travel sagas

Exploring Colonia Uruguay

November 30, 2015

Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay moves at a slower pace and is a much needed sanctuary from the never ending commotion of Buenos Aires, across the river in Argentina.

Buenos Aires: City Without a Filter

October 16, 2015

The air. The air is always different. Buenos Aires air is heavy. It’s a city without a filter. Loud noises. Chaotic sidewalks. And a brilliantly blue sky.

Uncle Sam Wants You to Speak Spanish

September 8, 2014

No matter what anyone has to say about it, I unequivocally, wholeheartedly, vehemently disagree with the notion that it is ever ok to tell people “Just speak English.”

World Cup in Buenos Aires

July 18, 2014

I have gone through phases where I am into sports, but right now it just isn’t my thing. During the World Cup I wasn’t that invested in the games. If the US was playing at the same time as another game, I’d ask my boyfriend, Alejandro, to switch to the US game. Then I’d end…

Expats, Depression, and Honesty

July 8, 2014

[dt_quote type=”pullquote” layout=”left” font_size=”big” animation=”none” size=”1″]Now it is 11am on the 16th. I barely slept. My anxiety is through the roof. My heart is racing, my head is in a nervous fog, my stomach is tied up in knots and I could throw up. I’m holding something in, but what? What is weighing so heavily…

Pacific Girl: Feeling My Pacific Northwest Roots

May 15, 2014

Age, late 20s Pacific Northwest Roots In the weeks leading up to my journey to the Pacific Northwest, I was experiencing higher than normal levels of anxiety. Trying to chase and catch enough jobs so I would have enough money to pay rent and pay for my trip. I suppose I was feeling a sense…

Argentina Road Trip Part II: Camping in Tilcara, Humahuaca, and Dreadlocks

March 11, 2014

Cloaked in a yellow dusty light was the pueblo of Tilcara. All I will say for now about camping in Tilcara during Carnaval is this: Don’t do it.

Argentina Road Trip to Andes Mountains

March 5, 2014

Intense Carnaval under Tilcara’s bright sun, Incan ruins, eating llama, camping in the cold Andes, and viewing the Hill of Seven Colors. There is much to tell.

The Scared Traveler, My Dirty Secret

January 29, 2014

I write for a living. I write about myself and about the world. The façade I put on is that I do not fear self-analysis. I seem to be a person unafraid of being intimate with myself. That is my dirty secret. I continue to move and flee to all ends of the earth mostly…

Anxiety Relief at Posada Itaca, Buenos Aires

January 25, 2014

My anxiety was growing and I did not know what could relieve it. I visited Posada Itaca, an oasis of a farm only an hour and a half from Buenos Aires.

Holidays in Argentina: Fireworks Galore

January 2, 2014

I’ve been neglecting my dear blog lately. I’m busy writing content for the launch of SharpHeels.com, I’m the travel editor-in-chief and have a lot to do for when it goes live in a week! Also, I’ve been on a Listverse frenzy, writing all sorts of articles for them, the most recent one that was published…

Breaking My Personal Space Bubble In Argentina

November 26, 2013

First off, I need to apologize for the lack of blog posts. A lot has been happening and I simply have not had the time to write anything lately. Here is my return to blogging after a two week hiatus! Argentina is all about people. Social connections are, without a doubt, one of the most…

The Silent City of the Dead – La Recoleta Cemetery

November 5, 2013

The silent city of the dead, it sounds like the title to the newest horror flick, it may be the title to a scary movie actually. The sunny city of Buenos Aires doesn’t conjure up images of eerie ghosts and creepy foggy mornings, but there is a city of the dead here and it is…

Best Birthday Ever – Argentina Knows How To Celebrate

October 7, 2013

I’ve had my fair share of crappy birthdays. In my second year of college, a friend and I had planned on a dual baking party for our birthdays, which were only a couple days apart. At the last minute she told me she didn’t want to have a party anymore and the plans fell through.…

3 Moments In Ireland I Never Wanted To Forget

October 1, 2013

The wind was beautiful and soulful, light yes riddled with gusts of beauty. On the walk to Mount Shannon I heard Irish ancestors speak to me in the mist.

My Argentine Emergency Room Visit

September 28, 2013

I’ve been here for barely a month and already I’ve had to take a trip to the emergency room. I live life in a very yes or don’t-know fashion, once I make a decision I stick to it but I am the most annoying person when trying to decide between two options. It drives my…

3 Qualities International Volunteers Must Have

September 24, 2013

In an earlier blog post I wrote about graffiti in the parks of Buenos Aires and shared a photo of art at Plaza Los Inmigrantes, I have more to tell you about Graffiti Mundo and the work being done in the Olivos barrio. The picture to the right was taken by Cris, Ale’s mother who dedicates…

Dangers of Being a Female Traveler and Valuing Caution

August 29, 2013

Tara Isabella Burton wrote a beautiful piece for Salon called the “Dangers of traveling while female” in which she accurately describes the inner monologue of the female traveler. She recounts not only her own experience, but mine as well. To be a savvy female traveler is to be constantly aware, consistently suspicious, and sometimes abruptly rude. I too know that I am an intruder in the public space in many places that I travel, following my own “internal set of rules” I always stay in female only dorms or opt for a single room in hostels.

5 Times I Just Went With It

August 8, 2013

Sometimes, when you travel or live abroad you aren’t really sure what’s going on. As I’ve recently admitted, my signature pose says, “I have no idea what’s going on but I’m excited.” You might kind of get it, but mainly you just go with it. Kind of like when Alejandro told me he was going to throw…

The Taj Mahal, Fatephur Sikri, and Traveling Friends

July 26, 2013

May 2007 Making traveling friends in India Previously, I wrote about touters and haggling over rickshaw prices in Agra, India. It wasn’t always such a hassle to get around and I wasn’t always alone. I made friends with some fellow travelers. Flashback to visiting the Taj Mahal, I had just walked away from a man who…

Himalayan Memories: Trying To Capture Every Moment

July 22, 2013

Why, when I am in the midst of an amazing, beautiful and rare adventure am I paralyzed by myself? Why do I fear life? I drift through the days, counting.

Snow Storms, Schnitzel, and Confusion in Berlin Germany

July 20, 2013

When I was going to Durham University I made an instant connection with Olivia. Her parents are both from Poland and she is fluent in Polish. Having so much extended family still in Poland she invited me to go with her there for Christmas. Neither of us had really considered going home, it was far,…

Haggling & Cultural Barriers Part II – Navigating India

July 19, 2013

May 2007 Navigating India, Haggling & Cultural Barriers “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman India was truly life changing for me, but it was not easy. Without the challenge I would not have grown into the…

Spur of the Moment in Adare, Ireland

July 18, 2013

Adare, Ireland Literally, written out plans. It was 2006, I was 19 years old and on my first overseas adventure. I’m a highly organized person when it comes to paperwork and planning, so before I took off for Ireland, I created my very own travel packet with information on all my prebooked accommodation, bus schedules,…

Taj Mahal, Haggling, and Cultural Barriers: Adventures in India

July 17, 2013

The Taj Mahal Let me take you back to Agra, India and the insanity of being a naive 20 year old navigating a country she knows very little about. Oh, and did I mention this was her second time ever traveling abroad and she was traveling alone? Wild kid. I went downstairs a little too…

Lost & Ignorant: Culture Shock in Delhi, India

July 13, 2013

Lost and ignorant in Delhi There are a lot of monkeys in Delhi. I’m a seasoned traveler, now, but 6 years ago on my second international excursion that was definitely not the case. I went to India back in 2007, I was going there to teach but I wanted to travel before my volunteer program…

Why I Can’t Sit Still: Finding Comfort in Globe Trotting

July 11, 2013

In the last 7 years, I’ve been in 9 different countries, on 3 different continents, lived in 4 of them, moved to 10 towns/cities and 17 different homes…

travel hacks

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Inspirational Travel Music

Music to Inspire Wanderlust Add these to a playlist to amp up your motivation to see the world. Music can make you happy, science says ...
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Piece of cake and berries

Food is Cultural – Always Eat and Travel

Everywhere you travel, be sure to eat the local food. Food is one of the most exciting and immersive ways to understand a particular place's ...
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Overhead shot of map, camera, laptop and two people

How To Travel with Chronic Illness

Chronic illness has a significant stigma attached to it. A lot of chronic health issues go undiagnosed for years. Even when they're given an official ...
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In London with a horse (age 24)

Tourists Aren’t The Problem, Jerks Are

I’m going to say something controversial: It’s time to embrace tourists. Stop expecting those who come to see where you live to know how to ...
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Yangchen Choling Monastery, Spiti Valley

3 Qualities International Volunteers Must Have

In an earlier blog post I wrote about graffiti in the parks of Buenos Aires and shared a photo of art at Plaza Los Inmigrantes, ...
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How to Survive Being Stuck in London Heathrow Airport Overnight

After a summer in India I was on my way home and so ready to be over with the day long travel. I got stuck ...
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travel guides

My first love is travel. I've lived on four continents and in five countries and counting. I started my writing career as a travel writer. Take advantage of my mishaps and successes with these articles that will guide you around places like London, Buenos Aires, and the Vermont countryside.

Quiz: What Type of Traveler Are You?

Everyone has an inner traveler in them, even if they've never ventured far from their hometown. I thought it'd be fun to find out what ...
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Most Annoying Things About Argentina

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my blog readers! I just am expanding my projects and trying something new! New writing coming soon. Thanks for ...
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Dancing

Argentina Street Music and Public Awkward Dancing

Check out my newest video on YouTube, back on the video bandwagon. And this time it is about travel in Buenos Aires, and the street ...
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haunted house

10 Spine-Chilling Ghostly Tales From Vermont

The wind is howling outside, the lights flicker, and the floorboards creak in the next room. If you’ve ever stayed in an old house in ...
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Vermont by Kristance Harlow (7)

10 Strange Things Everyone Should Know About Vermont

If a Vermonter abroad is asked what state they’re from, about half of the time the people asking won’t even have heard of Vermont, while ...
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Edinburgh Castle

10 Things You Should Know About Scotland

The Scotland of the imagination is a land of rolling green hills, kilt-wearing bagpipers, and crumbling castles. While you can find all of this in ...
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journal journeys

Come along with me as I traverse the globe.

Red car

Exploring Colonia Uruguay

Colonia, Uruguay Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay is one of my favorite places. It moves at a pace more familiar to me than the rushed ...
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Sky Reflections Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires: City Without a Filter

Buenos Aires I look to my left, down the tracks. The television hanging from the ceiling blares the latest news in Spanish. I can’t make ...
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Pacific Girl Boat

Pacific Girl: Feeling My Pacific Northwest Roots

Age, late 20s Pacific Northwest Roots In the weeks leading up to my journey to the Pacific Northwest, I was experiencing higher than normal levels ...
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Argentina Road Trip Part II: Camping in Tilcara, Humahuaca, and Dreadlocks

March 2014 Buenos Aires to Tilcara This is Part II of my experience on an epic Argentine Road Trip. To read Part I click here. ...
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Argentina Road Trip to Andes Mountains

This past week I was gone in the Andean Northwest in Argentina. Along with my boyfriend and two of our amigos, I experienced an intense ...
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Anxiety Relief at Posada Itaca, Buenos Aires

January 2014, Argentine summer Posada Itaca I feel an odd half-death in the city, the only life to interact with is other people. The wind ...
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