ONE: Getting published in a book!

I started this year with the goal to really get paid for my writing. It’s been quite a road, mostly filled with a lot of rejection, but I still completed that goal! Mostly with online articles, but one did make it into a book. It was so, so exciting to go find a book in a bookstore with my words in it!

TWO: Camping in Grand Teton National Park

I spent a good chunk of my life living only three hours from Grand Teton National Park and never visiting. I’m kicking myself because it’s AMAZING and I hope to make it an annual trip. Although camping with a baby was…an experience…I hope she gets used to the tent and starts to enjoy it!

THREE: Ketchum & Sun Valley

In February, we started a tradition of meeting my brother, who lives in Idaho, somewhere in the West to ski over President’s Day weekend. Last year we skied at Sun Valley (with a day trip to Ketchum) and this year, we’re planning on Targhee in Wyoming. Although I didn’t get to ski very much–partly because we brought baby A and someone had to watch her, haha, and partly because I’m not a great skier to begin with, and Sun Valley is a tough mountain! Still, it was a great weekend with my siblings, and there was so much snow!!

FOUR: Christmas markets in Copenhagen

This year, we timed our annual visit to Copenhagen (where my husband’s business partner lives) with the Christmas markets! And some of our very best friends that we met in Budapest came over from Romania, too, which made it all the better.

FIVE: Getting lost in Copenhagen with my sleeping baby

Baby A is such an angel when we travel, and while we were walking around the city one day, she fell asleep hours before I anticipated–just as I lost track of where I was. It’s much less stressful being lost with a kid when they are passed out. I usually love getting lost in new places–it’s an integral part of the experience, if you ask me–but the logistics of a baby can make this difficult. Not as bad when they’re asleep :).

SIX: Baby A turning 2

I can’t believe my child is two years old. She’s officially a toddler! I find myself missing the baby phase a lot, but she is just so fun, it’s hard not to love this age, too! So far every age has been so fun in new ways, and being her mother is the greatest joy of my life.

SEVEN: Christmas in Washington

We went to my in-laws for Christmas this year, and I forgot just how much I love the Pacific Northwest in the winter. The fog! The rain! The green everywhere, still! And it was lovely to spend a Christmas with E’s side of the family–it had been much too long!

EIGHT: Vancouver Island

I was thrilled to finally make it to Vancouver Island for my birthday in August. It is, as expected, gorgeous, quaint, and I need to go back, because it’s also huge! A few highlights–getting coffee in the adorable waterside town of Cowichan Bay, visiting the Old Country Market in Coombs (mostly baby A was thrilled with the famous goats–we went for the donuts), visiting old family friends, and the terrace at our b’n’b.

NINE: Baby A, every day

I could easily make all of this about little things my daughter does, every day. She’s so fun, sweet, smart, hilarious, and keeps on our toes!

TEN: Mont St. Michel

What traveller doesn’t want to see Mont. St. Michel, off the coast of Normandy? I would definitely recommend going in November–although a lot of shops were closed, the crowds were much smaller, and it’s a crammed space as it is. By the time we made it up to the abbey at the top, I was tired of wrangling a toddler on the stone walls and almost didn’t pay to enter. That would have been a mistake!

ELEVEN: Fireplace in Bayeux

For our base in Normandy (which we visited with my mom and sister–such a highlight!), we stayed in Bayeux. Not only is Bayeux a great base, it’s a stop to visit in it’s own right. My favorite part, though, was the Airbnb we stayed in. The fireplace was tricky to get going but having one in our bedroom was a dream!

TWELVE: Staying in Montmartre

For the first few days in Paris, we stayed in the area of Montmartre. While it can get crowded–not as bad in November, though!–I just fell in love with that area of the city. I think anyone who visits does, really! It’s a great place to be while jet lagged with a toddler–so much to explore just walking around! At all hours, too–we accidentally went out at 11 p.m. one night (parent fail, we blame the time change) and baby A loved all the lit-up buildings.

THIRTEEN: Glacier National Park & Flathead Lake for the 4th/E’s birthday

We were invited up to a friend’s house at Flathead Lake, here in Montana, for the 4th of July–and we squeezed in a quick trip to Glacier for E’s birthday, since it was (kind of) close! We had a lovely few days relaxing at the lake, riding the boat, and hanging with my cousin and her boyfriend, and his family.

FOURTEEN: Anderson Island

We took a ferry from Tacoma in Washington to the small Anderson Island with E’s family, while we visited in August. We took a hike that ended in pouring rain, but it’s such a pretty little spot! Baby A got a kick out of the ferry, as a bonus.

FIFTEEN: Minnesota & South Dakota

We embarked on a big ole road trip last June, traveling from Montana to Minnesota for my grandpa’s 90th birthday (!) and a cousin’s wedding. From there, we drove down to meet my in-laws in South Dakota, where we explored the Black Hills area and camped out. Highlights of the trip were our little traveling champ, my grandpa’s birthday party, staying on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, driving to Wisconsin with my brother for cheese curds and local beer, hiking in Spearfish Canyon, and renting a tiny cabin with my in-laws.

SIXTEEN: The people in Copenhagen

From E’s business partner and his family, to a delivery guy at one of our favorite pastry shops that made friends with Adelie, to everyone who helped me with a stroller, to seeing our old friends, to our Airbnb hosts…it truly is a welcoming city (at least to us!).

SEVENTEEN: European bread and pastry

France, obviously, has amazing pastries and crepes.. But we found so many good spots in Copenhagen, too! We are constantly trying to fatten up baby A, and watching her eat her weight in French croissants was glorious.

EIGHTEEN: Tea in Honfleur, France

While exploring the absolutely adorable little city of Honfleur, we stumbled upon this absolutely charming little tea room. Simple, but a precious moment from our trip!

NINETEEN: Mother’s Day in Yellowstone National Park

Last winter and spring, we had a quiet few months, working hard, saving money, trying to pay off some bills. Which meant we hadn’t done much traveling when we decided to do a quick day trip to Yellowstone for Mother’s Day. It was so refreshing to get away, outside, and remind ourselves that the place we live is pretty beautiful, too.

Other highlights (’cause I just can’t choose): Watching one of my oldest friends get married, living near family, meeting a lot of new baby friends for baby A, a few days at our friend’s cabin in Montana, my cousin’s wedding in California (which included beers & beaches, and spending time with my grandfather before his passing in October), pumpkin patching, Monet’s Water Lilies in Paris, introducing my mom and sister to France…and the list goes on. I am very thankful for that.

Share one of your favorite moments from 2019 below! I’d love to hear them! 

The post 19 for 2019 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

This sentence completely changed the way I travel. I felt myself relax, and my desperation to see.it.all fade a little bit. It’s hard to completely let go of the fomo-mentality, but it’s really made me enjoy my travels so much more.

This point was driven home when, recently, planning a trip to Europe in November, E and I began to reminisce about our trip to Europe last November.

(November, by and by, is a totally underrated month to hit the road!)

As we talked about the highlights of that trip, where we visited Finland, Estonia & Denmark, I realized most of my favorite moments from this trip were the simple ones, the ones where it was just the three of us–me, E and baby A–hanging out and exploring.

Our first lunch in Copenhagen at a random “activity church” we stumbled upon–it was one of our best meals, and I still don’t know even know what we ate. Just that it was crazy delicious.

There was dinner with our Danish friends, watching our little girls run around together.

Taking long naps with baby A, thanks to jet lag.

The ferry ride between Tallinn and Helsinki.

Running out in the dark, cold evening, to watch them light up the Christmas tree in Tallinn.

The three of us getting coffee in an atmospheric, cellar coffee shop.

Baby A passing out and sleeping on the window sill of a restaurant while we got in a lunch date.

Strapping baby A to my chest and finding our way to a local coffee shop in Copenhagen.

Baby A saying “Mmmm!”, to the delight of the entire café, at her first taste of a Finnish butter-eye bun, voisilmäpulla.

Stumbling upon a beautiful trail to Helsinki’s train station from our rental flat.

The sauna at our flat in Helsinki.

Baby taking her first steps in Helsinki.

Getting cute hand-me-downs from baby A’s little friend in Copenhagen.

E riding the moving sidewalks in the Munich airport with our tired baby, trying to keep both of them awake and entertained.

The list goes on and on.

It made me realize that sometimes the most special moments of a trip are the little ones, the ones that didn’t seem very significant at the time.

And, really, isn’t that what life is all about, too?

The post Little Moments appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Fast forward a decade (give or take), and just like I always wished and dreamed and planned, travel is an essential part of my life.  I get so much joy in the planning and the doing of travel, and it is truly one of my passions.

When I first started to dream of travel, and indeed when I first started traveling, the accepted way of planning was to grab a guidebook, visit the library, or visit the Internet (although that came later). Nowadays, travel is a huge industry, partly dominated by bloggers, full of start-ups by digital nomads all over the world.

In some ways, I think this is great. I think our generation is using travel to help us define the world we want to make, for ourselves–like every generation does. And like every generation, this looks a little different from to previous generations, and therefore it can seem…rebellious.

I am always one to embrace travel and trying new things, but these days, I’m starting to wonder–can we travel too much? Are there drawbacks to being a nomad?

I first noticed that I was experiencing travel burn out several autumns, when we moved to Budapest and suddenly–I didn’t want to go anywhere. I didn’t want to leave our new, lovely flat, and I reveled in my teaching. I suddenly was so happy to wake up at the same time every day, and have a routine. I loved our new home and felt a sudden need to…not go. For once.

A part of me feels like I was betraying my dreams. Don’t get me wrong–there’s nothing wrong with having a home and stability. I just thought it was never what I wanted.

Fast forward to now, living in my hometown with my husband and baby, I can’t help but wonder why I didn’t want a true home and stability. And, I was finally able to admit to myself that sometimes, yes, I use travel to escape. I use it to avoid monotony and boredom; I use it so spice up my life; I use it to avoid falling into a rut where I wake up and twenty years of my life have suddenly passed.

Travel is great for all of these things, travel is great for expanding your world view, and travel can be a great form of therapy, self-expression, adventure and reflection. I could go on and on about what travel means to me, what it has done for me, and more.

And now, the travel world is saturated with travel advice and bucket lists and advice on how to wring every bit out of your life. All things I love to read about, things I’ve written, philosophies I believe in.

But I’m also realizing that routine and monotony don’t have to be bad things. Having a comfort zone isn’t bad–it’s part of being human. That doesn’t mean you should never get out of it–but how can you get out of your comfort zone if you never even have one? In addition, it can get tiring to always want to get out of your comfort zone–and if I truly practiced that philosophy, I would never stay in a job longer than a year. I wouldn’t be married. I wouldn’t have stuck with a blog for so long.

Sometimes, this perpetual traveler doesn’t want to travel anywhere at all.

And is that such a bad thing?

Maybe it’s time for all of us to take a deep breath and slow down. There’s so much to see–I completely get it. I struggle with travel-fear-of-missing-out-syndrome on a daily basis. But, rushing to see it all kind of defeats the purpose, I’m finally realizing.

Maybe instead of rushing to that next bucket list item and crossing it off, thinking we are living our life fullest that way, we also need to pay attention to the things in life that aren’t bucket-list worthy. Things like a student who does something so ridiculous you can’t help but laugh. Like the fellow teacher at school who finally smiled at me. Like my husband always making me breakfast. Like my mom sending me texts full of purple-heart emojis. Like a messy email from a friend full of inside jokes and grammar mistakes. Like seeing an old man feeding the neighborhood cats every day. Like lighting a candle with a match. Like the buds on the trees finally appearing. Like an unexpected break in a long day. Like the fact that I am raising a small human who, every day, changes just a little bit. A little girl who every day, brings me joy in the small moments.

Life is full of the non-bucket list things, too–and I’m starting to learn that they are just as important.

The post The Non-Bucket List Things appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Also, side note–this post originally had the title “one month of motherhood” then switched to “two months of motherhood”…at around the four-month mark I decided six months would be my goal. So that’s where I’m at!

I’ve always struggled with expectations–and not just being too high. With parenting, my expectations were…dead low, actually. I really was not sure I ever wanted to be a parent, and for much of my pregnancy I was angry that I even was pregnant. I wanted to stay in Budapest. I wanted to stay in our lovely little flat. I didn’t want to put my job or career on hold. I didn’t want to feel obligated to live closer to family, and I didn’t really enjoy much about pregnancy. Even in childbirth, my midwife kept saying “Just get through this! Then you get to be a MOM!” and although I don’t think I really responded because let’s face it, words are hard in labor, I just kept thinking “I DON’T WANT TO BE A MOM! THIS IS NOT WORTH THE PAIN!” Even my husband, who knows me well, told her to tell me that I would get to stop being pregnant instead. That worked better!!

Now that my daughter is here…I absolutely LOVE being her mother. I am forever grateful that somehow this sweet, fun, adorable, spunky, smart, gorgeous little soul is ours. I was so worried about everything that would be gone from my life after she was here, but I don’t actually feel that way at all. They say your heart has room enough to keep adding space, and I found this to be completely true. My daughter has taken nothing from my life, only added to it. Maybe I’m not still living in Europe, chasing my travel dreams, but I’m more at peace knowing that I still want those things, and now I get to bring my little girl with me.

first plane ride at four months! 

She amazes me every day. Her eyelashes are so long! Her dimples are the cutest thing. Her laugh makes me laugh without fail. Her smile lights up her whole face–and lights up the room. Her brain is constantly working! She spends so much time minutely examining everything, figuring out how things work, just like her daddy. Her hairline is hilarious with a persistent bald patch. She is such a happy baby and already an indispensable member of our little crew.

Although six months in, I still love motherhood every day, it’s not all rainbows. And not just the daily frustrations, like the lack of sleep and the ten billion diapers, but my own physical and mental health has suffered since welcoming my little A.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to address this on the blog, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to do it quite yet–but I’m diving in. Two days after my daughter was born, after a traumatic birth, postpartum anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks. I’d been well-educated on postpartum depression, and had several friends reach out to me during pregnancy, sharing their own experiences. But the fear and anxiety were like nothing I had ever known. I credit these friends and my education, however, for helping me see the signs right away, and telling my doctor. I credit the myriad of other people who shared their stories–everyone from my lactation consultation, my amazing doctor, various nurses, friends and friends’ moms, for helping me feel not so alone. My doctor immediately put me in touch with a postpartum group at the hospital, validated all of my feelings, and recommended medication. The next two weeks were some of the worst of my life. Here I was with a precious new baby, and all I felt was anxiety and shame and sadness. I still feel a pit in my stomach that I wasn’t able to just soak up those first days with her–I will never get those back

Luckily, the medication began to help after a few weeks, my hormones leveled out, I was able to sleep a bit (thanks to pumping/my husband, a true co-parent), and I began to recover from my host of health issues leftover from my delivery. I found the joy in parenting and in my daughter, and now I love her so much I hate to even be away from her to shower. Seeing her grow and smile and live is so amazing, and I am trying my best to soak up every moment (although I don’t always succeed).

The main reason I’m sharing this is so other new moms out there aren’t afraid to reach out. You should not have to suffer. You will be a better, happier mother when you get help. So if you’re struggling–reach out! Send me an email or DM me on Instagram, tell your doctor/baby’s doctor/midwife/husband/boyfriend/best friend/mother. I know that every person who shared their story with me gave me the strength to seek out the help I really, really needed.

The post Six Months of Motherhood appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

And it wouldn’t feel like a new year with my annual collages full of my favorite moments!

So, I give you…the Best of 2017!

1-3: Starting the New Year in Budapest // 4: So many amazing coffee afternoons in Budapest // 5: Meeting blogger friends, always a highlight! // 6: The Women’s March in Budapest // 7: French cooking class // 8-9: Teaching!!

10-14: Exploring Stockholm // 15-18: Meeting my amazing friend Melissa in Brighton, England!

19: Fancy food in Budapest // 20: Fancy nights in Budapest // 21-25: Visiting Belgrade, Serbia, with two of our favorite people // 26: Nice weather in Budapest // 27: Pregnant!

28-32: Spring break in Macedonia // 33-35: My sister visits Budapest!!! // 36: Vienna with my little sis

37-39: London with my sister!! // 40-45: Saying farewell to Budapest and some of our favorite friends

46: My brother came to visit!! // 47: And then my parents did too! First stop, Vienna // 48: My brother’s birthday in Budapest // 49: Food tour in Krakow // 50: Warsaw // 51-52: Gnome-hunting and coffee in Wroclaw // 53: Exploring Krakow // 54: One last trip selfie!

55-63: E’s 30th birthday in Scotland! Highlights include Isle of Mull, Isle of Skye, Eileen Donan, Plockton, Applecross, and everything we ate.

64-72: Two great layovers: Amsterdam and Iceland!

73- 79: Catching up with family (and dogs) all over the United States // 80-81: Baking for the Bake Off Bake Along!

82-90: My 30th birthday in charming Charleston–and the Isle of Palms!

91-99: Autumn in our new (temporary) home, Montana, was pretty fun and spectacular!

100-102: Baby prep // 103-105: My baby shower // 106-108: Thanksgiving!

109: Adelie Laine, born on November 26 // 110-112: The first week of her life was spent in the hospital (for me), not ideal but we still had some good bonding time // 113-117: Finally bringing her home and getting into a groove!

118: Adelie’s first holiday season! // 119: Meeting her aunt and grandma // 120: Walking in the snow // 121-123: Her first Christmas // 124: Meeting her cousin // 125: Four generations // 126: New Year’s Eve baptism.

What a year! Hope your 2018 is off to a wonderful start.

See the Best of 2016, the Best of 2015, the Best of 2014, and the Best of 2013!

The post Best of 2017 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Before she even officially entered the world, our little Adelie was surprising us and proving that you can’t plan much when it comes to parenthood. Her birth, and the first few days of her life, did not go at all as I had hoped. On the other hand, though, she surprised us in so many good ways. She has these amazing dimples that come out when she cries (and although she’s not quite there yet, they will come out when she smiles, too!). Seriously. Cry dimples! Who even knew that was a thing? They are ridiculously adorable.

After a rough start, now that Adelie is a month old and I’ve had a chance to (mostly) recover, I absolutely love being her mother–way, way more than I ever thought I would!–and we have settled into more of a groove. You guys, parenthood is fun. Sure, I’m more tired than before, and sometimes this little human is a baffling puzzle that is screaming for no reason I can figure out, but truly, it is a joy. She is a joy!

So, welcome to the world, Adelie Laine! We are so happy you’re here.

The post She’s Here! appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

// Finally getting this post out on the last day of March…I’m nothing if not a procrastinator.

// I have to say…March is one of those months I’m rather ambivalent about, especially now that my spring break tends to be in April. Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, March was always kind of a gross month. It’s been pretty gorgeous here in Budapest, though!

// Speaking of…spring is here! I love winter so much, but European springs are what springs are made of.

// I took part in the Women’s March here in Budapest. I’ve read so many mixed reviews of the march and what it means and why people loved/hated it, but I will say that it was a great day, at least here in Budapest. A long line of women, men, immigrants, and natives all made a human chain across the Chain Bridge. If nothing else, I felt inspired by the people I met/was with and hopeful about the future, if only for a few hours.

// I had a horrible attack of the flu this year, in the middle of a month-long cold (thank you, January and February) and I thought I might die. Not dramatic at all. Of course, I got sick just a few days before we were going to Stockholm…so it ended up being a slower weekend than planned. Still a good one, though!

// As a result of said illness, I’ve been to the doctor several times in the past few months. I went to a pricey foreign doctor who was useless–and then when I mentioned this to the vice-principal at school, she suddenly swept me off to her doctor (who happens to be next door to the school…so much more convenient, although the language barrier is a thing). I was already feeling better and didn’t want to go to the doctor, but…I guess that’s now how it works!

// Along these lines, I am so not okay with the Hungarians and their casual approach to nudity. I find it refreshing but at the same time, I just cannot get used to it. I go to the same gym as my boss and let’s just say, having a conversation with your boss when she’s casually topless is a true test of my awkwardness.

// Before The Illness really struck, E and I went to a cooking class at Chef Parade here in Budapest. I gifted him a French cooking class for Christmas (mostly because they were making a French version of mac’n’cheese, his favorite) and it was fun, informative, and delicious! Our main goal was to learn a new dish we could incorporate into our lives, and the chicken we made was tasty, easy, and healthy(ish).

// Two weeks until spring break! We are going to…drumroll please…Macedonia! I’m having a really hard time finding anything about this little country, so hit me up if you’ve been with some advice! It looks really beautiful, and I’m pretty excited.

source

// My sister is coming to visit in May! To say I’m thrilled would be an understatement. She’s never been to Europe! My list is huge and too ambitious for when she visits…but I have faith.

this remains my favorite photo of my dear sister.

// The kids are dabbing. All day everyday. It’s simultaneously adorable, hilarious…and annoying. Is it really necessary to dab to the A-B-Cs, children?! It’s probably most annoying when they’re supposed to be working and they do it behind my back, thinking I won’t catch them and that it’s a great joke. Silly things…don’t you know, I will always catch you??!

// So far the travels in 2017 have been the year of the S–first Sweden in February, and Serbia in March!

// We took a night train to Belgrade, Serbia, to meet our friends (the same ones we went to Slovakia with last autumn) and although the city is kind of crumbling, it’s–there’s no other word for it–cool. There was a hip little bar/wine spot/cafe/restaurant/shop around every corner. You’ll find everything from flowers to WWII weapons to dinosaurs at the fortress, to give you an example of the funkiness. I also loved the food…I mean, cheese pie? Sounds weird, but trust me, it’s amazing.

Your turn! What’s your current status?!

The post Currently, March (Budapest Edition) appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

TRAVEL LESSONS I STILL CAN’T LEARN

1. How to pack truly light.
2. To buy my plane tickets far enough in advance.
3. To really break in my shoes before trekking all over in them.
4. That even traveling holds its own comfort zones.
5. That cookies don’t travel well. (But I will keep trying. I’m a fighter).
6. To always bring a raincoat/umbrella.
7. To check the weather ahead of time.
8. To research different weather patterns and realize that seasons don’t impact everywhere the same.
9. How to keep track of my passport.
10. Not to leave things behind at security.
11. To get enough cash out.
12. To map the route from the airport/station to my accommodation.
13. How to strike up a conversation with a stranger. E does this–or the stranger does it first. I’m too shy/awkward most of the time to do it myself.
14. That ordering unknown food off the menu will always make things more interesting (and often more delicious).

Well, do you have it all figured out? 

See also: How Not to Travel. 

The post Travel Lessons I Still Can’t Learn appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

I’ve been chasing travel since I was 15 and never could have imagined how much it would impact my life (both the actual traveling part and the thinking-about-traveling part). I love writing about my experiences, and helping connect with and support people all over the world who are doing the same thing (like you, maybe, since you’re reading this, after all!). I’ve loved experimenting with different ways to write about my travels, such as my letter to Vienna, my poem for Korčula, and my travel game, Imagine If I Lived Here. I especially enjoy reflecting on living abroad, such as how living abroad has changed my life, 30 lessons from 30 months abroad, expectations, thoughts on home, all about anxiety and traveling, and more lessons from living abroad.

Sometimes, though, I’ll start a draft of a post and when my fingers hit the keyboard, nothing comes out.

There is not one singular reason for this. Some of these travels happened years ago and the details are fuzzier. Sometimes the clearest moments from a trip don’t feel blog-worthy. Some of them don’t have any pictures. Some of them were such disasters, I don’t care to relive them. On the flip side, some trips were so perfect I can’t describe them by anything but “amazing, awesome, great, you gotta go” and how many times can I write that?

More times than I would care to admit.

Recently, I saw this post on the blog Daydreams of Summertime (inspired by this one from Paper Planes & Caramel Waffles) and it got me thinking of all the stories I’ve never written about.

So, in the same spirit, here are some travels that haven’t made the blog, also known as…

The Unpublished

Hvar, Croatia

This was one of those perfect stays at one of our favorite Airbnbs ever. We had a scooter and scooted around the island to our little heart’s content. Our host made us an amazing freshly caught fish dinner, and circled little coves all over the island for us to explore. We bought olive oil and lavender from the little stand right outside our tiny house, and watched sunsets and sunrises. And, I was so involved relaxing and enjoying the trip that I barely took any photos.

Edinburgh

Another one of those trips that is just long enough ago that I can’t remember much about it except that it was wonderful–and also kind of a hot mess. I remember E leaving his phone in the taxi, and tripping and scraping up my whole leg, and the fact that we stayed way far out-of-town accidentally, and throwing up on a night bus after my first taste of haggis (I’m not sure the two are necessarily related, although I just can’t get over the texture of haggis).

Ecuador

My brother and I traveled in Ecuador for a few weeks after I studied in Peru. My camera died early on in the trip (while I was taking pictures of monkeys, nooooooo) so that’s part of why I haven’t written much. It also happened before this blog, back in 2009 or something like that (ugh, I barely remember. I’m old).

Panama

We were only in Panama for three days, and truthfully I didn’t love it. I think I’ve avoided writing about it because I feel guilty, like I should have loved it. I wanted to love it!! And maybe I will when I make it back there.

Southeast Asia

I backpacked Southeast Asia with my cousin in 2010, and was keeping another blog at the time. That trip was so huge and full of so much, I barely know where to start.

Ha Long Bay

If you can’t tell, I have trouble writing about the really big, really famous sights. Ha Long Bay, to me, also represents my travel writing dilemma–so many moments are crystal clear, but are those the moments I want to write about for the world to read? The girl who threw a fit because we were promised jam on the trip, and didn’t get any? The karaoke on the ship? The rats we could hear on the boat? The weird cave with weird lights? The absolute breathlessness I felt when I woke up and saw the bay in the fog? The indescribable color of the water?

Slovakia

I’ve been to Bratislava and the High Tatras and have barely written about either of those. Why is that?

Booze cruise, Vietnam

Ah, yes, the time my cousin and I thought we were going on a snorkeling boat and got on a booze cruise instead.

Road trip with my parents

My parents came to visit when we lived in Prague and we took an epic road trip through the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany! I can’t believe I haven’t written about it at all. It’s one of those Where do I even start??? types of things I think. Funny how some of my most favorite trips never even make it on here!

Switzerland

My first trip abroad! Over ten years ago. I didn’t even have a digital camera. I’ve scanned a few photos in, though! For posterity.

Harry Potter Studio Tour

We went there for my birthday a few years ago and I never wrote about it! Partly because I don’t want to spoil the tour for anyone, partly because I took exactly two photos, and partly because I always have trouble writing about things like that. Is it really interesting for me to take you along virtually in each room? I’m undecided.

Christmas markets in Germany

I get in my head about Christmas markets because I always want to post them at a festive time of year–not in say, March–but when said festive period hits, I get distracted by my life. Maybe next year!

Mikulov/Czech wine country

We’ve traveled so much since we moved to Europe that sometimes I forget the smaller, local trips we’ve taken. One of the best was to Czech wine country–such a gem! Of course, the thing I remember most about this is the hellish train ride on the way there. I don’t even remember the name of the towns we visited, just that I loved them!

Oktoberfest

Oh yeah, I went to Oktoberfest last year. It was so much fun–but how do you write about a drunken fest where I stumbled around from tent to tent, inadvertently finding seats and shelter, and forgetting to eat?

Dublin

Oh, Ireland in general always stresses me out to write about, because I love it so darn much and I’m so terrible at explaining why. However, Dublin is a little different–it’s a great city, but I didn’t find myself connecting with it as much as I hoped. Looking back, I can’t remember much that we did there except see the Book of Kells and eat a lot of good food. Which doesn’t really sound like a bad trip, no?

Santorini

Another one of those places that is so amazing and so well-known that I find myself at a loss for words–what can I say that hasn’t been said over and over? I really loved Santorini, although it wasn’t exactly what I expected. Truthfully, I think I might have liked Athens more!

Eger, Hungary

Another little local trip I’ve mentioned but have never really written about. The little Hungarian city known for its wine deserves its own post–I’ve gone there twice in one year!

Norway

The thing that gets in the way for this one is the photos. I took a rather obscene amount of photos there and I’m tired just thinking about organizing them all to find the good ones. Norway is so freaking beautiful that most of my pictures could be considered “good” (although I also took a lot of my hand, because I got so excited and just started snapping).

I guess I have a lot of blogging to do…

Tell me–do you find it easy to write/discuss travel? Why or why not?  

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