independent, intentional travel
I’ve been in Europe for two weeks now, and I have just under two weeks until I start working. Because as much fun as it’s been, living life in Madrid without any responsibilities other than feeding myself, work is the real reason I’m here. The reason I’m able to be here. Someone’s gotta teach the Spanish children some English. [Read more…]
View from my apartment terrace.
It’s hard to believe I’ve already been in Spain for 10 days! Thankfully, the existential “what-am-I-doing-why-did-I-think-this-was-a-good-idea” phase seems to have passed for the time being, and I’m really enjoying life right now. Whether it’s café con leche every morning (or when I wake up, which uhhh, isn’t always the morning) and shopping for things I need to feel at home, it’s exciting to have a fresh start in a new place. And while I’ve visited Spain as a tourist before, living here is totally different. Here are some of the things I’ve learned in my first 10 days living in Madrid. [Read more…]
I arrived in Madrid almost two days ago, my new home for the next year. I feel like I’ve already accomplished a lot; I’ve visited some of my favorite spots, navigated the Metro, and even procured an apartment in record time (hallelujah). There is, however, one thing I’m definitely not succeeding at – feeding myself. Why is it so hard to eat while abroad?
Now, my family and friends probably aren’t surprised by this (since in the past few months especially I became increasingly reliant on others to feed me, out of pure laziness for the most part). But let’s put that aside for a minute. I actually realized this during my trip to Asia last year, and to Mexico a few months ago. Feeding yourself while abroad is surprisingly difficult, especially when you’re traveling solo. [Read more…]
It feels so strange to finally share the secret I’ve been keeping for the better part of the past year, but it’s finally happening. I’m moving to Spain.
To Madrid. Next month.
Hey everyone!
On Tuesday, I came back home from a week-long road trip out west with my family! They actually left a week before I did, but I couldn’t take that much time off from work, so I flew to LA and met them there. We always took road trips as a family when I was growing up, but as I got older and responsibilities increased, I hadn’t been able to join the yearly vacation. Until now!
I decided to share some of the reasons I think road trips are the best.
Since today is Mother’s Day, I wanted to write about something topical. But in my family, something funny happens every 5-6 years – Mother’s Day falls on May 13, which is also my dad’s birthday. So the day feels a little extra special.
We’re spending this extra-special day going to brunch and playing a family baseball game at a nearby field. All four of us girls are showering our parents with the love they hopefully feel from us every day. And tomorrow I’ll wake up at 3 a.m. for another too-early flight for another week in Indiana. As I think about what my life looks like now, it’s impossible to separate it from the upbringing I’ve had. My parents have been indispensable to my travel dreams and experiences thus far. [Read more…]
Is Mexico safe? Most of us know that Mexico gets a bad reputation. For many, the mention of Mexico invokes ideas of crime, violence, and earthquakes. Even the State Department has issued warnings urging U.S. travelers not to visit certain parts of the country. There were reports of tourists being served tainted alcohol; an Iowa family of four tragically found dead in their rented condo.
So, here we have Mexico sounding pretty dangerous for anyone to visit. [Read more…]
“I booked my trip to Thailand,” I told some friends, months before I would share this news with my parents.
“That’s so cool! You have to ride an elephant while you’re there,” one of them said.
“Oh, I totally will.”
I could just imagine it: photos I’d seen of other friends, and celebrities, perched atop the back of these gentle giants, danced in my head. Who wouldn’t want to ride an elephant? [Read more…]
Merry Christmas Eve! Our house is busy wrapping the final presents, watching football, and playing in the snow that fell overnight. My Italian sister, Gaia – who joined our family this year through the AFS program – is in the kitchen making tiramisu for Christmas dinner. Since this is Gaia’s first Christmas away from home, I decided to find out her thoughts on the holiday season in the U.S. and how it’s different from where she lives in Sanluri, Sardinia. [Read more…]
Guess what? Today is my 25th birthday! It feels a little weird to think I’m officially a quarter-of-a-century old, but I wanted to write something a little special to celebrate. I’ve had an awesome year full of travel, so I thought it would be fun to look back on my top 25 travel experiences from the past year. [Read more…]