A male flame skimmer (Libellula saturata) usually feeds on moths, flies, ants, or any other soft-bodied insect while waiting perched on a thick blade of grass, twig, rock or while flying through the air.

The flame skimmer is the first dragonfly I caught on camera. And it made me unbelievably excited at how open the world is to discovery with beautiful things, like him, on display everywhere for those willing to see and explore.

Dragonflies symbolize change and change in the perspective of self-realization; and the kind of change that has its source in mental and emotional maturity and the understanding of the deeper meaning of life, according to The Internets.

Captured in Sonoma Valley about 45 minutes from San Francisco, California.

If He’s Into You, He’ll Show It.

Gay and in San Francisco? For me, it’s like Sex and the City minus the sex. In one of my favorite episodes of the popular HBO television series, Miranda tells Carrie’s then-boyfriend Berger that she invited her date upstairs and he politely declined the offer.

The 45th Annual Castro Street Fair

If you stay as long as I have in San Francisco, you realize the Castro scene is quite the sport. When a tourist comes to town, everyone here is relieved to meet someone ambivalent to the drama.

The Bay Bridge and Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market

They say San Francisco was an ancient river valley where creatures who grazed and browsed and stalked their prey, left their bones. Which to me, sounds like every night in the Castro!

My Favorite Blueberry Pancakes Recipe

Every morning I eat a pound of fresh blueberries with black coffee for breakfast, spending nearly $20/week or $80/month at Costco on a single product. Costco is the cheapest place for groceries in San Francisco, period. But the store also contains the freshest produce.

How Do I Explain Hygge?

They say one of the best parts of a vacation is to do absolutely nothing, I completely agree. So I spent the day settling into my cosy Airbnb in desperate need of rest after flying from San Francisco to Denmark doing absolutely nothing.

Welcome to Copenhagen.

The biggest regret so far on this trip was not realizing how stressful flying is for my cat Pepper Jack. If you thought a crying baby was the worst thing to sit next to on a long international flight, try a screaming cat. The Xanax prescribed by the veterinarian did not work for Pepper Jack or for me.

Stanislaus National Forest

Stanislaus National Forest is nestled between South Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park on the edge of the California-Nevada border. Most tourists go to Lake Tahoe or Yosemite, leaving Stanislaus one of the best kept secrets of the Sierra Nevada.

Camping in a Swedish Forest

So I rented a car to get out of Copenhagen for a day and went to a remote lake - Lake Hallasjön - in the Swedish countryside. Stedsans in the Woods, the resort and restaurant I stayed during my visit, is an up-and-coming hotel-restaurant hybrid. They believe in linking people with the surrounding environment to the food they eat in a sustainable way.

Copenhagen Pride

All the pretty things came out on Saturday to celebrate one of the biggest Pride parades in Copenhagen history, leaving the town decked out in rainbow. My plan: Take photos of all the cuties, celebrating free love. The problem: Midway through taking photographs, I had my first pint of Tuborg beer. And I wanted another!

The Best Danish Meatball Recipe

It's true Ikea popularized the Swedish meatball served with lingonberry sauce at their famous retail store, but meatballs - or Frikadeller in Danish - continue to be popular all throughout Scandinavia. And each nation prefers a different type of meatball!