Category: Europe
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Cappadocia, Turkey // Why so unique?
Things started off poorly and ended poorly during my trip to Cappadocia, a large region in the center of Turkey. Everything in between was top notch. We walked up to the check-in counter at the airport. We were departing from Athens. I told the woman behind the counter that we were going to Cap-i-doe-she-a. Where? She wanted…
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Athens, Santorini, and Milos, Greece // Why so cool?
Athens was a complete shock. Against all odds and defying all logic, it is an incredible cool city. This should really be impossible. During the day wave after wave of the cruise shop crowd overrun the temple of Athena and other must see attractions. At night every nook and cranny of the city is swarming…
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Istanbul, Turkey // Why am I so scared of mosques?
Istanbul was a whirlwind. I booked a three day private tour to see as much as possible with my limited time there. It is a beautiful city, but what I loved most was how alive it is. After dinner, we walked along the famous Istiklal Caddesi, adjacent to Taksim square. It was well after midnight,…
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Porto, Portugal // Why a melancholy February?
I was just at the beach here in Miami, listening to someone bemoan their recent assent to middle management. Anyone that has worked in corporate will tell you that it is difficult to be a first time manager, and even more difficult to work for one. She was complaining that her direct reports, mostly Gen…
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Lisbon, Portugal // Why the worst food tour of my life?
I’ve already written about Lisbon once before. But my previous post wasn’t really about the city at all, it was about this fucking guy. And while being harassed some random dude may have ruined my night, he certainly didn’t my trip or the city. Lisbon is a beautiful city worth visiting, one of my favorites…
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Madrid, Spain // Why new friendships?
One of the main reasons why I enjoy dancing these days is for the social aspect. I love that it brings together all types. I get to meet all kinds of people I would never normally come into contact with. We may have nothing else in common, but we all love to dance. This is…
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Paris, France // Why old friendships?
My path through higher education, like my career, and my life, was not a straight one. After graduating high school, I meandered through community college classes while working at coffee shops and restaurants to afford whatever room I happened to be renting at the time. I had always been good at school, but I had…
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Rome, Italy // Why a weekend getaway to another life?
I have written about this before, but I never wanted or planned on moving back to the United States. I saw Mexico as a launching point. Safe because it was close enough to home. Scary because I didn’t speak the language and had never lived outside the US or even traveled for more than a…
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Amsterdam, Netherlands // Why a different state of mind?
Here for the travel advice and not to read my life story? Jump to Travel Recommendations for the tl;dr [too long; didn’t read] to plan your trip to Amsterdam now! I felt giddy as my flight touched down. I was passing through the city somewhat incidentally. My end destination was Portugal but it was cheaper to fly…
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Barcelona, Spain // Why so triggered?
I arrived in Barcelona in April of last year ready for spring break. I had heard that it was a fun, artsy college town. I was imagining topless sunbathing on the beach and a distinctly European bohemian vibe. What I discovered is that Barcelona is very cold in April and almost more insulting, so overrun…