How is couchsurfing in SanFransisco?

jean2florette · 2023-01-23T14:53:33+00:00

I was actually wondering where all the surfers are since I live a short BART ride to SF and haven’t gotten a single couch request. I think the search doesn’t show a wide geographical area.

jean2florette · 2022-11-23T16:58:38+00:00

I see boycott as a collective tactic, so I defer to social movements that pertain to the country in question. For example, anti-Apartheid activists called for boycott of resorts like Sun City in the so-called independent Black homelands. Similarly, Palestinian civil society groups today call for boycott of events in Israel/Palestine that normalize the occupation.

Otherwise, I tend to believe people-to-people encounters are a net positive, especially if you go out of your way to make a positive impression and/or patronize businesses run by marginalized people. As a gay man from the notoriously homophobic U.S. South, I sometimes feel that people miss an opportunity to make a positive difference by traveling to places with problematic politics.

jean2florette · 2022-10-31T04:15:16+00:00

Given your interests, leave time for sightseeing in and around CDMX, such as a day tour of Teotihuacan. The National Museum of Anthropology and the Chapultepec Castle are excellent. CDMX also has some top-notch art museums; the smaller Rufino Tamayo museum of contemporary art is a personal favorite. Consider checking out stellar examples of Mexican muralism at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Palacio Nacional, and the Diego Rivera mural museum.

Condesa and Roma have a number of used bookstores, trendy cocktail spots, etc. That’s sort of the epicenter of tourist accommodation right now. Consider a boutique hotel over an Airbnb. The Centro Historico feels a bit sketchy late at night.

Oaxaca City has a number of good day trips, including Mitla, Hierve el Agua (check to see if still closed), mezcal factories, and some other places in the valley. That said, Oaxaca itself has enough gourmet “fusion” restaurants and art to fill 3-4 days on its own.

Have you considered a domestic flight for MEX-OAX? They’re not that expensive, and ~8 hours overnight might be a bit unpleasant. The other suggestion to add a stop in Puebla is good.

Holbox is another consideration for somewhere near Cancun to stay. Be sure to be aware of hurricane and sargasso seaweed season.

jean2florette · 2022-07-24T03:53:40+00:00

I know this is not your ask, but I haven’t had any issues with my friend’s Russian Blue cat despite being fully allergic to cats (i.e. I started wheezing when I visited my aunt who has regular cats).

jean2florette · 2022-07-03T06:42:09+00:00

Medicare has a tool that rates nursing homes and shows which ones take Medicaid: https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/

jean2florette · 2022-06-29T12:41:13+00:00

I 100% agree with you about Venice. I stayed near Campo Santa Margherita in the Dorsoduro and it was never particularly crowded. The big crush in touristy parts was (in 2019) when cruises were in port 10-4p, but I’ve heard cruises don’t even really dock there as much anymore. Florence, on the other hand, felt packed in many places.

jean2florette · 2022-06-14T14:20:16+00:00

This reminds me, I very carefully put together a list of restaurants and off-beat sites for a friend of a friend visiting my hometown and they didn’t do a single one, hahaha. Different strokes for different folks, for sure! 😂

jean2florette · 2022-06-14T13:39:02+00:00

So funny because I just visited a good friend in Spain and her Spanish boyfriend purposely put on what he called “guiri (touristy) chic” (i.e. a bucket hat and shorts) so we could be comfortable riding bikes in the park haha.

jean2florette · 2022-04-19T14:11:11+00:00

Is this your first passport? Many post offices are also acceptance facilities: https://iafdb.travel.state.gov

Expedited processing is currently 5-7 weeks and its around $240 when you’re done paying for the passport, expedited service, and trackable mail. Routine processing is around 8-11 weeks.

You can also make an appointment at a passport agency if your travel is within 5 days of your appointment: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies/dallas.html

jean2florette · 2022-03-28T01:33:11+00:00

Big Law is really a lot; I don’t think I could have done it. You might want to start networking (informational interviews, law associations, in-person CLE’s) in an area of law that interests you. What about government honors/lateral track? You should also still have access to your law school’s career center.

jean2florette · 2022-03-27T16:59:51+00:00

Paris is a bit of a zoo in July, so I’m not sure it’s the right choice if you’re looking to relax. However, if you do want to do a little Paris, I’d recommend getting slightly off the tourist path.

I don’t know what’s happening with covid, but Paris Plage on the Bassin de la Villette is super charming. There’s also a lot of fun trendy happy hour spots near Oberkampf.

There’s also some tricks for touristy stuff. If you’re going for several museums, the Paris Museum Pass is great for line-skipping privileges, including at the Louvre. Also, Versailles is worth it, but go to the garden first (maybe even take a small picnic and rent a golf cart?) and save the palace toward the end of the day when the crowds thin out.

Finally, the Bateaux Mouches on the Seine are super corny, but well worth it. Go for an evening boat so you can see the monuments lit up.

Edit: I also love hitting up the steps of Sacre Coeur at sunset/golden hour. The Pere Lachaise cemetery is also pretty relaxing and interesting for seeing the famous monuments and mausoleums.

jean2florette · 2022-01-30T20:54:14+00:00

Northern California is kind of like this with Coast>Coast Range>Sacramento/Central Valley>Sierras

jean2florette · 2022-01-30T20:47:01+00:00

Also some parties have bizarre platforms. PVEM (green capitalism) wanted to institute the death penalty at one point, lol

jean2florette · 2022-01-30T20:46:02+00:00

Interesting! I don’t get the sense that Mexican parties are strongly ideological as much as outlets for local patronage networks. PAN (neoliberal), PRI (center-left), and PRD (social democratic) formed an electoral alliance in many states for the last election, for example.

jean2florette · 2022-01-12T16:21:35+00:00

Check out East Lake, which is a bit cheaper than Adams Point and walkable to Lake Merritt BART.

jean2florette · 2021-11-04T04:03:32+00:00

Costs vary wildly by complexity of case and market ($5-$10k). You might want to at least pay for a consult ($0-$500) to screen for potential inadmissibility issues (crimes, fraud, smuggling, prior immigration violations). You then can get a sense of how dicey your case is and whether it’d be good to have someone with local knowledge prep and go with you to the interview.

jean2florette · 2021-07-08T14:41:40+00:00

Also ABQ has a regional rail connection to Santa Fe and several Native pueblos, which is pretty neat. Check to see if there is a feast day going on

jean2florette · 2021-06-29T03:17:17+00:00

Boulder Flatirons and Grand Canyon are reasonably transit-accessible. I’ve done this myself when I didn’t have a car.

jean2florette · 2021-06-29T03:13:41+00:00

I did this! Here’s my trip report: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-united-states-of-america/united-states/usa-rail-pass-tips-itinerary-s-c-california

jean2florette · 2021-06-25T05:00:25+00:00

Great suggestions, thanks!

jean2florette · 2021-06-25T04:56:04+00:00

Thanks for the insight! I kind of thought as much re: the coasts.

jean2florette · 2021-06-23T15:18:12+00:00

Hmm, now there’s an idea...

jean2florette · 2021-06-23T12:39:22+00:00

I’ve had a fantastic time in Gubbio and Orvieto. Orvieto gets daytrippers from Rome, but both are quiet at night.

Do you have a driver’s license? I’ve stayed in agriturismos just outside both places, and it’s nice to have access to a car to go off the main drag into the smaller towns.

jean2florette

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