Travel
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Cherry Blossom Festival
It’s that time of year folks! It’s Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC! Every year around this time, people from all over come to DC to see the coveted cherry trees blooming around the tidal basin and other areas. This also sparks a festival with various events in the city. The trees were planted beginning in 1912, but new trees have been planted regularly since then. Peak bloom was Monday, April 1st! This was no April Fool’s joke, because I brought my puppy and walked around the basin on Monday and indeed the trees are blooming! Peak bloom is supposed to be when at least 70% of the trees are…
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An Afternoon in Essaouira
After spending time in Marrakech, my fiance, Reda, his parents, and I drove to the Atlantic coast for a few days along with the family puppy, Paco!Β En route to Agadir, we visited Essaouira for an afternoon.Β As we pulled into the town, I saw a coastline full of beach-goers and surfers!Β My future Mother-in-Law, Rachida, grew up in Essaouira so it was really nice to have her show us around.Β We ended up parking right beside her high school! Whereas Marrakech has all red/pink hues, Essaouira has more whites and tans with splashes of bright blue throughout the city.Β We spent most of the afternoon walking through the Medina,…
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Marrakech, Morocco
We stayed in Marrakech for the first several days during my trip.Β One of the first things I noticed was the driving – the roads are pure chaos!Β Yet, it is an organized chaos.Β In traffic circles, no one is following the lanes.Β The road is shared by trucks, cars, motorbikes, sometimes even mules.Β I don’t know how they all share the road without crashing, but it somehow just works!Β The contrast of coexisting extremes also surprised me.Β I saw motorbikes with several people piled on sharing the road with expensive sports cars.Β That’s not something that I see every day! LaΒ villeΒ en rose We all know Edith Piaf’s song “La…
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Firefly Festival 2018
Firefly Music Festival was the first camping festival I attended, in 2016.Β I went with a handful of friends and we camped on a 30-person lot.Β I had so much fun at this festival, I’d been dying to go back!Β Last summer I was still broke from living in France, but this summer I was committed to going again! I paid for a 6-person camping site, because I thought some friends would be joining.Β Note to self, you probably should not spend money on a shared camping site unless your “fellow campers” actually buy their festival tickets as well.Β As we got closer and closer to the festival weekend, it…
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Solo Travel: Why am I Comfortable Traveling Alone?
This spring, a group of my closeΒ college friends came to visit me.Β On the first night back together, we obviously had a lot to talk about!Β One of my friends asked me how I feel so comfortable traveling by myself.Β I had, after all, just traveled through Eastern Europe for two weeks by myself.Β Her question is natural – it does seem strange to feel comfortable doing such a thing.Β As I answered her, I realized that at some point over the past couple of years it had just become normal for me. When I studied abroad for 6 weeks, I made sure to coordinate with another student so that…
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An Afternoon in Honfleur, France
When I visited Γtretat last month, we rented an Airbnb in Le Havre. Β Apparently, my landlady grew up in that town! During an afternoon apΓ©ritif with my family at their home next door, she recommended that we stop in Honfleur! She said it was a beautiful and historic french town.Β Β It turned out to be great advice, as Honfleur is only ten minutes out of the way driving from Le Havre to Paris. Β We decided to spend a quick afternoon there, before heading to Paris for the weekend. Honfleur is in the French Department of Calvados. Β It sits rightΒ at the estuary that connects the Seine to the English Channel, just…
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Γtretat, Normandy: My Return Visit
When I was 16 years old, I had an opportunity to go on a ten day trip to Northern France through my high school! Though I feel like I wasn’t old/mature enough to truly appreciate it, the trip was amazing. Β We went to Paris (of course!) and then proceeded to other areas in the north. Β There are bits that I remember more vividly than others. The one town that absolutely stuck out to me was Γtretat! In this town we had a lot of free time. Β I broke off from the group with a couple friends and we climbed up to the top of one of the falaises and explored!…
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Prague Highlights: What to See in the City of Spires
Following my visits to the capitals of Hungary and Austria, I finished my February holiday with several days in Prague! Β Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and is nicknamed “The City of a Hundred Spires.” Β I was actually surprised at how small the historic center was! Β Though it is a large city, it has a small town feel with very well preserved architecture. Prague is a beautiful city with lots of history. Of course, I went on a walking tour as soon as I arrived (shocker!). There are Sandemans Free Tours in Prague, including a longer walking tour (3 hours). This was longer than most walking tours I…
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From Heurige to SchΓΆnbrunn: Discovering Vienna, Austria
Vienna is the capital of Austria, but I might describe it as the cultural capital of Eastern Europe. I’ve never had such a culture-filled visit! There are so many amazing things to do and see in Vienna. The only downside is that it’s a pretty expensive city! The prices seemed especially daunting after visiting Budapest, where one euro is 300 Hungarian forint! This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. If youβre planning a trip, check out myΒ hotel recommendations for some great places to stay in Vienna. Heurige Vienna was so fun to visit! During my February holiday, I was traveling solo.…
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My Visit to the Labyrinth at Castle Hill
Before arriving in Budapest, I read briefly about the Labyrinth under Castle Hill.Β There are caves and underground tunnels that you can access with tickets or private tours. The caves sounded super interesting and I wanted to visit at least one of them while in town. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. If youβre planning a trip, check out myΒ hotel recommendations for some great places to stay in Budapest! After getting to know the city for a couple days, I was a bit jumbled up. I stopped at a tourist stand to ask how to get to the caves or…
