Gosh, where do I begin? Okay, I'll start with why. Ten months ago, I was in solo traveling in Switzerland when I got an anxious text from my brother: "Rammstein tickets for 2023 stadium tour goes on sale tomorrow!" Because tickets were going on sale at 10 AM, Central Europe Time, and I happened to be in that time zone, I figured I was the best person to purchase said tickets. First, I've never visited Berlin before. Never really had a reason to. Except for Rammstein. I've been a fan of their music for over 20 years. I've never seen them perform live. Until now. Alright, more on Rammstein late ..read more

Castles! History! Outlander! All valid reasons to visit Scotland. I visited with my partner, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law in spring 2023 so I'll have tips here on traveling with an adult family. I knew nothing about Scotland or its history before my trip, and as someone who soaks in history differently, I watched all 6 seasons of Outlander and it was a good introduction (even if the show is fiction, based on a series of novels written by an American woman who had never been to Scotland – still, she was granted an honourary doctorate from a Scottish university for her contributions). Of c ..read more

Aside from the obvious passport and the shoes on your feet, there are 5 things I never travel or fly on a plane without. Some of these might surprise you! Noise Cancelling Headphones Your headphones have to say "noise cancelling" or else you'll hear the person next to you snoring or the baby nearby crying. Some headphone brands are becoming sneaky and using different terms to trick you into think they're noise cancelling, but end up not being soundproof enough! I use Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones that go over the ear for a secure fit. AirFly Pro If I want to watch the in-flight entertainm ..read more

Note: This trip took place in December 2021. This day was December 28, 2021. Map charting the journey from Egilsstaðir to Mývatn to Akureyri There was a huuuuuuge snow storm this day. We were traveling from Egilsstaðir to Mývatn (for the Nature Baths), then finally to Akureyri. I did not document a whole lot on this day because it was snowing so much, it was basically just white outside. Hotel Valaskjalf We left Egilsstaðir around 8:00 AM and it was still very dark. The drive from Egilsstaðir to Mývatn was scary and trecherous. I could feel the nervousness from our tour guide/driver. I was gl ..read more

People will always have an opinion when it comes to talking about money. How to make it, how to spend it, and whether something is "worth it". I got into a debate in an Instagram reel (lol) about how much it costs to travel (from North America to Europe). The original poster said it cost her about $3500 for 2 weeks with a friend. I chimed in to say "that's accurate, and it cost me closer to $5000 as a solo traveller who stayed alone in hotels in Switzerland". I thought it was helpful to share a different side! And for some reason, the internet did not like that ? I had one random person with ..read more

I just returned from an 8 day trip to Switzerland in early September 2022. Here's an overview of everything I did! Lauterbrunnen The Bell Restaurant in Lauterbrunnen I stayed in Lauterbrunnen for the first 2 nights in Switzerland. Lauterbrunnen is about a 30 minute train ride from Interlaken Ost, which is a major "artery" train station in the Jungfrau region. You can reach Interlaken Ost by train from Zürich, and it takes about 2-3 hours depending on the train routes you take. The first night focused on decompression, and overcoming a very long (8 hour) train ride from Dusseldorf, Germany. I ..read more

I visited Norway in 10 days which sounds like a lot of days, depending on who you tell, but I have to say it was NOT ENOUGH. But! It was my first time in Norway so I didn't want to take the gamble of spending more than 10 days in a place that might (or will) empty my wallet dry. Here is a high level view of my 10 day itinerary: Oslo (day 1) Bergen (day 2-4) Oslo (day 5-6) Andalsnes (day 7-8) Oslo (day 9-10) I'll do more detailed posts of each day, but here's a little more detail of each day: Day 1: Oslo Landed, went to my hotel, ate, slept, showered Walked around Oslo to get my bearing, pi ..read more

This trip took place in December 2021. This day was December 30, 2021. Spending 6 days with the same group of people can be tiring. I was looking forward to breaking away to badly charge my introvert batteries and be on my own again. But alas, one who does not drive cannot be a chooser when attempting to explore Iceland's Ring Road. The morning of December 30, 2021, I woke up in Bifrost. Just outside of Hotel Bifrost is a volcano crater called Grábrók. Grábrók crater is volcano formed 3400 years ago, and rises 170 meters (558 feet) above the ground.You can hike up to the top and takes abo ..read more

Day 3 was December 24, which is the day that most Icelanders celebrate Christmas. Most stores and restaurants are closed on this day. I took this day slowly, did more walking around the streets and photographed as much as I could. I started my day with breakfast at Sandholt: Left: Ordered an omelette, toast, and side salad / Right: Croissants and sandwiches Wandered around Skólavörðustígur. Mt Hekla, an outdoor clothing and equipment shop Checked out the church with almost no pedestrians or people walking around: Hallgrimskirkja Went to see where my next hotel was going to be (I stayed h ..read more

This trip took place in December 2021. This day was December 29, 2021. Journey from Akureyri to Hauganes to Bifröst I didn't want to leave Icelandair Hotel Akureyri. It was probably the best sleep I ever had on that trip because of that hotel. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions, we were unable to see Godafoss, which was one of the stops that the Arctic Adventures Ring Road itinerary had planned. They do not guarantee all stops if it is dangerous to drive there. Our tour guide and driver, Thor We drove to Hauganes for Whale Watching, which I was surprised we could even do in December. I ..read more