So, you’re heading to New Zealand on a working holiday visa? Congrats! Moving abroad is one of the hardest but most rewarding things you can do – I would know, I’ve done it three times now! A working holiday visa is a fantastic way to live abroad short-term, explore a new destination, and experience an… Read More Moving to New Zealand on a Working Holiday Visa: How to Start Your Life (2024 Guide)
The coronavirus pandemic has changed so many aspects of our society. But some of the most immediately effects have been on the travel industry. As the world went into lockdown, countries closed their borders, trips were canceled, travelers were stranded… travel has been chaotic. As disappointing as it has been to cancel so many trips,… Read More 11 Travel Lessons The Pandemic Has Taught Me
Rome is a huge, historic, enigmatic city to explore. There’s so much to see and it can be difficult to pack it all in on a single trip! You can view my favorite photos from the trip in my Rome photoessay. But what do you need to know before you go? Well, if you don’t… Read More 9 Practical Tips for Visiting Rome
As 2019 comes to a close, I have a lot to reflect on. For the first time in my life, I had one (ONE!) full-time job for the entire year. This was one of the biggest changes in my life from last year. I wasn’t juggling multiple jobs and schedules, I wasn’t picking and choosing… Read More 30 Days Annual Leave, 1 Year: How Exactly I Traveled So Much In 2019 With A Full-Time Job
This May, I applied to renew my UK spouse visa. If you missed my first post on applying for my UK visa, you can read up on it here. My initial visa was for 2.5 years (30 months), after which I could then apply to renew my visa and extend my leave to remain in… Read More The Complete Guide For Applying To Renew My UK Spouse Visa
I’ve been traveling for a long time now, and I like to think I’m something of a pro. As time has gone on, I’ve learned more, and learned how to travel smarter and to travel better. One of the major lessons I’ve learned through the years is the importance of travel insurance. What is travel… Read More 3 Situations and Examples of When I Used Travel Insurance!
It’s been seven years since my first independent trip abroad. And man oh man, how times have changed since then! So many facets of the travel industry are dramatically different, smartphones exist and basically everyone has one, and the internet proves to be one of the best resources to plan a trip. I wanted to… Read More 17 of the BEST Online Resources For Travelers
I had so much fun on my first trip to Belgium! As I based myself in Brussels, I wanted to share some of my top tips for visiting the city. There are definitely a few things I wish I’d known, and hopefully you can learn from my mistakes! Here are 11 practical tips for visiting… Read More 11 Practical Tips For Visiting Brussels
There are so many logistics and things to sort out and organize when you go abroad long-term. Whether you’re studying abroad for a semester, taking a gap year, or moving abroad on a permanent basis, it takes a LOT of preparation! Itineraries, cities you’ll visit, budgets, flights, what clothes to bring, etc. But there is… Read More The Stuff No One Talks About When You Go Abroad: Birth Control, Student Loans, and More
For my third year of college, I participated in a study abroad program for an academic year in Nottingham, England. Despite it being the most formative and decisive years of my life, I realized I’ve barely written about my experience on the blog! My study abroad experience changed me. My year living in England and… Read More 10 Reasons To Study Abroad
Since I started traveling internationally and independently nearly 7 years ago now, my preferred accommodation has always been hostels. They’re much cheaper than hotels, have a better social atmosphere, and are a great way to meet people on the road. I have stayed in countless hostels around the world and while I know they’re not… Read More What To Pack For Hostels
Earlier this year, I wrote a post on 12 Things Every American NEEDS to Know About Europe. It was really popular, and a handful of people suggested I write a companion post the other way around. Well, here it is! After living in the US for nearly 24 years, over 1 year living in Europe… Read More 12 Things Every European NEEDS To Know About America
By now, most people by now have heard of Airbnb. The business has taken the world by storm, with properties in 191+ countries. In short, you can book to stay at someone else’s house. This may be just a room, a shared space (like a fold-out couch), or it could be an entire apartment or… Read More How Airbnb Is Revolutionizing Travel
I’ve visited lots of places in Eastern Europe. It is one of my favorite regions in the world to explore, but one that so many people deem “dangerous” and disregard completely. Which is why I’m here to tell you that it’s not that scary, and absolutely worth visiting! A trip to Eastern Europe will require… Read More 20 Tips for Traveling Eastern Europe
Russia is the largest country in the world and one of the most fascinating, beautiful, and diverse places on earth. But so many people don’t visit it for one simple reason: every person needs to have a visa to enter Russia. And the visa process is complicated and can be quite tedious. I’ve done this… Read More How To Get A Russia Tourist Visa In The UK
Having spent large chunks of time living and traveling in Europe over the last few years, I’ve learned a whole lot of lessons. The US is so different from Europe, and there’s lots of basic information Americans should know before traveling to make their experience less stressful. Some of these may be natural for Europeans,… Read More 12 Things Every American NEEDS to Know About Europe
Europe is an incredibly diverse continent. There are so many different countries, languages, religions, and ethnicities in a relatively compact area, and border hopping is so easy! Catholicism is the official religion of many different countries, and the Catholic holidays are just as important as other national holidays. But traveling during Easter in Catholic countries… Read More 8 Tips for Traveling In Catholic Europe During Easter
This past Christmas was different from previous Christmases for me in a lot of ways. Mainly because I spent the holiday season traveling, on the road in Poland! But after spending three out of the last four Christmases away from Minnesota, my home (wow that sounds bad, sorry everyone I’ll be there next year!), I… Read More Spending Christmas Away From Home
New year, new you? Every year, it hits January and people seem to decide to make life changes and resolutions. I’ve never really bought into the hype about New Year’s Resolutions. I went through a phase in high school where I made them every year (and they were basically the same, every year), and then… Read More Travel Resolutions For The New Year
Living in England has always been a dream of mine. But when I started looking into it seriously after my study abroad in Nottingham, I realized just how difficult it is to move permanently to another country. If you’re generally thinking of going abroad long-term, check out my post on 10 Ways to Actually Leave… Read More UK Visas For US Citizens