November 3, 2017
November 7, 2017
Prague
Prague wasn’t my idea. It was Veronica who first suggested the Eastern European city when we agreed on a trip to Amsterdam after I raved about my first visit in the fall of 2016. We had a bunch of recommendations from friends, family, and our Airbnb host, but the ultimate plans lay in the hands of the infamous Google Doc. Y’all are familiar with it. It’s that printed out document that includes the itinerary planned down to the minute. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you’re probably not the Type A planner to build one out or even ...
November 3, 2017
How I Navigate My Way Through Anywhere (No Service or Wi-Fi Needed)
Adding an international phone service plan when traveling abroad is just one more expense to budget for when planning a trip. It is worth the expense if you plan on using it to the fullest: making calls, sending texts, and using data to search for things on the fly while in a foreign country. I’ve noticed during my travels that the only thing I really need to stay in communication with my friends and family is WIFI and even that has been hard not to come by while traveling abroad in Europe and South America. Thus I’ve found other ways to ...
September 26, 2017
Why I Quit My Day Job for 2 Months in Peru
Before you roll your eyes and say “yet another story about a millennial who was over her well-paying job and quit to backpack around the world and blog all about it and convince everyone else to do the same,” just hear me out. I was sitting in a team meeting at my job, a job that I loved and appreciated from the start. Together the team was problem-solving a frustrating, ongoing issue that account managers were experiencing with our network. During the time, we joked about the problem and work and maybe a TV show involving a talking dog, I don’t ...
September 22, 2017
Cartagena
I almost didn’t make it to Cartagena. Missed my flight from Peru to Colombia and spent an extra night in Cusco wondering if the trip was really meant to be. If the universe was conspiring against me. If the expectation of a good time in Colombia was destined to be unmet and the reality of my situation was a better bet. But it always works itself out. It was an awkward ride from the airport in an Uber. Uber is illegal in Colombia but the app still functions, so it works? If asked by a cop what I was doing ...
September 22, 2017
Planning A Trip To Machu Picchu? Consider These 9 Things
I had the amazing privilege of visiting Machu Picchu during my long-term stay in Peru this summer. The “Lost City of the Incas” was a said to be an estate for the Incan emperor Pachacuti and was later discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. Today, it stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site, New Seven Wonder of the World, and an item on many people’s bucket lists. If it’s on yours and you’re planning a visit, here are a few things to consider. There are Many Options for Purchasing Tickets The best advice for booking your Machu Picchu visit is ...
September 18, 2017
Learning A Second Language Is Easier Than You Think
Have you ever tried learning a new language? I set out to learn Spanish after a week of fumbling my words during a trip to Madrid and Barcelona back in 2015. I’m embarrassed to admit that I studied Spanish in junior high, high school, and college for a total of 8 years prior to going on this trip and I still couldn’t put together anything more than “hola”, “¿cómo estás?” or “tengo un gato en mis pantalones.” After dedicating myself to learning Spanish for the last 2+ years, I’ve come across a ton of resources and now understand that learning ...
September 12, 2017
Bogotá
When in Bogotá I made the mistake of staying in La Candelaria. Don’t get me wrong, the location is perfect for touring as it sits in the cultural center containing all of the main attractions and museums. I was torn between whether or not to stay there initially and read a number of articles to help me make my decision, including this one comparing the difference in nightlife between the city center and northern neighborhoods. My mistake was actually rooted in a poor order of priorities: did I want to stay close to the center of the action, backpackers, and museums ...
August 19, 2017
Lima
Lima was bright and beautiful and bustling! Well, not exactly. It was gloomy and gray and gastronomical (#LITeration). The truth is that a trip to Lima was necessary. I was physically sick with a stomach infection for two consecutive days and getting really comfortable in the way of life in Cusco after six weeks and my productivity – writing, shooting, dreaming – took a backseat. It was only a weekend trip, Friday through Monday, but something about it gave me reasons to be excited about the road ahead. When in Lima, the agenda was chill. That means I ...
June 3, 2017
When In 