Aren’t you worried? Aren’t you scared? Why are you going…….there? It’s fascinating to me that over the last few years, increasingly when I tell someone that I have a trip planned, these are some of the more common questions that I’m asked. If I believed that my life was in danger or that something bad […]

It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about back to school time, or the start of autumn. It’s that time of year when average Joes decide to throw on their best superhero costumes and turn some of America’s great cities into the futuristic metro areas of comic book lore. Throughout the summer […]

If I could, I would open a restaurant.  I would open a restaurant that would have  a casual, yet hip atmosphere, and played great music.  My restaurant would incorporate aspects from the restaurants and cultures I’ve experienced all over the world. As with all dining establishments, location is paramount.  Mine would be found just on […]

“My first day in Chicago, September 4, 1983. I set foot in this city, and just walking down the street, it was like roots, like the motherland. I knew I belonged here.” Oprah Winfrey I think you’d be hard pressed to find a city that’s better at making someone feel at home than Chicago. I […]

Last month I took another road trip across the US of A. This was a bit different than the one I took in March, though. This time around I wasn’t going anywhere I hadn’t been before, but I was getting the opportunity to play tour guide to a very special friend of mine. Almost ten […]

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love a good nap. My day usually isn’t complete unless I get one in. They aren’t particularly long, but they are invaluable for recharging. A little snooze for 15 or 20 minutes has proven to be a great way to recharge my batteries, and keep my […]

If you’re like me, you probably aren’t all that familiar with the city of Nashville, and if you know anything about it at all it’s probably pretty much an idea of stereotypes. I haven’t really spent too much time in the city, and my basic understanding was that it was pretty much all about two […]

It happened again! Another successful Toland Travels-Live! event took place at Urban Standard in Birmingham, Alabama. It was interesting, and entertaining, and so emotional, on a number of different levels. I must thank all of the participants this go round, Lara Paterson, Fergus Tuohy, Heather Fann, Lee Smith, and Bob Boyd. They all did an […]

I traveled to Miami for the first time a few weeks ago. I wanted to get away for a long weekend, and it was certainly an experience. It’s old school, and modern, stylish and seedy, and is everything I would expect, and yet nothing like it all.  It’s the mixtures of people and cultures, and […]

You can tell everything you need to know about a culture by taking a quick peek at one room – the bathroom. The toilet, the W.C., the loo, the head, and the “shitter,” whatever you call it, it’s full of cultural insights. You can learn what importance the culture places on privacy, cleanliness, technology, and […]