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Roman Roamin’ Rome
To close out my European world tour, I stayed three nights in Rome at the Generator Hostel. I arrived in the morning and booked an afternoon walking tour to learn more about the city. I grabbed lunch at a mid-tier pizza place and then walked into the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica across the street. Here there are…
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Pasta & Pizza Diet For the Week
Milan I need to stop booking early flights because they are cheap is a big lesson I have learned. Another early wake-up call landed me in Milan by noon. My next hostel, Ostello Bello Grande, was less hostel-y but still had a good atmosphere. I had nice roommates, so I didn’t feel too alone here.…
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No Pain in Spain
Granada: Landing in Malaga at 11:30, I sat in the baggage claim and waited for my dad and sister to arrive. We said our hellos and set off to Granada, a 2.5-hour drive from the airport. Being the only one with data, I served as the navigator. We quickly learned not to trust any GPS…
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Run it Back!
Hello! It’s been a while since writing as I thought maintaining this blog would be easy. After Amsterdam, I headed back to Paris to meet with my cousin Emma. My second round in Paris was a sprint with a late arrival on July 28. For the day, Emma and I headed off to the Musée…
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Bikes + Brews + Boats = Amsterdam
The next stop on my European world tour: Amsterdam! Day 1: I left my mark on Brussels throwing up before a three-hour hot, crowded train ride. In recovery, I waited on the tracks where a fellow Osprey wearer came up to me and we chatted, realizing we were staying at the same hostel in Amsterdam.…
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One Night in Brussels Equals One Too Many
After Paris, I took three trains to Brussels, Belgium. I legitimately thought I was going to pass out on the trains because of overcrowding and the heat. This was a spontaneous choice, so I didn’t make any plans besides reserving a place to lay my head. I don’t have much to say about Brussels honestly.…
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Paris Part One Recap
After my in-depth analysis of my first official day in Paris, here’s a more abbreviated recap of the rest of my time. Day 2: Due to my booking mistake, I had to switch hostels after my second night. When I arrived at the new hostel, a group of travelers offered me their storage locker as…
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Officially Official Solo Traveler
I’ve been Chloonthego-ing so much I haven’t had time to write! Apologies for my delays friends. Arrival: Without data and access to Google Translate, the isolation kicked in. My attempt to get a French SIM card flopped, so I, in defeat, sat at a cafe and cried. (Probably out of stress, tiredness, and hunger.) I…
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The Day That Never Ends
Day 1.5: It Begins (One Day Late) I sit writing this from the floor of terminal C at IAH on this lovely, hot Tuesday afternoon. My initial departure date was set for Monday morning. However, I decided to delay a day after moving out Saturday and learning how ill-prepared I still was for the trip.…
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So, what are your post-grad plans?
The dreaded question that’s been asked in countless conversations these past months. It doesn’t help I’m bad at talking about myself, so this won’t be as much about me, but rather why I’m taking this backpacking trip. I consider myself a highly motivated, independent, and organized person. I planned for everything and overthought my day-to-day…
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California Dreaming: Five Days in LA
Every March, most college students set off to spring break on the wonderful, booze-filled beaches of Cabo or Florida. Not me though! I jet set to the cleanest, warmest beach in the U.S. — Venice Beach, California. All jokes aside, Venice is a great destination for those not looking to have a typical spring break.…