Is Anyone Still Working on Their New Year’s Resolutions, Or Is It Just Me?

Posted on January 31, 2019January 31, 2019 by Krystal

With January coming to a close and Times Square's New Year’s Eve confetti all but lying in a pile of last year’s trash somewhere in North Carolina, I’m compelled to think about New Year’s resolutions. The all too comforting and overly shamed idea that a new year means we can embrace new possibilities. Out with the old and in with the new. It seems simple enough, doesn’t it? It has become a cultural stigma to...more

Why I Am Never Moving Back To Southern California

Posted on August 27, 2018July 10, 2019 by Krystal

You can’t go home again, or so they say. I never really understood what that meant until I finally left mine, and I want to tell you why I'm never moving back. But before I begin, I need to clarify that this is in no way a hate letter to California. On the contrary, California has a huge place in my heart and always will. But for the sake of writing this, California could easily...more

Everything You Must Do When You’re Visiting New York For The First Time If You Only Have the Weekend

Posted on August 21, 2018August 28, 2019 by Krystal

New York City with its ever growing neighborhoods, impressive museums, historical sites and limitless restaurants, can never really be seen in one trip. When you've visiting New York for the first time, planning your trip may seem overwhelming. Especially if you just have a few days to see the city. It's amazing though, how much you can actually squeeze in to one weekend in New York if you're willing to not waste any time and...more

If You Want to Find the Best Cruise in Halong Bay, Here is Why You Shouldn’t Go Cheap

Posted on June 18, 2018July 10, 2019 by Krystal

Halong Bay is the highlight of a Northern Vietnam trip. For anyone who has been to Hanoi and found it as stressful as I did, a breathtaking boat ride through this UNESCO world heritage site will make it all worth it. But if you want to find the best cruise in Halong Bay, here's why you shouldn't do it on the cheap. To begin, choosing a cruise company to host the adventure is daunting. The...more

Wondering Where to Eat in Hanoi? Try Out These Places for Spicy Noodles and Egg Coffee

Posted on June 18, 2018July 10, 2019 by Krystal

There were a lot of things about Hanoi that made me highly anticipate my trip there. Since it is mostly a raved about travel destination, I thought I would fall madly in love with it. Instead I found the busy and hostile streets of the old quarter unwelcoming. But the one thing that didn't disappoint was the food. If you're wondering where to eat in Hanoi, you'll want to keep this list with you. To...more

List of Restaurants With the Best Chiang Mai Food and Best Thai Tea You’ll Ever Have

Posted on May 25, 2018July 10, 2019 by Krystal

I loved the food in Thailand more than I loved the food in any other country I visited in Asia. This was in large part due to Chiang Mai and everything I consumed while there. I want to share my list of restaurants with the best Chiang Mai food you'll ever have. Outside of Paris and Italy, it was some of the best dishes I've eaten in my entire life. I'm going to keep the...more

Full Day Cooking Class at Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School in Chiang Mai

Posted on May 23, 2018July 10, 2019 by Krystal

One of the most popular things to do in Chiang Mai is take a cooking class and learn how to make some of the regions most famous dishes. It's so popular that there is an abundance of cooking schools to choose from in and around the city center. I did a lot of research and weighed out the pros and cons of what each school had to offer. After collecting enough information, I chose the...more

woman with elephant at chiang mai elephant sanctuary

Spending Two Nights in the Jungle at the Best Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai

Posted on May 23, 2018July 10, 2019 by Krystal

Being able to spend time with elephants was one of, if not the main reason for my trip to Thailand. Along with participating in the Chiang Mai lantern festival, visiting an elephant sanctuary was what sparked my interest in the country from the very beginning. Trying to find the best elephant sanctuary can be hard, so I want to tell you all the reasons I loved the one I chose. I wanted to see elephants...more

Everything You Need to Know About Traveling By Slow Boat from Thailand to Luang Prabang

Posted on May 22, 2018July 10, 2019 by Krystal

Before I started really planning a trip to Southeast Asia, I only knew a few things I definitely wanted to do on my first trip: go to the Lantern Festival, eat spicy noodles, see elephants up close for the first time in my life, and travel by slow boat to Luang Prabang from Thailand. Although a slow boat down the Mekong river isn't the quickest way to travel from Thailand to Laos, it is cheap...more

Small Town Charm and Traveling to South Carolina with my Best Friend

Posted on July 27, 2017June 1, 2018 by Krystal

Welcome to the South, where the grass is [actually] greener, the humidity is high and the people are as sweet as their iced tea. I just spent four days going from my best friend’s hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina to Charleston and back again. A short trip filled with good food, great people, charming sights, and beautiful landscapes. A lot of people asked me when I told them where I was going on vacation this...more