Jonathan - The Royal Tour

Looking from shade at the LA Central Library, a white building topped with a pyramid. Tall buildings are all around it.

LA Central Library looking good this evening! #LosAngeles

An ugly win but a win nonetheless. On to the NLCS!

Just finished an intense therapy session. Finding the right therapist is so hard, but so important. To be supported AND pushed is key, and I’ve found that balance to be rare.

Especially now, keep up your mental health as best as you can.

I truly believe that travel is a powerful force in the world. It leads to understanding, to empathy, and to deepening of ties between people we might otherwise see as “other”. Whether it is a neighboring town or a country in the other side of the world, travel is positive. Let’s do more.

Sometimes it feels silly to post about travel when the country is descending into fascism. But I refuse to lose my humanity or my ability to find joy (and to share it).

Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin: The Friendly Island - The Royal Tour The rain is just starting to fall as Clara Reyes and I begin meeting, so we duck into a covered cabana at Seaview Beach Hotel in Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side of Sint Maarten. Sitting on ...

NEW TODAY!

Of all of the places I’ve traveled in my life, perhaps none has such wonderful people as Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin. This island deserves its nickname, the Friendly Island. Check it out!

#TravelAddicts @visitstmaarten.bsky.social

theroyaltourblog.com/2025/10/08/s...

Thank you so much

My Crazy Travel Life (and the People Who Don’t Get It) - The Royal Tour In 2018, my life was at a bit of a crossroads, to put it mildly. I had survived a 2016 suicide attempt, thrived in an intensive outpatient program and other subsequent therapy regimens, and flopped at...

A new friend was asking to understand my life a bit, so I sent her this.

Reminder: there is no right or wrong way to live life as long as you aren’t hurting others. Chase your happiness however it comes.

theroyaltourblog.com/2024/04/26/m...

Life on the Border - The Royal Tour Two children are born on the same day, and live two hundred feet from each other. They speak the same language, and are maybe even related going back a few generations. And yet, these two children wil...

I hope you all read my piece on the border between Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin today. In that theme, here is an article I wrote from the US-Mexico border back in 2022. Check it out!

#TravelAddicts #Mexico #Politics

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And none of those have been death threats toward me!

It was a long weekend driving to/from Las Vegas, but this moment made it worthwhile. No, his voice isn’t really there anymore, but nobody seemed to care.

Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin: The World’s Smallest Divided Landmass - The Royal Tour In his 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding describes what happens when the worst of human nature comes to a tiny island paradise. Rather than work together, a group of people devolves into l...

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The island of St. Martin is the world’s smallest divided landmass, with the French Saint-Martin and the Dutch Sint Maarten sharing 37 square miles. How did this come to be and how will you experience it? @visitstmaarten.bsky.social #TravelAddicts

theroyaltourblog.com/2025/10/06/s...

A Tourist’s Introduction to Puerto Rican Politics - The Royal Tour “Gringo go home.” The writing across the sidewalk of Calle Loiza sort of smacks me in the face as I walk from the grocery store back to my rented apartment in San Juan. This isn’t my first encounter w...

With Bad Bunny being called a foreigner despite being from Puerto Rico, maybe today is a good day for a three year old refresher on Puerto Rican politics as seen through a tourist’s lens. Check it out!

#TravelAddicts #PuertoRico

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These companies need to create a model that pays livable wages to drivers AND prices fairly for consumers. I cannot believe they can’t do those things with a viable business model in places where demand is so high. If they can’t, maybe they need to restructure.

2/2

I understand that people are afraid this will make Uber/Lyft even more expensive. First, prices have already gone up uncontrollably here in Los Angeles. Second, drivers need to make living wages. Third, if the companies pull out of CA rather than pay living wages, screw them.

1/

My ballot arrived today and I will be voting YES on California Prop 50. If you live in California, I urge you to do the same, and to MAKE SURE TO VOTE!

@governor.ca.gov #CAPol #Prop50

The Soul of the Gold Rush - The Royal Tour The Angels Camp Museum is no ordinary small town historical collection, a fact apparent from my first step inside. A fantastically curated exhibit on Mark Twain, the region’s most famous resident, giv...

Just finished writing about how a place as friendly as St. Maarten made me feel. It’s something rare.

Another amazing place that will make you feel some kind of way is California’s Calaveras County. Check this out!

#TravelAddicts #California

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Behind the Writing: Organizing Article Ideas - The Royal Tour Welcome to the first of what will be a probably-irregular feature here on The Royal Tour. While I’ve written reasonably frequently about how I personally travel, I’ve given some push back to writing a...

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People have often asked me about my processes as a writer, and I’ve resisted talking about them. Today I will. I hope you find this interesting.

#TravelAddicts #WriterSky #TravelBloggersCommunity

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Jew hatred is, sadly, one of the few things that has transcended politics, culture, time, and space.

To quote Tevya from Fiddler on the Roof, “God, I know we are the chosen people. But for once, could you choose someone else?”

I’m so sick of people excusing violence against Jews, especially on Yom Kippur, because of anger toward Israel.

Would it be ok if people attacked people praying at a Russian Orthodox Church because they are angry at Russia and Putin?

No? Exactly.

Manchester synagogue attack: What we know so far Three people have died including the suspect in a car and stabbing attack on the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar.

A synagogue attack near Manchester in the UK on this holiest of Jewish days. When will people stop trying to kill Jews?

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Wishing those who celebrate a meaningful Yom Kippur and an easy fast. I’m out for the holiday.

A statue of Kobe Bryant with his right arm raised

Co-working today with a legend at LA Live.

Very sad to hear of the passing of Jane Goodall. One of the pioneers of conservation, she is perhaps best known for proving irrefutably that chimpanzees care more for their community than Republicans.

May her memory be for a blessing.

Well thank you! I love learning and getting to share a tad of what I learn via my experiences

Writing today about the 1648 Concordia Treaty that divided St. Martin. I’m focusing on the side of coexistence, because frankly the world needs more of those stories these days.

Philipsburg, Marigot, and the Colonial History of Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin - The Royal Tour Blue skies, although in true tropical fashion they do give way to a brief rainstorm before returning immediately following. Azure waters. Green iguanas and brown pelicans. A ruined colonial fort, and ...

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My second article from Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin explores the colonial history of the island as seen from its two capitals, Philipsburg and Marigot. Check it out!

@visitstmaarten.bsky.social #TravelAddicts #History

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I’m not the biggest Mamdani supporter, but perhaps I can help here.

“Democrat” is a political party. “Socialist” is an ideology and, in the case of your article, a caucus. Socialists can be Democrats.

Those in the Black Caucus are also Democrats, not just Black.

The Colonial History of Nassau - The Royal Tour Modern-day Nassau, capital of the Bahamas, is a mecca of tourist shops, restaurants, and resorts. But between those, if one knows where to look, are remnants of a rather cool British colonial city. Ol...

In case you haven’t been able to tell, colonial history is something that fascinates me. What does it look like to explore in Nassau? I’m glad you asked!

#TravelAddicts #History #Bahamas

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Afghan women lose their 'last hope' as Taliban shuts down internet For many women, the internet was their last resource. An internet shutdown threatens to end this.

If you think there isn’t a subset of Republicans in this country who wouldn’t do all this here, you are wrong. Many prefer death to women’s health, authoritarianism to allowing women to vote, and economic stagnation to women working.

www.bbc.com/news/article...