Imagine being woken up at 5:30 in the morning because a marching band is outside your window, the sound of cymbals and sousaphones clanging in your ear. Only three and a half hours earlier, I had been outside, painstakingly helping my neighbors prepare an intricately designed alfombra, or “carpet” for the street. It was Semana Santa — […]
Have I told you about the time I almost fell for the tea house scam in Shanghai? No? Well, settle in because it wasn’t pretty. I didn’t expect Shanghai would be the city that threw me. Of everywhere I went in China, it’s the one that’s most conducive to tourists. After five days of communication
I Was *ThisClose* to Falling for a Shanghai Tea House Scam Read More »
WOW air advertises $99 flights to Iceland, so what’s the catch? I love the idea of cheap flights to Europe but I knew there would be a trade-off. If you’re curious, WOW air reviews can help you decide if it’s the right option for you. Read Before Buying a Ticket –> WOW Air Cancels *All*
Wow, What a Shame! WOW Air Ceases Operations March 2019 Read More »
Theoretically, I’m the type of person who shouldn’t buy travel insurance. I’m young and healthy, I have an emergency bank account to help cover unexpected expenses, and I have a large stash of frequent flyer miles I can draw on if I need to fly home in the middle of a trip for problems back
I Just Renewed My Annual Travel Insurance. You Should, Too. Read More »
This post is originally from December 2015, but as other bloggers are sharing their stories of reducing travel, I want to re-share mine. It still holds true, years later. * * * I’m not sure precisely when my travel mindset changed, but sometime over the summer, I started putting more effort
My friends looked at me a little funny when I mentioned I added Nanjing to my China plans. Why not Xian, or Chengdu, or anywhere most visitors go to? And on top of that, I spent the night instead of just taking the bullet train from Shanghai to Nanjing for the day. But I really wanted
9 Things to Do in Nanjing That Are Absolutely Worth Your Time Read More »
Even if you’ve cruised before, Norway is a whole different animal: the weather is finicky at best and there’s a good chance you’ll fly a low-cost airline to get to your starting and ending ports, where every pound of baggage costs you. That’s why I’ve compiled the perfect Norway cruise packing list for you. It
Bring Exactly What You Need with this Norway Cruise Packing List Read More »
I never thought Nanjing, China would be on the list of most magnificent places I’ve been. For the most part, the city is dreary, smoggy, and grey, especially in winter. But Usnisa Palace in Niushoushan Cultural Park is so stunning that it raises the entire city up a notch, to a level normally held for
I Went to Usnisa Palace in Nanjing and My Jaw is Still on the Floor Read More »
Before I went to Phoenix, I thought of it as a pass-through city on the way to “better” attractions like the Grand Canyon or Sedona. That’s a shame because there are plenty of fun things to do in Phoenix itself. This metropolitan area is an incredible destination for sightDOING: there’s active travel, soft adventure, and
I gained 6 pounds my first month in Buffalo. I was determined to try all the iconic Buffalo foods, some of which I hadn’t had since I was a little girl. I stuffed my face with wings, sponge candy, and half a dozen cup-and-curl pepperoni pizzas. When you eat all that in a month, you
