my place to be. The English accent, the pastel houses in Notting Hill, the cheeky humor, double decker buses, and red telephone booths -- I wanted everything touristy and I couldn't wait to have it all. So, naturally, as I trekked across Europe this winter, I was sure to book a few days in London. The big question remained, where would I stay during such an iconic trip?

Whenever I travel to a city that is unfamiliar to me, I find it crucial to stay as close to the center of life as possible. It allows you easy access to anything and a sense of comfort in learning the ropes on how to get around. Naturally, the Conrad St. James was the perfect fit! I was so thrilled when they invited me to stay in their stunning hotel in the heart of London. Literally. The Buckhingham Palace and Big Ben are down the street, a major Underground metro stop is across the street, and New Scotland Yard is just around the corner. Even more unique, the Conrad St. James is very creative when it comes to helping guests experience the most out of London. Curious what that could mean? Keep reading below! 

Life | Happy Holidays!

It can never be said enough...happy holidays everyone! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannakuh, Kwanza, or nothing at all, this time of year is all about making special memories, gathering with those we love, and looking back on all we've gone through in just one year. It's crazy to think about where I was a year ago. I was applying to medical school, living in the worst snow seasons ever recorded in Boston, and planning a wedding! I can't begin to imagine what the next year holds...but for now, I'm going to eat some cookies and chill in my pajamas all day! Happy Holidays!

Travel | Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal

What do you call the ultimate combination of warm luxury, a city of romance, and rooftop views of a sparkling Eiffel Tower? It could be called "perfection," but it just so happens to be called Grand Hotel du Palais Royal. Last week, I had the pleasure of spending a night in this stunning, five-star boutique hotel in the heart of Paris. I arrived exhausted after a 10 hour flight and only left with a longing for the day I return. Curious to know what could have happened in just 24 hours here? Keep reading below...

Travel | Follow that pink coat

This month I decided to celebrate the holidays a little differently. For the first time, I'll spend them away from home. I was a bit nervous about the idea at first. I absolutely love Christmas in California. It's warm, relaxing, and my mom always cooks a bombtastic meal. Every single time. I also get to wear my pajamas all day and not feel one ounce of shame about it. However, now that I'm married and living this whole adult life deal, I thought it was about time I expand my Christmas traditions. So, this month, I'll be traveling across Europe and spending the holidays with my husband and his family in the Czech Republic! The weather will be colder, the language harder to understand (have you ever tried to learn Czech?!), and possibly a lot more beer at dinner time. But life is an adventure right?! I'm ready to dive in.

In the meantime, you can follow my colorful journey as I trek across Paris, London, Geneva, and Prague! My unifying theme will be #followthatpinkcoat as I capture colorful sites wearing this perfect pink coat I found from Asos. There will also be travel posts on the blog for each city coming this month, as well as daily updates on my Instagam (@creativekipi). Let's go for a colorful adventure this season, shall we?! 

How are you celebrating the holidays? Feel free to share below - I'd love to hear! 

Travel | Czech Republic

I've been to Czech Republic twice before, but this past June I had the chance to visit once more. Let me tell you: third time is definitely the charm! My husband is originally from Prague, so I am forever tied to this country, its delicious soups, historic soviet and renaissance charm, and slightly (impossibly!) difficult language to learn. What made this trip so different? Keep reading below...

Travel | Seville, Spain

Ahhh Seville. The late evening strolls under the orange glowing lights of the Cathedral, the vividly colored buildings with white bordered windows, and the historic glamour found even in the smallest patterned tiles - there's just so much to love about you! Unfortunately, I only spent three days in this city but I could have easily enjoyed a lot more time here. If you ever visited Seville or plan to in the future, then you'll surely know what I'm talking about.

With just a short time frame, we were able to visit a few key sites, including the Seville Cathedral, Plaza de Espana (the largest plaza in all of Spain, pictured above), the Alcazar (mosque), and the Museo del Baile Flamenco (Flamenco Dance Museum). We dove into some traditional Moroccan baths and treated ourselves to plenty of gelato and desserts along the way, of course. 

Keep reading for my top tips for traveling to this amazing city...

Travel | Santorini, Greece

A few weeks ago I had the absolute joy of traveling to Greece and experiencing, perhaps, the most pictured landscape around the world: Santorini! Although, understandably, this is a hot spot region for tourists particularly during the peak season (June - August), most tourists tend to stick to the most popular areas, namely Oia and Fira. However, with a little adventure you can easily explore the rest of the island in a couple days and find a plethora of private beaches and romantically secluded spots to catch the idyllic sunset over the water.

Keep reading for some of my top travel tips to Santorini...

TRAVEL DELIGHT || #2 || OCEANSIDE FAIRGROUNDS

While back at home over the January winter break, my family and I visited the Oceanside Fair for the first time. It is hosted every Thursday night from 5 to 9pm on an open boulevard just a block or two from the ocean and main pier. I have always been in love with fairs of the variety since I was a kid. Street fairs, carnivals, block parties, craft markets -- love 'em all. Here are a few pictures from our most recent visit. Some interesting things I discovered: people can make wooden roses that smell divine, funnel cake is maybe one of the most delicious and nutrient deficient foods on earth, I have never tried Afghan food which is now on my list of things to do, and California (again) is the best place on earth. 

TRAVEL DELIGHT || #1 || BRAZILIAN FRUIT LOVE

Over the past five years I have been fortunate enough to travel to several countries around the world on trips related to health and community work. Luckily, I have always managed to bring along a decent camera to capture these trips, resulting in quite a collection of photographs I've acquired. Every once in a while, I'd like to share some bits of those travels with you all -- either stories of individuals I've met, foods I've ravished, or sights I think photos can never do justice. I guess it's my way of remembering how each trip fragments itself into bits of my memory, how my past melts together to teach me something of the present.

As such, there's perhaps no better way to start than with one of my favorite places -- hands down. A place seemingly bursting at its seams with vibrant passion: Brazil. One of the first lessons I learned while spending four weeks in Sao Paolo -- a growing economic, cultural, and medical hub of the nation -- was to be grateful for the creation of fruits. Not just strawberries, mangoes, peaches, and plums. I'm talking fruits I've never even heard of, never could have imagined their existence. I tried jackfruit for the first time, fruits in the shapes of stars, fruits that looked like onions yet tasted like delectable pears; I had mangoes that, for the first time in my life, I could eat as dessert after every meal, every day. I began to dream of the paintings I could make with the insanely vibrant colors of juices that oozed, dripped, and stained my hands, my teeth, my shirts, my tongue. I became a smoothie addict, an instant fruit nut and, unfortunately, now that I'm back in the States, the standard for fruit (if not the very concept of it) has inevitably been erased and set at an impeccably tasteful high.