For a long time I’ve identified myself as a tea drinker — built it into my personality. I bought a kettle before my freshman year of college because I wanted to be that quirky girl who was always in the dorm kitchen making tea. Because tea is so important to me, and to many other people around the world, I figure it can have a place on my travel blog. In DC, there is a local chain called Teaism that sells tea, tea accoutrements, and delicious, delicious food. It bills itself as an Asian style tea house, and as such serves tea and Asian food ranging from Bento boxes to…
-
-
Weekly Travel Inspiration: Road Trips
(Weekly Travel Inspiration is a feature on this blog where I share a link, book, or film that incites my wanderlust, and might incite yours too!) It’s time for some nostalgia, friends. Thus far on this blog, I’ve mostly written about international travel, but this time last year I was enjoying the most quintessential of US travel experiences: a road trip. My boyfriend and I drove from New Hampshire to Asheville, North Carolina (which is a city I adored, just fyi). During this road trip, I went farther south in the US than I had ever been before (discounting the times I’ve flown over the Southeast states to get to…
-
Why Italy isn’t a part of the Great European Adventure
You may have noticed that Italy isn’t on my itinerary for the Great European Adventure, and that was a conscious decision. I’ve stressed to friends and family that I’m keeping my plans open; so, who knows, maybe I’ll end up spending weeks sunning myself on the Amalfi coast or gaining weight in Tuscany. However, there’s a reason that isn’t in the original plan. I have been to Italy once. When I was studying abroad in Barcelona, I challenged myself to stay in the city for the first month. I was giving myself time to adjust to my new home, and proving to myself that I could do this. I could…
-
Outdoor Film Screenings
In DC, outdoor film screenings are a summer staple — the nights are warm, the bugs aren’t so bad, and the parks are plentiful. I know of three outdoor film series in the DC metro area, two of which I’ve been to this summer. For the most iconic experience, pack a picnic dinner, and a blanket or a few low chairs, and head out to the National Mall for Screen on the Green. On Monday nights in July, a movie screen appears on the Mall and shows classic films. While waiting for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to begin, I glanced behind me and was greeted by this view:…
-
Full Disclosure
I’ve been reading travel blogs for over a year now. This became one of my hobbies not long after I returned home from my semester abroad in Barcelona. My father had just been diagnosed with cancer, and I needed an escape. Dreaming of a future WWOOFing in Australia or tour guiding in Spain was a welcome change from the drudgery of coursework and the disappointment of weekly trips home to see my father while I still could. I mention all this in the hopes of honestly explaining how a 22-year-old is privileged enough to become a world traveler. I’ve read many blogs whose authors recount how they saved money to…
-
Weekly Travel Inspiration: Nocturnal Festivals
(Weekly Travel Inspiration is a feature on this blog where I share a link, book, or film that incites my wanderlust, and might incite yours too!) A few weeks ago National Geographic Traveler tweeted their Top 10 Nocturnal Festivals. Their list included celebrations in Mexico, Japan, Vietnam, and Latvia among others. The Noche de Brujas (Night of Witches) festival in Catemaco, Mexico, which plays host to witches, wizards, and mystics sounds like a grownup Halloween. Another festival featured on this list sees “the residents of the Latvian town of Kuldiga mark the start of midsummer, or Jani, by running naked through the streets.” According to National Geographic, after they all…
-
Artomatic
On Saturday, I went to the last day of Artomatic, which bills itself as “DC’s Biggest Creative Event,” and included ten stories worth of artwork by 1,300 artists and performers. I first read about it in Metro Weekly, which billed it as an “all-access arts clusterfuck,” and said that the event had returned after a three year hiatus. When my housemate asked me if I wanted to go with her, the answer was obvious. In case the inordinate number of museums that made it onto my otherwise open European itinerary didn’t tip you off — I really like art. And Artomatic did not disappoint. There were paintings, photographs, sculptures, installations, performance…
-
Top Ten Barcelona
A few weeks ago, Adventurous Kate panned Barcelona. She felt utterly ambivalent about one of my favorite cities in the world. If you follow me on twitter, (hello to all 12 of you!) you know I initially felt very defensive, but reminded myself that my first days in Barcelona were less than idyllic. Regardless, I grew to love Barcelona dearly, and, for that reason, I felt the need to compile a top ten list. I studied abroad there for five months, and while I am by no means an expert on the city, I feel qualified to give you a few recommendations in no particular order. One: Eat tapas Spanish…
-
Announcing…
The Great European Adventure! This is the trip that prompted the birth of this blog. It will be my first solo trip abroad, and I can’t wait. My itinerary is below, but let me stress that it is tentative. It outlines the plan for where I will go if I meet no one interesting who asks me to go elsewhere. This is where I’ll be if I never fall in love with a city and need to stay longer, and if I never hate a city and have to get out early—all of which seems very unlikely given what I’ve read on other travel blogs (see: China is what happens…
-
Capital Pride
Who doesn’t love a good pride parade? With drag queens, marching bands, families, allies, gay cowboys, and countless political candidates hoping to snag “the queer vote”, DC’s pride celebration delivered an enjoyable afternoon this past weekend despite temperatures in the 90’s (around 35º C). Here are just a few photos: It does indeed.
