I really love souvenirs. I try to pick up something meaningful and traditional from wherever I go, which usually results in me carrying a backpack full of highly breakable ceramics.
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5 Creative Ways to Approach Trip Planning
Before leaving for a big trip, I like to do some preliminary research so that I know what might interest me in the area. This allows me to have a loose itinerary, as I already have an idea of what I might like. Here are some of the ways I decide where to go in … Read more
The ABCs of Travel
For a while I’ve been noticing the ABCs of Travel making their way around the blogosphere. Now that I finally have my own blog I wanted to make an ABC list! (I’m a little late to the party but hey, I still showed up). This was a fun exercise because it reminded me of so many things I’ve forgotten.
A Mini Guide to Le Marais, Paris’ Artsy Jewish Quarter
Whenever I’m given a day (or night) off from nannying, I generally find myself my favorite Paris neighborhood- Le Marais. It’s a neighborhood with wonderful boutiques and restaurants, beautiful tree-lined streets and a lively bar scene.
It is also a neighborhood that has worn many hats in its day.
How to Drink Cheaply Abroad
Drinking while abroad is an expense that adds up quickly, especially if you’re traveling on a party-friendly backpacker circuit like Western Europe or Southeast Asia. Here are some tips that can cut your drinking costs when abroad.
How to Couchsurf (And Why I Love It So Far)
This year for my 22nd birthday, I asked my parents for a trip to Greece. My parents were okay with paying for the flight as long as it was cheap- so off to Corfu I went for 130 euros.
The Many Benefits of Solo Travel
At first, traveling alone wasn’t really my scene. I was staying in Amsterdam, my first stop on a three-month trip to Europe.
“Maybe I hate this city because of its inherent melancholy, flowing through the pipes of the old houses, lining the underbelly of the dark-watered canals,” I wrote in a very dramatic journal entry.
I basically wandered around the narrow streets in the drizzle, cold, jet-lagged and lonely. Sartre would have been proud.
How to Pack for a Backpacking Trip
Packing for a backpacking trip can be a daunting task, but can be accomplished with a bit of preliminary research.
The pack I use is the REI Women’s Ridgeline 65. It’s small enough to carry on a Ryanair flight, but big enough to store all that I need. It expands as well.
How to Eat Cheaply Abroad
Eating is one of my absolute favorite activities while traveling. Some of my best travel memories are through food; whether it’s finishing dinner in France with a plate of oozing, raw-milk cheeses or devouring a fresh, cilantro-flecked ceviche in a Chilean seafood market, food ties you to a place in a way like no other.
Essential Safety Tips for Backpackers
When I first started traveling at 17, I paid too much attention to backpacker safety. I held back from talking to strangers and used a money belt for the first three days (THANK YOU, Rick Steves).
Needless to say, being overly cautious takes the fun out of travel. But there is also such a thing as being downright irresponsible.