My 30-pound pack weighed heavy on my hips. As sweat gathered underneath my insulated Marmot jacket, I frantically searched the airport departures screen for my 11:40 a.m. flight from Prague to Madrid. It wasn’t there. I checked my watch. 10 a.m. My left thumb picked nervously at the nail of my middle finger as questions Read Post
5 Ways Backpacking Made Me a Better Person
Traveling isn’t, and should never be, about simply touring a centuries-old cathedral, walking through ancient ruins or going to Paris just to say you saw the Eiffel Tower in person. There are facts and history to be learned everywhere you go, but traveling is also about pushing yourself outside your comfort zone to do and Read Post
Alone in Venice
Visiting Venice — alone — in the winter is decidedly more miserable than being stuck in the middle of a lake without a paddle during a snow flurry. I was there in January 2008, and it rained almost every day of my stay. People don’t flock to Venice to stay indoors, so it certainly wasn’t Read Post
Not Your Everyday Wake-up Call
It was day two in Venice, and I could already tell that pre-booking a weeklong stay was a mistake. My backpacker’s budget was not prepared for an expensive tourist trap, and that was exactly what I fell into. If I wanted to island hop by way of pricey water taxis tomorrow, then today would have Read Post
The Spending Diet – Week 1
We’ve been smart spenders since we started being more conscious of where our money is going — one whole week ago. In that short amount of time, we’ve opted out of unnecessary (near-impulse) purchases, declined invitations for long nights out and even chose to drink water during happy hour. Carrying around a mindset of “the next Read Post