independent, intentional travel
Over Easter weekend, Matt and I took a quick train trip two hours north to Valencia, Spain! While I’d been to Valencia once before, about seven years ago (!), this was my first time visiting Valencia since being diagnosed as celiac last year.
If you’re looking for tips on how to eat gluten free in Valencia, here’s everything you need to know. [Read more…]
In a few weeks, I’ll be setting off to visit three new countries 👀 which has me reflecting on what I’ve learned from the 34 I’ve visited so far. While you can do your research before your trip, there are some things you can only learn once you arrive somewhere — and that’s one of my favorite things about traveling!
So, here are just five little quirks I’ve learned from visiting five different countries. [Read more…]
I’ve lived in Spain for almost five years of my life at this point, but I still try to seek out new experiences whenever I can. Just a few weeks ago, I had the chance to try something completely new to me — not just in Spain, but in my life in general: playing bingo at a casino.
In the U.S., all my experiences playing bingo were at, like, church picnics or silly college campus events. And in the U.S., I’ve never been to a casino, unless you count the lobby of Las Vegas hotels on family vacations, or the slot machines at the Las Vegas airport. Needless to say… I had never actually gambled before.
But this new experience in Spain combined playing bingo, being at the casino, and gambling.
If you want to try playing bingo in Spain, here’s everything you need to know. [Read more…]
Porto, Portugal, is a city we’ve gone back to again and again. But our most recent visit, in February 2026, was the first one since my celiac disease diagnosis. Both the city of Porto, and the country of Portugal, were new gluten-free territory for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was hoping it would be somewhat similar to Spain, where I live.
A really bad bout of food poisoning from the Mercado do Bolhão meant that we didn’t get to try nearly as many restaurants in Porto as I was hoping, because we were all too sick for a few days and then didn’t have much of an appetite for the next few days. But we still had the opportunity to try a few restaurants, both dedicated gluten-free and not, that had good gluten-free options.
So, here’s what you need to know about being gluten-free in Porto, Portugal.
Over Easter weekend, I had the chance to visit Valencia, Spain, for the second time! Back in 2019, I went with my friend Morgan during spring break — so, also in April — it was a great time of the year for a visit. Since Matt had never been, we decided to take a quick two-hour train ride up the coast from Alicante to Valencia to spend a few days.
I remember enjoying the city during my first trip, so I was curious to see what it was like on my second visit. Here’s my review of Valencia, Spain, and everything you’ll want to know before planning a trip of your own. [Read more…]
Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju
Hi all! Today I’m introducing my friend Hannah — a fellow digital nomad in Alicante — as a guest author for The Girl Who Goes! Just like me, Hannah was an English teacher abroad for a few years, but she taught in South Korea, so I was asking her all kinds of questions about it before we visited Seoul and Busan this past September. One place she recommended (though we did not go) was Gyeongju, which is about 30 minutes from Busan.
Despite that, I’m excited to say that Hannah has taken the time to share her love for Gyeongju and why it really is a must-visit for any traveler to South Korea, especially those who will be in the Busan area. (Sounds like we really messed up by not making it there, lol.) I hope you all enjoy, and let us know what you think! — Cathy
Everything you need to know about claiming canceled flight compensation through EU 261.
After nearly 500 flights in my lifetime (yes, I’ve got a record of all of them since I use the Flighty app), I recently faced a brand-new experience: a flight cancelation where I was actually eligible for compensation from the airline. On our way back home to Spain from Tokyo, our flight was canceled after we sat on the plane, at the gate, for more than four hours. It was a bad time!
We weren’t able to be re-booked until the next day, so we had to stay overnight in Tokyo, fly to Paris (our connection), and then stay overnight in Paris before flying back to Madrid the day after that. It was quite the ordeal. And while I knew that the hotels and our food would be covered until we made it back, I was wondering about something else: Were we entitled to EU 261 compensation as well?
It was a LOT of work, but the answer was YES! Matt and I each received €600 in additional compensation from Air France, even though they initially rejected my claim. But I fought back. So, if you’re in the same situation, here’s what you need to know. [Read more…]
About six months after my celiac disease diagnosis, it was time to tackle yet another country for the first time as a gluten-free traveler: France. I had read that France wouldn’t be quite as accommodating as Spain or Italy, but I felt lucky to be traveling with my friend Rebecca, who was born in Paris and speaks French fluently… so I knew she’d be able to help me out.
We were visiting Lyon for its famous Festival of Lights, which takes place every December — and despite Lyon being the third-largest city in France, it still felt like a small town in some ways. Including when it came to finding gluten-free options.
So, here’s what you need to know about being gluten-free in Lyon, France. [Read more…]
Since moving to Spain for the first time in 2018, I consider myself a train girlie. If I have the option between flying somewhere and taking the train, I’m choosing the train, even if it takes a little bit longer or costs a little bit more. And during our trip to South Korea, I had the chance to try out yet another high-speed rail line for the first time: KoRail (KTX) from Seoul to Busan.
South Korea actually has two different high-speed train companies, KoRail (KTX) and Super Rapid Train (SRT). I can’t say which one is “better,” but we decided to go with KTX because it was more convenient for us to depart Seoul from Seoul Station. SRT departs from Suseo Station, which was farther away. So it made our choice easier.
Anyway, here’s my KoRail review of what it was like to travel with KTX from Seoul to Busan.
This past December, I returned to the magical city of Lyon, France, for the second time — and to attend Lyon’s famous Festival of Lights for the second time!
While both trips have been fairly short visits, only about three or four days each, I feel like I’ve finally had enough time to get to know the city a bit better. And you may be wondering: Is Lyon worth a visit even if you’re not there for the Fête des Lumières?
Want to know my verdict? Keep reading for everything you need to know about visiting Lyon, France. [Read more…]