Santorini is one of the most iconic and well-known destinations in Greece, in Europe, and around the world – and one of the most expensive. But it doesn’t need to be. Any good budget traveler can manage a visit to Santorini without breaking the bank. So if you’re after a thrifty trip to Santorini, this… Read More Santorini on a Budget: A Thrifty Guide to the Greek Island
Greece may be home to some of the most expensive destinations in Europe, but Athens isn’t one of them. The capital city is a great affordable stop for travelers visiting Greece – especially for those heading onwards to pricier Greek islands like Santorini. If you’re after money-saving tips in Athens, you’ve come to the right… Read More A Budget Guide for Visiting Athens
The Yorkshire Coast is such a beautiful place, and one of my favorite areas in the world. And I would know – I’ve walked the entire thing. My first coastal walk was in January 2018, and by summer 2022 I realized I’d hiked nearly half of the Yorkshire Coast between Saltburn-by-the-Sea and Bridlington. So I… Read More The Best Places to Visit on the Yorkshire Coast
Did you know you can take a ride on the real-life Hogwarts Express? The Jacobite Steam Train in Scotland is one of the best rail journeys in the world. It’s a bucket-list experience for any Harry Potter fan, and an incredible way to explore the Scottish Highlands. Here’s what you need to know about this… Read More What You Need to Know About the Jacobite Steam Train in Scotland
I did the North Coast 500 back in 2020, but I’m constantly discovering new places to visit in this beautiful part of Scotland. After seeing loads of photos on Instagram, I decided to break up the drive down south (on my way back from Orkney) with a walk out to Loch Glass, to see the… Read More How to Visit the Pink House on Loch Glass in Scotland
Hiking the West Highland Way was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had so far. I absolutely loved walking this 96-mile trail through Scotland. Plus, it’s definitely possible to do the WHW on a budget! If you’re planning on doing this hike, I’ve put together a packing list. I did the West Highland Way… Read More West Highland Way Packing List: What to Pack for Hiking the West Highland Way
This summer, I set off on one of the most exciting adventures I’ve had yet: I hiked all 96 miles of the West Highland Way in Scotland! This was a stunning trek, through unbelievable scenery in the Scottish Highlands. I kept track of all of my expenses, to be able to give a realistic budget… Read More How Much Does it Cost to Hike the West Highland Way in Scotland?
Thinking of an incredible adventure through the Scottish Highlands? The West Highland Way is a 96-mile, long-distance trail running through Scotland. It starts in Milngavie, heads up past the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, and through Rannoch Moor and Glencoe to finish in Fort William. It’s the trip of a lifetime – and one of… Read More A 7-Day Itinerary for Hiking the West Highland Way
7 years ago today, I bought this little space on the internet. My goal was to share my travels with other people, to have a space to offer travel advice, to inspire others to travel, and to (hopefully!) let more people go away with Maja. As I write this post, I don’t think there’s been… Read More 7 Years of Away With Maja: My Blog-A-Versary!
I’m lucky enough to call Yorkshire home, and have spent years exploring this incredible part of the country from top to bottom. The Yorkshire Dales National Park is full of beautiful places – from dramatic summits and pretty waterfalls to historic castles and abbeys. There are many different and distinct dales, but the main areas… Read More The BEST Places to Visit in the Yorkshire Dales
This summer, I finally ticked a major item off my bucket list: I went on a hot-air balloon ride!!! This has been something I’ve wanted to do for ages, and of course I wanted to see my beautiful city of York from above. After several re-bookings, I finally got to go on my spectacular hot-air… Read More Up, Up, and Away: A Hot-Air Balloon Flight in York
Scotland is easily one of my favorite destinations in the world, and I’m constantly discovering new incredible places around the country. I visited Glen Affric several years ago, on the way to the Isle of Skye, and knew it was a place I’d have to come back to. I recently revisited on my way up… Read More Hiking in Glen Affric, Scotland: The Loch Affric Circuit
I’ve been lucky enough to have lived in Yorkshire for 6 years now – this region is absolutely full of amazing places and experiences. A visit down Gaping Gill, one of the biggest caves in the country, has been on my Yorkshire bucket list for years. It’s located in the Yorkshire Dales near Clapham. This… Read More How to Visit Gaping Gill Cave in the Yorkshire Dales
As a born and bred Minnesotan, I spent most of my life living in an extreme winter climate. I’ve done a few winter hikes on my own as an adult in MN, but the majority of my winter hiking experience has now been in the UK. When winter weather hits, this country goes crazy (or… Read More My Top Tips for Winter Hiking in the UK
My trip to Orkney was one of the best of my life. There is so much to see and do on this cluster of islands, just off the north coast of Scotland. I had 8 days to explore Orkney, and packed in a lot into this short amount of time! While I loved my adventures… Read More The Complete Orkney Guide: An 8-Day Itinerary for the Orkney Islands
2022 has been a wonderful year, filled with so many adventures. I’ve traveled loads this year, and ticked some major items off my bucket list! Back in 2019, I wrote a post about how I maximized my time off work to travel. Ignoring the shitshow of 2020, and most of 2021 – and the fact… Read More How I Maximized My Time Off Work to Travel in 2022
2022 has been an incredible year for travel. After two difficult years during the pandemic, travel is back with a vengeance – and I took some of the best trips of my life this year! I always like to write up one of these yearly recap posts about the best places I visited during the… Read More The Best Places I Visited in 2022
This is always everyone’s favorite post of the year – all my worst travel experiences! I’ve already written about my top travel experiences of 2022, but it’s important to remember that travel isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Blogging and social media tends to be only the highlight reel. But I always like to keep it… Read More My Worst Travel Moments of 2022
2022 has been an amazing year of travel and adventures for me. It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these yearly recap posts – I skipped 2020 and 2021, for obvious reasons. But travel is certainly back post-pandemic, and I loved getting to look back at my favorite travel experiences of the year.… Read More My Top Travel Experiences of 2022
Westray is one of the small North Isles that make up the Orkney archipelago, off the north coast of Scotland. So many people skip these islands or don’t have enough time to visit – but I absolutely recommend visiting, and staying the night here to maximize your time! If you’re planning a visit to Westray… Read More What to See and Do on Westray, Orkney
