Viewing entries tagged
why i travel

Welcome to Ukraine

Welcome to Ukraine

Since I began my trip, numerous people have asked me what it is like to travel as a backpacker and how I specifically get from one city to another. My usual response is “it depends,” but such an answer is far from satisfying and doesn’t serve to clarify anything. In reality, every leg of my trip is different and when I travel there are so many variables to account for that I simply figure things out as I go. I've tried creating travel itineraries, but they are usually rendered useless within a few hours when my situation changes unexpectedly. While the majority of my transit stories are not particularly fascinating for readers back home, Ukraine threw me a few curveballs that I think my readers back home may find rather entertaining.

The Local Life in Cologne

The Local Life in Cologne

Since I began this blog I feel like I’m constantly berating myself for posting these entries months behind schedule, but there is a silver lining to it all - it gives me the chance to relive stories that already feel like they occurred ages ago. Cologne for me is particularly special because, looking back, it marks the beginning of when I finally deviated from my original "plan" I outlined back in the US. I knew it would happen eventually, and actually looked forward to it, I just didn't know when it would happen. The only reason why I even ventured out to Cologne in the first place was to meet up with a friend, Stephan, who I met on the very first day of my travels back in Faro, Portugal. I never considered Cologne as a city I'd visit on this trip, but in my experience the best way to travel is with a local; it doesn't even matter what city it is, whenever opportunity presents itself, I always take it.

Musings of a Backpacker

Musings of a Backpacker

I must admit that I’m really enjoying the act of traveling. For most people, transit time is often considered a necessary (and often frustrating) sunk cost needed to reach a destination before they can “officially" begin enjoying themselves. Granted, I’m only on week three of a fifty-two week-long trip across the world, but every time I change cities, I become genuinely excited to figure out transportation, find the bus station, and spend the day in transit, because at the end of the day arrive in a brand new city! Where do I get dropped off?" "Where’s my hostel?" "What’s the city like?" "Who will I meet?" "What is there to do here?”

Pick One: Good Things or Interesting Things

Pick One: Good Things or Interesting Things

Like most people in modern NY society, I had an online dating profile. When I first set up the account, I took great pains to ensure my profile was filled out completely and spent hours answering a myriad of personality questions. Over the course of the next year, the account fell into disuse and slowly faded into obscurity before I finally pulled the plug on it.