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 »
January is a time for goal-setting and making those long-held travel dreams a reality. This is the time to start saving and making tentative plans for one of your long-held dream trips. Now — if you have a specific, long-held travel dream, that’s what you should prioritize! I always encourage people to go after their biggest
Where to Go in 2017: Kate’s Top 12 Picks Read More »
And just like that, 2016 is over. It couldn’t have come soon enough. I didn’t buy into the “Fuck 2016” memes until the election in November, and then I was fully on board. Talk about an awful year. Now that it’s 2017, even though it’s just an arbitrary difference, I feel like a lot of
AK Monthly Recap: December 2016 Read More »
2016 was the year that my reading habits changed significantly. Casual reading no longer satisfies me. These days, a book either needs to feature excellent writing or teach me something new, or it won’t hold my interest. I used to need to alternate between heavier books and lighter reads; now I enjoy going from heavy to heavy. This
My Favorite Reads of 2016 Read More »
It’s time for everyone’s favorite post of the year — my worst travel moments! And I love writing this post every year. I think it’s important to reflect the not-so-pleasant times along with the happier moments, and I think that reflects in my coverage here. In 2012, I drove my car into a ditch in
My Worst Travel Moments of 2016 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 »
2016 was rough for lots of us, and I’m no exception. Between global events and personal setbacks, it was a very tough year for me. More than I’ve let on here. I have my health and security, which are the most important things, and I didn’t go through any significant personal losses, but this year was a lot rougher
My Best Travel Moments of 2016 Read More »
Every December, I put together a list of my favorite destinations of the year. I love picking out the places that made my heart beat the fastest! Last year, the big winner was Nicaragua. In 2014, Finland was a memorable standout. In 2013, Japan hit the hardest. In 2012, I loved the Faroe Islands. This year was far lighter
My Favorite New Destinations of 2016 Read More »
This is a hard recap to write. This was a hard month in a hard year. I finally feel like joining everyone in declaring that 2016 was THE WORST, THE WORST, THE ABSOLUTE WORST. That and I took almost no photographs this month. Oh, and the fact that this is a week late, when I am
AK Monthly Recap: November 2016 Read More »
What struck me first about Western Australia was just how sparsely populated it was. I would follow our route on Google Maps for hours and think, “Okay, we’re finally getting to a real town now.” And that town would be, essentially, a gas station. You’d think I’d get used to it. But even after ten
My Favorite Experiences in Western Australia Read More »