Romania

August 2, 2023October 27, 2023Leave a comment

CITY: Cluj-Napoca

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Retro Hostel, which is located on a quiet pedestrian street about a 5 min walk from the main square in old town. Overall it was a decent hostel, and I think it’s the best option in Cluj. Good wifi, beds had their own socket + light, and there were lockers in the room. Kitchen was pretty small, but if you wanted to cook something you could. Biggest issue is that there wasn’t really a common area to facilitate meeting other people. Luckily I still managed to meet people by cornering them in the small kitchen 🙂

Where to Eat:

Eggcetera – definitely a must visit. Food was delicious and beautiful! I went twice and both times had a line out the door, but luckily the wait wasn’t more than 20 min each time.

/Form Cafe– I stumbled upon this restaurant the first night I arrived and while I was looking at the menu outside, I noticed a couple waving at me like I knew them. However, given I had only been in Romania about 2 hours at this point, I was quite confused as to how anyone would be waving at me. Upon further investigation, it was the couple who had given me advice on the bus system outside the airport! They invited me to sit down and down them for a drink + food. So fun to have this random run in and it quickly reminded me why I love travel so much!

Roata– The aforementioned couple told me that the dessert I must try before I leave was Papanasi. Given this, while on a walking tour, I asked the guide where I might find the best Papanasi in town. He recommended us to try his favorite restaurant. He had recently celebrated his birthday at this spot. Roata didn’t disappoint. Delicious traditional Romanian food. I went with a German friend I met at the hostel and we tried the Polenta with cheese & pork cracklings as well as the Venison goulash stew. Of course we finished with some Papanasi, which kind of like a donut with sweet cheese + jam.

What to do:

My favorite thing to do was just walk around all the lovely streets in the old town. Most don’t have cars, which makes it especially pleasant. Fabian (friend from the hostel) & I also took a walking tour, which was mildly interesting (wasn’t the best one I had been on). A visit to the Botanical Gardens are a must. My morning runs through Parcel Central were also lovely. Obviously a daily ice cream was also important.

The best thing we did was rent a car to explore the countryside. Fabian and I spent two days exploring the following:

Salina Turda– Part mine, part amusement park. It’s pretty wild. Basically it’s an old salt mine that’s been turned into somewhat of an amusement park. There’s a ferris wheel, a lake with row boats, ping pong tables, & mini golf. You read that right: all that 120m under ground.
Turda Gorge – beuatiful nature reserve. The canyon, formed through the erosion of the Jurassic limestone of the mountain, is 2,900 m long and the walls have heights reaching 300 m. Nice to be able to walk under some trees along a river for a bit. On the drive here, we didn’t see many trees.
Sighișoara – a lovely UNESCO old town in Transylvania. A great day trip from Cluj. It’s not huge, so doesn’t require an overnight stay, but you certainly could spend a night here.
Alba lulia – cool old Roman fortress and it used to be the capital of Transylvania.

Overall Thoughts:

Cluj will always have a special place in my heart. It was the perfect mixture of lovely runs in the morning, meandering the old town streets in the afternoons in search of ice cream, and using the rental car to go on some adventures in the countryside. If you are ever in Romania, Cluj is a must see.

CITY: Sibiu

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Pangeea Hostel, which is located right off the main square in town – sweet! The hostel itself is nothing to write home about, but it does the job. At $15 per night, I can’t complain too much. It’s quite a small hostel, which I usually like, but there haven’t been too many people to meet as a result. Basic bed, shower & kitchen, but wifi seems to work fairly well. Location can’t be beat, but I might look at other options if I were to come back.

Where to Eat:

Urban Food – Located on a nice little square, it was lovely to sit out front and enjoy the warmth of the day. Food wasn’t anything special, but they had a huge menu so it was nice to have a bunch of different options to choose from.

Lumos – Yummy food + great vibes (hey the sign even said so!). I loved eating here and spent a whole afternoon working on my computer. Lovely, lovely spot!

Meron– Adorable coffee shop and was great to work at while on my computer. Had a yummy iced chocolate while here.

What to do:

I was pretty tired after all the activities in Cluj, so I mostly used my time here to chill. I went on some long runs in Dumbrava Sibiului Natural Park & spent my afternoons in cafes planning more of my trip + updating this blog! It is a perfectly sized town to spend a leisurely few days. I loved wandering through the streets, basking in the warm sun.

Overall Thoughts:

I really liked that all that I “needed” to do while here was explore town. It lifted any pressure of needing to run around and see everything. I thoroughly enjoyed just hanging out and not doing much of anything. Sibiu is very beautiful and I loved seeing all the funny windows that look like eyes, known as the “Eyes of Sibiu“

CITY: Brașov

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Zozo Hostel: Wow – this is an incredible hostel from start to finish! The whole hostel has a beautiful Scandinavian mets cabin vibe (does it get better than that?!) and the beds are so comfy. Best part, no bunk beds and the room is so quiet. Randomly there are two queen beds in the 8 bed room (the other 6 are twin beds) and I magically got the queen beds (hallelujah – what a treat). The hostel also has 5 cute little pods in the back that sleep 2 people. This makes for a very small, cozy atmosphere where everyone gets to know everyone. The backyard also has 3 hammocks, which were lovely in the afternoon to be under some tress away from the heat. Also, there was a free breakfast each morning. While it is slightly far from the main part of town, it’s an easy 20ish min walk or 10 min bus ride.

Where to Eat:

Antreu Focaccerie– This place has the best sandwiches. Holy moly! I got a raclette + prosciutto sandwich and it was divine.

Restaurant Sergian a – Went to dinner with 7 others from the hostel after a walking tour. It’s very close to the main square and serves traditional Romanian food. Great atmosphere + delicious food.

What to do:

There’s so much to do in Brașov. It’s the most visited area of Romania!

Visit Bran castle – While admittedly it’s a slightly underwhelming castle, there’s no way you can go to Transylvania and not see Bran Castle haha. Bran Castle is famous for allegedly spawning the original vampire legend of Count Dracula. but the author of Dracula never actually visited Romania, let alone the castle. We did spend the extra $3 to go through the torture exhibit which was was pretty cool (& CREEPY)

Peles Castle – I actually did not have time to go, but this is supposed to be a far more impressive (albeit less famous) castle in the region.
Piatra Craiului National Park – did a small hike here

7 Ladders Canyon– Easy to get a bus ride to the trailhead and then head up through the forest for a beautiful hike. For ~$10 you can then climb through the canyon through, you guessed it, 7 ladders!

Hike to the top of Muntele Tâmpa – you can either hike (not a necessarily an easy hike as it’s steep and it was so hot when we were there) or you can take a cable car up! Definitely get to the top as it provides stunning views of Brașov below.

Overall Thoughts:

Brașov was a delight! Between meeting fun people at the hostel, there being lots to do, all in the setting of a cute town, I really enjoyed my visit here! Brașov is a must on any visit to Romania!

CITY: Bucharest

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at T5 Social and overall it was a great hostel! Walking distance to old town (15 min), but in a quiet neighborhood. The beds had curtains, personal plugs for charging & the beds were very comfy. I slept great! The best part, however, is the backyard. It’s part bar/part hangout area. Locals mix in with the travelers to create a very social atmosphere. Between hammocks, picnic tables & comfy floor cushions, there were plenty of spots to chill & meet people. If you find yourself in Bucharest, this is the place to stay (but just make sure to book ahead because it’s always full!).

Where to Eat:

I ate at the hostel mostly with groceries I picked up, but I did manage to find a smoothie bowl spot (very on brand haha). Rio Juice Dorobanti was delicious!

What to do:

Given I had just blown through the rest of Romania at a fairly fast clip, I was a little burnt out when I arrived to Bucharest. That coupled with the fact that Bucharest just felt like a large slightly run down Western capital & the insane heat, I wasn’t all that motivated to “do” much.” The two main things I did was walk around a park that had a lot of random sculptures (including one for Michael Jackson) and walked around Old Town. Neither blew me away.

The only thing I can absolutely recommend and that I truly enjoyed was visiting Therme!! This is the largest spa in Europe and it delivers. I felt like a kid in a candy store! There were so many different pools, big & small, of all different temperatures. There were indoor pools & outdoor pools. There were water slides. There were over 10 different themed saunas, including the Hollywood sauna, which was showing a nature documentary inside. There were over 5 restaurants. I only spent 4 hours here and wish I could’ve spent the whole day. Best part: one day admission to the whole facility is ~$32!!!! Run, don’t walk here 🙂

Overall Thoughts:

I feel like it’s obvious, but I wasn’t blown away by Bucharest. I feel like Romania really shines in its quaint small towns so focus your time there vs Bucharest.

BUDGET FOR 13 DAYS IN Romania:

Accommodation: $287 ($22 per night)

Food: $225

Groceries: $60

Activities: $147

Local Transportation: $110

Other: $20

Total: $846 (Daily average: $65)

Transportation to next destination: $63 (Flight to Serbia)

Sheffield + London

July 28, 2023August 28, 2023Leave a comment

Well I made it across the pond! This is the first stop on a crazy 18 month around the world adventure 🙂 I am easing into the trip by staying with friends for most of my time in England. After 10 days in England, I head off to Eastern Europe to start the true backpacking portion of the trip. Apologies that I won’t have many recommendations for places to stay as I don’t think my friends want to open up their places to just anyone hehe.

CITY: Sheffield

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Abi & Dan’s house! I met Abi when I was traveling around NZ and we have been close friends ever since. We’ve even been to 6 countries together at this point. I was thrilled to start my trip with a stay at a friend’s place so I could rest & recover in a comfortable place. SO kind of her & Dan to let me crash. Good thing I was here too because my luggage didn’t make it to Manchester so Abi was sweet enough to let me borrow her clothes for the first 36 hours of being there 🙂

WHERE TO EAT:

Kollective Coffee & Kitchen – I had a yummy brunch here while I waited for Abi to get off from work.

Our Cow M olly – Once Abi picked me up, there was only one thing to do: immediately get ice cream in the countryside!

What to do:

Honestly, I spent most of my time resting & getting over jet lag. Also, because I was staying with friends, we mostly just want to spend some time together, rather than do anything touristy. That being said, I went on some lovely runs, Abi & I went on some evening hikes (yay for late summer light in the evenings), and some pub dinners.

Also, more of the our NZ friends came up for the weekend so we had a lovely reunion before I left them for London!

Overall Thoughts:

I just love love love spending time with Abi, so getting to do it in her city is just the best! I am really coming to love the North of England!

CITY: London + surrounding areas

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Once again I stayed with friends for 3 nights (2 nights in East Croyden with Caitlin + 1 night in Twickenham with Tony). Always fun to see old friends + it’s lovely to stay in more local spots where normal people live. Also, I am internally grateful to have friends that always put me up when I am around for a visit!

Next up, Lilly (my friend from San Francisco), who is also backpacking around Europe for the summer, and I met up for a few days in London together. We stayed at Smart Hyde Park Inn. Overall, it was a decent hostel. Beds were comfy, had a personal reading light, curtains and plug for each bed. Our room had an ensuite bathroom, which is always a luxury. However, it wasn’t that easy to meet people and it was a fairly large hostel. Lilly & I agreed that while the stay was fine for us because we already had each & didn’t need to meet anyone, we probably wouldn’t have wanted to stay there again solo.

WHERE TO EAT:

I ate at so many yummy places!

M allow– Caitlin’s roommate worked here so we met her here for dinner after her shift. Mallow is an upscale vegan restaurant near Borough Market. So yummy & the service was great! Highly recommend this spot.

The Black Dog – Caitlin & I met up with Joe (friend from SF) for dinner. Nice pub vibe for a casual dinner. It happened to be a Sunday so we got some Sunday Roast dinners.

Brown & Rosie – Super cute brunch spot! Everything we had was DELICIOUS. Located in Kensington so great spot to walk around in general.

Coppa Club, Tower – We went here right after visiting the Tower of London. Definitely priced knowing it’s in a touristy spot and food was average, but the restaurant is decorated nicely and has very cute “bubbles” to eat in outside.

Roti Chai– Indian food that Lilly and I were treated to by some of Lilly’s friends parents! While the food was slightly too spicy for me, the consensus from the table was that the food was incredibly good. Fun to have a family style meal with lots of dishes to try.

Golden Eagle– Classic pub to grab a pint!

Daisy Green – yummy Australian brunch spot

The Riding House Cafe – Lilly and I stopped here for some tea + cards while killing some time in the afternoon. I wish we would’ve had a meal here. It had a very cool modern + old vibe.

Gông Bar – This is the highest bar in Western Europe, located at the top of the Shard (an iconic London building). It’s quite expensive so I looked at this as more of an experience rather than just a drink. It was a £30 per person minimum, but I thought it was worth it as the views are stunning!!

WHAT TO DO:

Admittedly, I have spent a decent amount of time in London so at this point I don’t feel like I have to run around and do “touristy” things, which is quite nice. That being said, it was Lilly’s first time to London so we found some fun things to do!

The Tower of London- I actually hadn’t done this before so it was nice to have an excuse to check it out. While it was interesting to walk around the Tower, the audio guide got a little bit boring at times. If you are super into history, it’s worth checking out. Otherwise, I think I would’ve been okay skipping out on it.
Walking around Borough Market- I don’t think I’ve ever been to London without visiting Borough Market – it’s one of my favorite things to do! It’s fun to see all the yummy food, snacks, baked goods, &, of course, try to some ice cream.
Have a drink at the top of the Shard. There are a few restaurants/bar options. This time we went to Gông Bar, but I’ve gone to Aqua Shard in the past. Don’t miss the bathrooms at Aqua – the views are incredible.
Visit Richmond to see the pub where Ted Lasso filmed.
Walk around and see Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Palace of Westminster, & Tower Bridge.
Walk around Soho for some shopping.
Visit Camden market for some quirky vibes & fun restaurants.
Try fish & chips!

Overall Thoughts:

I mean, I love London, usually because it means I get to see some of my British friends! This particulary was a fun visit because it mixed seeing old friends AND running around London playing tourist with Lilly. This won’t be the last time I’m in London on this trip so can’t wait to be back!

Packing List: 6 months in Europe (2023)

July 3, 2023November 17, 2025Leave a comment

I can’t believe I am about to spend 6 more months in Europe – I feel incredibly lucky! While this packing won’t look all that different to the one I used in 2016, I wanted to share the most up to date version of what I take while traveling. The length of trip matters less since there’s virtually no difference in what I would take for a 2 week trip vs a 12 month trip; you just do a lot more laundry!

Once again I am using my 35L Tortuga Setout backpack. They don’t sell the exact backpack I have anymore, but here is their latest & greatest! Can’t recommend their bags more. I have used a Tortuga backpack on each of my longterm trips!

Overall tips:

Use packing cubes!
Make sure that every top works with every bottom and works with every shoes. Use a capsule wardrobe as inspiration.
Less is more!

Packing List For Europe:

Clothes

Two pairs of Lululemon Fast & Free Crop’s – I’m trying to make it easy to workout while on the road this time around.
One pair of Lululemon Align pants – can be used for working out/walking around town or I can dress it up.
One pair of black structured shorts (from Everlane)
2 dresses (one sundress, one dressier)
1 Romper
1 Jumpsuit (Madewell) – I’m obsessed with this jumpsuit. Hopefully it holds up well through the backpacker lifestyle.
5 Cute shirts
2 sports bras
2 athletic shirts (for running + sleeping in). One is from Vuori & one is from Lululemon
Booty shorts (to sleep in)
5 pairs of underwear
5 pairs of socks
one nude bra, one black bralette
Running shoes
Steve Madden white sneakers
Birkenstock’s – A classic backpacker shoe; comfy & cute
Light Patagonia puffer – good for chilly planes/busses & for when I visit countries that are a little cooler, even in the summer. 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 Jean Jacket for when it’s a little cooler but I still want to look cute
1 Swimsuit
Sunglasses (Warby Parker)
Rain coat (Patagonia; you can pack it up into it’s pocket so I can easily attach it to the outside of my bag via a carabiner)
Tortuga Daypack (they don’t sell it anymore sadly). This acts as my personal item for flights and I can use it for adventures during the day.
Small purse (I put it into my daypack on travel days)
Running band
1 winter scarf + winter coat (dropping these off at a friend’s house when I arrive in Europe and will pick them up in Nov when the weather turns)

Electronics

Computer + Charger
iPad
iPhone + Charger
AirPod Pro’s
Headphones (Bose; noise-cancelling for travel days)
Plug adapter
Portable charger

Toiletries (I use a bunch of little toiletry bags to keep these all organized)

Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Flosser
Any medication you take
Retainer
Deodorant
Makeup
Eye makeup remover
Razor
Conditioner
Shampoo
Brush
Sunscreen
Chapstick
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

Folder of itinerary print outs (I don’t do this anymore, and instead make folders within my inbox to keep track of everything)
Extra Passport photos
Thumb drive with all documentation
Handbag (for personal item on planes as well as day-to-day use)
Travel Towel
Sarong/beach blanket- My roommate got this for me! Perfect for any countries where I need to cover up more as well as the beach or to dry off from a swim. It may be redundant with the travel towel but I brought both so time will tell 🙂
Water Bottle
Ear Plug
Eye Mask
Lock (for staying in hostels or locking my bag.) Get the combo lock so you don’t have to worry about tiny keys.
Passport
ID
Travel Credit Card (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 🙂 )
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.

Here is everything spread out on a table!

Everything + the two backpacks & packing cubes on the couch

Here’s some close ups of what I fit in each packing cube. Click the photos to see the caption for details on exactly what I put in each.

All packed up + ready to go! Pictured: Backpack + day pack + airport outfit

Europe here I come!

Where I have been (Cities)

March 13, 2018September 28, 20251 Comment

This is a list of all the cities I have been to (not including the US). If you are visiting any of these, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Cities I’ve been to in

Total: 347 cities

North America (excluding the US) (10 Countries)

Belize (1)

Belize City
Caye Caulker
San Ignacio

Canada (2)

Vancouver
Whistler

Costa Rica (6)

San Jose
Santa Teresa
Nosara
Monteverde
La Fortuna
Manuel Antonio

El Salvador (8)

San Salvador
Santa Ana
Chalchuapa
Juayua
Ataca
El Tunco
El Zonte
La Unión

Guatemala (8)

Flores
Semuc Champey
Antigua
San Pedro
San Marcos
San Juan
Chichicastenango
Guatemala City

Honduras (2)

Utila
Roatan

Mexico (4)

Puerta Vallarta
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico City
Oaxaca

Nicaragua (5)

Ometepe
Granada
Managua
Corn Islands
Leon

Panamá (5)

Panama City
Valle de Antón
Santa Catalina
Boquete
Bocas del Toro

The Bahamas (1)

Nassau

Europe (42 Countries)

Albania (1)

Shkodër

Austria (2)

Salzburg
Vienna

Belgium (7)

Brussels
Waterloo
Bruges
Knokke Beach
Leuven
Sint-Eloois-Winkel
Ghent

Bosnia (3)

Mostar
Blagaj
Pochitelj

Bulgaria (5)

Sofía
Plovdiv
Burgas
Nessebar
Sveti Vlas

Croatia (6)

Zagreb
Plitvice National Park
Zadar
Split
Supertar
Dubrovnik

Cyprus (1)

Larnaca

Czech Republic (1)

Prague

Denmark (1)

Copenhagen

England (29)

London
Milton Keynes
Salisbury
Worcester
Stratford-on-Avon
London Southend On Sea
Reigate
Brighton
Bath
Bradford-on-Avon
Cambridge
Ardingly
Lewes
Ditchling
Haywards Heath
Lindfield
Aylesbury
Sheffield
Castleton
Holmes Chapel
East Croyden
Twickenham
Croyde
Lynton
Lynmouth
Clovelly
Bristol
Red Hill
Manchester

Estonia (1)

Tallinn

Finland (2)

Helsinki
Porvoo

France (12)

L’isle sur la Sorgue, Provence
Chamonix
Paris
Loire valley
Versailles
St. Malo
Eauze
Nogaro
Aire-del-l’Adour
Arcachon
St Emillion
Bordeaux

Germany (5)

Munich
Hamburg
Bad Oldesloe
Berlin
Stuttgart

Greece (5)

Mykonos Town
Fira
OÍa
Kamira
Athens

Hungary (1)

Budapest

Iceland (1)

Reykjavik

Ireland (5)

Dublin
Galway
Tralee
Dingle
Killarney

Italy (14)

Lake Garda
Sestri Levante
Santa Margherita
Cinque Terre
Lake Como
San Gimignano
Siena
Florence
Naples
Ischia
Rome
Menori
Amalfi
Positano

Kosovo (2)

Prístina
Prizren

Latvia (2)

Riga
Sigulda

Liechtenstein (5)

Vaduz
Triesenberg
Malbun
Stausse Steg
Balzers

Lithuania (3)

Vilnius
Trakai
Kaunas

Luxembourg (1)

Luxembourg City

Montenegro (4)

Kotor
Cetinje
Budva
Ulcinj

North Macedonia (2)

Skopje
Ohrid

Northern Ireland (2)

Belfast
Derry

Norway (2)

Oslo
Bergen

Poland (2)

Warsaw
Krakow

Portugal (3)

Porto
Lisbon
Sintra

Romania (6)

Cluj-Napoca
Sighișoara
Alba Lulia
Sibiu
Brasov
Bucharest

Scotland (2)

Edinburgh
Loch Ness

Serbia (3)

Belgrade
Novi Sad
Bajina Basta

Slovakia (1)

Bratislava

Slovenia (5)

Ljubljana
Škofja Loka
Piran
Bled
Lake Bohinj

Spain (22)

Barcelona
Madrid
San Sebastián
Sitges
Montserrat
Mallorca
Seville
Valencia
Granada
Alicante
Cadaqués
Villanova de Arousa
Villagarcia de Arousa
Pontevedra
Vilassar de Dalt
Vilassar de Mar
Cábrils
Mátaro
Girona
Vidreres
Viladrau
Santa Coloma de Farners

Sweden (2)

Stockholm
Värmdö

Switzerland (11)

Geneva
Verbier
Le Chable
Lausanne
Lutry
Brienz
Grindelwald
Lauterbrunnen
Mürren
Gimmelwald
Kandersteg

The Netherlands (2)

Amsterdam
Utrecht

The Vatican (1)

The Vatican

Wales (1)

Cardiff

Africa (2 countries)

Egypt (3)

Cairo
Aswan
Hurghada

Morocco (3)

Chefchouan
Tangier
Tetouan

South America (6 countries)

Argentina (5)

Buenos Aires
Mendoza
El Chalten
El Calafate
Ushuaia

Bolivia (2)

La Paz
Uyuni

Chile (6)

Santiago
San Jose de Maipo
Valparaiso
San Pedro de Atacama
Easter Island
Puerto Natales

Colombia (6)

Bogotá
Medellín
Guatapé
Minca
Tayrona National Park
Cartagena

Peru (5)

Lima
Paracas
Ica
Cusco
Aguas Calientes

Uruguay (3)

Montevideo
Punta del Este
Colonia

Oceania (4 countries)

Australia (15)

Melbourne
Sydney
Yamba
Byron bay
Brisbane
Noosa
Rainbow beach
Fraser Island
Airlie beach
Whitsundays
Magnetic island
Cairns
Port Douglas
Cronella
Gymea Bay
Shoal Bay
Palm Beach

Fiji (2)

Nadi
Matagi Island

New Zealand (14)

Auckland
Hot water beach
Waitomo
Rotarua
Taupo
Wellington
Picton
Kaiteriteri
Westport
Franz Josef
Wanaka
Queenstown
Christchurch
Mount Cook

Vanuatu (1)

Port Vila

Asia (14 countries)

Armenia (1)

Yerevan

Azerbaijan (2)

Baku
Sheki

Cambodia (1)

Siem Reap

Georgia (1)

Sighnaghi

Indonesia (6)

Canggu
Ubud
Gili T
Nusa Penida
Uluwatu
Seminyak

Japan (3)

Tokyo
Kyoto
Hakone

Laos (3)

Vientiane
Vang Vieng
Luang Prabang

Malaysia (7)

Kota Kinabalu
Sepilok
Mabul
Sipadan
George Town
Cameron Highlands
Langkawi

Qatar (1)

Doha

Singapore (1)

Singapore

Thailand (8)

Koh Lipe
Koh Lanta
Khao Sok
Koh Tao
Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Pai
Chiang Rai

The Philippines (6)

Coron
El Nido
Bohol
Siquijor
Moalboal
Malapascua

Turkey (4)

Istanbul
Goreme/Cappadocia
Antalya
Arnavutköy

Vietnam (6)

Hanoi
Ha Long Bay
Cat Ba City
Ninh Binh
Ha Giang
Hoi An

Vienna (+ Bratislava)

July 22, 20171 Comment

City: Vienna

How Long: 4 nights

Accommodation:

I stayed at Hostel Ruthensteiner Vienna while I was here. The hostel itself is great. Tons of fun people, and there’s a bar within the hostel. There’s a guest kitchen and a 4.5 euro breakfast option. Good security lockers in the room and comfy beds. However, unfortunately it is fairly far from the city center so it takes 40 minutes to get anywhere (walking). I just find that I prefer to be able to walk right from the hostel to where I want to go without using public transit.

Where to Eat:

I ate a delicious traditional Polish dish at a restaurant called Mozart’s Restaurant. It was almost like pasta/dumpling combo with scrambled eggs. Sounds weird, but it was awesome. Otherwise, I chose to buy groceries and cook in the community kitchen with some friends I made.

While I didn’t eat here, Mozart + Beethoven did! In fact, Mozart’s last performance was here. This place has been opened for over 200 years. Pretty incredible.

What to do:

I visited the Easter markets here as well, but they weren’t as fun as the ones in Krakow I found. I also did a free walking tour with some friends, where we saw some of the old government buildings and some cool churches. I also met two other Americans staying at my hostel and ended up going out on a pub crawl with them which was fun!

Painted eggs at the Easter Markets!

Unfortunately the next day it rained and even hailed a bit. I chose to spend the day inside and catch up on reading, writing, and editing some videos. While it was nice to have a relaxing day, it meant that I did not get to see the palace or the gardens which I have heard are amazing.

On my last day in Vienna I did a day trip to Bratislava, which is the capital of Slovakia. I took a 5 euro bus ride there in the morning, early enough to catch the free walking tour. I really enjoyed learning about this tiny country that most American’s probably don’t know much about if they have even heard of it. Bratislava looks like it was torn out of the pages of a fairytale. In fact, the famous fairytale writer from Denmark, Hans Christian Andersen, spent time here. He famously said to the citizens of Bratislava, “If you want a fairy tale, look at your city.”

View of Bratislava from the Castle

We walked around most of the city in about 2.5 hours, as the city is fairly small. We saw the grand castle (although technically a fortress), a blue Church, and adorable cobblestone streets. I learned that Vienna and Bratislava are the two closest capitals in all of Europe, at just 34 miles apart. After spending just 5 hours in this city, I wish I had spent a few days here instead of staying in Vienna. Definitely don’t skip visiting Bratislava, even if it just for a day from Vienna or Budapest.

Main square in Bratislava

The Blue Church!

Bratislava Castle

Overall Thoughts:

Vienna did not wow me. I am not exactly sure why, but overall it was not my favorite. The city is huge and I have learned that I tend to prefer more manageable cities. It’s also more expensive than some of the other cities I am visiting right now. I wish I had stayed in Bratislava and done a day trip to Vienna, instead of the other way around. I can certainly see why so many people love Vienna (amazing food, beautiful architecture, top-notch museums) but I just don’t think it’s for me.

The Mediterranean

July 14, 2017October 28, 2025Leave a comment

Greece

Rome

Cyprus

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Turkey

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Portugal

Malta

Nice + Monaco

San Marino

Western Europe

July 14, 2017May 29, 2024Leave a comment

Amsterdam (+Latvia)

Berlin

Stuttgart + Paris

Vienna (+ Bratislava)

Walking Retreat + Bordeaux

Liechtenstein + Switzerland

UK + Ireland

July 14, 2017May 29, 2024Leave a comment

London + Cambridge

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Bath + London

Edinburgh + Southend on Sea

Ireland

Worcester + Cardiff

Stonehenge + London

Sheffield + London

Northern Ireland

London + Cambridge

June 6, 2017July 19, 20171 Comment

Sadly, this is my last stop on my trip! BUT I made the most of it with a final visit with my favorite British people. (You may remember them because I stayed with them all the way back in June 2016 and then again in February 2017.) Originally I had met them at a hostel in Barcelona in May 2015 and have visited them 4 or 5 times since then. So without further adieu…

CITY: london

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Astor Hyde Park while in London for the final time. I booked super late so there weren’t many options left, but I ended up getting one of the last beds at this hostel. This place had large under the bed lockers and an en suite bathroom. There’s a large guest kitchen and two great common areas for socializing. Also the hostel is right next to Hyde Park!! Definitely recommend a stay here.

WHERE TO EAT:

The main thing I did while in England was go to Cambridge for the day with my British friends! To start off the adventure we went to Copper Kettle for a full English breakfast. This was the first time I had one, and while I can’t get on board with beans for breakfast, the rest was delicious!

Enjoying brunch

Full English

After a full day of exploring Cambridge, we all went to Bill’s for dinner + drinks. It had a good vibe and could seat all 6 of us. I got a tomato soup because I wasn’t super hungry, but AJ and his gf, Chloe, split a halloumi burger and it looked great!

I went to Nandos, a staple in the UK, for the first time on my last night in Europe. I met Henry and one of his high school friends for dinner. It’s a Portuguese chicken chain and it’s pretty good, although I was surprised by how spicy it was! There are tons of different menu options. Definitely recommend a visit here if you have the time.

The most perfect hot chocolate I got while Henry and I were waiting for the rest of the crew to show up

WHAT TO DO:

As I mentioned, the main activity of my visit to London was a day trip to Cambridge. Henry and I met up at the train station in London and headed to Cambridge, while AJ & Chloe and Tony met us there as they drove. After getting brunch, we walked around the town before finding a grassy spot to enjoy the sun. Around 2pm we loaded into a boat to go punting, which is very popular in Cambridge.

Meeting Henry at the train station on our way to Cambridge

Cambridge

Enjoying the sun!

The crew

Busy day for punting

Aj, Chloe, Tony, & Henry

We made it on the boat

The bridge of sighs

On the boat!

After punting we again found a grassy spot and just enjoyed the rare sunny day.

Sitting in a park

Henry planting a garden on AJ

My fav’s

The most exquisite roses I have ever seen

Other than Cambridge, I did spend a day at Hyde Park reading my book. A wonderfully relaxing day.

Hyde Park

My last day on this wonderful trip I spent hanging at my hostel, meeting some people, and working on my blog 🙂 That night I grabbed dinner with Henry and his friend and we were some of the last people to leave the restaurant.

It was really, really hard to say goodbye to my friends because they ended up being such a big part of this trip!! Each time I visited before, we knew there would be at least one more visit ahead. This time, we knew it would be an indefinite goodbye. HOWEVER, I am trying my hardest to convince them to come to CA to visit me sometime in the future.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

As always, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in England, and it is has furthered cemented my dream of moving here. I hope to eventually find a path to living in London, even if it’s just for a few years.

See ya soon California! While I will miss Europe with all my heart, I am excited to go home and sleep in my own bed for the first time in a while 🙂

Greece

May 30, 2017July 22, 2017

After 6 weeks of solo travel, I am ending my trip with about 8 days with Adam, one of my best friends from high school! Also our friend Matt joined us for Santorini. It was so much fun to see a familiar face and travel with a friend!

CITY: Mykonos

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed Orpheas Rooms hotel and it was GREAT. It was reasonably priced and we had two separate bedrooms. The location was perfect and close to everything. The shower was AMAZING, we both had never seen anything like it. It had like 4 different water spouts and was piping hot. We also had a little patio with a table and chairs where we spent hours playing cards and drinking wine. Definitely recommend a stay here!

Our little patio

The coolest door that was next to our place

WHERE TO EAT:

After settling into our place, we wandered out to find some food. We eventually found Kavos Cafe Bar Restaurant, which is right on the water. I am trying to try new foods in each place I go and thus ordered my first ever plate of gyros– and I think I fell in love. They were delicious! Plus they come with tzatziki and french fries so I was in heaven.

After renting ATV’s and exploring some beaches, we wanted to find a restaurant outside of the more touristy downtown and we were in for a treat when we found Myconian Plate. It felt homey and local. The food was delicious and the waiters were very attentive. We had such a great experience at this place!

Lunch at Mykonian Plate

Mykonian Plate

After laying out in the sun the next day we found a lovely restaurant right on the beach on the other side of the island called Yialo yialo. The staff were super friendly and the food was good. The best part was that after we ate we were allowed to use their chaise lounges on the beach.

Our last meal on Mykonos was at Marco Polo. It’s a family run restaurant in the middle of Mykonos Town that had a nice ambiance. I ordered a delicious plate of Greek meatballs and Adam and I shared a bottle of wine. It was a nice end to our food experience in Mykonos.

Dinner at Marco Polo

our dessert

WHAT TO DO:

Other than walking around Mykonos Town, which is quite cute, the main thing to do on the island is rent ATV’s and go to the cool beaches— So that’s what we did. It was so much fun zipping around the tiny island on them. We used them to beach-hop all day. As you can imagine, we played cards, read our books, napped, and swam all day long. Overall, super fun and relaxing!

The famous windmills

Beach day

“Try and look like you are not freezing!”

All the chaise lounges

Adam being inventive

However, as we were here in May, it was a little too early for all the famous partying and clubs to even be open. I think Adam and I were actually pretty happy about that because neither of us are super into that scene. We did end up going out to a bar/club in Mykonos Town and had a blast! They played super fun danceable music and we made some Australian friends.

The “crazy” famous beach clubs that weren’t so happen’ while we were there

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really enjoyed Mykonos and am not sad about being here in the shoulder season. The beaches were beautiful, although a bit windy. I also really liked Mykonos Town, as it was quite cute and trendy.

Our ferry to Santorini

CITY: Santorini

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at an airbnb that was literally carved into the cliffs. It was accurately described as a cocoon. It was on the small side but had everything you needed. The best part of the airbnb was the incredible patio that offered chaise lounges to view the incredible sunsets every night. The bathroom was spacious and there was a tiny kitchenette. The bed was comfy and there was also a table with two chairs. Really enjoyed this special airbnb.

Our patio

WHERE TO EAT:

Our favorite place ended up being a cafe right near our airbnb called Cafe Galini. I think we ended up eating here about 5 times during our stay in Santorini. We had amazing greek yogurt bowls with fresh fruit + honey. Also the club sandwich was our go-to for lunch. I often enjoyed some hot milk + honey in the mornings because I was feeling a little under the weather while here.

Greek yogurt + fresh berries + honey 🙂

Our other favorite spot was Zafora. We ended up here twice, once for a late dinner, and once for an entire afternoon of playing cards and snacking until the sun had set. We really enjoyed the food, customer service, and most importantly, the view. One night I had a yummy crepe, and the other I had a yummier gyros plate.

Zafora!

Sunset from Zafora

One night we cooked our own meal with some pasta, prosciutto, garlic, and onions and ate on Matt’s balcony.

Dinner on Matt’s balcony

The sunset the next day from the same spot

Drinks to celebrate our birthdays

WHAT TO DO:

Santorini has plenty to offer in forms of things to do. First up was a walk through Fira. Settled at the top of some cliffs, you are offered some incredible views as you stroll through the town. There were plenty of restaurants and stores to wander through. What we came to realize in our time in Santorini was that given how the town is etched into the cliffs, almost everywhere you go has an incredible view over the water.

Views

Near our airbnb

Santorini at sunset

My favorite wall

The next day, along with Matt, we rented ATV’s and headed over to some black sand beaches. I have never been on ATV’s before Greece and really, really enjoyed riding around in the open air on these things. It’s the best way to explore the Greek islands. After the beaches, we rode 45 minutes over to Oía, the other main city on the island. We walked around the famous city streets and eventually headed down to the water so Matt and Adam could go cliff-jumping. After, we found a nice lunch spot.

Black sand beach

Snack break

Oía

Matt + Adam jumping off the cliff!

Another highlight was a boat tour to an active volcanic island and to some hot springs. We got to walk around the island, even seeing some smoking craters. Next up we boated to the island next door and jumped into the fairly cold water to swim towards the hot springs. Pretty quickly we realized a more accurate description would be “lukewarm springs” but we still had a good time spreading the “healing” mud all over our bodies!

Exploring the volcanic island

Santorini in the background

Where the hot springs are

Adam and I enjoyed a nice afternoon at Galini cafe playing cards and reading our books after a couple of action-filled days. We had said bye to Matt, who was supposed to fly to Rome that day BUT he got bumped from his flight and got “stuck” in Santorini one more night. Lucky for us he got put up in a super nice hotel on the other side of the island where all the beaches are. SO the next day (and our last day) Adam and I lugged our luggage over to his hotel to hang pool and beach side until our midnight flight to Athens. We really lucked out because this place was super nice and we were just able to relax all day.

Sunscreen is important!

Attempting to skip rocks

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Santorini is awesome! Incredible views, incredible people, incredible sunsets. Such a picturesque place. It’s definitely not the cheapest place I went, but we had such a fun time exploring the island.

CITY: Athens

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at Athens Backpackers and it was the perfect location. Adam and I were only here for one full day so it was critical to be centrally located. This place also had a guest kitchen and common room. The beds were comfy and there were lockers. They were connected to a bar, restaurant and a laundry facility so there were options to explore beyond just the common room. Definitely would stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

We only had the one day but we had 2 great finds. First off, to warn everyone, Athens restaurants were SO AGGRESSIVE at trying to lure in the tourists. Adam and I were harassed almost every where we went. It was overwhelming. But eventually we picked a restaurant and we ended up having a great meal with the first round of drinks on them 🙂

The more important find was a dessert place called Lukumades. They had these fresh, homemade donuts and they you could add ice cream + the donuts in a bowl. WOWOWOW it was good. We got two combos to split.

Lukumades

Apple filled with honey + cinnamon on top

Chocolate on Chocolate on Chocolate

WHAT TO DO:

We started the day with a visit to the Acropolis. Pretty spectacular what the Greeks were able to build all those years ago. After walking around that site, we meandered through all the pedestrian friendly shopping streets before popping into the National Garden to soak up the sun and play some cards. The gardens had some interesting combos of animals in the park. One tiny pond had probably more than 50 turtles. There were goats and rabbits in the same pen. They had all sorts of birds. It was a crazy place haha.

The Parthenon

Exploring the Acropolis

Ancient ruins feat. Adam

National Gardens

Adam checking out the sun dial

approx. 1,000,000 turtles

Walking through the park

Beautiful purple trees

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I went in with low expectations of Athens, and was quite pleasantly surprised! Adam and I had fun exploring Athens by foot and enjoyed everything except the harassment from the restaurants. I wouldn’t necessarily rush back to spend a ton more time in Athens, as there are other places I would rather go back to and obviously there even more places that I want to go that I haven’t been to! BUT I really liked my time in Athens.