After three months in Colombia, it was time to move on to a whole new world. Ecuador, a Latin American country that just uses US dollars. If you’re wondering where all our Sacagawea dollars went, the answer is Ecuador. They have a rich appreciation for Native American culture here. Continue reading I was told that I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven →

I managed to avoid any excitement my last couple weeks in Riga, sticking to my familiar walking paths and coffee shop hopping. I did take a walk over to the markets on the weekend, which were quite large and busy. One building was completely filled with meat – did not last long in there. But I wish I had gone earlier, as there were huge stalls of vegetables as well.

Continue reading Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. →

My host sold the place I was staying and bought a new one, so I had to switch for my last few days in Tallinn. The new place was in the up-and-coming neighborhood where there is TONS of construction going on, and I was staying in one of the new buildings. Like, so new that they are doing another one right next to this one and it’s not even close to finished. But it’s much more modern, has a little enclosed balcony with a view of the sea, and it’s just a few steps from the seaplane harbor and old soviet prison. Extremely convenient if you like hanging out at defunct prisons or fly seaplanes.

Continue reading The only thing you ever cared about Stoney was nugs, chillin’ and grindage →

Tulum is one of those towns I decided to live a normal life for a little while at least. It’s fairly touristy (but no Cancun), but still quite cheap. I bought a package of cheese, a loaf of wheat bread, a juice box, shampoo, and an avocado for $5. And I got a filling replaced and two others repaired for $100. I’m not sure if I needed all that, but she was pretty so I trusted her.

Continue reading It meant that he was half insane and half god →

A rainy day in Berat kept me cooped up most of the day getting some work done, then I took a bus from Berat to Gjirokastër at 2. The bus driver took two breaks, one to sit down and eat, on the 4 hour journey (in the middle of the afternoon, mind you). So because I didn’t get in until 6, I decided to stay two nights here instead of one to give me enough time to look around a bit. Continue reading Because when all was said and done that was the price one paid for sincerity →

Paris was essentially a catchup and recharging point for me. Dad had a couple day trips, and I more or less worked and did a couple walking tours on my own. While I wasn’t in the best of moods, I found Paris to be dirty, unfriendly, and lacking of general WiFi options – the latter upsetting me more than the first two combined. Continue reading A multitude of people, and yet a solitude. →

I decided to AirBnb in Seattle, so I rented a Condo just off the train line between the airport and downtown Seattle in Othello. It’s about a 15 minute ride into the city and it’s much cheaper than staying directly downtown. Plus it comes with a gym, rooftop area to cook and relax, and it’s close to a couple parks to run. Overall, a pretty good location. Continue reading I am looking for a dare to be great situation →

Since Bruges takes a day or two to see everything, spending 7 days here is a bit of a challenge.  But I’m trying to provide an update, even if it’s just me looking at the same things again.  It’s getting increasingly cold throughout the week, which is not pleasant.  And I did pace myself here, so I do have things to do.  Wednesday morning I actually made the trip up the tower. Continue reading We shall strike a balance between culture and fun →

So I took a bus from Cologne to Brussels, and then caught a train from Brussels to Bruges (it’s about an hour, so I could make day trips back there this week if I wanted to.  My main reason for coming here is of course nothing historic, but because In Bruges it’s one of my favorite movies.

note: The Bruges posts will undoubtedly reference quotes from the movie quickly, which are extremely likely to include foul language. Continue reading We only just got off the fucking train! Could we reserve judgement on Bruges until we’ve seen the fucking place? →

Sometimes I think you just need a couple days to regroup, which is really what Freiburg ended up being for me.  Staying in my own hotel room, free breakfast, and a smaller, more relaxing city to wander around without the pretense of needing to overload on sights and attractions. Continue reading The only preventative measure one can take is to live irregularly →

Monday

Checked out of the Hostel and made my way back to the Hyde Park room.  Got settled.  Actually used the dresser drawer.  Had a real desk and real WiFi so I tried to do some real work for a while.

Ended up watching Netflix instead a lot.  Decided on “Suits” since it’s obviously one of those shows that I would like and it only has 2 seasons on Netflix so it isn’t a huge investment.  But I watched way too much of it of course and got a minimal amount of work done.  An apt prelude to my return home. Continue reading And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? →

After another relaxing day of work, jumping hostels and getting settled in I decided to finally hit the touristy trips.  My main concerns right now are my fingernails, which are growing uncomfortable and I can’t find clippers at any of these convenience stores.  In other news, my beardcation growth is substantial and it’s now at the point where it will become increasingly ragged.  I’m going all Paul Bunyan on Europe. Continue reading Boys I ain’t never seen nothin’ like a Galway girl →

So yesterday I overdid it and wore myself out too much, so today I relaxed a bit more and worked a lot to make sure I got everything done I needed to.  And I didn’t quite finish, because I work a lot anyways, so I need to work a bit more tonight and tomorrow morning to catch up for the weekend.

Anyways, yesterday I walked about 20 miles.  That might be a low estimate.  I don’t know why I walk everywhere; it’s kind of stupid.  I also get lost walking everywhere, which adds to the problem. Continue reading After all, I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. →