The Perfect Holiday Gift Guide for the Traveler in Your Life
Somehow, it’s already Christmas time and you’re probably simultaneously relieved for the holidays to be here and also ready for this year to just be over already. It’s been a really tough year for everyone and if you’re lucky enough to still have all of your loved ones healthy and safe, there’s plenty to still…
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8 DIY Travel Inspired Halloween Costumes
Halloween is right around the corner and if you’re anything like me, you probably leave your costume idea to the last minute. Don’t worry! If you’re one of these people, I’ve got you covered. Halloween is a special holiday because it is an opportunity to use your imagination and have fun for a day. Young…
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The Socially-Distant Fall Activity Checklist You Need
Fall is here and there’s no reason why we can’t all still enjoy our favorite seasonal activities. I get so excited this time of year because even though summer can be very fun, I can’t stand the heat. I don’t even live in a very hot climate (Western New York) and I am still completely…
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5 Spooky Halloween Destinations on My Bucket List
Halloween is right around the corner and I think I speak for everyone when I say that this year has gone by surprisingly fast, even if we were all quarantined for most of it. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because I love the cooler weather, getting to DIY fun costumes, carving pumpkins and…
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A First-Timers Guide to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a small harbor city in Rhode Island filled with plenty of yachts, sailboats and spectacular water views. Although the population of 25,000 is quite small, the downtown waterfront is bustling with life and plenty to do. You’ll see tons of people out walking the streets on any given day, headed to grab some…
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8 Tips to Choose/Be a Good Travel Partner
Picking a good travel partner is one of the most essential aspects of a successful trip. You can plan everything thoroughly and have no hiccups during your vacation, but if you pick the wrong companions to tag along, it can be a dreadful experience. Your company can make or break your time while traveling, so…
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4 Days in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (Vlog Included)
After many long months of quarantine and travel restrictions, I was ecstatic when my brother came to me and asked if I wanted to go on a road trip. I jumped at the opportunity and probably would have done the same regardless of where he wanted to go. He expressed his interest in going to…
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My Top Beauty Essentials for Travel
One of the trickiest parts of traveling is packing. It can be tough to figure out what you should bring on your journey depending on where you are going, how long you’re staying and even how you’re getting there. If you’re flying to your destination and only taking a carry-on bag, the struggle gets even…
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5 Reasons to Visit Potsdam When in Berlin
There are so many things to love about Germany. The country has a very rich history and unique culture that should be experienced by everyone at some point during their travels. If you want to have an authentic German experience while also learning about so much history, Potsdam is the perfect day trip to take.…
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Air Travel Tips for During and After COVID-19
As we’re all aware, the coronavirus pandemic is surely going to change our lives in many ways. “The new normal” has become a very familiar term, especially when talking about the future of travel. Air travel is one of the most popular methods of travel and has been hit extremely hard during this ongoing global…
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Our Journey Home During a Global Pandemic
As some already know, we’ve officially moved back to the States now. We decided months ago that with all the uncertainty in the world, it was the best thing for us. You can obviously imagine that returning home required some travel during a global pandemic, which was quite the experience. There were some aspects that…
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Top 12 Free or Cheap Things to do in Madrid
Madrid is a wonderfully diverse city with so much to see and do. I called this place home for almost a year, and during that time, I personally constructed a list of the best things to do for cheap or free, because let’s be honest, we all want to do as many free things as…
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A Day Spent in Toledo with a Local
One of the best opportunities to have while traveling is to see new places with someone who is a local. You can be the most knowledgable travel expert, but you will never be able to have the same experience as you could if you were being shown around a city by someone who actually lives…
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Traveling During COVID-19: Our Current Situation
Since worldwide travel is still on hold, I obviously don’t have many interesting current experiences to talk about. If you’re looking for some things you can do now at home check out one of my posts about staying inspired from home or tips to prepare for future travel. I thought this would be a good…
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6 Ways Travel Changed My Life and Can Change Yours Too
Just a few years ago, I never thought I would be where I am now. I’ve lived in Europe for almost a year, traveled to many different countries and learned so much about the world and myself. As I sit in my Madrid apartment with the fan blasting on me (thanks to the Spanish summer…
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Life-Saving Camping Tips for Summer
As we all know, our typical travel plans and activities are going to be much different than usual this summer. The current state of the world is causing us to be more creative and try new things all the time. While it seems like things are finally letting up, it still may be several more…
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The Best Road Trip Destinations in the Northeastern United States
If you read my last post about road trip tips, you’re probably excited and ready to hit the road. All of those great ideas to make the best of your summer road trip will sure come in handy. There’s just one more very important detail to planning a road trip- deciding where to go! This…
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16 Brilliant Tips for the Ultimate Summer Road Trip
Summer is almost here and after months of lockdown, we’re all ready to get out and go again. While travel might not be completely back to normal this summer, that doesn’t mean you must continue to stay at home. Maybe you’ve read my post on how to stay inspired about travel from home or things…
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How to Stay Inspired About Travel: 5 Uplifting Things You Can Do From Home
If you’re feeling a bit uninspired and in need of some motivation lately, I can assure you that you’re not alone. Not being able to travel has been a huge road block in my plans and changed my life these past few months. It’s easy to feel down and discouraged during these times. Traveling is…
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13 Things You Should Do Now to Prepare for Future Travel
The current situation in the world has definitely made planning for and thinking about travel less than exciting. Most people have either had to postpone or completely cancel a highly anticipated trip due to the coronavirus pandemic. While I feel for all of those people who have had to miss out on a special time…
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9 Tips to Jump Start Your Travel Fund
One of the most common excuses people use for why they aren’t taking vacations or traveling is because they can’t afford it. While I do understand that sometimes financial hardships fall on people and can make things tough, I also firmly believe that everyone can save for vacation if they have some discipline and know…
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My Top 12 Travel Photos of All Time
A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Everyone who knows me knows that for most of my life I’ve loved writing. It’s been one of my biggest passions and hobbies since I was in middle school. I’ve always found things that I care about and used writing as an outlet to express that. When…
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9 Activities to Conquer Lisbon in a Weekend
Lisbon is often overlooked by travelers and very underrated, in my opinion. Lisbon is a beautiful city known for its ornate architecture, very rich history and having some of the best and freshest seafood. The city itself is absolutely stunning and has a very quaint and historic feel, even though it is the capital of…
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The Father’s Day Gift Your Dad Really Wants This Year
Father’s Day is coming up and if you’re anything like me, you feel the pressure every year to find that perfect, one-of-a-kind gift to give to your one-of-a-kind dad. It’s so hard to shop for dads because they seem to already have everything and let’s be honest, if they don’t have all the power tools…
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11 Foods You Absolutely Need to Try in Spain
I know I talk about Spain a lot on my blog, but that should tell you something about how awesome it is! I even have a whole post about why everyone should love Spain! Plus, after living here for almost a year, I have so much knowledge that I want to share! Spanish food is…
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8 Simple Tips to Save Money While Traveling
Who doesn’t love saving money? It’s probably true for most people that they’d rather spend as little as possible when traveling, while still having an enjoyable experience. Luckily, there are very easy ways to accomplish this. So many of the things we naturally do while traveling are costing us a little more here or there…
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The Easiest Way to Move Abroad as an American
If you’ve ever looked into the idea of moving abroad, you probably know how truly difficult it can be. Just getting a visa to live and work in a different country can seem almost impossible. Unless you have authorization to live in that country or you marry someone from there, you must have an employment…
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Presque Isle: A Hidden Paradise in Northwestern Pennsylvania
I’m not sure if it’s the heat or the confinement, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about things I miss from home. With the current lockdown measures and the weather really warming up, I’m beginning to feel a bit antsy to get out of my tiny apartment and to some more open and calm…
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10 Reasons to Love Spain
It’s probably no secret to anyone who knows me that I love Spain. It is currently the place I call home and has given me so many amazing opportunities to travel and learn. I believe this country has an abundance of things to offer to any adventurer. Spain’s culture and history are so different from…
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My Post-COVID Travel Bucket List (Top Five)
As we are in the midst of some unprecedented times, prohibited from traveling and living our normal lives, so many of us have had to make sacrifices and miss out on important milestones. I truly feel for those who have had weddings, pregnancies, family trips or special moments altered or canceled due to this pandemic.…
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Video: Our Lockdown Lives in Spain
We’ve been getting so many questions about our daily lives since Spain has been on lockdown for COVID-19. Most of our friends and family are back in the United States and wondering how things are different across the pond. We thought it would be fun to take you along with us to show you exactly…
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How to Make Money While Traveling- What You Need to Know About VIPKid
Most people agree that traveling is a wonderful hobby that enriches your life in many ways. However, the downside is, traveling definitely does not enrich your bank account. For someone who loves traveling and doesn’t have tons of disposable income, supporting your adventures can be pretty difficult and stressful. However, there are some ways you…
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Cultural Differences: Spain vs. USA
It can be said that there are cultural differences between any two countries in the world. Even places that are seemingly very similar (say, the United States and Canada) still have pretty significant differences that make each culture unique. I personally have experience living in two very contrasting cultures: the USA and Spain. There are…
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My Honest Opinion About Cruises- My Experience
With the current stay-at-home orders in full swing in most places of the world, I’m sure many, like me, find themselves daydreaming of traveling to a beautiful and warm place to escape. While it’s true that most of us are stuck at home and forbidden from traveling, that doesn’t mean we can’t start planning (even…
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Our Neighborhood in Madrid
12 May 2020 Our little corner of Madrid is the barrio called Puerta del Ángel. It’s located in southwestern Madrid, just west of the Manzanares River and on the edge of the city’s largest public park, Casa de Campo. We absolutely love hiking over the hills and strolling through the tall grass in the park,…
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Jacob’s Top 5
29 March 2020 Hey! Its Jacob, and I wanted to check in and share my top five moments in Europe so far. I’m thankful that Kristen could convince me to come over here and enjoy what have been some truly unique experiences. These five moments were when I was at my happiest, and most appreciative…
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Berlin, Germany
28 February- 2 March 2020 Our decision to go to Berlin was another fairly spontaneous one. Just weeks before an upcoming holiday in Spain, we began thinking of taking a trip somewhere. We had an extra day off so we looked around for cheap flights and landed on Berlin- and boy are we glad we…
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Liverpool, UK
1-3 January 2020 One of my first thoughts when thinking of my personal “musts” while living in Europe was going to a Liverpool FC match. I’ve been a fan since I was a kid, following in my brother, Shane’s, footsteps. We used to sit together in the living room and watch Premier League games on…
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London, UK
30 December 2019- 1 January 2020 As it turns out, the cheapest way to London from Paris is by bus. Our trip took about 8 hours, including the many stops for customs before going under the English Channel. Our bus actually drove into a train car which then transported us through the tunnel. We did…
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Paris, France
27-30 December 2019 Our trip to Paris taught me a very frustrating, yet valuable lesson. When booking our flight from Madrid to Paris, I used a third party website to search for the best deal. After entering all of our details, I selected the cheapest flight. Madrid Barajas to Paris-Vatry. Knowing how large Paris is,…
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Christmas in Madrid
December 2019 Christmas in Madrid is such a wonderful time. Every neighborhood celebrates the holidays with their own decorations and lights. Some of the best sights are in Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. The largest Christmas “tree” in the city is in Puerta del Sol. It is actually a gigantic metal cone adorned with…
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Barcelona, Spain
23-25 November 2019 When we officially decided to come to Spain, I asked Jacob to tell me one place he really wanted to travel to. He responded with Barcelona, because he wanted so badly to see La Sagrada Família. So, that’s exactly what we did. Right away, after landing in Barcelona, we grabbed some breakfast…
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Lisbon, Portugal
31 October- 3 November 2019 On a last minute whim, we decided to spend hallo-weekend in Portugal for our first official trip as European residents. We set out on Thursday, making the long 7 hour journey by bus to Lisbon. We traveled through some beautiful parts of Spain including Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura. The trip…
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Our First Two Months in Madrid
September- October 2019 It has officially been two months since we arrived in Madrid! Time certainly flies when you are settling into a foreign country and beginning a new life from scratch. Aside from the basics like setting up a new bank account, getting a new phone plan, navigating the public transportation system and the…
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Segovia, Spain
12 October 2019 Today, we took a short hour trip to a small nearby town called Segovia. I have already heard from a few people since we’ve been here that Segovia is a beautiful place. We decided to waste no time and check it our for ourselves. The main attraction in Segovia is an ancient…
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Québec, Canada
3-7 July 2019 Finally, in the summer of 2019, we made it up to Québec. I had been once before to Québec City for a french trip in high school and absolutely loved the charming cobblestone streets and trying to put my french to the test. We decided to first drive up to Québec City…
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San Diego, California
13-18 August 2018 In August of 2018, Jacob and I were contemplating where we wanted to go for our annual summer trip. We eventually narrowed it down to two places: Montréal and San Diego. Jacob had been wanting to see Montréal for a long time and although we eventually decided on San Diego for that…
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Globetrotting Guiris 