It’s no secret that our quality of sleep declines when we travel, and while we may not be able to rewire our brains to combat the “first-night effect” (let alone sleep well in an airplane’s ever-diminishing coach seat), there are a few products currently available on the market whose sole purpose is to help us …
2019 Holiday Gift Guide: The Best Travel Gifts for Everyone on Your List
It’s that time again! (well, perhaps it’s past time, but who’s checking, really?) This year instead of sharing a different gift guide each day, I wanted to share them all at once: a selection of travel gifts for everyone on your list. Though I’ll always advocate for taking a trip over giving tangible items, I …
Journal | 12.14.19
Oh, hey! I promise I haven’t forgotten about this space—or you. It’s been a busy few weeks moving up here and getting acquainted with our new city, and it hasn’t necessarily been an easy or smooth transition. I was rear-ended a few days after we moved, and managed to throw out my back and catch …
The Best Cyber Weekend Deals of 2019: Travel Edition
Have you heard? It’s Black Friday today (just in case you haven’t been bombarded with advertisements for the past week or two). Today I’m sharing a curated roundup of travel deals and travel-friendly items on sale this weekend from retailers all over the web. When possible, I try to link to products that are responsibly …
A Relaxed Approach to Visiting Barcelona, Spain
It’s true that overtourism has taken hold of Barcelona. When you combine a dense, walkable city with a multitude of sights and rich culture, there can be no other result. Even during my visit in October, which is shoulder season, the crowds in parts of the city were unbearable. But sometimes you simply have to …
Journal | 11.9.19
It’s happening. I know I’ve been saying this for a while now, but I feel like now I can officially say that we’re moving since we signed a lease this week for a place in Charlotte. Despite not working at the moment, my day-to-day feels busier than ever: packing, making phone calls, rehoming things we …
72 Hours in Madrid, Spain
When I shared with friends and family that Michael and I were traveling to Spain, many people excitedly asked, “Oh, are you going to Barcelona?!” Not a single person asked if we were going to Madrid. That seems absurd, doesn’t it? It is the capital of the country after all, and that should count for …
Journal | 10.27.19
What. A. Month. Truly, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster around here. Thursday, October 3 was my last day at my job, where I’ve worked for the past seven years. It was a long day, and I felt a bit overwhelmed by the turnout at our office gathering. I don’t relish being the center of attention, …
Why You Should Never Use PayPal When Paying for Travel Expenses
Though I once sang their praises for their return shipping refund (which ended in November 2022), I learned the hard way not to use the PayPal platform for any foreign transactions. You see, last month Michael and I booked several Airbnbs for our trip to Spain and Italy, and to avoid Airbnb’s conversion fees, I …
My Flight Got Canceled and All I Had To Wear Was This Dress
If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that my three-day weekend getaway unexpectedly turned into a six-day stay in Raleigh thanks to Hurricane Dorian. Due to the unfortunate combination of non-existent federal regulations requiring airlines to support passengers in the event of a cancelation and my decision to fly a budget airline, …