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 »
Every now and then, I discover a city that seems to be pretty damn close to perfection — yet mysteriously under-touristed, not visited by as many people as it should be. That latest city for me was Riga, the capital of Latvia. It was one of my favorite destinations of my summer in Europe and I feel like it
Visiting Riga, Latvia — a Criminally Underrated City Read More »
I love discovering a new place completely by chance. I had done a lot of research on Sicily beforehand, but one of my favorite places turned out to be a little seaside town I hadn’t even heard of until the day my mom, my sister, and I visited. It was our second morning in Sicily and we weren’t feeling too
Aci Trezza: A Laid-Back Seaside Town in Sicily Read More »
Image: travelFREAK Albania was the country I was most looking forward to visiting this summer. It fit my dreams — home to a fascinating culture and some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, yet a bit of an underdog. A Balkan country I hadn’t visited yet? Sold! But the biggest factor was meeting two lovely Albanian girls
What’s it Like to Travel in Albania? Read More »
The mysterious country Andorra wasn’t on my original itinerary for Europe this summer. From my launch pad in Copenhagen, I planned to head to Athens, then upward into Albania and through the Balkans until I arrived in Belgrade. In fact, I had no flights booked until two weeks before I arrived! But then after learning that my friend Becki wouldn’t
A Day Trip to Andorra from Barcelona Read More »
Here’s an egregious travel oversight of mine: until this June, I had never been to the Midwest before. Not even Chicago! But the spring I was invited to serve as a mentor at Navigate Media Group’s latest Bloghouse, this one taking place in Milwaukee. Milwaukee, it turns out, was the perfect introduction to the Midwest. As much
Milwaukee Rocks! Who Knew? Read More »
Despite how long I’ve been traveling, I’ve never actually been to the Caribbean before! I knew that would change when I planned a trip to Central America — because I knew the Corn Islands would be on my itinerary. The Corn Islands lie about 43 miles off Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. From what I had read, they were
Rocking Out on Little Corn Island Read More »
My time in Galle was far too short — but it was more than enough for me to declare it my favorite place in Sri Lanka. Galle is a Dutch colonial town on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast anchored by a World Heritage-listed fort. The architecture gives it a feeling like nowhere else in the country. What
Strolling Through Galle, Sri Lanka Read More »
If you’re new to this site, here’s something you’ll soon learn about me: I regularly take on way more than I should, bite off way more than I can chew, and end up stressing myself out for the sake of seeing as much as possible while traveling. The latest example? My one-day road trip through
The Stunning Trulli of Alberobello, Italy Read More »
“Rauma? Why are you going there?” Again and again, Finns asked me this question. Rauma is a nice place, surely, but would you go out of your way to go there? “Two World Heritage Sites,” I’d reply with a smile. Rauma’s old town is famous for being the largest wooden old town in the Nordic
A Magical Journey Through Rauma, Finland Read More »