If you’ve read my ‘Happy in Hungary‘ post, you’ll know the many reasons I love Budapest. It will probably always be one of my favourite cities, but the last time I was there (2015), the locals seemed to have figured out the benefits that many tourists can bring to their businesses. They have also figured […]
Be ‘Happy In Hungary’, please!
Budapest is one of my favourite cities in the world. It has the perfect balance in every aspect: excellent train/bus/plane connections to and from most major cities in Europe (but far enough away that not everyone goes there beautiful architecture amazing food; whether you’re looking for some cheaper street food, or a high end restaurant. It […]
7 Things I Wish I Had Brought With Me
Most people prepare for a trip by planning. Where to visit, what to see and do, how to travel there and back, and around once you get there. All the time and effort going into the actual trip. Sometimes, we forget about what to pack, or we pack in such a hurry that we forget […]
How A Last Minute Backpack Addition Saved My Twisted Ankle
I thought I was ready. I had put together a packing list a month before my trip. I had been on several long and short term trips. I knew I would use everything in my bag. It was under the flight weight limit and it was comfortable to carry. The night before my trip, I […]
Seven Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me To Take Out Of My Backpack (before I left home!)
If you read my ‘about me’ page, you’ll know that while I’ve been traveling since before I could walk, I realized that this had to be a big part of my life in 2013, when I went on my first long-term backpacking trip. On this first trip, I learned many things. There is nothing that compares […]
Travel Smart – My Best Travel Hacks and Advice
We all want to know how to ‘travel better’. Experience is a great teacher, but it is often in the form of an experience, some of which are better than others. After many, many years of travelling, covering some 47 countries, these are some of the many lessons I have learned. Before I Leave: […]
My Top Travel Apps
After much experimentation, I’ve finally settled on my top necessary apps that I always have with me on my smartphone when I travel. Depending on your destination, these may change, but some (like budgeting, planning, etc), will be great, no matter where you go! Trail Wallet when you change currencies quickly, or when you’ve first […]
Five Electronic Devices That Deserve A Spot In Your Bag
A quick amazon or good search will tell you how many millions of pieces of electronic equipment for travellers there are out there. If you were to listen to them all, you could easily fill a second backpack. And most of it would eventually prove useless. (or at least, not useful enough to take up […]
My Essential Packing List
Packing is different for everyone, and what is essential for one person, is completely unnecessary for another. That being said, this is what I include in my basic trip bag: 2 pairs of shorts 1 pair of light pants 1 pair of capris 1 dress/skirt (lately I’ve been including ‘hipknoties’ midi in lieu of skirts/dresses. […]
Worst 24-Hour Bus Ride Ever…
Warning! This story contains mentions of bodily functions! I was nearing the end of my first long-term backpacking trip. I’d toured through Europe and Russia, and I was making a mad dash to England to avoid the Schengen Zone rules. I had to get from Warsaw to London and I had to do it fast, […]