Category: Travel Destinations
-
The Old Money Magic of New England: Exploring Mystic and Newport
Mystical Mystic Connecticut Because of my mom’s strong encouragement, I found myself in Mystic, Connecticut while visiting my friend and college classmate, Skyler, who just moved to Providence, Rhode Island for graduate school. My mom’s selling point to visit the small coastal village related to the movie Mystic Pizza. A quick Google search taught me…
-
Trauma Dumping my Bulgarian Backpacking Experience
Malko Dryanovo, Bulgaria (You may know it by its more common name: hell) I have not been looking forward to writing this blog whatsoever, because this whirlwind trip has been a lot for me to process. This travel experience was probably my least favorite of all my experiences, and it cost me a ton in…
-
The Magic of Budapest
I’ve put off writing this blog because I was low-key traumatized after my abrupt return from Eastern Europe. My last joyful moments of my most recent solo European backpacking trip were spent in Budapest, Hungary (Pro tip: Sound like a local pronouncing the city correctly by saying “Buda-PESHT” not “buda-PEST”. In Hungarian, “s” sounds like”sh”…
-
The Yorkshire Dales: Where a slow life is a happy life
York, England is said to be the most haunted city in Europe. Its history dates back to Roman times, and York was a significant cultural and political hub during Medieval times. 2 ½ miles of the city’s medieval walls still surround the city center and have bore witness to numerous significant events, including battles, wars,…
-
The Highs and Lows of Edinburgh
When I arrived by bus to Edinburgh from the airport, I immediately sensed I was in a lively city with historic charm. Coming from two days each in Dublin and Belfast, I was relieved to be just in Edinburgh for four days, giving me more time to settle in. And this trip has shown me…
-
Learning to Trust the Process in Belfast
Couscous is a pigeon. And he is hilarious. He is the needy and spoiled resident bird of my Belfast residence, a comfy, warm retreat, conveniently called the “Botanical Backpackers Hostel”. As I sat working at a table in the open air courtyard of the house, Couscous sat impatiently on his perch, a wood board around…
-
The Blog that Almost Didn’t Happen: Sharing My Dublin Experience
When contemplating what to write about Dublin, I was at a loss. It took 10 days of reflection after the Dublin trip before I was finally able to bring this post to fruition. To begin with, after a not-very-well put together itinerary, I arrived in the Temple Bar District to search for my hostel after…
-
The Simplicity of Bath
When I first stepped off the train to Bath from London, my glassy eyes and sleep deprivation were no match from the familiar sense of wanderlust, manifesting itself as that familiar dumb grin that I can’t seem to wipe off my face. It was a short walk from the train station to my hostel and…
-
Let the adventure begin… Reflections on London
LONDON (May 22, 2023) — I spent the last few hours in this enchanting city laughing way too hard while learning Swiss “dance moves” at a pub with friends I just met. London was my first official city on my backpacking trip, and the welcoming city in my first visit U.K.. It offered many historical…
-
How to have a [legend]ary weekend at Petit Jean State Park: What you need to know
To celebrate year 22 of being alive, I traveled to the ideal birthday weekend setting: Petit Jean Mountain. What could be a better way to celebrate than peeing in the woods, suffocating on campfire smoke and shivering under a thin tent while the rain pours down? Ok, I’m not doing a great job of hyping…
Traveling With Lola 