Exploring NYC & Beyond by Train 🚂

👋 Greetings from the Big Apple!

It's been a whirlwind since I've been back stateside... I landed in Miami, then started north via the high-speed Brightline train to kick off my flight-free trip up the East Coast.

From Florida, we took an overnight train to DC, then the high-speed Acela to New York which arrived at the beautiful Moynihan Train Hall. I was here for my first Women in Travel Summit (WITS) in Downtown NYC, which was a great experience!

My focus in the next few months will be on slow travel, and trying to do as much as I can overland. While flight and car-free travel isn’t as popular yet in the US as it is elsewhere, I’m excited to give it my best try and see how US and Canadian trains stack up with those I’ve taken in Europe and Asia.

Stay tuned!

(As always, if you want to follow along, the highlights will be on Instagram.)

Do you know any dishes, restaurants or food-related festivals near Amtrak, VIA Rail or Brightline stops that are worth traveling for?

Have a favorite train route in North America (or elsewhere)? 👉 Hit reply and let me know!

📣 New on Shoyu Sugar

Notes from the

Kalamata Open Market 🫒

My foodie guide to the Kalamata Open Market is up! In it you'll find suggestions for Greek phrases to try out, top food souvenirs to take home, and the best local products to taste on your next visit to the Peloponnese.

Destination Inspiration ✈

Can you guess which city was just named the most walkable city in the world? Speaking of walking, I enjoyed this sensory trip through less visited neighborhoods in Tokyo via the Yamanote line.
Yosemite is the latest park in the US to require reservations if you'd like to visit this summer. (Related: Have you tried collecting stamps for the Passports to Your National Parks? I just picked one up in Ellis Island!)
Tickets are now on sale for the 15th Annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival which will be held on multiple islands starting this October. The most popular events sell out quickly, so don't wait to get yours!

Language Lovers 🤓

I've been spending time most days in the lovely Rose Reading Room of the New York Public Library, one of my favorites. Do you like to stop at bookstores and libraries when traveling too? Here are a few European libraries worth traveling for.
When learning a new language, do you focus on vocabulary or cultural cues? Here are 7 reasons Cultural Awareness is More important than Vocabulary What do you think about their advice?
I'll be heading up to Canada next month for the TBEX North America Conference in Quebec City, so I've been reading up on Québécois. (Duolingo also had an article recently about the differences in the Canadian dialect of English as well.)

In case you missed it...

I was a guest on the Bougie in a Backpack podcast recently and the episode is now out! (Click the link to listen)

I also got to meet Angel & Mackenzie from Bougie in a Backpack in person at the WITS Summit in Downtown NYC last week. Our boat left from the same pier as the one that crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge less than 24 hrs prior! 😱

Feeling Lucky🍀

InDepartures.com is giving away a £40 Trip.com certificate, check out the details and enter here by 5/31.
Win 3 nights at the Line LA plus a foodie tour of Downtown LA and other bonuses. Enter here by 6/17.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Did you like the new image in my header? I was so lucky to be gifted a photo shoot from my friend Noemie Deveaux before leaving Istanbul. We spent a few hours on the ferries between the continents and wandering in the colorful neighborhood of Balat. Highly recommend booking a session with her if you'll be in Istanbul!

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Malia Yoshioka holds a multicolored shave ice cone on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii

Hi, I'm Malia Yoshioka!

I'm a freelance food and travel writer from Hawaii, slowly eating my way around the world and sharing the flavors with you in these weekly updates and on ShoyuSugar.com. Nice to meet you!

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