Chasing Calories: Vietnam Vietnam is the cradle of sophisticated dishes that exude healthy colors and flavorful innovations. A general formula for a Vietnamese dish includes a serving of rice-based wraps or noodles, a tart dipping sauce or hearty bone broth, and a hand-plucked selection of raw leaves and herbs for garnish. Prices are affordable, markets stimulate all five… Read More
Backpack Costa Rica Off The Most Beaten Path This tiny country was a gorgeous start to my travels in Latin America. My first visit was also my first backpacking experience. I avoided the touristy spots and took my mother to waterfalls, jungles that ran along beaches, and cloud forests of colorful birds we had never seen before. On my second visit Marcela and I hitched… Read More
Torres Del Paine ‘O’ Circuit 2018: Top Tips For Tight Budgets With the suffocating regulations and impressive glaciers that are melting away faster than you can say “cachái?” information on the best trek of Torres del Paine National Park (TdP) is constantly evolving. I have yet to meet an individual who has been able to escape the distress and contradiction when trying to reserve campsites and buy… Read More
10 Reasons Why San Gerardo de Rivas Is My Favorite Place In Costa Rica If a pin on the map could have it all, it would be San Gerardo de Rivas. A mellow mountain town only visited by the most outdoorsy of Costa Rica‘s tourists, it offers the perfect blend of simplicity and indulgence. From easy waterfalls to trekking to wildlife to artisanal treats, everyone (and their mother) is… Read More
Cerro Chirripó Day Hike: Pulling Off 42 Kilometers In 19 Hours A 21-kilometer walk would make me the tallest thing in Costa Rica, I just had ignore the 2,200 elevation gain. To do this as a spontaneous day hike, rather than stay at the pricey base camp and obtain an entry permit, both of which had to be reserved months ahead of time, was technically possible… Read More
Cebu: A Very Southerly Circuit In 24 Hours If there’s anything a solo female traveler knows, it’s how to figure out exactly what she wants. My upcoming flight out of Cebu left me with a laundry list of adventures to seek and so little time left. And this was just the southern half of the island. Possible or not, I had one day… Read More
Cebu: A Million Sardines and a Whale Shark Three years ago, a massive school of sardines left the coast of an island that was a 15-minute boat trip away from Moalboal, and moved to Moalboal itself. More specifically, one million shiny fish dumped themselves off the banks of all the dive shops. As of 2017, Moalboal was still a popular destination for snorkeling… Read More
Cebu: DIY Kawasan Falls Day Trip Chasing the endless waterfalls of Cebu was so fun that I left that island with busted toenails. Kawasan Falls were the most well-known set of falls, running through the jungle in a unique aquamarine. We arrived as early as we could and beat the crowd to some stunning bridges and sketchy rope swings before sitting… Read More
Chasing Calories: Chiang Mai Welcome to my first of a series of food guides. Chiang Mai was so delicious it had me walking miles in the June heat searching for the perfect bowl of khao soi noodles. It had me slugging down one icy drink on high speed just so I would finish it before I got to the next… Read More
The Spiritual Journey I Accidentally Started Landed Me At The Mindfulness Project By spending half of my Thai days volunteering at my third Workaway project, I confirmed my theory that the more popular a destination was, the less interested I am. I couldn’t bring myself to go for the beach parties and elephant sanctuaries. Instead I went to a dusty unknown village to learn more about Buddhism… Read More