Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
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🚆 39 states, no flights
Published about 8 hours ago • 5 min read
👋 Aloha friends,
Just a few short weeks ago, I was on Maui during the first of the back-to-back Kona Low storms that caused widespread flooding across the state of Hawaii. It was one of the most intense storms I’ve experienced in my lifetime. If there's a silver lining, it's that the community has come together yet again and that has been incredibly inspiring. One of these efforts is a direct aid website called Storm Kokua. It houses a centralized list of vetted fundraisers, currently helping 274 families across four islands. You can read through the stories individually, or donate to the overall fund, which gets distributed across the fundraisers.
Calm between the storms
Since leaving Maui, I’ve been crossing the continent by train using another Amtrak USA Rail Pass, which has allowed me to travel coast-to-coast three times in just the past few weeks alone.
Over the past year, I've now been through 39 states via Amtrak, without flights and with minimal car travel.
There’s something about traveling this way that makes you slow down and notice more, and I've enjoyed getting to know the people I've met along the way as well.
I’ll be sharing more from these journeys (plus iconic foods to try, where to stay and general tips for train travel) in the coming weeks.
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🎧 Worth a listen
Traveling solo doesn’t have to feel isolating. I was a guest on the Travel the World Confidently Podcast and spoke about how your hobbies can open doors and create connection. Scroll down to episode #42 from the podcast homepage, or catch up on my podcast playlist.
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Can you imagine going from LA to San Francisco in under three hours by train? Secret Los Angeles has details on the current status and the future of high speed rail in California.
Andrea Lemieux of The Quirky Cork introduces Türkiye’s newest Bağ Rotası (Wine Route), bringing together wineries across the inner Aegean that, despite their differences, are united by a shared history and belief in the region’s potential.
[Oahu] The Pig & The Lady has recently launched their Only Good Vibes project, where three reservations are available each evening for a pay-what-you-wish four-course meal, with proceeds going to a nonprofit, such as Chef Hui for the month of April.
[Oahu] What is it like to close a beloved 85 year institution? Frolic interviews the owners of Tamashiro’s market as they close down the business for the final time this week.
[Maui] Cookbook author Alana Kysar celebrates the launch of her newest book, Aloha Veggies, with a four-course family-style dinner at Umi on April 28th. Tickets for the second seating are still available via Eventbrite.
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👋 Hi, I'm Malia Yoshioka!
I'm a freelance food and travel writer and guidebook author from Hawaii, slowly eating my way around the world and sharing the flavors with you in these weekly updates and on ShoyuSugar.com
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Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
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