Category: Travel

I remember my first tango with a European food market. It was in Barcelona, and I was a fool. Armed with nothing but a rumbling stomach and a tourist map, I stumbled into La Boqueria like a moth to a flame. The sights, the smells—intoxicating chaos. But there I was, a clueless fish out of […]

I remember standing in a dimly lit Parisian café, all too aware of the judgmental glares from the locals. My attempt at ordering a simple croissant had somehow morphed into a request for a “butter horse,” thanks to my atrocious French. A classic case of linguistic bravado meeting its inevitable demise. But here’s the thing: […]

I once found myself trapped in the whirlwind of travel clichés, standing in a crowded square in Prague. The kind where selfie sticks joust for space and the air reeks of overpriced trdelník. I remember thinking, “There’s got to be more to Eastern Europe than this well-trodden path.” That’s when I stumbled upon a hidden […]

I remember stepping off the plane in Istanbul, clinging to the romantic notion that I’d find some profound truth hidden among its ancient stones and tangled streets. Instead, I was immediately greeted by a taxi driver who tried to charge me triple the fare before I’d even finished counting my euros. As I navigated through […]

I once thought I’d be the trailblazer who uncovered the Dalmatian Coast’s best-kept secrets. Spoiler: I wasn’t. Instead, I found myself elbow-deep in overpriced gelato, jostling with sunburned tourists who seemed just as lost in their quest for authenticity. But there’s something undeniably magnetic about this stretch of Croatia, even if it’s been Instagrammed to […]

Ever found yourself in the middle of nowhere, clutching a map that feels more like a cryptic puzzle, while the Tuscan sun beats down on your already frazzled brain? Yeah, that was me last summer—an aspiring local, or so I thought, with a rental car that seemed to have a mind of its own. I […]

I once found myself in Lisbon, facing a hill so steep it felt like the city was daring me to give up and call a cab. But there I was, sneakers laced up, heart pounding like a war drum, wondering why I’d ever thought a walking tour in this labyrinth of cobblestone and calamity was […]

I remember my first solo travel experience like it was yesterday—mainly because I got lost within the first hour and ended up in a neighborhood where even Google Maps seemed to throw up its hands in surrender. There I was, a human compass with a malfunction, watching the locals glance at me with a mix […]

I once found myself in a bustling market in Marrakech, utterly convinced I was blending in with the locals. Spoiler alert: I wasn’t. My feeble attempts at haggling were met with eye rolls, and my misplaced confidence was as transparent as the plastic on a new couch. There I was, the quintessential tourist in disguise, […]

I once thought I could “do” Rome in a weekend. Armed with a guidebook and a dangerously optimistic itinerary, I barreled through museums like a caffeine-fueled art critic, snapping photos of anything that looked remotely ancient. But here’s the thing: Rome doesn’t give up its secrets to the hurried. It’s a city that demands lingering […]