2023 Year in Review: Looking Back on 12 Months of Travel

The Portland Head Light is the most photographed lighthouse in America. It’s also the first place I traveled to this year.

All in all, 2023 was an absolute joy for me. This was the first year where I was truly comfortable traveling in a post-pandemic world. I was also forced to grow as my priorities shifted. Looking back on the last 12 months, I almost don’t recognize the 25-year-old who carried me halfway through the year. That’s a sign of a year well-lived.

Why Did I Opt Out of A Travel Opportunity?

I was going to spend my weekend hiking in the Berkshires, which is the epicenter of fall foliage in New England and just a 3-hour drive from Boston. Sounds like a great plan, right? Well, I didn’t do it, and here’s why.

How to Start a Travel Scrapbook

Here I walk you through how I built out the travel scrapbook entry for my trip to Lisbon in early 2023. By outlining the steps I take for creating an entry, I hope to inspire you to create a travel scrapbook of your own. So join me as I dive into the world of printed images, glue sticks, and crumbled receipts.

How I Travel With a Chronic Illness

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2019, but that doesn’t prevent me from enjoying travel in a safe way.

My diagnosis poses some logistical and psychological barriers to care-free travel. However, I've learned a lot and have managed to explore beautiful and diverse parts of this world while protecting my health.

Exploring Accommodations: Hotels and Hostels

Hostels and hotels stand at opposite ends of nearly every spectrum so they can cater to vastly different travel experiences. In this blog, I compare the comfort of hotels with the communal charm of hostels, offering pros and cons for both and sharing insights on when I’ve chosen one over the other.