I grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento, a city that was named the most diverse city in the United States by Time Magazine in 2002. The cookie-cutter houses are painted mostly neutral colors, with closely cropped lawns, blooming roses, minivans in the...
Drinking "fresh beer" while sitting on child-sized furniture, dodging a constant stream of motorcycle traffic, group aerobics by the lake before the sun rises: this is Hanoi.
The city in Vietnam's north is remarkably cold: in temperature, in...
Eating a steaming plate of noodles while perched on a plastic chair built for a 5-year-old, I faced a dilemma. I had four days in Hanoi, a city that was a grey and chilly as Saigon was colorful and warm—in weather, in buildings, in people. Hanoi’s...
I've learned that when a city is proclaimed as a country's cultural capital, it usually means it's cold. True to form, Hue (pronounced h-way) features gray-hued skies, a chilly wind drafting over the river and squat buildings crowding the winding...
Hoi An is one of the prettiest cities in Vietnam: recognized by UNESCO as an exceptionally well-preserved Asian trading port, the riverfront buildings are colorful and diverse examples of 19th- and 20th-century French-influenced...
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A casual guide to San Diego August 5, 2022
The best beaches in Nice July 18, 2012
What I love (and hate) about Australia November 2, 2011
The best hidden gems near Times Square March 23, 2016
Why it's worth visiting Tallinn, Estonia December 4, 2018
Skinny, strong and hot: the Melbourne coffee scene June 6, 2011
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About Me
Christine Amorose Merrill
C'est Christine is my little slice of the internet to talk travel, lifestyle and twenty- and thirty-something struggles. After stints living in France, Australia and NYC and lots of (often solo!) travel around the world, I currently live in San Diego with my husband, daughter and two pugs.