Search Results for: small town

Europe on a Budget : The Inexpensive Alternatives

April 22, 2016

As we’re in Europe for vacation right now, I got to thinking about ways to cut cost if you really want to visit Europe. I often hear that many people don’t travel across the pond because it’s expensive, and while it definitely can be, there are a lot of cities that are great inexpensive alternatives to the larger spots you might be more familiar with. And while all of these cities are beyond worthwhile to visit and see for yourself, sometimes you’re wondering which to choose. So if you’re wanting to travel to Europe on a budget, these city alternatives might be perfect for you!

Choose Edinburgh over London.

While I adore London, Edinburgh is an amazing city in its own right and everything will be way less expensive. Where in London a good boutique hotel will set you back $250 USD easy, we stayed at the hip and trendy Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh for around $150 USD. Food also will be a lot less and the old world culture in Edinburgh will make you fall in love with it for its own charm.

Choose Nice over Paris.

While I crave time in Paris every year and it’s become a tradition for us to stop over in our favorite city at least once a year, Paris can get expensive as it’s a large European hub. But if you’re craving that French feeling, but still want to be based in somewhat of a city with a cheaper price tag? Nice is your go-to spot on the French Riviera. You’ll get everything we love about France but prices will be quite a bit cheaper. For a nice boutique hotel in Paris you’ll be looking at around $300 USD per night, in Nice… we stayed at the Le Meridien in a room with an open view for somewhere around $200 USD per night. Food will be similarly less, particularly seafood as much of it is local!

Choose Lisbon over Barcelona.

Looking for a vacation somewhere by the sea with an eclectic charm and amazing food? Both Lisbon and Barcelona will fit this bill but when it comes to budget? Lisbon is one of the most inexpensive cities we’ve visited in Western Europe. But charm? It has plenty! And while Barcelona is a fabulous city in its own right, if you’re on a budget, Lisbon is the place for you!

Choose Bruges over Amsterdam.

Let me start by saying I LOVE Amsterdam and it’s become a go-to for us when we just need a European escape. But… if you are on a budget and you want that Northern European architecture and food, Bruges, Belgium is a great choice. It has a small town feel, the incredible architecture you expect of this area, canals to wander along and incredible Belgian waffles made fresh in local markets. You’ll also see a lot lower prices on everything in Bruges over tourist-heavy Amsterdam. The good news is that you can easily do Amsterdam as a day trip from Bruges, so two birds, one stone!

Choose Verona over Milan.

Looking for a Northern Italian dream vacation? While Milan is the center of fashion and acts as Italy’s big city in the North, Verona offers a budget friendly option while still being incredibly scenic, old world, and oh so Italian.

20 Amazing Places to See in the USA

April 1, 2016

Even though most of the time when we think about travel, we envision far off places with foreign languages and a world completely different than our own, a lot of the time, we forget about all the places that are so incredible right in our own country. In the last few years, Nick and I have tried to explore more of our own country to see more of this country we call home. And in our explorations of the USA, we’ve traveled to some pretty amazing places to see in the United States. So today, even though I know I have so much more to see, here are 20 amazing places to see in the USA.

1. Portland, OR

My home city can’t be missed when talking about amazing places in the USA. Portland is a special place, and even though I’m biased, a lot of people agree with me… just look at the evidence: we were the top city last year in the USA that people from out of state moved to. What used to be a best kept secret is out and blossoming. Our food scene is top notch, our open mindedness is refreshing and our city is gorgeous rain or shine.

2. Newport, RI

I still dream about our too short time in Newport, Rhode Island during our New England road trip a few years ago. One of the most beautiful spots in New England along with ocean views, a gorgeous little town and some of the best seafood around, Newport isn’t to be missed.

3. New York City, NY

Of course this list wouldn’t be complete with New York City. Maybe our most famous city in the US, New York is one of a kind with its energy, its size and its unique charm.

4. Santa Barbara, CA

A gem in the Southern California area, even if you don’t like Southern California (like me). Santa Barbara is a breath of fresh air in California with its Spanish architecture, amazing food and incredible ocean views.

5. Oahu, HI

Hawaii doesn’t always feel like it’s part of the US, even though they speak English and are a full state. Often times, you’re transported to another place and time in Hawaii but it’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed. Head to the Islands for the aloha spirit and experience.

6. Washington DC

Our nation’s capitol is not only a lovely city in its own right but with so much history, this is a must see in the US. The feel in DC is definitely different than other US cities but it’s an experience that you’ll never forget.

7. New Orleans, LA

While not my best travel experience in the US, New Orleans is still a worthy spot to visit. With its French vibe, Southern drawl and beignets, NOLA is a must see.

8. Jackson Hole, WY

This little town in the middle of nowhere was another experience that wasn’t entirely great for me when we visited, but the scenery in this part of the country is why it makes it on this list. The Grand Tetons seem to come out of nowhere and look fake, making this spot a must see if only just for the natural scenery.

9. Napa, CA

For an entirely different California feel, Napa is a must see in the USA. From the rolling hills of vineyards to the incredible food and wine, to the laid back feel, Napa is a lovely spot to explore.

10. Southern Oregon Coast

In my opinion, one of the most breathtaking coastlines in the US, the Southern Oregon Coast near Bandon is pretty incredible. From rock formations to stunning cliffs, this part of the country is not well known but an incredible hidden gem.

11. Northern Arizona

Once you get up North in Arizona to areas like Page and Antelope Canyon, a whole world opens before you. This section of the country is sure to become more and more crowded soon, so go now. Northern Arizona is one of the most beautiful and unique spots in the US I have found so far!

12. Sedona, AZ

For red rocks, amazing food and an eclectic vibe, Sedona is a gem to be sure. When in the American SouthWest, Sedona is not to be missed.

13. Boston

Boston is one of those American cities everyone knows but that has a unique vibe all to itself. A lovely city in New England, Boston is entirely different than our other major cities but such a worthy spot to visit.

14. Eastern Washington State

For a truly unique landscape, Eastern Washington State is very unknown but totally worthwhile to be on this list. From high desert to rolling hills, this part of Washington State is beyond gorgeous.

15. Santa Fe, NM

The Native American culture is vital to the US and no other place perhaps exudes this as in Santa Fe, New Mexico where it abounds. The charm in Santa Fe is undeniable and such a treat to experience.

16. Las Vegas, NV

While Vegas is an acquired taste for most and it doesn’t at all represent the ideals of the rest of the country, it still is definitely worthy to be on this list. After more visits than I can count now, I’ve finally found that everyone enjoys Vegas differently. For me, I love the food scene, the beautiful hotels and a tiny bit of Blackjack. It takes some figuring out what you like Vegas for personally but it’s definitely an experience!

17. San Francisco, CA

While not a favorite of mine, San Francisco is one of those classically American cities to experience. From the Golden Gate Bridge to famous tourist attractions, San Fran is for sure unique.

18. Maine

For some of the most beautiful coastlines in the country, amazing seafood and a small town sort of vibe, Maine is a state not to be missed in the USA.

19. Los Angeles, CA

I’ve never been a huge fan of LA, but in the USA, it’s for sure a city to at least experience. From Hollywood to Santa Monica, LA is famous for a reason.

20. San Juan Islands, Washington State

Rounding out the list of the spots I’ve been able to experience in the US so far are the incredibly beautiful San Jan Islands in Washington State. While these are still somewhat of a local attraction for those of us in the Pacific NW, I have no doubt, if more people knew about them, they’d be coming far and wide for them. Some of the most stunning spots I’ve ever seen are located on these islands in the Pacific Ocean where you can watch Orcas in the wild and enjoy the scenic Pacific NW.

Scenic Views, Kookaburras + Koalas : Driving The Great Ocean Road

January 26, 2016

For the final stop of our trip to Australia, New Zealand and Bali, we took a red-eye from Bali and arrived at 7am into Melbourne. Now for one thing, at this point in the trip, Nick and I were both really sick and our first stop upon arrival in Melbourne’s airport was the pharmacy. However after we got some of Australia’s version of DayQuil, kleenex and tylenol, we headed to a little cafe in the airport to grab some breakfast and of course, a flat white as this was our last stop in Australia. After a quick stop there, we walked out of the airport to the rental car center and picked up our rental car, a cut little Fiat.

When we knew Melbourne was going to be our last stop of the trip, I immediately thought of the Great Ocean Road as I’d seen so many photos of it on Pinterest when I was doing research for Australia. And while I’m sure the city of Melbourne is lovely, with only one day there, we opted to drive the Great Ocean Road instead and take in all the scenery that area has to offer over wandering a city – and I’m so glad we did!

After leaving the airport in our rental car, we headed up the freeway en route to the Great Ocean Road. Our original goal was to get all the way up to the 12 Apostles, but after a mishap in our navigation (we should have driven the freeway up further and started at the 12 Apostles and then made our way back down the way), instead we cut over too soon and by mid-afternoon we were exhausted from the red-eye and not feeling well, so we headed back to Melbourne. But in the time we did spend on the Great Ocean Road, it was full of incredible vistas, kookaburras and even many koala bear sightings!

It ended up being one of our very favorite days of the entire trip and one of those experiences where you think, wow, I’m out in the Australian wilderness, when you can look around and it feels exactly like it should in that country you’re in.

Tips for Driving the Great Ocean Road

-Rent a car with a decent amount of power and maneuverability. Even though we had a small Fiat, it had a good amount of power to get up hills and yet was really flexible on curves which you’ll need to drive this area as there are lots of curves.

-If you want to make it all the way up to the 12 Apostles (the most famous landmark on the Great Ocean Road), take the freeway farther then cut over to the coast. After that head back down toward Princetown and continue down the drive. We did the opposite, cutting over at Lorne, and didn’t have time to make it all the way to the 12 Apostles. So figure out what you want to see and take the freeway farther or shorter depending.

-Make sure to stop at the visitor centers in town. Each little town along the Great Ocean Road has great visitor centers with bathrooms, small snacks and great maps. Plus they will help guide you to what you want to see. We stopped in Lorne and they told us about a really cool vista with amazing views as well as where to see koalas!

-Bring snacks. Many of the small towns have restaurants but we found parking to be hard and we wanted to keep driving to see as much as we could, so stop and buy snacks to munch on while you drive.

-Don’t miss the Koalas at Cape Otway. Make the drive to the Cape Otway Lighthouse and on the roadway back into this area, there are dozens and dozens of koalas in the wild just hanging out in the trees. We spotted several, even one with a baby, and I couldn’t quite handle my excitement!

Traveling to Australia?

See all of my posts on Australia!

Rice Terraces, Spices + Coffee : Exploring the Outskirts of Ubud

January 19, 2016

Bali is a beautiful place, but more than even just seeing the towns and cities that make up this island, the outskirts of those places are even more beautiful. Driving from Seminyak to Ubud was perhaps my favorite day of our whole trip.

Before the trip, we knew we wanted to see Ubud even though we were staying about 1.5 hours away in Seminyak. After reading Eat, Pray, Love years ago, seeing Ubud and the famous Balinese rice terraces in the area were high on my list for Bali. So we hired a private driver through our hotel and headed out for the drive up to Ubud on our second day in Bali. The countryside drive was gorgeous, rice fields upon rice fields, green as far as the eye could see. We went through small towns and dense forests and I loved seeing the actual landscape of Bali.

After driving through Ubud to its outskirts, our driver/guide stopped at Bali Pulina, a spice forest with incredible aromas and views. It was not planned on our end, but ended up being one of my favorite stops on the entire trip. We wandered through a small forest of a whole bunch of spices growing, we taste tested local coffee, cocoa and lemon tea. And to top it all off, the views were incredible! For me as a baker, I love spices and I cook with them frequently. So I made sure to stop off at the shop before leaving and stock up on cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg and lemon tea. And while it was a spontaneous stop, it was by far one of my favorites of the trip. Seeing the outskirts of Ubud and enjoying the scenery is not to be missed on a trip to Bali!

Tips for Day Trips to Ubud’s Outskirts

-Don’t miss Bali Pulina – a spice forest and incredible views of rice terraces!

-See if your hotel can hire Gun as your guide. We hired him through the Oberoi Bali but he works with lots of hotels. His info: gun_balitour@yahoo.co.id / Phone: 0-81-238-18-498

Traveling to Bali?

See all of my posts on the island here!

10 Realities that Third Culture Kid’s Live With

September 30, 2015

If you’re new here or not aware, I grew up in Saudi Arabia. I was born in an Arab hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia and lived there all throughout my childhood. It was home. It wasn’t until years later as a teenager in small town USA that I came across the term Third Culture Kid (TCK) and my life was changed. Suddenly I had a word that described everything I was feeling and I could connect with other TCK’s all over the world that were feeling the same emotions I was, that were struggling with the same challenges I was facing. As I’ve gotten older, while being a TCK will always be my identity, I have realized that it’s not as much a part of who I am as it used to be. But every now and then something comes up that I just have to stop and take it in, I’m a third culture kid and always will be and there are certain things that will always affect my life because of my childhood abroad. So if you’re a TCK, you’re not alone and if you’re learning the term today, then here’s 10 realities that TCK’s live with each and every day of their lives.

1. We might never see our childhood homes again.

A lot of people here my story of growing up in the Middle East and ask a million questions but what they never seem to grasp is that while the majority of Americans can always go back and drive by their childhood home, or go back to Christmases or Thanksgivings, I’ll probably never have that opportunity. Not only is the Middle East in chaos right now, but Saudi Arabia is particularly hard to get into even for holiday. And even if I could, I probably wouldn’t be able to get back onto the compound I spent my childhood on. It’s something I learned to let go of at a young age.

2. We get tired of answering the question, “where are you from?”

This used to make me so irritated, less so now, but still, this question is a hard one for third culture kids to answer. On the one hand I was born and spent my entire childhood in Saudi Arabia, but I’m not Arab. And while I’m American and have spent my young adult life here, there were many years I didn’t really feel fully American either. It’s a division of worlds forever.

3. We lack the exact words to describe what being a third culture kid really feels like.

It’s really hard to exactly describe what we go through and how we feel to someone who doesn’t understand. So when you meet someone who has been through a similar experience, it’s an instant connection.

4. We get asked over and over if we speak the language of our birth countries.

If I had a penny every time someone asks me this. I actually was asked this just a few weeks ago coming home from Amsterdam when the guy at security asked me (after seeing Saudi Arabia as my birthplace on my passport) and we actually got into counting to 10 in Arabic together. I don’t speak Arabic, but I can still count to 10 and say hello and thank you.

5. We hate normal, we embrace diversity.

I love diversity, I love seeing people of all different backgrounds in a room. I hate normal, I hate the normal route, I always want to try and be different. I think a lot of that has to do with my childhood. It’s engrained in me this sense of embracing different things and looking for diversity.

6. We embrace moments differently than most.

Over the years I’ve realized that Third Culture Kids embrace every day moments a bit more than kids who grew up in their home countries. We tend to be overwhelmed by routine moment more than most, seeing the beauty in the everyday.

7. Memories take hold suddenly and at the most random times.

My mom still catches herself saying this weekend on Thursday and Friday (which were the Saudi weekend days when we lived there) and sometimes I get such a craving for a schwarma that I can hardly stand it. Memories come at random times and come on so strong that it’s almost as if I could be back there.

8. Home means many different things to us.

Home for me for many years was a fluid concept. Finally I found a true home here in Portland, but it was years and years of struggle with the idea of home. What I’ve come to realize is that home doesn’t have to be a place, it can be a person you love or an idea.

9. We tend toward acceptance of many different cultures.

I get really angry when people say ignorant remarks in front of me regarding different cultures. And while yes, they may not be aware of what they say and the affects of it, it’s still ignorance. As a third culture kid, I’m incredibly aware of how harmful ignorance can be. The things people have said to me about the Middle East over the years, some of them I’m completely shocked that people can even think those things about other human beings. Third Culture Kids grow up in a foreign society, so we learn at a young age we’re all more alike than different.

10. We still feel different when in a crowd, still feel like we somehow don’t belong, but at the same time we know that’s ok and we’re proud of who we are.

It took me a long time to really come to terms with what being a third culture kid means and to be proud of it. I spent a good deal of my teenage years struggling with a lot that being a TCK meant, but it wasn’t really until I started traveling again and seeing other cultures and seeing the world that I really found in my heart how proud I am of Saudi Arabia as my place of my birth, of what that means for me and how it’s made my life different.

Interested in reading more about my childhood in Saudi Arabia?

See all of my posts on the country!

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Europe on a Budget : The Inexpensive Alternatives

Choose Edinburgh over London.

Choose Nice over Paris.

Choose Lisbon over Barcelona.

Choose Bruges over Amsterdam.

Choose Verona over Milan.

20 Amazing Places to See in the USA

Scenic Views, Kookaburras + Koalas : Driving The Great Ocean Road

Tips for Driving the Great Ocean Road

Rice Terraces, Spices + Coffee : Exploring the Outskirts of Ubud

Tips for Day Trips to Ubud’s Outskirts

10 Realities that Third Culture Kid’s Live With

1. We might never see our childhood homes again.

2. We get tired of answering the question, “where are you from?”

3. We lack the exact words to describe what being a third culture kid really feels like.

4. We get asked over and over if we speak the language of our birth countries.

5. We hate normal, we embrace diversity.

6. We embrace moments differently than most.

7. Memories take hold suddenly and at the most random times.

8. Home means many different things to us.

9. We tend toward acceptance of many different cultures.

10. We still feel different when in a crowd, still feel like we somehow don’t belong, but at the same time we know that’s ok and we’re proud of who we are.

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Search Results for: small town

Choose Edinburgh over London.

Choose Nice over Paris.

Choose Lisbon over Barcelona.

Choose Bruges over Amsterdam.

Choose Verona over Milan.

Tips for Driving the Great Ocean Road

Tips for Day Trips to Ubud’s Outskirts

1. We might never see our childhood homes again.

2. We get tired of answering the question, “where are you from?”

3. We lack the exact words to describe what being a third culture kid really feels like.

4. We get asked over and over if we speak the language of our birth countries.

5. We hate normal, we embrace diversity.

6. We embrace moments differently than most.

7. Memories take hold suddenly and at the most random times.

8. Home means many different things to us.

9. We tend toward acceptance of many different cultures.

10. We still feel different when in a crowd, still feel like we somehow don’t belong, but at the same time we know that’s ok and we’re proud of who we are.

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