NJ | Grounds for Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton

I’ve taken the NJ Transit train from New York City to Hamilton, NJ and back, maybe fifty times. At least forty of those times, I’ve been fooled into thinking that the human-sized sculptures of people scratching their heads while they stare at a giant sculpture of a tooth outside of the train station, were actually human. It wasn’t until years and years after making the journey to meet my family at home base (my grandmother’s) did I realize that the sculptures (there are also huge mariachi dancers when you turn into the train station) were there for a reason.

Hotel Review | Holiday Inn Resort, Jekyll Island, Georgia

When I returned from India, someone I hadn’t seen in a while said, “Welcome back from vacation!” Though I know he meant, “Welcome back,” part of me wanted to say, “Vacation?!?!?!?! That wasn’t a vacation!!!!!” I loved India, but volunteering there had taken a lot out of me, and I certainly didn’t feel like I’d been on a beach with a drink in my hand. In Croatia this month, I was working on my laptop in a caffe for a few hours almost every day. Even when I’m not volunteering or working, I’m trying to experience and photograph as much as possible or I’m exhausted from catching a bus or train every two days. A few days after working my booty off in Croatia, I arrived at the Holiday Inn Resort in Jekyll Island, Georgia. For the first time in years, I felt like I was truly on vacation.

Fraunces Tavern, New York City

NYC | A Hamilton Happy Hour with Urban Adventures

Everyone in New York City knows that Hamilton tickets trump everything except for weddings. “I can’t go to your charity event – I have Hamilton tickets.” “I can’t travel to DC for that important meeting – I have Hamilton tickets.” “I can’t go into labor right now – I have Hamilton tickets.”

But what if you don’t have Hamilton tickets? {I’m speaking hypothetically of course, because I *do* have a ticket thanks to one of my cousins, though we have to wait a whole eight months until it’s our turn – for all we know, Carrot Top will be starring in it at that point.}

Indiana | The Best of the Indiana Foodways in Lafayette-West Lafayette

I had so much fun when I was in Indianapolis that I didn’t want to leave. Luckily, before I went back to NJ, I had one more day full of fun and food. I went on one last tour of the Indiana Foodways trails in the towns of Lafayette and West Lafayette, home of Purdue University. We had a super-packed schedule but I wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of the places we visited or any of the dishes we’d tried. Though I feel like I ate 1,000 things that day, there were a few dishes and treats that stuck out:

Beasley's Orchard, Indiana

Indiana | A Small Town Girl in Hendricks County

Over the last few months, I’ve spent time in a few of the great cities of the midwest – Chicago, Madison, and Indianapolis. As I work on adding more states to my list, it’s easier to visit the cities – especially if I’m flying solo – than it would be if I were traveling with others or taking a road trip. But the truth is, Illinois is not Chicago, Wisconsin is not Madison, and Indiana is not Indianapolis.

The canal in Indianapolis, Indiana at sunset

Indiana | The 10 Types of Travelers Who Should Visit Indianapolis

I’ve become sad leaving certain places in my life, most notably Myanmar and India, both countries meaning more to me than I could ever begin to explain. Of all places, I never expected to become emotional while leaving Indiana, but I had all of the feels. I had such a transformative week out there, which included spending time with my godparents, attending Bloghouse with 14 other incredible travel bloggers and 5 expert mentors, and exploring the underrated city of Indianapolis, adorable Hendricks County, and energetic Lafayette and West Lafayette.

Now that I’ve had my first experience as an adult in the awesome city of Indy (after three times as a kid/super-awkward teen), here’s who I think should visit Indianapolis.

Hotel Review | The Edgewater in Madison, Wisconsin

I took a break last weekend from my current dog-sitting gig in Chicago to head to Madison, Wisconsin for two days. I’ve been spending the month just an hour away from a state I hadn’t yet visited, and had someone who could watch the dogs for a night so I couldn’t resist. I kept hearing good things about Madison and I’d specifically heard a lot about the Edgewater Hotel so I wanted to experience it for myself.

Hotel Review | Swissotel Dresden, Germany

I loved being away on my last trip, but traveling wears me out. Not sleeping in my own bed, being uncomfortable on buses and trains, and walking five to 15 miles a day drains me of energy. By the time I arrived in Dresden, I was müde. Luckily, I was staying at luxurious Swissôtel where […]

South Africa | Bucket List Birds at Boulders Beach (Penguins!)

A stuffed animal. A beanie baby. A knockoff brand beanie baby. A blanket. A snowglobe. A middle school research paper. A necklace. Matching earrings. Flannel sheets. Slippers. Pajamas. Proof of an obsession, listed out in just thirty seconds. I’m sure there was more. What did all of these precious collectibles in the nineties share in common? They were penguin-themed, of course.

Prague | A Czech Bar Crawl with Prague Urban Adventures

I could go on and on about the benefits of solo travel, but the truth is, sometimes it gets lonely – and it did for me in a few cities on this last trip. Something I recommend to people traveling solo for the first time is to sign up for a tour. As one of my tour guides once told me, when the guide asks everyone where they are from, it gives people on the tour permission to then talk to each other: “Where in Bulgaria are you from?” “I have an aunt and uncle in Indianapolis – is that nearby?” “I’ve always wanted to go to Luxembourg,” – even if you legitimately have no context for the place they mentioned. I knew I could fend for myself in the smaller cities, but I wanted to explore the bar scene with others when in Prague, and signed up for an Urban Adventures’ Beer & Czech Tapas Tour.

Hotel Review | Hotel Ruze in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

The majority of the people I know who have been to the Czech Republic (or Czechia) have only been to Prague. I fell deeply in love with Prague, in fact, I started to look for jobs and apartments there after two days, but I also found a lot I loved in the other Czech town I visited, Cesky Krumlov. Cesky Krumlov is a medieval town designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It might just be the most charming place I’ve ever been and is one of the smallest towns I’ve explored. I joked to my family that it was the size of our neighborhood at home. In this most charming town I’ve ever been, I stayed in the most charming hotel I could find: Hotel Ruze.

Hotel Review | St. George Residence All Suite Hotel Deluxe in Budapest, Hungary

By the time I arrived in Budapest, I was about a third of the way through my trip. In a little over two weeks, I’d stayed in three Airbnbs in South Africa, and two Airbnbs and one hotel in England. I’d only had my own place for two of those nights. I had a blast with my friends, but I was also looking forward to being by myself. While in Budapest, I stayed at St. George Residence All Suite Hotel Deluxe, a luxury hotel on the Buda side of the Danube River.

Paris | Meeting Mona Lisa at the Louvre with Walks of France

Visiting Paris has been a huge dream of mine since 1994, when I first started pretending I was in the art scene. I wore a red French beret and a black turtleneck with a music note pin on my chest pretty much every day. I imagined taking the train to Giverny to see Monet’s Gardens in person, visiting the Picasso Museum, and seeing Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Giverny was closed for the season until the weekend after I left Paris and the Musée Picasso had a limited collection while they prepared for a special exhibit, but Mona Lisa? She was there. And I was going to see her.

Sedona, AZ | Tickled Pink by Pink Jeep Tours

I played with Barbies until I was way too old to do so, because I loved making up stories and drama between my Barbies and my younger friends’ Barbies. My Barbies had to use human socks as beds and sneaker boxes as cars, but I had a friend who had the Barbie dreamhouse, a red convertible, and that elusive pink jeep that everyone wanted. I hadn’t thought about that pink jeep for almost two decades, but this September, there it was in front of me – lifesize – and I was going for a ride.