Spending the Day In NYC and Why You Should Be A Tourist In Your Home City Too

Posted on by Krystal
Sometimes it's really easy to forget that I live in a city that people from all over the world come to visit. I forget in the middle of my routine of train rides, bar shifts, and dodging tourists on the street, that there is so much to see right here. Occasionally, I brave the crowds (and sometimes snowstorms) to get out of the little bubble I've created in New York City. It's important to be...more

A New York City not-so Fairy Tale.

Posted on by Krystal
Once upon a time there was a girl. She was smart, she was well liked, and she was hard working. She lived in a small village just outside of a magical kingdom known as Los Angeles. But she dreamed of a far away land where there were pizza places on every corner that stayed open all night. A place she would never have to drive again. She became so bored and unhappy with the routine...more

My Late Twenties are in Full Bloom in New York City.

Posted on by Krystal
Tonight I am sitting in New York City, laying on a bed that is in a room that I am renting. My name isn't even on the official lease while bits and pieces of my life are sent across the country. I am just trying to make this place feel like home. The scary part is, I just celebrated my 27th birthday a few weeks ago. And here I am living like a college freshmen,...more

My Top Three Unplanned Italian Destinations

Posted on by Krystal
When it comes to Italy, it is easy to ramble on about the impeccable cuisine, high quality coffee, beautiful language, the winding canals of Venice, breathtaking coast of Cinque Terre and the ancient cobblestones in Rome. From top to bottom, it is arguably my favorite country. It is also one of the first places I recommend to anyone who is planning a trip to Europe. There are so many obvious reasons to love the country....more

The 5 Month Couchsurfing Experience I Had in Order to Budget Travel

Posted on by Krystal
My five month couchsurfing experience taught me everything I needed to know about privacy. We all have a personal bubble, we need space, and we need to know that we have somewhere to seek refuge, to escape from the world and everyone in it when it’s just too much. So how did I spend 15 weeks jumping from dorm hostel to strangers couches in an attempt to travel as long as I possibly could? I...more

Why Having A Good Travel Companion Is Essential

Posted on by Krystal
Good travel companions are hard to come by, especially traveling abroad. The stress of planning and budgeting is hard. Pair that with not knowing the language and no consistent internet access, it can be down right exhausting. Add a long time frame and no plan to the equation and it takes a toll on even the strongest of relationships. When it came to choosing my particular travel mate, it was a decision based on pure...more

My First Big Adventure is Booked

Posted on by Krystal
Los Angeles to New York, New York to Boston, Boston to Portugal. Plane tickets are purchased, itineraries booked, there’s no turning back now (not that I want to). I am about to embark on my first big backpacking adventure. It started a little less than a year ago (8 months to be more specific). I had what I thought was a crazy idea to sell my things, quit my job, pack a bag and just...more