It’s no secret that I was a ball of nerves thinking about how expensive traveling in Colombia would be. When I arrived in Bogotá, I’d been on the road for a whopping 10 months. And seeing as my bank account was dipping to an uncomfortably low level, I was determined to live as frugally as…
As I ventured out for my first Colombian meal I sardonically said to my boyfriend, “Screw it, I’m going to eat churraso (grilled meat) today.” And though I’ve been a strict vegetarian for nearly 15 years, that’s exactly what I did. I was absolutely famished after traveling 15 hours from Los Angeles to Bogotá. And…
I spent my first afternoon in Bogotá wandering around the historic district of La Candelaria. I meandered along narrow cobblestone streets, passed by 500-year-old buildings and studied colorfully graffitied walls. My first day in La Candelaria left me smitten. But after spending one week delving deeper into Bogotá’s history, art and food cultures I was head-over-heels in…
After 15 hours of travel, two plane rides and one sleepless night, I finally arrived in Bogotá, Colombia. I’d dreamt of visiting South America – and Colombia especially – for years. But now that I’d finally arrived, something just didn’t feel right. Usually when I first step foot in a new country, let alone a new…
In 2007, my boyfriend and I were scheming about where to go for a 6-week trip. I desperately wanted to go to South America, but Aaron relentlessly argued that we should head to Southeast Asia instead – specifically Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Let’s just say I was skeptical, to say the least. I knew nothing about…
Last August my boyfriend and I made the decision to travel the world, indefinitely. This decision was not made hastily – we planned, we saved, and we sacrificed to make this happen. Timing was everything. We were both at points in our lives where it seemed ideal to finally venture on the long-term journey we’d always dreamed…
When visiting Indonesia most travelers tend to make a beeline to the tourist mecca of Bali. However, since it is significantly more expensive to fly directly into Bali, I opted to start my trip in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. Not only did this save me a couple hundred bucks, but it gave me the chance to explore…
When most budget travelers think of Bali, the first thing that pops into their mind is, “It’s too expensive!” As a long-term, frugal-minded traveler I came close to skipping Bali altogether during my two-month trip to Indonesia. Guidebooks and friends alike warned me that this world-famous island would be way too pricy for my $40-a-day…
The first time I rode a motorbike I was terrified. I was vacationing in Hawaii when my family peer pressured me into renting a scooter. Though my family views me as both a laid-back hippie and an adventurous traveler, I am actually a pretty anxious person. So I was petrified as I swerved my scooter onto the highway and…
By the time we arrived on Nusa Lembongan my boyfriend, Aaron, and I had traveled through Southeast Asia for exactly 203 days. For nearly seven months we’d lived out of backpacks, cohabitated in tiny (and often grimy) hotel rooms, and spent virtually 24 hours a day together. We’d proved that we rock not only as…