independent, intentional travel
Author’s note: If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to read my diary, this is probably close 🙃
As you know, I lived in Madrid, Spain, from September 2018 to July 2020. And the last four months I was there coincided with the early days of the pandemic. One morning, at the beginning of March, we teachers were told that school was canceled for a week. And then, though school was scheduled to be in session through the end of June, we never went back. [Read more…]
In Spain, a grocery store could be right around the corner. In Ecuador, not so much….
When Matt and I decided to spend a few months in Quito, Ecuador, at the beginning of this year, I didn’t really know what to expect. And while I’d traveled to more than 20 countries on four continents, it was my first trip to South America — and it was only the second country, after Spain, where I was spending more than a few weeks.
(And living as an adult. When I lived in London for 4-5 months during college, it was very much a college experience.)
Anyway, there were plenty of surprises when it came to life in Ecuador compared to what I knew in Spain, so I thought it could be fun to take a look at a few of the differences. [Read more…]
Update October 2023: My fiancé, Matt, and I have officially been approved for the digital nomad visa! Learn more about its requirements and how to apply in my most updated blog post about the Spain digital nomad visa.
One year and two months ago, I wrote one of the saddest blog posts I’ve written in my four-and-a-half years of being The Girl Who Goes: it was my goodbye to Spain and Madrid, which had been my home for the two years prior. Not only was I saying goodbye, I was saying it in the worst way — without getting a chance to say many goodbyes at all. As COVID-19 upended my second school year in Madrid, it also upended my future plans to stay in Spain. [Read more…]
Hi, it’s me, your travel blogger friend who left her glamorous, frivolous life in Spain to settle back into the typical patterns of everyday American society for the past 10 months. (Thanks, COVID.) While our next adventures seem to be creeping closer, little by little, I’ve had some time to work on other projects that I’ve enjoyed. And one of them was decorating my very own office! [Read more…]
Crystal Palace in the Retiro
There’s still not a whole lot to write about around here… though as COVID cases keep decreasing here in KC and vaccinations keep increasing, it’s getting easier to feel hopeful! Matt and I are both vaccinated now, as well as my parents and sisters, so we are ready to get moving again! Though, of course, it’s going to take some time for other places to catch up.
But it seems like I’m dreaming about my life in Madrid — and traveling in general — more than usual lately. So while I wait for the day when it’s safe to start traveling again, I thought I would make a list of all the things I miss about living in Spain. [Read more…]
Reykjavik in December 2017 when I had the whole world within reach
We’re now two months into 2021. Though we all eagerly awaited the end of a very bad 2020, not too much has changed for most of us. The vaccines are a bright spot on the horizon, even though we know we certainly aren’t in a priority group. Matt and I are hoping we’re both vaccinated some time in the summer, and by that point many other people should have been vaccinated first. Could that mean a return to “normal” for us? [Read more…]
From my first visit to Sevilla, Spain
A few months ago, my mom and I spent a long weekend down south in Sevilla, Spain. I can’t even describe how magical that time felt. Even though I was only a few hours away from Madrid, I felt like I’d been transported to an entirely different world.
During a visit to Spain, many travelers think about visiting the beaches of Barcelona or enjoying Madrid capital. But if you’re looking for a more thorough Spanish experience, I can’t recommend Sevilla enough. From Madrid, it’s easy to access – an hour flight or a two-and-a-half hour train ride – and though it’s Spain’s 4th-largest city, it has a distinctive personality that feels uniquely Spanish.
Have I convinced you to visit yet? If not, here are 7 reasons why you should take a journey down south to the capital of Andalucía! [Read more…]
To say that my second year in Spain didn’t go quite how I expected would be an understatement. It makes me more grateful for the whole, uninterrupted first year I had. Traveling to another country every month, riding the metro around the city on the weekends, meeting friends at cafes, taking the train or bus to new cities in Spain. [Read more…]
Day 1 of semi-freedom
Another month has passed since my last post, but it seems that May has gone more quickly than April, and MUCH more quickly than March.
In my last update, I wondered how much longer it was going to be until the end of lockdown. Well, just a few days later, I got my answer. [Read more…]
Hi everyone. It’s been over a month since I last wrote something, and I think that may be the longest time I’ve ever gone without posting. As of this month, I’ve been writing as The Girl Who Goes for three years! (A fact I was reminded of when I was prompted to renew my domain registration.) So, it looks like I’ll be the girl who’s going for the next three years, at least. 🙂
Obviously, Spain has been in the news a lot over the past couple of months. It’s the second-most affected country in the world after the U.S., and third in number of deaths after the U.S. and Italy. That being said, as I begin Week #7 of lockdown – honestly, it’s more than just quarantine – I have seen a lot of changes over the past 6 weeks and glimmers of hope for the next weeks to come. [Read more…]