The Girl Who Goes

independent, intentional travel

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Top 5 Things To See in the Historic Center of Quito, Ecuador

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Historic Center of Quito

When we arrived in Quito, it was a Sunday. Monday through Wednesday had been spent getting settled in, buying groceries, checking out our new neighborhood, and catching up on work. But by Thursday, I was ready to see what “downtown” Quito had to offer. Matt and I wrapped up work for the day and then decided to take a trip into the Historic Center of Quito, or the Centro Histórico.

Considering that it’s about 4 miles from our place, we decided to take a taxi. Using Cabify, it only cost a couple of dollars. I put in our destination as Plaza de San Blas, which was kind of a mistake because I didn’t know anything about centro histórico yet… haha. But it was fine, and we were able to see everything we wanted to within walking distance.

Here’s what you need to know when planning your own trip to the historic center of Quito. [Read more…]

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Day Trip: Madrid to Segovia, Spain

Segovia Cathedral

Segovia Cathedral crowning the city

I actually can’t believe I hadn’t written this post yet! The first time I visited Madrid — back in 2016 — Segovia was my first day trip I took out of the capital. I’d learned about this impressive city during one of my college Spanish classes, and I knew I had to see it for myself. Once I moved here in the fall, it was again the first day trip I took. I couldn’t wait to see it again. When Matt came to visit, I took him. And I’m planning to bring some of my future visitors there as well!

Along with Toledo, Segovia is actually one of the fastest and easiest day trips from Madrid. So if you want to plan your own trip from Madrid to Segovia, here’s everything you need to know! [Read more…]

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7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Granada, Spain

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Looking out over the Albaicín to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain

Granada, Spain, was a city that I’d always heard about, but never gotten around to visiting. Its location — isolated in Spain’s deep south — requires visitors to have sufficient time to not only enjoy the city but travel there as well. Situated in a mountainous region of Andalusia, Granada doesn’t currently have a train station. That means your transportation options are limited to flights, cars, or buses.

One of my friends in Spain, Ellie, studied abroad in Granada two years ago. Along with our friend Sarah, we planned a weekend trip, traveling via bus. It was 5 hours each way, which was a lot, but it wasn’t horrible. From the time I set foot in Granada, I fell in love, and I think it’s my new favorite city in Spain. Here are 7 reasons everyone should visit Granada! [Read more…]

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Day Trip: Dublin to Giant’s Causeway

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A view at Giant’s Causeway

About a year ago, my best friend and resident Ireland travel expert, Hanna, took a trip to Northern Ireland with her mom. All the pictures were so beautiful, and one of the places she specifically mentioned was the Giant’s Causeway. Fast forward to now. I’d been planning a trip to Dublin to visit my friend Nicole, who is living there. A week before the trip, Nicole texted me: “What would you think about taking a trip up north from Dublin to Giant’s Causeway?” [Read more…]

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Why You Should Visit Teotihuacan on Your Mexico City Trip

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Mexico City is the most populous city in the Western Hemisphere; geographically, it’s nearly the double the size of New York City. With that being said, you can imagine how it would be difficult to run out of things to do in Mexico City. But a one-hour bus ride outside CDMX transports visitors to a metropolis from a different era. This is the Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan. But why should you want to visit Teotihuacan?

I first learned about Teotihuacan as a high-school senior in Spanish IV. We were months away from graduation and tasked with taking our first-ever exam completely in Spanish — complete with an essay question. And the topic was Teotihuacan. So when I visited Mexico City for the first time, seven years later, I knew I had to see it for myself.

For those who don’t have the same, somewhat-random connection, let me explain why you should visit Teotihuacan. [Read more…]