Not all travel souvenirs are created equally. But how to choose the best one? Image by Kayti Burt. Confession: I’m not very good at buying travel souvenirs. Not only do…
Camping, Condoms, Dirndls: 7 Oktoberfest Tips for Newbies
Samantha (center) and her flat mates at Oktoberfest! Image courtesy of Samantha Marangell. The trip started out as chaotic as it would end, complete with sleeping on floors, missed connections,…
Top 5 Things I Miss About Peace Corps
Few bonds are as great as those between fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. Image courtesy of Samantha Marangell. People often ask if I would do Peace Corps service again. What they really…
What’s on in Birmingham, April 2014
Photo by brianac37 on Flickr Birmingham is the UK’s second largest city and was well known for its industrial prowess. In recent years the city has been developed into a contemporary destination…
Bruges on a Budget
Delicate chocolates and lacy Florentines, rows of gingerbread-esque houses, swans silently gliding in canals, and chunky cobblestones as far as the eye can see. If you want your European trip…
Living History: 5 Amazing European Statues and Fountains
Number 2 on my list, Pallas Athene Fountain, Parliament of Austria (Vienna) Europe is packed with beauty – from natural landscape to old-style cities. Great architecture is seen all over the…
Yummy Saldejums: 3 Delicious Latvian Ice Cream Flavors That Will Make You Never Want to Leave Latvia
My friend, Ieva, wasn’t joking when she told me that Latvian ice cream was a dessert-eater’s paradise. Even though the country maintains cool temperatures throughout the summer and frigid ones in…
Christmas with the Kids: What’s On in Dublin?
 All rights reserved by bradharv Taking the kids away for a treat, no matter what time of year it is, will have them grinning from ear to ear and Christmas is…
Homesick Holiday Help
Marseille’s Christmas market, the Foire aux Santons, is one new tradition I’m looking forward to. Photo credit: Ladmedia.fr Having lived outside of the United States for most of my life,…
Travel, Subways and Love
I’ve seen subways I’ve seen subways that were called tube (London) I’ve seen subways that were no cute (Rio de Janeiro) I’ve seen subways with a funny accent (Milan) I’ve…
Around The World For $350: My Amazing Travel Hack
Imagine flying around the world for free, turning a small amount of frequent flyer points into endless flights, all while paying a pittance in taxes and fees. It sounds too…
Bem-vindo a Lisboa! Three ways to skip the tourist books and head straight to the heart of Lisbon
As a Portuguese American, nothing makes me happier than finding the deeply rooted soul of Portuguese culture. I don’t mean to knock the tourism industry, especially in Lisbon — in fact, I…
How to not feel like a complete idiot in France
Let’s face it: traveling can be hard on the ego sometimes. You’re in a new setting, with new norms and rules and etiquettes, and it’s easy to feel like you’re…
Relive the Golden Age of Travel: Orient Express
Travel the Orient Express: a slower, more luxurious pace. Image from albanianjournalism.com. Perhaps one of the reasons that traveling and being a vintage girl go so well together is that…
A Beginner’s Guide to Planète Mars
Old and new meet at Marseille’s Vieux Port, with the stately old Fort St-Jean shadowing the shiny new Mucem in the distance. It’s been over a month now since I…