Lisbon Travel Guide
I went to Lisbon expecting gray melancholy and got vibrant chaos instead. Like I had this idea based on Portuguese history and fado music that it would be sad and gray. Instead I landed and everything was bright colors. Yellow trams. Blue tiles. Colorful buildings. People everywhere. Energy. I was completely wrong-footed. The city was […]
Complete Tokyo Travel Guide
I landed in Tokyo and thought I’d made a mistake. Like immediately. Within the first hour. Everything was neon. Everything was loud. Everyone was moving hyper-fast. Trains packed. Streets chaos. Signs I couldn’t read. People pushing you along. I stood outside my hotel for two hours trying to process what was happening. Tokyo is sensory […]
Barcelona Travel Guide
I went to Sagrada Familia and someone stole my phone. Just grabbed it and ran. I was standing there taking photos, not paying attention, and someone saw an opportunity. I was furious. Not just about the phone. About spending hours getting there, waiting in line, and having the experience ruined by a thief. That’s when […]
Greece vs Croatia: Mediterranean Destination Comparison
I went to Greece first and fell in love with Santorini immediately. Like genuinely. I arrived in Santorini and I was like “okay this is it, this is where I’m living, I’m not leaving.” The blue domes, the white buildings, the sunset, the sea, everything was exactly what I’d imagined. Then there were like five […]
Mexico vs Costa Rica: Beach and Adventure Showdown
I went to Mexico and got sick. Not from water or anything you’re supposed to be careful about. Just ate something at a market and my stomach decided it was done with me. Like genuinely done. Spent two days lying in a hotel room in Oaxaca feeling miserable and regretting everything. My friend was like […]
Best Things to Do in Barcelona (Beyond the Tourist Traps)
I went to Sagrada Familia and had my phone stolen. Not in a dramatic way. I was standing there taking photos, not paying attention, and someone grabbed it and ran. Just like that. Phone gone. I was so frustrated. Not just about the phone. About the fact that I’d spent hours getting there, waiting in […]
Complete Bangkok Travel Guide (What to Actually Do, Not Tourist Nonsense)
Bangkok made me want to cry on my second day. Not emotional crying. Frustrated crying. I was on a tuk-tuk trying to get to my hotel and we were stuck in traffic. Like not moving traffic. The driver was honking constantly. The heat was 95 degrees and humid. There were exhaust fumes. Everything was loud. […]
Best Things to Do in Istanbul for First-Time Visitors
I landed in Istanbul and immediately got lost trying to find my hotel. Not in a romantic “wandering European streets” way. In a genuinely lost way where I was walking in circles through side streets, my phone had died, and I was pretty sure I’d passed the same kebab stand three times. But while I […]