Zemii ゼミ: Travel

Ready to Leave the USA?

Shella Zelenz — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 19:43:52 GMT

My family and I have been traveling for nearly 10 years now (it will be 10 years this June). We have been to 29 countries in this time and have navigated the various systems for immigration, residency, and traveling with pets in many countries. We’ve dealt with real estate, landlords, utilities, banking, cell phone and internet service providers, transportation, government agencies, and so much more.

I have also spent most of this time trying to get my friends to leave the USA because I knew what was coming would be dangerous. I think that time is now.

My daughter took this photo as we were flying out of Saipan in July 2025

Everyone has their own reasons for wanting a better life. Some go for job opportunities. Others move for family. Some move for safety. Whatever your reason, if you are genuinely ready to make the leap to leave the USA, I can help you.

I had friends try to tell me 5 years ago that I should offer this type of service, and I dismissed it. It’s so complicated and frustrating and more importantly, I need to deal with people who are committed. It is difficult enough dealing with the hoops and curveballs that countries can throw at you without also having to deal with people who aren’t committed to taking action and doing the work.

I left for many reasons. I left before Trump was ever elected the first time, so my reasons had nothing to do with who was President. I saw my country becoming more and more dangerous as the years went on. I spent decades navigating all manner of systems and seeing the cracks in the veneer. I saw the attitudes and the callousness. More importantly, I wanted safety for my children. That was #1 for me. I committed my efforts to helping my country and to those who were also helping to make the country a better place. I did this remotely so that I could maintain my sanity, while helping those who were in the trenches dealing with the tragedies first-hand. I had already been doing it while stateside, but it truly took a toll on my health.

I can honestly tell you that it took about 3 years after leaving the USA to recover from all of the traumas I had endured there. Not being hypervigilant. Not panicking over everything. It was honestly shocking to see my own responses when in contrast to other countries who were simply calm and confused why I would have such a response. Unlearning that trauma response took a long time and it also helped me to realize how damaging my experience in my own country had truly been.

Now, I put peace above all else. I eat healthy food and have affordable access to healthcare whenever I need it. I have safety everywhere I’ve gone. I’ve met so much kindness and people who were so eager to assist me when navigating so many new places and systems. I learned a lot of things that surprised me and some even shocked me. There is so much to learn and know and I know the biggest concern most people have before taking such a leap is the unknown. It’s scary to jump off the cliff. I get it.

After much contemplation, I have decided to offer a small opening for a very limited number of people who are seriously interested in getting assistance to move abroad. If this is you, please schedule a call at the link below. There is a consultation fee of $200 for the call as there will be much discussed. If after the call, you wish to pursue moving, I can provide a customized plan and personal assistance for your move.

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Once you have scheduled your call and made your payment, please complete the questionnaire that will be emailed to you. This must be completed before your scheduled call. Please be as thorough as you can so that we can use your consultation time wisely. If you know someone else who might need these services, please feel free to share this article with them.

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Eating Dalmatia

Shella Zelenz — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 12:36:51 GMT

We spent a year in Dalmatia back in 2017-2018. We did not know what we were getting into when we chose the location. At the time, we were coming from Vienna, Austria and our tourist visas were going to expire soon. So, I looked at the map and randomly chose Split without knowing anything about it. I just knew it was near the ocean and I like water. So, we found ourselves in Diocletian’s Palace. To say that our jaws were dropped upon arrival is putting it lightly.

We had taken the train and our initial impression of the country was seeing communist-style structures. I was slightly worried what we had gotten ourselves into. However, that feeling was very shortlived upon arrival to the center of Split, and the Riva. We found ourselves in the midst of a third century palace built for the Roman Emperor, Diocletian. This was our first experience with any kind of historic structure that old.

Wrapping up Buenos Aires

Shella Zelenz — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 01:16:39 GMT

Our family has spent the last 10 months in Argentina. Primarily in Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata. We recently returned to Buenos Aires to participate in the Tango Singer Tour. Now, we prepare for our next adventure in Asia. The Memoirs of a Geisha tour in Kyoto, Japan is in April and the Human Acts Tour in Seoul, South Korea is May.

Have you always wanted to visit Buenos Aires? Do you love Tango, steak, and Malbec? We have just completed the first Stories Alive! tour this past week in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. If you would like to create this adventure for yourself, here is the itinerary we followed:

Once upon a tango... Discover the highlights of Buenos Aires as lived through the pages of The Tango Singer. Stay in a 5-Star hotel in the center of the city where you will be taken on an adventure of tango shows, wine tasting, gastronomy, and spa experiences in addition to unique tours of the city.

Day 1

Arrive and check into your hotel

Day 2

10:00 AM Home Hotel Spa Day

3:00 P…

Stories Alive! A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888-1889

Shella Zelenz — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 22:53:58 GMT

Zemii Tours is honored to present the sixth in many Stories Alive! Tours. The sixth tour is based off of the novel A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888-1889 by Frederic Morton. Published in 1986, this novel based on real world events takes you to the beginning of the fall of the Hapsburgs and the rising of a new world order.

The Story

As described on Amazon:

On January 30, 1889, during the Viennese Carnival, Emperor Franz Josef’s son and heir, Crown Prince Rudolf fired a revolver at his teenaged mistress and then at himself at Mayerling in the Vienna Woods. In this National Book Award finalist, Frederic Morton tells the story of the Prince and his city, where, in the span of ten months, “the Western dream started to go wrong.” In 1888-89 Vienna, other young men like Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Theodor Herzl, Gustav Klimt, and Arthur Schnitzler were as frustrated as the Crown Prince, but for other reasons. Morton interweaves their fates with that of the Prince and the entire city, until Ru…

Must-Eat Istanbul

Shella Zelenz — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 19:23:25 GMT

Anyone who knows me knows I am an absolute Turkish food junky. It is probably my most favorite food in the world, next to Korean food. In 2019, my family decided to travel specifically for food. We weren’t your typical tourists flocking to the tourist sites. We saw some here and there, but we aren’t much for crowds. We like going off the beaten path and exploring what the real country is like. We like meeting the locals and eating their family owned restaurant food. Homecooked authentic is my absolute favorite. The photos and videos you see in this article are from our own travels. The quality may not always be great as I was just using my phone, but you can get an idea anyway.

Turkish Delight

Turkish Delight is a sweet treat, known as Lokum in Türkiye. The varieties of flavor are endless. This sweet candy can be found all over Istanbul and is frequ…

Stories Alive! Human Acts

Shella Zelenz — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 03:06:04 GMT

Zemii Tours is honored to present the fifth in many Stories Alive! Tours. The fifth tour is based off of the novel Human Acts by Han Kang. Published in 2017. This novel based on real world events takes you to the rising of youth against the former military dictator, Chun Doo-Hwan, in Gwangju, South Korea in the week of May 18-27, 1980. This award-winning and controversial novel portrays the universal struggle for justice and political unrest.

The Story

As described on Amazon:

This is a story seeped in South Korean history but rooted in the stronghold of humanity. In Human Acts, Kang recounts a violent uprising in Gwangju, South Korea in 1980 and begins unapologetically with the bodies – the bodies piled unclaimed and rotting of the students that were murdered. Dong-ho, a young teenager looks for his friend amidst the rubble, clinging to the proximity of his friend’s last breath. Refusing to go home, Dong-ho is murdered. From there, Kang’s epic novel blooms outward, telling the stories of…

Greece

Shella Zelenz — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 03:01:11 GMT

Today’s focus is on Greece! Many people flock to this ancient and breathtaking country filled with rich history and captivating landscapes. Today’s article will include links to destination lectures by Context Travel, a Zemii Tours partner.

Althea Spa Retreat at Mykonos Grand

**Contact me to book your stay at the Mykonos Grand or any of the other destinations and hotels listed today.

Welcome to All Things Greece, your ultimate guide to the rich history, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landmarks of Greece. Embark on a journey to discover ancient temples, indulge in delicious Greek cuisine, explore the enchanting Greek islands, delve into captivating mythology, and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Greek language. Join us in unraveling the wonders of this fascinating Mediterranean paradise.

Greece is known as the cradle of western civilization. Although the empire reached far beyond these lands, the capital city of Athens is what most people immediately think of when they think of G…

Stories Alive! Memoirs of a Geisha

Shella Zelenz — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 03:59:35 GMT

Zemii Tours is honored to present the fourth in many Stories Alive! Tours. The fourth tour is based off of the novel Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Published in 1997, this debut novel takes you to the world of the geisha in Kyoto, Japan in the early 20th century. Don’t let debut deter you, this book was on the New York Times Best Seller list for 58 straight weeks!

The Story

As described on Amazon:

“Speaking to us with the wisdom of age and in a voice at once haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri tells the story of her life as a geisha. It begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old girl with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. We witness her transformation as she learns the rigorous arts of the geisha: dance and music; wearing kimono, elaborate makeup, and hair; pouring sake to reveal just a touch of inner wrist; competing with a jealous rival for men's solicitude and the money that…

Stories Alive! Time Shelter

Shella Zelenz — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 07:00:15 GMT

Zemii Tours is honored to present the third in many Stories Alive! Tours. The third tour is based off of the novel Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodoniv. Published in 2020, this International Man Booker and Strega European Award-Winning novel takes you to a “clinic for the past,” located in Zürich, Switzerland.

The Story

From the backmatter: “In an apricot-colored building in Zürich, surrounded by curiously planted forget-me-nots, Gaustine has opened the first “clinic for the past,” an institution that offers an inspired treatment for Alzheimer’s sufferers: each floor reproduces a past decade in minute detail, allowing patients to transport themselves back in time to unlock what is left of their fading memories. Serving as Gaustine’s assistant, the narrator is tasked with collecting the flotsam and jetsam of the past, from 1960s furniture and 1940s shirt buttons to nostalgic scents and even wisps of afternoon light. But as the charade becomes more convincing, an increasing number of health…

Your Guide to Elena Ferrante's Naples, Italy

Shella Zelenz — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 01:43:54 GMT

What better way to travel than to live a story in a book, written by someone who can take you down those cobblestone streets as if you were there in person, and then personally traverse those streets yourself… making the book come to life before your very eyes. This is something very important to us here at Zemii Group. Today is no exception. In today’s article, we are going to walk you through the streets of Naples as seen through the novelist, Elena Ferrante, whose real name is currently speculated as Anita Raja.

Elena Ferrante

Who is this mysterious Elena Ferrante and why is she so interesting? Ferrante has written only a handful of novels, and yet their success is not to be dismissed. The frequent setting of her books is in Naples, Italy. The context in all of them surrounds the realities of what it means to be a woman in a culture that has set limits on what is expected of women, and what it is like to be a woman living in these limits. One well explained example of how this plays …

Stories Alive! The Tango Singer Tour

Shella Zelenz — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 20:51:25 GMT

Zemii Tours is honored to present the second in many Stories Alive! Tours. The second tour is based off of the novel The Tango Singer by Tomás Eloy Martínez. Published in 2005, this mysterious novel winds you through the streets of Buenos Aires in pursuit of the elusive and legendary tango singer, Julio Martel.

The Story

Bruno Cadogan has flown from New York to Buenos Aires in search of the elusive and legendary Julio Martel, a tango singer whose voice has never been recorded yet is said to be so beautiful it is almost supernatural. Bruno is increasingly drawn to the mystery of Martel and his strange and evocative performances in a series of apparently arbitrary sites around the city. As Bruno tries to find Martel, he begins to untangle the story of the singer's life, and to believe that Martel's increasingly rare performances map a dark labyrinth of the city's past.

The Author

Tomás Eloy Martínez is a journalist, a professor, and an award-winning and bestselling novelist whose books inc…

Stories Alive! Dracula Tour

Shella Zelenz — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 15:35:11 GMT

Zemii Tours is honored to present the first in many Stories Alive! Tours. The first tour is based off of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. Published in 1897, this epistolary novel winds you through a tale utilizing diary entries, letters, and articles found in newspapers. There is no particular protagonist, which makes it more like observing as you would reading something in the news.

The Story

Solicitor Jonathan Harker takes a business trip to visit a nobleman, named Count Dracula, in the Transylvanian forest. Count Dracula lives in a castle, no less. Once Harker realizes that Dracula is actually a vampire, he attempts to escape the castle. Count Dracula then proceeds to go to England, wreaking havoc on the oceanside village of Whitby. A group, led by Abraham Van Helsing, begin a hunt of the count, eventually leading to his death.

Image by Kalhh on…