The Girl Who Goes

independent, intentional travel

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City Review: Andorra la Vella, Andorra

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The view from Rec del Sola in Andorra la Vella

Hi everyone! I’ve been really working on prioritizing my blog this year, but I’ve been so deep in some of the less fun website stuff… I need to make sure I keep writing along the way. So here I am, sitting down to continue sharing more about our European road trip from last month. I still have so much to tell you! And today I’m going to tell you all about Andorra la Vella, Andorra.

I also decided on a new post type called “city review,” which I’m planning to keep relatively formulaic. I’ve done review-type posts in the past, but my goal is to make them more functional for anyone who’s looking for advice on traveling to that city. City review #1, coming right up. [Read more…]

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A Review of Lumo Train: London to Edinburgh

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Back in 2013 when I studied abroad in London, my school had a few organized trips that they offered to students. Some were short, like a day trip by bus to Stonehenge and Bath. But others spanned the entire weekend — like a longer train trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. Having already taken a long 10-day fall break to four countries and trying to be conscious of my college student budget, I reluctantly passed on the Edinburgh trip.

Fast forward to this past spring, when Sarah and Kelan invited us to come visit them in Dublin in August. From the U.S., it was much cheaper to fly in and out of London, a city I love and was excited to share with Matt for the first time. And then I thought… while we’re across the pond, why don’t we visit Scotland too?! Scotland had been on my bucket list ever since the trip I’d missed out on.

I think that’s why I also had my heart set on traveling by train to Scotland, just like my friends had done. So when it was time to plan our trip, I started by looking at train tickets. We ended up going with a Lumo train from London to Edinburgh. Here’s what it was like. [Read more…]

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Learn About Spain’s NEW Digital Nomad Visa

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Update October 2023: My fiancé, Matt, and I have officially been approved for the digital nomad visa! Learn more about its requirements and how to apply in my most updated blog post about the Spain digital nomad visa.

One year and two months ago, I wrote one of the saddest blog posts I’ve written in my four-and-a-half years of being The Girl Who Goes: it was my goodbye to Spain and Madrid, which had been my home for the two years prior. Not only was I saying goodbye, I was saying it in the worst way — without getting a chance to say many goodbyes at all. As COVID-19 upended my second school year in Madrid, it also upended my future plans to stay in Spain. [Read more…]

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How I Created My Travel Gallery Wall

Hi, it’s me, your travel blogger friend who left her glamorous, frivolous life in Spain to settle back into the typical patterns of everyday American society for the past 10 months. (Thanks, COVID.) While our next adventures seem to be creeping closer, little by little, I’ve had some time to work on other projects that I’ve enjoyed. And one of them was decorating my very own office! [Read more…]

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What I Miss About Living in Spain

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Crystal Palace in the Retiro

There’s still not a whole lot to write about around here… though as COVID cases keep decreasing here in KC and vaccinations keep increasing, it’s getting easier to feel hopeful! Matt and I are both vaccinated now, as well as my parents and sisters, so we are ready to get moving again! Though, of course, it’s going to take some time for other places to catch up.

But it seems like I’m dreaming about my life in Madrid — and traveling in general — more than usual lately. So while I wait for the day when it’s safe to start traveling again, I thought I would make a list of all the things I miss about living in Spain. [Read more…]

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Thinking About Our Travel Options for 2021

Reykjavik in December 2017 when I had the whole world within reach

We’re now two months into 2021. Though we all eagerly awaited the end of a very bad 2020, not too much has changed for most of us. The vaccines are a bright spot on the horizon, even though we know we certainly aren’t in a priority group. Matt and I are hoping we’re both vaccinated some time in the summer, and by that point many other people should have been vaccinated first. Could that mean a return to “normal” for us? [Read more…]

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Hasta Luego, España

To say that my second year in Spain didn’t go quite how I expected would be an understatement. It makes me more grateful for the whole, uninterrupted first year I had. Traveling to another country every month, riding the metro around the city on the weekends, meeting friends at cafes, taking the train or bus to new cities in Spain. [Read more…]

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Top 5 Things to Do in Munich, Germany

Despite many prior trips to Germany, the ever-elusive Munich was one major city I’d never visited. But when you think of Germany, many people imagine Oktoberfest, beer steins bigger than your head, and lederhosen. All of these are images of traditional Bavaria, a region in Germany’s southeast, of which Munich is the capital.

So when it came time to plan a holiday trip for me and Matt, and I found out that we could fly from Madrid to Munich for $22 each, it was a no-brainer. Germany’s always going to have a special place in my heart, and Matt had always wanted to visit. It was perfect! [Read more…]

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Holiday Trip Review: Germany, Austria, and Italy

A couple of weeks ago, I returned back to Madrid after the most ambitious Eurotrip I’d planned in years. I think the only other one that comes close was when I went to Dublin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam with friends over 10 days while studying abroad. This time, while Matt was visiting for the holidays, we spent nearly two weeks traveling through Germany, Austria, and Italy. [Read more…]

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All About The Festival of Lights in Lyon, France

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Une toute petite histoire de lumière at Place des Terreaux

Each year in December, a special festival takes place in the French city of Lyon – the Fête des Lumières. Or Festival of Lights, if you’re like me and your French isn’t up to speed. (Unfortunately, a week of half-hearted Duolingo wasn’t as helpful as I’d hoped.)

Fortunately, one of the puentes – 4-day weekends – in Spain coincided with the festival this year. Which also happened to be the same time that Hanna was visiting me! And since it’d been 8ish years since my last trip to France, and because the two of us make really good travel companions, we decided to attend the festival. [Read more…]

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