Destinations – The Girl Who Goes

Last Updated on November 5, 2024

Top 5 Things To Do in Retiro Park, Madrid

A classic view of Retiro Park

Parque del Buen Retiro — or just “El Retiro” — is Madrid’s version of Central Park. Located in the southeast of the city center, this 350-acre park is one of Madrid’s must-sees. No matter what time of day you visit, you’ll see families, couples, friends, and individuals enjoying a retreat (in Spanish: retiro) from the city hustle in Retiro Park.

During two years living in Madrid, Retiro Park is one of the places I went back to again and again. Maybe it’s because the greenery felt like an oasis in the big city, or maybe it’s because I loved trying to get lost wandering down new paths. Either way, there’s no shortage things to do, and it’s worth a visit for anyone who passes through Madrid. [Read more…]

Last Updated on November 1, 2024

Trip Itinerary: Portland, Mt. Rainier NP, and Olympic NP

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…]

Last Updated on October 29, 2024

How to Plan a Day Trip to Teotihuacan Without a Tour

teotihuacan without a tour - feature photo

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…]

Last Updated on October 23, 2024

Why You Should Visit Teotihuacan on Your Mexico City Trip

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…]

Last Updated on October 22, 2024

Top 3 Things to Know Before Visiting Mexico City

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…]

Last Updated on October 18, 2024

Is Mexico Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Is Mexico safe? Most of us know that Mexico gets a bad reputation. For many, the mention of Mexico invokes ideas of crime, violence, and earthquakes. Even the State Department has issued warnings urging U.S. travelers not to visit certain parts of the country. There were reports of tourists being served tainted alcohol; an Iowa family of four tragically found dead in their rented condo.

So, here we have Mexico sounding pretty dangerous for anyone to visit. [Read more…]

Last Updated on October 16, 2024

A Review of Lila Thai Massage in Chiang Mai, Thailand

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…]

Last Updated on February 3, 2025

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…]

Last Updated on January 25, 2025

7 Reasons You Should Visit Chiang Mai, Thailand

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…]

Last Updated on February 18, 2025

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

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…]