Valencia
Note to self… do not delay on purchasing train tickets during high season! This is a lesson I knew but my loose planning and current “go with the flow” mindset talked me out of it. So that landed my dad and me on a very expensive train from Barcelona to Valencia. Not the end of…
Barcelona
Apologies for the delay! The last month has been a whirlwind but I’ve finally gotten to editing and posting… Heading to meet up with my people! This leg of my trip was maybe the most structured and planned because I was meeting up with my boyfriend and dad to travel through Spain and Portugal. I…
Madrid
After about 13 hours in the air I have arrived in Spain! You may be wondering why on earth are you in Spain if you’ve spent the last two months in Latin America? That is a very valid question. The truth of the matter is that when I originally researched Spanish programs I found an…
Chile – Atacama Desert & Santiago
So… As I left off in the last post, I crossed over the very official looking land border from Bolivia to Chile which put me on a bus to San Pedro de Atacama, a small town in the Atacama Desert. Why here? The Atacama Desert is an extremely unique place. It is the driest nonpolar…
Bolivia – The Surprise Standout Part 2
As I mentioned in Part 1, Bolivia has a less than stellar reputation in the United States and is perceived as being dangerous. Based on available flights I ended up with a couple extra days in La Paz, Bolivia which candidly I was a little apprehensive about. As a precaution I booked a hostel that…
Bolivia – The Surprise Standout Part 1
If your only reference point for Bolivia is the United States press you may be wondering why on earth I would want to visit such a place. If you don’t know much about Bolivia at all let me give an ultra condensed history and shed some light on why I would want to visit. First…
Peru Recommendations
I was lucky enough to have this be my second trip to Peru, but I’ve combined both experiences for the recommendations below as well as added some recommendations from friends that I’m saving for my next trip! Flights: Lima (LIM – Jorge Chavez International Airport) is the major international airport in Peru. If you are…
Are you ok being the dumbest person in the room?
Ok, that title is a little dramatic but that was not far from my experience this week. I was in Cusco, Peru for another week of Spanish class with Maximo Nivel and not all went according to plan. Candidly this week’s classes were a little rocky. Even though this was a continuation of my program…
Travel Goals – 30 Day Update
Technically it’s been 33 days but who’s counting? I wanted to keep myself accountable to the initial goals I set out to accomplish during this three month trip. Just like I would advise in a corporate setting, it’s important to not only set your goal, but also work backwards and understand the necessary daily steps…
Travel Day
Time to move on to Cusco, Peru where I’ll be enrolled in another week of Maximo Nivel Language School. But first, how to get there… One of the major reasons I am able to structure this trip in the way that I have is because my amazing partner is a flight attendant and his flight…
Mexico City Recommendations
I will caveat this list with the fact that there is so much more to see in Mexico City and this will just scratch the surface if you have a few days to explore. That being said, here are a few of my favorite spots: To Eat / Drink Activities Museums / Galleries Hotels
Mexico City
I struggled with starting this post because it is so difficult to summarize a visit to a city like CDMX (Ciudad de Mexico). The question is similar to someone asking what New York City or London is like… it is a massive city with so much to do. For example there are 173 museums in…
Oaxaca & Puebla
Mexico is such an incredibly large and diverse country and not everywhere is easily accessible from the United States. This trip I was lucky to be traveling via bus and able to stop in Oaxaca and Puebla. Both towns have their own regional dishes and specialties and of course sites to see. After spending four…
Next Stop: Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca is both a city and state in southern Mexico most well known for its mezcal and mole sauce. This week my boyfriend and his brother are flying down to the city of Oaxaca and we are spending a week traveling together from Oaxaca to the town of Puebla and finally Mexico City. I did…
Immersion Class Week 2
I have completed my second week of immersion classes and my time in Antigua has come to a close, but there are a few updates from this week: In addition to the updates above I finished my second week of classes and received my certificate of completion of “High Basic”. I still have a long…
Antigua Recommendations
After spending 2+ weeks in Antigua, I’ve compiled my list of recommendations for what to do while in town. Sightseeing / Activities Food / Drink Nightlife Accommodations
Lake Atitlan
If you have the time this is definitely a worthwhile weekend trip! I’d recommend 2-4 days for this trip, depending on how you’d like to structure your time there. Lake Atitlan is a massive lake (~50 sq mi) sitting in a caldera formed by a supervolcanic eruption 84,000 years ago. Shockingly it also has a…
Week 1 of Spanish Class
I have completed 5 days of immersive Spanish classes at Maximo Nivel Guatemala and my brain is FULL! My classes are 4 hours per day and 99% spoken in Spanish. I feel like I’ve learned more in 5 days than I have in 2-3 months in a traditional classroom setting in the United States. Although…
My First Day of School
My first day of school, that is something I haven’t said in 10 years! One major goal for this trip was to work on personal growth and development, and this included signing up for a Spanish immersion program. In the past I’ve had several attempts at learning Spanish including a failed Duolingo streak, audio lessons…
Acatenango Volcano & Fuego Volcano
The volcano hike up Volcán de Acatenango and Volcán de Fuego was one of the adventures I was looking forward to the most. I booked through a well known company called Ox Expeditions and the excursion included a trip to the top of Volcan Acatenango (13,044ft / 3,976m) as well as the active Volcan Fuego…
Pack & Go
What do you bring on a trip that crosses three continents and a dozen microclimates? Add in the limitation of space and flexibility (a backpack) and its a real challenge! Decisions were certainly made for function over fashion. In preparing for my trip I had a couple key objectives in mind, the weather, the activities,…
The Backstory
How did we get here? The short version is that I felt incredibly burnt out in the job I was working, and decided the way to reinvigorate my energy and passion for life would be by doing something that would bring me joy. Upon more self reflection, it is deeper than that. The Challenge When…
Backpack Mack 