SPRING / SUMMER 2018 COLLECTIONS Expat Travel Diaries goes to Fashion Week in Amsterdam! We were invited to attend the Saturday shows with PR maven and Creative Collective Partner, Ariel Tinsey. The bi-annual event featuring up and coming Dutch and Belgian designers kicked off Thursday, July 13th through Sunday, July 16th. HOUSE OF BYFIELD First up in Gashouder, the House of Byfield Taste of Rainbow collection certainly lived up to its name. The show debuted with a beautiful

My decision to leave NYC was not an easy choice, I'd been toying with the idea for over a year. After my father’s death, my mom and I’d planned to travel the world upon her return from holiday but she never made it back. Since the passing of both of my parents I’ve felt somewhat lost and unsure of life and what I’m supposed to accomplish. In a lot of ways, I got a blank slate. In November 2016 in memory of my Mom, I signed up for a tour of Cuba. Being in Cuba was like taking

My trip to Cuba was in November of 2016, right before Castro’s death and Obama’s new policies took effect. Even though there are questions surrounding Trump’s new policies, one thing is confirmed, cruise ships and sanctioned group people-to-people travel to Cuba is still possible. I decided to book the Cuban people-to-people educational program with Atlas Obscura. I’ve always loved the offbeat events they’ve offered so I thought their Cuban experience would be a good one. Th

My solo trip to Cuba was an emotional one, my attraction was simply that it was a place my mother wanted to visit. We had discussed going for years. When I received an email from Atlas Obscura, it was a reminder that life goes on and I had no other option but to journey on without her. The all-inclusive trip cost $2795, with a $250 non-refundable deposit for 5 of days. I know, that's a lot of dough. I initially hesitated because of the price but a week later, I had a dream of

Sometimes, when I’m walking around my Canal District neighborhood I think to myself - Amsterdam is seriously the coolest place on the planet (second to NOLA of course) … And I get to live here! It’s the perfect mix of all the places I’ve lived and the roamer in me thinks maybe I’ve finally found my tribe. ​ 1. Cosmopolitan City with a Village Feel I love the attitude of the big city and the intimacy of a small town. Amsterdam has a perfect mix of both. The international cul

New Orleans born and raised, I’ve always wanted to see the world. The compulsion to see and experience different countries and cultures has been resting inside me since I was a kid. Images of magnificently wondrous places dance in my head and I wanted to see it all. Blame my mother, growing up she constantly planted the idea of traveling the world and living in some foreign land. As soon as I was able, off I went to college in Virginia. It was as close to New York as my fath