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  • Stranded in Frankfurt

    Day 1 alone and stranded in the Frankfurt Airport Flight cancelled with a “supposed to go out in the morning” Have an airport hotel for the night and might have to cut Croatia from the trip to go through more of Germany instead Alas… the adventure continues

  • Pros and Cons of Solo Travel

    Pros of Solo Travel Total Freedom: When you travel alone, you are the maker of your own adventure. There is no stress of making sure everyone’s needs are met; no expectations (whether they’re your own or someone else’s) to meet. When you travel alone, the only person you can go where you want, do what you want, and be who you want completely at your own will. The People You’ll Meet: Don’t get me wrong, traveling with a friend or with someone doesn’t mean you won’t meet new people… but traveling alone is an entirely different ballpark of people you can meet. When I traveled with friends, I loved the comfort of knowing there was always someone next to me, but at the same time, I missed the feeling of being a clean slate that could jump from conversation to conversation into the late nights of hostel chatter. Flexibility: Your schedule is your own! Say you fall in love with a city and want to stay a bit longer, it doesn’t even need to be a debate when you’re flying solo… you can just do it! Want to do that crazy adventure you’ve always dreamed of but don’t want to feel bad “leaving the group behind,” Well… you won’t have to! Budget Control: This was something I became very aware of as I danced with the differences between my group and my solo travels. Budgeting is simply easier when the only budget, wants, and needs you need to think of are your own. Your money only goes to the experiences and things that truly matter to you… and let’s be honest, it’s easy to overspend when “everyone else is going to do this excursion too.” Self-Discovery: Cheesy? I know. But it is beyond true that traveling solo is an experience that really makes you discover the most authentic parts of yourself, especially when you’re an entire ocean away from home! Every decision you make is your own and you have to learn to navigate environments that may be far out of your original comfort zone… but that’s the beauty of it! You find courage in the fear and growth in even the darkest days. Cons of Solo Travel Loneliness: I will not sugar coat the solo travel experience and try to claim it’s the best thing ever… nothing is. There will be days when you don’t meet someone new to chat with, or you’re isolated in a town that really feels like you’re the only person there. I often combated this by staying in hostels where I knew I would at least (hopefully) have some roommates to be near, but in reality, there are going to be days where you have to learn to be comfortable in the quiet. Shared Expenses: While traveling solo might mean you are able to budget for your budget alone, it does mean the big expenses fall solely on you. Solo travel means no split hotel costs, no shared taxi costs, and no splitting of any form. If you’re like me and you’re traveling on a tighter budget, this may mean foregoing some luxuries in order to enjoy the experience. I chose hostels that range from $10 - $40 a night, depending on what country I’m in… and often I don’t get to eat out for every meal and cook in at the hostel. Photos (cause yes they’re nice): As much as any of us try to say “live in the moment… keep it in your memories” in today’s digital age, it is nice to have photos and memories of your experiences. Traveling solo will absolutely make getting that perfect shot harder, but not impossible. Sometimes all it takes is asking a fellow tourist to snag a quick picture for you (always offer to take a photo for them in return… it’s just a nice thing to do.) And have fun with the chaos of the photos, they absolutely won’t always be professional grade! Safety Concerns: Ladies or not, being alone can be daunting and can become a safety concern, especially depending on where you are traveling to. One of the most important things you can do when traveling solo is researching where you are going. Is it safe at night? What have others experienced? Is it less safe alone if I’m a woman? As someone that is a solo traveling female, I always ask at the desk of my hostel if the area is safe at night and often will read blogs of fellow solo travelers before I go. Safety is always first! Planning and Support: When you travel alone, it all falls on you. I don’t mean to terrify you out of it, but it is important to know that your support system, in many ways, becomes yourself. All of the planning is up to you, if you’re like me and you’re the planner… this part is easy. If there’s an emergency or unexpected occurence, you are your main source of immediate assistance. My best recommendation, know the local emergency numbers and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it; you will find in solo travel that humanity is inherently good, and often people are willing to lend a helping hand. Deciding if you want to solo travel? I spent the last year in 15 different countries as a solo female backpacker, feel free to leave your questions in the comments or reach out to me via my contact page! Ready, Set, Hope!

  • Meet Me in Munich

    Day 6 of 50: Munich day 1 Munich is beautiful so far. We had a lovely lunch in Marienplatz square after checking into our hotel after a 12 hour overnight train (and the hotel was ready to check in 5 hours early! ) After a fantastic plate of meats and a pretzel in the square we wandered our way through the Residence Museum which used to be a palace in Munich in the 16th century (I think ) it was what they claimed to be 90 rooms that soon turned into what felt like hundreds. But it was gorgeous and that’s all that matters. Now we’re headed on a 10 hour two castle tour to see more outside the city! So anywho, that hath been a snippet from Munich.

  • Milan - The Fever Dream

    24 August, 2022 To be frankly honest, Milan felt like a fever dream. But she’s big… I’ll give her that. We made it to Milano Centrale train station around 5pm and were immediately dazed and confused by the city on our half-mile walk to our hotel. Nothing was open, and nobody was on the streets. This may have been less confusing if we had gotten in super early or super late, but it all seemed like a Twilight Zone feel for an afternoon on a Monday. Alas, we made do with what we had and saw all the sights. We wandered up the duomo, ventured to the galleria, and then found that Milan is a one-day city for quick traveling. To kill some time as we were hotelless and waiting for an overnight train, we wandered to the Castello Sforzesco… which also felt like a fever dream. By the end of our two hours of wandering through an armory, ancient art section, tapestry area, Michelangelo exhibit made up of a single statue, musical instrument museum, and the cutlery area, we had sufficiently made progress on getting closer to our train departure. We finished the day in Milan with a meal in the Galleria before getting a worrisome email from our train company about potential carriage issues. After trying to call and getting no answer, we ended up at Milano Lambarte an hour early to try to speak to someone. Needless to say, the entire train station was closed, and nobody was checking tickets for anything, so we sat on the platform for an hour and finally relaxed when we heard German being spoken around us. Anywho… we made it on the train and are now in Germany… Gute Nacht, Hope

  • Venice - The Little Moments

    21 August, 2022 Little moments that made Venice great: The lovely Italian waiter that caught me waving to the fish in the random fish tank in the wall (yes it’s in the wall) and explained to me in Italian that the fish usually get shy and run away but weren’t running from me. (Oddly enough my Spanish language classes did well for me in understanding Italian) Managing to stumble upon a small hidden gem of a Church where a simple Euro coin could get a look and nice stroll around the magnificent architecture of this place. ( the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta detta I Gesuiti to be exact) Our nameless front desk worker at our hotel speedwalking us down the alleyways to bring us to our building. I honestly had never seen someone walk so fast in my life. A meal on the water of the Grand Canal that was honestly one of the most beautiful experiences we’ve had in Venice. Overall Venice felt like a dreamy city, a place where no matter what alleyway you turn down it seems that a new story is waiting to be told. Ciao, Hope

  • Florence - A City of Warmth

    20 August, 2022 If there’s one way to describe Florence compared to Rome, it would be warm. Not only in the physical sense but also in the general feel and vibe. The people here seem calmer, as if they’re taking in everything around them daily, even if they have seen it hundreds of times. Our Bed and Breakfast owner greeted us happily with a map at the ready to tell us exactly where to go and what route was best to take (and is the sole reason for the fantastic view we had of the city at sunset.) Wandering the streets of Florence was easy, engulfed in the Italian atmosphere and enjoying quiet chatter with my friend that joined me for the first week of my European journey. Our day was spent in constant laughter that broke out in song every time we mentioned the great David, an inside joke that soon became our queue to smile laugh for every selfie and photo. Overall this city has that taste of home that you need when you’re thousands of miles away… something like a piece of comfort in the unknown.

  • Lessons from Rome

    20 August, 2022 Lessons from Rome… written from the train to Florence Getting to Rome wasn't an easy adventure... it all began with a 6 hour flight to Vancouver, a 6 hour layover, and then a nearly 10 hour flight to Italy's capital. Trust me on this one, long distance flights are never made any easier when you get altitude sickness! Altitude sickness is a thing and it’s not very fun… but hey if you just power through it you’ll feel great the next day. If I'm being completely honest with you, Rome was a blur of feeling like I was going to fall over with every step and stunning historical beauty. You can't really get any better than that can you? Alas, in lieu of some fun blog about my grand Rome adventures, I will leave you instead with my bullet points I made on the train from Rome to Florence after sleeping off my altitude sickness. Italians (at least the Roman ones) are quite friendly, but insanely efficient. I think the man in line in front of us for the bus explained it perfectly as “purposeful aggressiveness.” If you sit down at a place on a side street and they ask if you’re just there for drinks, know that you will still be there a while. It seems that that’s an Italian thing to sit back and chat over drinks and a bowl of chips. If you visit the Vatican, pay the little extra to do a “breakfast at the Vatican” ticket. The meal is lovely and you get first entry into the museum… though the slight bee problem is… interesting. The city is honestly lovely and I wish I had a little more time to explore every piece of history it holds, but hey… that’s why there’s always a “next time” and not a “never again” Don't worry... I won't leave you with just these simple old bullet points. That wouldn't be very "travel blogger" of me would it? Instead I give you the extra gift of this cute little photo montage. Ciao, Hope

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