Hey, I’m Jay — an American expat turned travel writer based in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
I spent two years living and working in Dubai, UAE, which turned what used to be a travel hobby into something more like an obsession. From there I bounced through Africa, explored Egypt and Kenya properly, made it to Tbilisi before it got too crowded, and spent a lot of weekends discovering how good the mid-Atlantic is when you actually slow down and look around.
This blog is where I write what I actually know — not what sounds good in a listicle. Real costs, honest takes, and the specific stuff that makes the difference between a good trip and a forgettable one. I cover three main areas:
- Dubai & the Gulf — expat life, visas, cost of living, and why it’s stranger and better than you think
- Mid-Atlantic USA — day trips and weekends from DC and Fredericksburg that are genuinely worth your time
- Africa & off-the-beaten-path — Kenya, Egypt, Georgia (the country), and the places most travel blogs ignore
I’m also a veteran and former tech industry guy, which means I approach travel the way I approach most things: research first, gut-check second, go anyway.
If you’ve got questions about any destination I’ve covered, drop them in the comments — I read every one.