Is it worth going into Paris for an eight-hour layover at Charles de Gaulle Airport? A friend of mine recently asked me this question, so I thought I’d turn it into a post for all of you! The short answer? Hell yes! Eight hours is enough time to get a brief taste of Paris before […]
How to Spend a Layover in Paris Read More »
I wondered if I was doing myself a disservice, waiting so long to visit Kraków and Poland as a whole. As much as I hate to admit it, you do lose a bit of sense of wonder when you travel constantly. Would I greet Kraków with the enthusiasm of my early twenties? Or be underwhelmed and head to
How to Fall in Love with Kraków in 30 Steps Read More »
This year I achieved a long-held travel dream: visiting Christmas markets in Germany. It’s crazy that I haven’t done this until now! I remember visiting my first German Christmas market, albeit in another country — it was during my semester in Florence in 2004. The market was set up a two-minute walk from my apartment
Christmas in Bavaria in 25 Photos Read More »
Wales is a bit of a peculiar destination. It doesn’t have the fame or glory of England or Scotland, but it’s brimming with just as many treasures. So many people want to visit Wales — but they’re not sure where to begin. Why is that? I think part of it is that Wales doesn’t have a signature
A Dreamy Trip to South Wales Read More »
If there’s any country that I visit often but need to explore in more depth, it’s France. Again and again I overlook other regions in France in favor of spending all my time in Paris, a city I find difficult to resist. But recently I had an opportunity to see a bit more. There were a few days in
A Taste of Alsace in Strasbourg and Colmar Read More »
The question I get more often than any other is, “So what’s your favorite place?” Truth? I understand why people ask me this question, but I hate this question. Most other travel bloggers hate it, too. It’s not just that we get asked it constantly, it’s that it’s impossible to boil down years of travel and
My Love Affair with Scotland Read More »
Over the past few years, I’ve made a habit of visiting my egregious travel oversights. Amsterdam and Berlin got checked off; Japan and Hong Kong were added to my tally; Chicago finally got a visit; I finished visiting every country in the Balkans. But there was one oversight that had people screaming in incredulity. “You’ve
Chasing Sunsets in Santorini Read More »
The Balkans are my favorite region in the world. I’ve now visited four summers in a row: Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro in 2012; Macedonia and Kosovo in 2013, Croatia and Slovenia in 2014; and finally Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia in 2015. Oh, Albania. This country is probably the most interesting place I visited in 2015. And
The Funk Factor of Tirana, Albania Read More »
If you’re a longtime reader, you might remember my stint living in Chester, northwest England. Though Chester was a tough place to live as an outsider and especially an American, I loved exploring the region, a place that so many people overlook. There was city-hopping in Manchester and Liverpool, and discovering adorable pubs in random towns all over
Scenes from England’s Lake District Read More »
Having lived in and traveled extensively throughout the UK, I’ve gotten to know the country well and have been continuously discovering new places to visit. Some of them are still my most-wanted destinations: beach-hopping in Cornwall, hiking in St. Kilda, partying in Newcastle. One destination that I finally got to visit: the Cotswolds, a region in Gloucestershire,
Scenes from the Cotswolds Read More »