TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE
My Favorite Nature Escapes in D.C.
There’s nothing I love more than getting out in nature with my dog Polly. And my hometown of DC has plenty of outdoor adventure to fill our weekends, from hiking and kayaking to rock climbing and biking. If you're looking for a city break, these are eight of my favorite easy-to-get-to nature escapes (all easily accessible by car, metro, and bike) Read More.
TripAdvisor Guides: Top Family Resorts & Hotels in the United States
Original links are no longer active, but article titles remain visible on my TripAdvisor writer profile. These hotel-related articles appear near the top of the page (just below the first entry), including:
- The Top Family Resorts & Hotels in the South
- Top Family Resorts & Hotels in South.....Cont'd
- The Top Family Resorts & Hotels in the Midwest
- The Top Family Resorts & Hotels in the West
- The Top Family Resorts & Hotels in the Northeast
TripAdvisor Guides: Best Ski Resorts in the United States
Original links are no longer active, but article titles remain visible on my TripAdvisor writer profile. Scroll to the bottom to view skiing-related articles, including:
- West Coast is the Best Coast (At Least for Skiing)
- Yes, There's Skiing Down South
- Every Ski Resort in the West Continued… (Part 2)
- The Most Incredible Ski Spots in the Northeast
- 133 Mountains in the Midwest to Explore
Neighborhood Review: Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Just a couple of subway stops into Brooklyn, you'll find the charming neighborhood of Cobble Hill. Part of the BoCoCa trifecta (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gardens), the boundaries that define the area seem to change depending on whom you talk to, but generally, locals characterize it as the 40-block zone bound by Atlantic Avenue and Court Street. Along with its gorgeous 19th-century brownstones, Cobble Hill has a host of one-off shops, quaint cafes, top-notch restaurants, and cool bars that make it a must-stop on any BK itinerary. Here, our top seven places to check out now. Read More.
Restaurant Review: Francisco's Centro Vasco in New York City
The preparation of fish and seafood at Francisco's is based heavily on Basquecooking, which has its center in San Sebastian, a glittering curve of coast innorthern Spain. Seafood is done simply, without distracting sauces or sides.That, plus big lobsters at medium prices have kept Francisco's businessbroiling and steaming since 1979.
Restaurant Review: Stella Del Mare, NYC
In a former townhouse smack in Midtown is an intimate duplex-retreat fromthe buzz of traffic coursing down Lex. Stella Del Mare is a dress-up-to-relaxkind of place, where waiters sport tuxedos and dishes are rolled out on silverserving platters.
Escapes From NYC: Northern Retreats Offer Some Karmic Healing and a Lot of Yoga
VILLAGE VOICE | MARCH 2004
Silencing the mind is sometimes impossible in the midst of metropolitan life. Our brains are like labyrinths: winding circles of anxiety, insecurity, and fear. Often we mull over tomorrow's to-dos before we've even finished today's. Seeking a cure for a clogged mind, I explored four yoga retreat centers—all less than five hours from Manhattan.
BUSINESS
Profits of Doom: Where Manhattan Shoppers Wait in Long Lines for Gas Masks Anti-Radiation Pills—and a Sense of Security
BusinessWeek Online | February 20, 2003
A mix of curiosity and fear inspired me to visit the terrorism-protection retail store Safer America. When the government put us on high alert, like many Americans, I began thinking about the precautions and equipment that might improve my chances of surviving the aftermath of another September 11. So, for forty minutes in the bitter cold, I waited in a slow, shuffling line to enter Manhattan's first emporium devoted entirely to staying alive after a terrorist attack. Wanting to know which was the best of the seven types of gas masks the store sells, I put the question to Safer America CEO Eric Samama. "It doesn't matter anyway," he said, "they're all gone."
Weathering the Storm: Things Have Been Better for the Nation's Entrepreneurs, but According to a New Survey, Small Business Is Holding Its Own
BusinessWeek Online | November 15, 2002
Growth in the U.S. hasn't set any records in 2002 and is likely to come in at around a modest 3% by yearend, according to most estimates. But when it comes to identifying the economy's bright lights, the nation's small businesses are entitled to take a bow.
By just about any yardstick, the small-business sector in the U.S. has defied the uncertain trends of a year alternately chilled by the shadow of terrorism and rattled by the psychological impact of corporate scandals. Moreover, it has done so with its characteristic optimism relatively intact.
SCIENCE
Vital Signs: Pulse of Our Planet
NASA (NASA.gov)
Science | Story & Event Production
I produced this public event for the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, in collaboration with NASA. I worked closely with the speakers to shape their stories, designed the narrative arc, and assembled all visual materials—including science visualizations that brought Earth’s dynamic systems to life on screen. I also wrote the introductory blurb for the event.
The program, titled “Vital Signs: Pulse of Our Planet,” showcased NASA’s most exciting Earth observations—from global fires and Arctic sea ice loss to the behavior of carbon—offering audiences a cinematic view of our planet in motion.
Vital Signs: Pulse of Our Planet
NASA (NASA.gov)
Science | Story & Event Production
I produced this public event for the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, in collaboration with NASA. I worked closely with the speakers to shape their stories, designed the narrative arc, and assembled all visual materials—including science visualizations that brought Earth’s dynamic systems to life on screen. I also wrote the introductory blurb for the event.
The program, titled “Vital Signs: Pulse of Our Planet,” showcased NASA’s most exciting Earth observations—from global fires and Arctic sea ice loss to the behavior of carbon—offering audiences a cinematic view of our planet in motion.
Ozone: A Story of Recovery
NASA Visualization Explorer iPad App (600K+ Users)
📁 View Archived Story
Science | Writing & Storytelling
I wrote this piece for NASA’s Visualization Explorer, a flagship storytelling app designed to bring Earth and space science to life through dynamic visuals and accessible narratives. This story explores the global response to ozone depletion, using NASA satellite visualizations and data to explain how policy action helped repair the planet’s protective ozone layer.
The app was downloaded by over 600,000 users, making it one of NASA’s most accessible public education tools.
How Remote Sensing Can Help With Food Security Around the World
NASA (NASA.gov) | May 28, 2014
Science | Interview Production & Story Development
I produced this on-camera interview for NASA-TV as part of a studio event at NASA Goddard, featuring research scientist Molly Brown. My role included developing the storyline, shaping interview questions to clearly communicate the science, and directing the flow of the conversation for an on-air audience. The segment explored how satellite data is used to model the relationship between extreme weather and global food prices—a critical issue as climate variability accelerates.
This production brought scientific research to life by pairing visual storytelling with expert insight, helping to translate remote sensing data into real-world relevance for global food security.
Tracking Agricultural Water Use on aSmart Phone (Nasa.gov)
NASA| October 14, 2015
Thisfall scientists at the University of Nebraska, with partners at Google Inc.,introduced the latest evolution of METRIC technology—an application calledEEFLUX, which will allow anyone in the world to produce field-scale maps ofwater consumption.
HEALTH
Radical Pastor Preaches Redemption and Safe Sex
NYDAILY NEWS
When Melissa Gonzales, 16, receives communion at the church of San Romero de Las Americas in the South Bronx, the altar looks the same as any other, except for a glass bowl full of condoms sitting next to the wine and bread. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Luis Barrios, sees a sacred duty in promoting safe sex among his congregants.
While America’s religious leadership wavers in taking an active role in fighting the AIDS epidemic, Barrios has developed a “Theology of AIDS,” a religious philosophy that embraces an anti-capitalist spirituality, the union of God and sexuality and the ultimate attainment of one simple objective: saving lives.