The butterflies hit me somewhere over the Atlantic. Then I was 23 years old, clutching my boarding pass like a lifeline, realizing I’d just committed to three weeks in Europe with nothing but a backpack and what can only be…
Listen, I get it. You’re scrolling through Instagram, watching 22-year-olds with perfectly curated backpacks bounce between European hostels, and thinking, “Is that still an option for me?” I’m here to tell you—as someone who booked her first hostel at 19…
I remember standing outside a small noodle shop in Kyoto, sweating profusely—not from the summer heat, but from the sheer panic of trying to order dinner. The menu, a beautiful but incomprehensible collection of kanji characters, might as well have…
I’ll never forget that moment—standing barefoot on powder-white sand, the Indian Ocean lapping at my toes, wondering why the hell I’d spent so many summers fighting for beach towel space in the Mediterranean when this existed. Africa has a way…
I still remember the look on my friend Chioma’s face when she discovered her Nigerian passport would get her into Tanzania without a visa. After months of stressing over complex application processes for our East African adventure, finding out she…
I’ll never forget the look on my friend’s face when the UK border officer handed back her passport with a shake of his head. After months of planning her London adventure, she was being turned away at Heathrow because of…
Ever notice how the minute you finally master a video game, they release the sequel with entirely new rules? That’s exactly how I feel about the global investment landscape these days. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on…
Last updated: May 2, 2025 If there’s one thing I’ve learned after a decade of cramming my face with everything from night market noodles to back-alley tacos, it’s that the world’s most incredible food experiences rarely come with white tablecloths…
I still cringe when I think about it. There I was, sitting in a “traditional” Italian restaurant just off St. Mark’s Square in Venice, paying €22 for a mediocre plate of pasta while being serenaded by an accordion player wearing…
Let me paint you a picture: I’m standing in the middle of Piazza Navona, a gelato melting faster than I can eat it, map crumpled in my back pocket, and that familiar traveler’s panic setting in—“Am I doing Rome right?”…
Look, I’ll be straight with you. New York isn’t waiting to embrace you with open arms. It’s more likely to snatch your wallet while you’re gawking at skyscrapers. But damn, is it worth it. After living here for nearly a…
I’ve spent countless hours shuffling behind enthusiastic guides in cities from Barcelona to Budapest, and let me tell you—there’s nothing quite like the awkward silence that falls over a group when that cheerful guide finally drops the “tip” bomb at…
Last summer, I found myself staring at my bank account in horror. What had started as an innocent “hey, let’s all go to Barcelona” text message from my college roommate had somehow morphed into a financial nightmare. Suddenly I was…
Back in 2019, I took my first solo trip as a woman—a supposedly “safe” vacation to Barcelona that quickly turned into a masterclass in street smarts after my phone was snatched right out of my hands near La Rambla. I…
Have you ever caught yourself instinctively cringing at a pack of fanny-bag wearing, tennis-shoe stomping tourists loudly asking where the “authentic local experience” is—only to realize with horror that you look exactly like them? I have. There I was, standing…
Photo by Humphrey M on Unsplash The first time I packed up my apartment in Boston to “work remotely” for a year, my mother thought I’d lost my mind. “You’re going to do what?” she asked, clutching her coffee mug…
There’s something deeply satisfying about being the first among your friends to discover a hidden gem. While Paris and Rome continue their reign as Europe’s crown jewels, Eastern Europe quietly harbors extraordinary cities that remain refreshingly unspoiled by mass tourism.…
The moment when you’ve wandered down that charming cobblestone alley in Barcelona, your gelato is melting faster than your data plan, and suddenly—poof!—your map disappears. We’ve all been there. Here’s how to never be digitally stranded again. Let me confess…
There’s a specific kind of panic that washes over you when you’re scrambling for last-minute accommodations. I’ve been there—standing in an airport, staring at my phone in disbelief as the booking app loads prices that could fund a small expedition…
Photo by cmophoto.net on Unsplash Let me level with you. I’ve spent more hours than I care to admit stalking Instagram travel accounts while nursing a cup of coffee gone cold, dreaming of escaping to some perfect beach. You know…
