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Musings and Misc

A Trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas!

Vegas. At every turn there is something that will awe you, overwhelm you or at least cause you to shake your head in disbelief. It is the ultimate saturation of the senses. But however grand Las Vegas is – the Grand Canyon will impress you more. Last week, I went to Vegas with a friend from out of town – from France to be exact. And he made a request. He said, we must also visit the Grand Canyon. He could not possibly go back to Europe and explain that when traveling to Las Vegas he hadn’t also visited the Grand Canyon. As an American, or rather as a Los Angeles native, I reasoned with him saying, nobody from here…

Don’t Date a Boy Who Doesn’t Travel

I recently came across an article about why it is a bad idea to date girls who travel. Ouch! Apparently, it has gone viral and been translated into six languages because it resonates with so many. And as I read it, I find myself simultaneously offended and utterly flattered. The essay reads as a cautionary tale for young bachelors. It says, œDon™t date a girl who travels. She is hard to please. The usual dinner-movie date at the mall will suck the life out of her. Her soul craves for new experiences and adventures. Check out the piece itself “ but also read this one I wrote in response, or rather in defense, for girls who travel. When I was…

7 Tips for Learning a Foreign Language

There are many different programs out there to learn a language on your own like Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, Fluenz, Transparent, Living Language, Mango and others. These can be quite effective for some people – just not for me. I have develop alternative ways to learn a language that I find more dynamic. First of all, I believe that to learn any skill the first step is to value the skill by finding relevancy for it in your life. The next step is owning your learning processing taking it into your own motivated and creative hands. In this article, I™ll share with you the creative methods that served me well in becoming fluent in 3 languages “ Spanish, French and Italian…

To Seattle, I Go

So, today is the big day! It’s my first flight since the LAX shooting. And I have very mixed emotions. For one, I am overjoyed that I am feeling courageous enough to go through an airport, pass security check and board a flight. Secondly, I can’t wait to take off. To feel like I’ve regained my freedom – my freedom to do my job and to live life as I want to. On the other hand,…

The Shooting at LAX – My Personal Account

On Nov. 1st, 2013, I was on my way to New York City from Los Angeles to celebrate my 30th birthday. Like any soon-to-be 30-year-old, this was a big life moment, fraught with fond memories and cringe-worthy regrets about my 20’s, and excitement and fears about the decade to come. I was planning to fly out of LAX, Terminal 3. But unfortunately for me and even more tragically for others I was bound to cross paths with someone else that morning with a very different agenda. If you are a Travel with Kate follower, you’ve noticed I’ve not been publishing very much content recently. That’s because on that morning, I witnessed something truly horrible. And as I have been recovering…

How to Learn a New Language with Music (VIDEO)

Learning a new language can be hard – especially when you are relying mostly on textbooks, flash cards and tedious exercises to improve. In this video, I’ll share one of my favorite and innovative tools for learning a new language. Music, like food, helps you get right to the core of a culture. And grooving to the same beats that the locals do can catapult your progress. It gives you reason to learn and reason to want more. I hope you enjoy me making a fool of myself! Want more? Also, see my video about first steps to learning a new language HERE.   PHOTO CREDIT: In the Travel with Kate opening sequence, the image behind Kate eating sushi (not…