Musings Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Ashley Abroad Travel Blog

Does Snapchat Ruin the Moment?

July 11, 2016 by Ashley Fleckenstein

A few months ago, I was riding a wild-maned horse down a black sand trail in Iceland. The sun was shining, the sky blue for the first time in days. All of a sudden, my horse bolted. As she careened and bucked, I gripped the reins and tried not to get thrown off. When she finally was calm, … Read more

25 Things It Took Me 25 Years to Learn

March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 by Ashley Fleckenstein

25 has been a pivotal year for me – this stage of my life feels very adult in a way that my early twenties didn’t. As Adele so wisely wrote, the future didn’t matter then like it does now. Like most of us, I’ve become more confident and secure with age. I’m proud of how much progress I’ve made … Read more

What I Miss Most About Long-Term Travel

July 9, 2015 by Ashley Fleckenstein

Around this time last year, I returned home from a year of backpacking. And although it’s so nice to be settled, sometimes I’m nostalgic for my nomadic lifestyle. There are so many wonderful things about long-term travel. Long-term travel lets you live your life to the fullest every day. Your entire universe is dedicated to your personal pleasure and … Read more

Celebrating a Blogiversary – Ashley Abroad Turns Two!

August 22, 2014August 22, 2014 by Ashley Fleckenstein

Hey guys! So today I’m excited because my blog jut turned two. (And yes, I do refer to it as if it were my child.) Who would’ve guessed I’d still be blogging after all this time? I certainly wouldn’t have! Anyway, a lot’s changed since last year’s blogiversary and in short, I’m really proud. I’ve worked … Read more

Back Home, But What Next?

July 14, 2014 by Ashley Fleckenstein

Confession: recently I’ve been having a bit of a crisis. I’m back home and savoring the Michigan summer as always. But the one question that plagues me day after day is, “Okay, so what now?” As many of you know I just returned home from a four-month trip around the world: Europe, India and Southeast Asia. My … Read more

Why Working as a Digital Nomad is Not for Me

February 6, 2019March 13, 2014 by Ashley Fleckenstein

During my four-month trip to Asia, I worked remotely as a freelance writer and blogger, earning the bulk of my income from freelance writing. While I worked several freelance writing jobs, my main gig was as a Category Expert for Answers.com. Commissioned to write between 10 and 20 articles each month, I hustled hard to … Read more

Practicing Gratitude Wherever You Go

February 14, 2014January 21, 2014 by Ashley Fleckenstein

I’ve been back from Asia for a month now, living at my parent’s house in Michigan. I am by far the happiest I’ve ever been at home. Readjusting last time after a long spell abroad was more difficult- I felt listless, bored and irritated with the return of bad habits like snacking and scrolling through Facebook on my phone. … Read more

A Big 2014: Goals for the New Year

April 21, 2017January 1, 2014 by Ashley Fleckenstein

Wow, 2013. What a year. To be honest this resolution post has changed so many times I wasn’t even sure I should publish it. So many things I thought I wanted to achieve: becoming a certified translator, attaining professional fluency in French, moving to San Francisco, I have crossed off the list to make way for other goals.

To be honest, and this is strange to admit on a travel blog, I’m perfectly content at home and the idea of travel does not appeal to me in the slightest right now. (Ask me again in another two weeks and I might have a completely different answer, mind you.)

What I Miss (and Don’t Miss) about Living in France

October 8, 2019November 25, 2013 by Ashley Fleckenstein

Ah, France. The country that I called home for nearly a year. The land I tearfully left almost four months ago. There was so much about living in France that was lovely; I particularly miss all the French goodies that are difficult to procure here in Asia, like wine, cheese and bread. (Don’t even get … Read more

Why I Honestly Came to Bali

August 28, 2019November 21, 2013 by Ashley Fleckenstein

It’s no secret that I was unhappy for the first month or so of my Asia trip. Okay fine. I was inexplicably miserable for the first month of my trip. I descended into a dark place where I battled depression, anxiety and an overall despair for the future. For a while I seriously considering flying … Read more