Oaxaca, Mexico

September 26, 2024September 27, 2024Leave a comment

City: Oaxaca

How Long: 3 nights

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at the lovely Airbnb, right in the center of town. It had 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms & a washer! It was very modern and clean. It also felt very safe & had a clean water spout in the sink. It was perfect for a girls weekend in Oaxaca 🙂

WHERE TO EAT:

Boulenc – Fun, delicious brunch spot! I obviously got the french toast & added crispy bacon. Everyone’s meal looked great.

La Tribu – Fun pizza spot with a lovely outdoor terrace. I had a great, healthy rice & veggie bowl.

Tierra del Sol – Upscale, nice dinner. Our fanciest meal. Service was excellent & menu was very unique.

One night we stopped at a Marquisitas stand for a fun waffle/crepe-like dessert. I chose one with peanut butter and nutella – yum!!

WHAT TO DO:

Abbie is a master planner of events so she curated an incredible week for us all. I mean do you see this itinerary????? 🙂

We did a food tour through a large market, had a pool day, ate our hearts out, and had a fabulous day trip to Hierve El Agua (hot springs + one of two certified waterfalls in the world), Teotitlan Del Valle (cute town with small market), & Arbole de Tule (widest tree in the world). We also just walked around Oaxaca, checking out small stores, trying snacks & fun drinks, and seeing the Cathedral.

Such a fabulous few days celebrating Abbie!

Overall Thoughts:

Oaxaca is a charming, small city that is worth a visit, but the highlight for me was the petrified waterfalls, hot springs, & the widest tree. There is just nothing that beats cool nature things for me haha.

It was so fun to have a girls trip be a part of my larger grand adventure. Very grateful Abbie included me and I had a blast going abroad with Haley for the first time!!

Our first international adventure together

Budget for 3 days in Mexico:

This was not my typical backpacking trip so costs are a bit more than usual. There were plenty of things that could’ve been done to make this cheaper, but I was not in charge & it was a 30th birthday so all in all not too bad!

Accommodation: $315 ($105 per night)

Food: $117

Groceries: $0

Activities: $175 (some transport & other miscellaneous expenses were rolled into here but my friend just charged us one venmo for all pre-paid activities so I just lumped it in this category)

Local Transportation: $5

Total: $612 (Daily average: $204)

Transportation to next destination: $365 for the flight to Oaxaca from SFO & $525 for the three flights it took me to get to Buenos Aires (lol)

Bonus photos of me having alcohol for the first time in 6 months hahah

Packing List: 4 months in South America (2024)

September 19, 2024November 17, 2025Leave a comment

After a wonderful 2.5 months soaking up the summer sun in California, I am back on the road again. This time I am headed to South America to backpack all around this large continent! I am planning to go to Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, & Paraguay… but also ANTARCTICA!! Pretty exciting stuff. I’ll finally check off all 7 continents 🙂

That being said, this was one of the more challenging trips to pack for because I’ll be doing lots of hiking & in some colder climates, which means more layers and bulkier items like my hiking shoes. I made the decision to really focus my clothes on practicality, which means I sacrificed bringing lots of “cute” clothes that I inevitably wouldn’t be wearing much since the focal point of this trip is hiking, often at higher (read: colder) altitudes. If you know me then you know I’d wayyyy rather be warm than dressed cutely haha.

Overall tips:

Start with the right bag! I love every bag I have ever had from Tortuga. They are designed for this type of travel and include features like opening like a suitcase (avoid top loading backpacks), fit carry on size restrictions, & organize your stuff beautifully. I currently use an old bag of theirs that is 35L. Try to take MAX 45L (but the smaller the better).
Use packing cubes! I love my new Tortuga Compression Packing Cube, as well as their normal packing cubes.
Consider the weather, destination, & time of year you are heading to South America as this will greatly vary what types of clothes you will need. Bolivia in the winter – COLD, Colombia in the summer- HOT, Buenos Aires – generally fairly mild year round
Think through how the clothes will layer together.
Make sure that every top works with every bottom and works with every shoes. Use a capsule wardrobe as inspiration. This is less important since my clothes are mostly athletic items, but still good to think through.
Less is more! I can’t emphasize this enough. You CAN do laundry. You CAN buy anything you feel like you ended up needing on the road. I promise!

If you are planning a longterm trip, don’t forget to check out all the things I wish I had known before setting off on my first big trip!

Also, here’s a great Antarctica specific packing list.

PACKING LIST FOR SOUTH AMERICA:

CLOTHES

3 pairs of Lululemon Fast & Free Crop’s
1 pair of Lululemon Align pants – can be used for working out/walking around town (even hiking in a pinch) or I can dress it up.
1 pair of Lululemon joggers- after a long day of hiking, I want a more casual, comfy pair of pants to throw on in the evenings.
One pair of warmer leggings from Patagonia – For Antarctica
Waterproof pants – for Antarctica
1 jumpsuit I had made in Hoi An (inspired by my Madewell Jumpsuit) – this will be my one cute outfit when needed
2 Cute shirts – these are pretty casual (in a pinch I could hike in them)
4 sports bras
4 athletic shirts (for running + sleeping in). One is from Vuori & a few from Lululemon. Need lots of these for all the hiking!
3 long sleeve shirt (I recommend Merino Wool but I can’t use it because I’m allergic to wool sadly so mine is from Lululemon – I have 3 colors!)
1 long sleeve jacket from Lululemon – good for warmth & layering, but also super cute!
Booty shorts (to sleep in)
5 pairs of underwear
9 pairs of socks (some regular, some hiking, some warm for Antarctica)
Waterproof gloves (for Antarctica)
1 black bralette
Light Patagonia puffer – good for chilly planes/busses & for layering on hikes. It also smushes down fairly small so it’s a great backpacker jacket. I’ve also used it as a pillow in a pinch.
1 Swimsuit – I don’t foresee doing much swimming on this trip, but it’s always smart to bring one
3 pairs of shoes
- Running shoes
- Hiking boots – I normally don’t bring these traveling since they are heavy & bulky (aka they never go in my pack, I just wear them on travel days), but for the amount of hiking I am doing, it’s a must to bring them.
- Waterproof sandals (will act as my water shoe as well as my cute shoes- I never said the backpacker lifestyle was glamorous haha)
Sunglasses (Warby Parker)
Baseball hat
Bandana- for hiking
Warm hat – for hiking & for Antarctica
Scarf or gator – for Antarctica
Rain coat (Patagonia; you can pack it up into its pocket so I can easily attach it to the outside of my bag via a carabiner)
Running belt – I don’t use it often since my Lululemon Fast & Free’s have a pocket for my phone, but every once in a while it comes in handy.
Tortuga Packable Daypack – This is my personal item for flights.
Crossbody bag (I put it into my daypack on travel days). I use this out and about on a daily basis. It fits my iPad mini, passport, keys, credit cards, cash, AirPods, chapstick, sunscreen, etc.

ELECTRONICS

Computer + Charger
iPad
iPhone + Charger (I get a 6 ft cord so I can always reach the plug from my hostel dorm bed!)
AirPod Pro’s
Headphones (Bose; noise-cancelling for travel days)
Plug adapter (I use this one)
Portable charger (like this one)
AirTag (This is a no brainer these days; provides peace of mind incase I am forced to check my bag or when it’s below me in a bus. Always nice to confirm it’s still with me!)
Headlamp – for hiking + Antartica

TOILETRIES (I USE A BUNCH OF LITTLE TOILETRY BAGS TO KEEP THESE ALL ORGANIZED)

Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Any medication you take
Retainer
Deodorant
Tiny roller perfume
Makeup
Makeup Remover (I’ve become obsessed with cleansing balm for this because it isn’t a liquid, & it’s highly effective at getting makeup off at the end of the day!)
Razor
Conditioner + Shampoo (Get containers to put your products into & refill on the road!!)
Face wash
Moisturizer
Hair Brush
Pocket Hand Sanitizer– I keep one in my backpack and one in my sling/purse. Great in general, but also for when inevitably there is no soap at a random bus stop bathroom 🙂
Sunscreen (I love Sun Bum)
Chapstick (Don’t forget to get one with SPF)
Tiger balm (I picked this up in Southeast Asia and it’s now a staple in my bag. Great for mosquito bites and just feeling a little sick. It’s kinda like Vick’s vapor rub).
Ibuprofen
Hair ties and bobby pins
Moleskin
Bandaids
Cough drops
Topical steroid cream for bed bug bites or regular bug bites to help with itchiness

MISCELLANEOUS

Passport – no explanation necessary 🙂
ID (I bring my driver’s license)
Travel Credit Card- I bring 2-3 cards with me in case I lose one it gets stolen or it gets hacked. Important to get ones with no foreign transaction fee; I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve (hello lounge access!) + Capital One Venture Card.
Debit Card (Charles Schwab has the best one because it reimburses ATM fees from any ATM in the world 🙂)
US Dollars – I always bring 1-2 Hundred dollar bills as an emergency source of cash (luckily most places in the world would take USD if it was truly an emergency & you needed some cash to get you out of a situation), however, in the case of South America, I’ve taken more! Between Bolivia’s visa requiring payment in USD & the best exchange rate being USD to local currencies in a lot of countries, I’ve taken closer to 10 Hundred dollar bills
Record of your plans (I make folders within my email inbox to keep track of everything or you could print out a copy of your itinerary)
Extra Passport photos
Thumb drive with all documentation if desired
Quick dry towel – From REI
Water Bottle – Camelbak
Ear Plug
Eye Mask (you can either go the classic eye mask route or get one like this that almost acts like your eye mask + ear plug since you can play white noise through the built in bluetooth speaker- pretty cool!)
Lock (for staying in hostels or locking my bag.) Get the combo lock so you don’t have to worry about tiny keys. I take two to be able to lock two different compartments in my bag AND so I can keep my computer/passport/iPad compartment still locked when I use the other one to lock a locker within a hostel.
3 carabiners – I just attach them to my backpack and over the course of the trip they will hold everything from my water bottle, shoes, rain jacket and more. You will not regret having a few on hand.
Hand warmers for Antarctica
Pack of playing cards (My sister got my a custom deck with some of my favorite photos from my travels – such a thoughtful gift)
Monopoly Deal – a fabulous compact game for the backpacking trail!
Face mask (I’ve used this while feeling sick as well as on a dusty motorcycle ride)
2 pens for writing postcards

HERE IS EVERYTHING SPREAD OUT ON A TABLE!

Here is what is packed in each packing cube:

Three sports bras, 9 pairs of socks, booty shorts & underwear

3 long sleeve shirts, 2 short sleeve shirts, & 2 cute shirts

Lululemon jacket, 6 pairs of pants, swimsuit & jumpsuit

All packed up and ready to go on another adventure!

12 Months Around The World: A Cost Breakdown

September 9, 2024January 22, 2026Leave a comment

Well I’ve officially been on the road for over a year!! I can’t believe how fast time flies when you are having fun… & jet setting around the world! If you know me at all in real life, you know there are two topics that get me more excited than anything else: Travel & Personal Finance. So I thought it would be fun (for me anyway haha) to put together a post on what one year of international travel can look like from a financial perspective.

Some considerations:

This is only for one person (me)
I travel fairly cheaply (mostly staying in hostels) & in general don’t have expensive taste in food or transportation, but I also am saying yes to any experiences that I want to say yes to
I am traveling fairly quickly so taking lots of flights + moving locations every 3-5 days usually. It’s much cheaper to travel slower
I am not traveling in a super logical route. For example, while in Europe I went to England, then Northern Ireland, then France, then England, then Switzerland, then England, then Ireland… I was meeting up with different friends at different points so while it wasn’t logical, it made sense for what I was doing. However, again this is an area that one can make cheaper if they don’t travel in circles like I did haha
I am flying home to California quite often for Christmas, my 30th birthday, and for some weddings. Again this is driving up some inefficiencies.

Here’s the trip summary leaving in June 2023, covering 30 countries across 6 continents:

6 months in Europe + Egypt – 19 countries
.5 month CA visit for Christmas
1 month Fiji & New Zealand with my family – 2 countries
3 months Southeast Asia + Japan – 6 countries
.5 month CA visit for my birthday
2 months Mexico + Colombia – 2 countries

In full transparency, my parents kindly paid for Fiji, NZ & Japan since I was with them for those three countries (very, very lucky!!) so this analysis will cover roughly 10 months (FJ, NZ, Japan + CA visits were roughly free). Also on this trip, I have tried to add what I spent in each country to its dedicated blog post so hopefully that’s helpful (for example: scroll to the bottom of this blog post to see how much I spent for 3 weeks in the Philippines).

Here we go…

Total Spend: $34.5k USD

Spend by Segment

This shows a breakdown of the total spend by trip segment. Obviously Europe will be the highest since that was the longest segment of the trip so far. Pre-trip expenses include: clothes, Workaway membership, initial flights, & electronics. Health insurance for the duration of the trip was $170 per month ($2,040 for the year).

Average Daily Spend by Region

This shows the daily cost by region, which makes it far easier to compare the costs agnostic of time spent in each spot. It’s no surprise that Mexico was the most costly since I did pay for my sister to join me 🙂 It’s amazing to me that Southeast Asia was my cheapest average spend, as I was living my best life while there.

I spent $351 on 22 hours of massage (average of $16 per hour).
I spent $577 on 13 dives (average of $44 per dive).
I did a 3 day sailing trip around the Philippines ($570)
I did a 3 day cruise of Ha Long Bay ($250)
I did a 4 day motorcycle ride through Northern Vietnam ($300)
I spent $450 on tailor made clothes in Hoi An.

This is opposed to Europe where the only “experience” I spent money on was the hot air ballon ride in Turkey ($210 per person). Put another way: in Europe, the activities category made up 15% of total spend. In SEA, the activities category made up 35% of total spend.

Spend by Category

This is a breakdown of how much I spent by category. As expected, accommodation is my largest spend, but I am actually proud of myself for spending so much on activities! I can be pretty stingy with spend so I love that I have said yes to so many experiences on this trip. A lot of them ended up in my top 5 memories of the trip 🙂 You’ll find the breakdown for the trip overall as well as by region.

Europe (6 months): $18.1k

Southeast Asia (2 months): $7.5k

Colombia & Mexico (2 months): $5.9k

Spend by Month

This breaks down my spend by month! Sept was particularly high because I managed to spend $1400 in 3 days in Switzerland (thank you last minute rental car & expensive destination). October was lower because 3 weeks of that I was au pairing in Spain with living expenses covered. As noted on the graph, Dec, Jan, April & June are all low spend months because either I spent 2 weeks at home or my parents were with me. I averaged $2,877 per month over the course of this year, which when you compare it to what I spent just living in San Francisco, this is actually cheaper!

Top 5 experiences of the trip so far:

Hiking Milford Track in New Zealand ($2,045 USD, but my parents paid for this)
Riding Motorbikes through the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam ($300 USD)
Scuba Diving with Thresher Sharks in the Philippines ($88 USD)
Hot Air Balloon Ride in Turkey (~$200 USD per person)
Hiking in Switzerland (~$35 USD)

Top tips for traveling cheaper:

Stay in dorms in hostels – you might sacrifice a bit on quality of sleep but in general the cost savings + meeting so many cool people makes this a great resource for traveling on the cheap.
You’ll notice I spent almost $4500 on eating out. If you are staying in airbnbs or hostels with kitchens (more common in Europe, NZ & Australia), buy groceries!
Travel slower. As I mentioned, you’ll save a lot on accommodation costs if you can book a month long airbnb rather than hotels/hostels for a few nights at a time. This also will bring down your transportation costs.
Fly less! Unfortunately I am doing a lot of flying. I’d be saving a ton of money if I was doing bus/train travel.
Only take a carryon backpack. You’ll save on baggage fees every time you do have to fly.
Use credit card points to book flights.
Consider doing WOOFING or Workaway to save money in exchange for working a few hours a week (usually ~20).
Make friends on the road and then go visit them in their hometowns. It’s the best way to experience a place in a (usually) non-touristy place & you save money on accommodation: it’s a win-win!

Hope this was helpful!!! Wish me luck on my next year of adventures, starting with more time in South America 🙂

The Pursuit Of Travel

A solo traveler's guide to the world

Month: September 2024