Things to Know Before Traveling to Europe

Traveling abroad, particularly for the first time as an adult, can be overwhelming. If you’re trying to plan the trip on your own and you’re unsure of how to do it right, your experience can quickly turn sour. While people like myself think one of the most fun parts of the trip is the planning stage and to spend hours …

Is Paris Safe for Solo Travelers?

The opportunity to take a solo trip is one that I encourage everyone to do at least once. Not only are you discovering a new place or destination, you are also discovering things about yourself. The relationship with you is the most important one you’ll ever have, and traveling solo is fast track to getting to know just who you …

My Favorite Travel Bags

Travel bags are relatively subjective. It’s all about how you travel, what you travel with, the length of the stay. This article is going to touch on a few different bags and why I love them. I’ve owned the crappy suitcases from Marshall’s and TJ Maxx. Now my primary suitcase is an Away bag. All of my bags, past and …

What to Pack for International Travel

My love for traveling abroad started at age twenty when I took off for Europe for a month with a friend. The entire trip was a shit show, and it was the most perfect shit show a twenty year old could want. My generation of Americans did not grow up traveling abroad like other countries and cultures, so I had …

What to Pack for the European Christmas Markets

The European Christmas markets have become a favorite pastime of mine, and I’ve gone for several years now. I cannot be kept away! When you are looking at what to pack for the European Christmas markets, it’s going to be a bit different than if you were packing for a trip to Europe that didn’t involve the markets. I’ve done …

Essential Items for Traveling on a Plane

What traveling all over the world has taught me is that there are frivolous travel items and essential items for traveling on a plane. I’ve packed in every which way, and have narrowed down a list of things that I always take on plane trips, whether it’s domestic or international. The list is going to be geared towards plane travelers, …

15 Travel Tips For First-Time Flyers

As an experienced flyer, I’m very excited to share what I’ve learned over the years so that your experience as a first-time flyer or an infrequent flyer is better than average. Flying is a multi-layer commitment, and it’s important to be as prepared as you can be, whether it’s flying domestically or internationally. I’ve seen many things while at the …

What to Wear in Paris – All Seasons

I go to Paris a couple of times or more per year, and I have seen what to wear in Paris and how locals dress evolve over the years. A decade ago, French fashion was much more monochromatic – black and neutral colors mostly, which is easy to pack. While you can still wear mostly black and no one will …

How I’m Always Ready for Travel

Being a prepared traveler has come with experience, time, and age. I’ve always been a particular packer, but in my later years I’ve been much more thoughtful about what and how I pack. There are some trips that I want to carry-on only, some that I want to take a checked bag. Thinking through the method of packing and assembling …

The 7 Best Souvenirs to Bring Home

Whenever and wherever I travel, I know I’ll be buying something – ok, many things – to take home with me. In this case, I’ll call them souvenirs. We can refer to them as mementos, cherished items, or more junk in our home. Regardless of its label, in the moment of purchase we know we love it, and it’s coming …