independent, intentional travel
I’ve been in Europe for two weeks now, and I have just under two weeks until I start working. Because as much fun as it’s been, living life in Madrid without any responsibilities other than feeding myself, work is the real reason I’m here. The reason I’m able to be here. Someone’s gotta teach the Spanish children some English. [Read more…]
View from my apartment terrace.
It’s hard to believe I’ve already been in Spain for 10 days! Thankfully, the existential “what-am-I-doing-why-did-I-think-this-was-a-good-idea” phase seems to have passed for the time being, and I’m really enjoying life right now. Whether it’s café con leche every morning (or when I wake up, which uhhh, isn’t always the morning) and shopping for things I need to feel at home, it’s exciting to have a fresh start in a new place. And while I’ve visited Spain as a tourist before, living here is totally different. Here are some of the things I’ve learned in my first 10 days living in Madrid. [Read more…]
I arrived in Madrid almost two days ago, my new home for the next year. I feel like I’ve already accomplished a lot; I’ve visited some of my favorite spots, navigated the Metro, and even procured an apartment in record time (hallelujah). There is, however, one thing I’m definitely not succeeding at – feeding myself. Why is it so hard to eat while abroad?
Now, my family and friends probably aren’t surprised by this (since in the past few months especially I became increasingly reliant on others to feed me, out of pure laziness for the most part). But let’s put that aside for a minute. I actually realized this during my trip to Asia last year, and to Mexico a few months ago. Feeding yourself while abroad is surprisingly difficult, especially when you’re traveling solo. [Read more…]
It feels so strange to finally share the secret I’ve been keeping for the better part of the past year, but it’s finally happening. I’m moving to Spain.
To Madrid. Next month.
Our trip from Portland to Mt. Rainier to Olympic brought us tons of amazing views, like this one.
A few weeks ago, our beloved exchange student Gaia left the United States to return home to Italy. It was tough on all of us — particularly on my 16-year-old sister Carrie. The girls had become extremely close over the past 10+ months, and it wasn’t easy when Gaia’s time in the U.S. came to an end.
I wanted to help Carrie cheer up, so I decided to take her on a trip. Last year, the two of us visited Seattle and Vancouver together; despite our extensive travels, the Pacific Northwest was a region we’d left largely unexplored. This year’s destination: Portland, Mt. Rainier National Park, and Olympic National Park.
We spent 4 full days and 2 half-days of travel. I’ve broken down my itinerary below — keep reading if you’re interested in planning your own trip! [Read more…]
Hey everyone!
On Tuesday, I came back home from a week-long road trip out west with my family! They actually left a week before I did, but I couldn’t take that much time off from work, so I flew to LA and met them there. We always took road trips as a family when I was growing up, but as I got older and responsibilities increased, I hadn’t been able to join the yearly vacation. Until now!
I decided to share some of the reasons I think road trips are the best.
Since today is Mother’s Day, I wanted to write about something topical. But in my family, something funny happens every 5-6 years – Mother’s Day falls on May 13, which is also my dad’s birthday. So the day feels a little extra special.
We’re spending this extra-special day going to brunch and playing a family baseball game at a nearby field. All four of us girls are showering our parents with the love they hopefully feel from us every day. And tomorrow I’ll wake up at 3 a.m. for another too-early flight for another week in Indiana. As I think about what my life looks like now, it’s impossible to separate it from the upbringing I’ve had. My parents have been indispensable to my travel dreams and experiences thus far. [Read more…]
Me at Teotihuacan without a tour in 2018
For those visiting Mexico City, you can’t miss out on a visit to Teotihuacan. This fascinating archaeological site is 25 miles from the city center. As with any day trip, you’ll have to do a bit of planning to get the most out of your experience — especially if you choose to visit Teotihuacan without a tour, like I did for the first time in 2018.
A couple of notes before I get into it. I’ve now been to Teotihuacan twice, with my second visit in 2022 — so as you can imagine, a lot has changed as a result of the pandemic. During my first visit, you could climb the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, as well as the smaller buildings lining the long avenue. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, as these are all off-limits due to preservation efforts.
With that in mind, I’m not sure I would recommend visiting Teotihuacan without a tour as highly as I did before these recent developments. That’s because it takes a lot of time and effort to get out to the archaeological site, and if you’re not able to climb, all you can really do is walk around, and it’s a looooong walk from one end to the other. (The pyramids are still really amazing to marvel at, of course!) But I personally feel that, now, it’s more worth it to join a tour — whether that’s a Teotihuacan hot air balloon tour like we did in 2022 (read my review here) or a different guided tour.
Anyway, if you still prefer to go it on your own, here’s how to plan your trip to Teotihuacan without a tour. [Read more…]
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…]
When I booked my first-ever trip to Mexico City in April 2018, it was a last-minute, not-very-well-planned, thing. I didn’t know much about it or what was there, but I assumed I’d at least get some good food and the opportunity to practice my Spanish a bit. And at the time, Southwest Airlines flew there as one of their few international destinations. It cost me 15,000 points + $100 round-trip, so I really couldn’t complain!
Though less than a year later, in March 2019, Southwest ceased its service to Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX) meaning if you want to plan your own trip to the Mexican capital, you’ll have to look at another airline. [Read more…]