The Girl Who Goes

independent, intentional travel

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Baseball in Taiwan: A Must-Do for Your Taipei Itinerary

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You could say that I’m more than just a casual sports fan — at least when it comes to the teams I love. I’ve been known to stay up late or wake up at strange hours to watch the Kansas City Current or U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team play games in some other part of the world, and Matt and I have even flown to Liverpool for Chiefs Super Bowl watch parties the last two years. And even for the sports I don’t really follow as closely, I’m always happy to go along for a game. So when I learned that baseball in Taiwan is kind of a big deal, I knew we had to catch a game while we were in Taipei.

Having obviously been to American baseball games in the past, I thought I had a general idea of what to expect from baseball in Taiwan — but I was wrong! So, here’s what you need to know about baseball in Taiwan and why it should be part of your Taipei itinerary. [Read more…]

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VietJet Air Review: Osaka, Japan, to Taipei, Taiwan

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While I’ve probably flown with almost every budget airline based in Europe, our five-week trip to East Asia meant hopping around on some different Asian airlines for the first time. Between five different one-way flights, we booked five different airlines. (Not on purpose, it just worked out that way for our destinations and dates.) But this meant that we have a great chance to compare the different airlines and see how they stack up.

First up, we traveled from Osaka, Japan, to Taipei, Taiwan, on VietJet Air. Here’s what you need to know about flying with VietJet Air and my overall VietJet Air review. [Read more…]

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Trip Review: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara, Japan

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I’m so excited to be back in Asia for the first time since 2017! And this time, I’m not a solo traveler — I’m on my one-year anniversary/delayed honeymoon with my husband, Matt. We are visiting three countries on this trip: Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, all three of which are completely new to both of us.

I feel like I have a million things I want to share about the trip so far, and I’m probably going to be writing about everything for the next year. 😅 But we spent the first two weeks of our trip in Japan, with a week in Tokyo and about a week in Kyoto, so I guess I’m going to start there… [Read more…]

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How To Eat Gluten-Free in Japan: Japan Gluten Free Restaurants + Guide

I can now officially say that I’ve survived being gluten-free in Japan. Despite the amount of research I did in advance, it certainly wasn’t easy — especially since I only got diagnosed with celiac disease two months before the trip.

While I felt super overwhelmed beforehand, blog posts and videos about visiting Japan as a celiac from my fellow gluten-free travelers made a huge difference in giving me the basics on how to get started. I’m so thankful to the gluten-free community as a whole, because we’re the ones who are always looking out for each other.

As I was planning my trip, there were a few things in particular I wished that I had in advance: a comprehensive Google Map with a clear key/guide, photos of what kinds of foods I should be looking for in convenience stores, and a list of must-visit restaurants — especially ones that needed reservations.

And of course, after I actually arrived in Japan, I learned quite a few things from my own experience that I felt weren’t really talked about online enough.

Since I didn’t have those things, I decided to make them myself. And now I’m happy to share them with you. 🙂 [Read more…]

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How To Get the Cheapest Shinkansen Tickets for the Train in Japan

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Hello from Japan!! At long last, we’ve arrived in East Asia for our honeymoon, celebrating our first anniversary. 🙂 Right now we are in Kyoto, after spending about a week in Tokyo, and we’ll be headed to Osaka in a few days. And I’m so excited about all the new experiences I’m having and will eventually be able to share with you all!

This morning, we took the Shinkansen — Japan’s high-speed train line — from Tokyo to Kyoto. While we actually booked these tickets about a month ago, it took some experimenting to figure out how to actually get the cheapest Shinkansen tickets. So, here’s what you need to know! [Read more…]

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A Review of Lila Thai Massage in Chiang Mai, Thailand

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When’s the last time you got a professional massage?

Ok, I’ll go first. Before my trip to Thailand in 2017, and my experience with Lila Thai Massage, I’d had exactly two massages in my life. Both of them had been for free, done by my mom’s friend, Larissa, who was in massage therapy school and needed practice hours. But massages were never something I’d thought about paying for.

Next question: When’s the last time you got a professional massage from a former inmate? [Read more…]

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Thailand: Elephants and Ethics

“I booked my trip to Thailand,” I told some friends, months before I would share this news with my parents.

“That’s so cool! You have to ride an elephant while you’re there,” one of them said.

“Oh, I totally will.”

I could just imagine it: photos I’d seen of other friends, and celebrities, perched atop the back of these gentle giants, danced in my head. Who wouldn’t want to ride an elephant? [Read more…]

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7 Reasons You Should Visit Chiang Mai, Thailand

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Wat Phra Singh Temple in Chiang Mai

When you think of Thailand, what comes to mind? Probably Bangkok, right? It makes sense — from 2016 to 2019, Bangkok was the world’s most-visited city, edging out cities like London, Paris, Tokyo, and Barcelona.

Next, perhaps you think of Phuket and the all beautiful beaches down south. Maybe you don’t think of Chiang Mai; I’d never even heard of it myself until a month before I went to Thailand. But after spending three busy days in Bangkok, which I enjoyed, I definitely appreciated the quiet charm of Chiang Mai. It quickly became my favorite city I visited during my two-week excursion through Thailand and Cambodia. [Read more…]

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A Review of Thai Railways: Overnight Train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

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Being planted in the Midwest, I don’t have a ton of practical reasons to take the train in my regular life. When I’m traveling, though, it’s a different story. Rather than shying away from this form of transportation due to unfamiliarity, I embrace the opportunity to move about the world in a different way. I’ve taken it from Berlin to Stuttgart, Copenhagen to Amsterdam, Madrid to Sevilla, and Seattle to Vancouver. [Read more…]

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Top 3 Things to Know Before Visiting Cambodia

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First of all, if you’re planning to visit Cambodia, let me congratulate you. You’re going to get lots of puzzled looks and questions such as, “Where?” and “Why?” from family, friends, and co-workers. But you’ve made an excellent decision to experience a country and culture that many people overlook.

Whether you know a lot or a little about Cambodia, there are three things you absolutely must know before you visit Cambodia. [Read more…]