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Street Art & Sight-Seeing By Foot in San Miguel, Cozumel

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Street Art & Sight-Seeing By Foot in San Miguel, Cozumel

San Miguel is a wonderful city to explore by foot. I managed to cover a lot of ground and see a lot of street art and sculptures in just a few hours one morning. Full exploration had me walking all over the city and seeing parts at night, too.

I never once felt unsafe walking around San Miguel—whether in the tourist areas in downtown or in the back streets away from the crowds.

I highly recommend taking a day to explore it. It cost me nothing and helped me better understand the culture of Cozumel and my part in it as a visitor.

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The Cost of 9 Nights in Cozumel, Mexico

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The Cost of 9 Nights in Cozumel, Mexico

I finally visited Mexico over New Years and managed to keep the cost down during this peak travel time. Mexico is not known to be an expensive country to visit. However, the price tag can skyrocket in an island cruise destination like Cozumel.

Not including travel insurance, I spent just over $1000 on 9 days in Cozumel, Mexico. That’s about $115 per day including airfare, accommodation, food, activities, transportation, and more.

I am quite proud of that price tag considering I did everything I wanted to do and even some things I didn’t know I’d do!

So how did I keep the cost down? Aside from travel points for my flights, many of the excursions and activities I did involved finding back ways to experience the same thing without the cost or bargaining my way to a better deal. Check out this full cost breakdown to understand how I spent my money in Cozumel.

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Central Market Highlights in San Jose, Costa Rica

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Central Market Highlights in San Jose, Costa Rica

The last two nights of my time in Costa Rica were spent in the city where it all started: San Jose. I purposely booked a relaxing stay with nice amenities so I could recoup from all the adventuring I’d done in the previous 2 weeks (best decision ever!).

It was time to sit back, relax, and take in some Netflix! Of course, the adventurer in me couldn’t sit still long. I had to get out and see a bit of San Jose. San Jose’s famous Central Market was the main attraction for me!

This 140+ old indoor market had everything I could possibly desire. I mention a few of its highlights but there’s one place in particular that had what I needed. This place had possible the most unique ice cream I’ve ever tasted made in 20 different ways. Read on to learn more as I close out my Costa Rica trip experience.

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Yoga & Sunset on the Beach: One Night in Tamarindo

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Yoga & Sunset on the Beach: One Night in Tamarindo

Going, going, going! I was nonstop in Costa Rica for 9 days. With only 5 days left, I felt the need to slow down a bit, and Taramindo was the ideal place in which to relax.

The perfect start to my short stint in Taramindo was arriving for sunset. I got overjoyed by the zoom lens on my camera as I observed the surfers, sailors, and glorious setting sun against the sights and sounds of the perfect waves rolling into shore.

The next morning, I started off the day with my first Airbnb experience—yoga on the sandy beach. This turned out to include some unexpectedly special touches that made for an already unique experience even better! A tarot card pull to open the practice and fresh coconut water to close it? Wonderful!

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13 Low-Budget Highlights in Oslo, Norway

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13 Low-Budget Highlights in Oslo, Norway

I only planned to be in Oslo, Norway for 2 nights. Then my COVID-19 test remained positive and 2-nights turned into 5!

I had to find things to do that were not only predominantly outdoors and socially distant but also low budget—just in case my travel insurance didn’t come through for me on this occasion (it did!).

Anyway, what I learned is that Oslo is a small, fairly quiet city and it has some really special features and experiences that make it stand out.

I had an awesome time exploring everything from its outdoor sculptures to parks and waterways. Check out this post for my list of low-budget highlights in the beautiful city of Oslo!

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10 Must-Sees For 24 Hours In Stockholm, Sweden

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10 Must-Sees For 24 Hours In Stockholm, Sweden

Carolina and I had time to kill in Stockholm for a day as we waited for her daughter to arrive from Italy. After recovering from our red eye flight from Greece with a car garage nap, we wandered the streets and did a little self-guided landmark and art museum sight-seeing.

We were on our own and pretty aimless until we met up with an old friend of mine. Giles took us around to a few of the more interesting spots including a sunken warship museum with a funny backstory.

This top 10 must-see’s include some typical stops but also some unexpected ones, like where to find Stockholm’s legendary stone face crying over—you’d never guess it—a sculpted vulva! Keep reading to find out more about our 24 hours in Stockholm!

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The Cost of 2 Weeks With COVID-19 from Sweden to Norway

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The Cost of 2 Weeks With COVID-19 from Sweden to Norway

I was embarking on the second half of my trip to Europe in July 2022 knowing full well I had a lot less control over what was about to happen.

For one, I would be traveling with Carolina in her part of the world so I let her do most of the planning. We were going to be using her car and using her high quality camping gear for the majority of the trip. Plus, we were going to be traveling with her child.

All of these factors had benefits to me as a solo traveler because it’s always less expensive and fun when you can share the costs of things with locals. What I didn’t anticipate was us all getting sick with COVID-19, diminishing the fun and causing the costs to skyrocket quickly!

In the end, insurance saved me and I got a huge reimbursement bringing my expenses to just under $1500. Not bad for one of the more expensive places in Europe to travel!

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The Magic Of Old Town Chania On Crete, Greece

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The Magic Of Old Town Chania On Crete, Greece

Chania is a new favorite city of mine and its all because of its area called Old Town. I had the perfect Airbnb location in the center of the Jewish quarter of Old Town. This put me right in the middle of an incredible mix of historic architecture and modern tourism.

From the crumbling ruins to the colorful painted alleyways, I was utterly enchanted by Old Town. Walking the streets alone was a magical experience. Add in a charming, Greek local who I heard open up his restaurant each morning, an Egyptian lighthouse reflecting off the waters of a Venetian harbor, and some furry friends and you have a total package of an experience.

I have so much to share with you in this post. There’s so many photos that I hope capture at least a small percentage of the feeling of this place! Enjoy!

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13 Things To Do In St. Augustine, Florida

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13 Things To Do In St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the continental US. The city was settled by Spanish colonizers in 1565!

In 24 hours, Kim and I had a whirlwind, self-guided tour of the main walking part of the city called “Old Town.” We ate delicious food, explored shopping, observed various opportunities for museum visits and tours, and so much more!

In this post, I give twelve recommendations for various experiences you can have. Each suggestion is accessible along the main tourist street or just beyond it.

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Denver's RiNo District: Street Art and Gentrification

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Denver's RiNo District: Street Art and Gentrification

For the last few hours of my last day in Denver, Dasha took me to explore the River North (RiNo) Art District. We drank cider, took in street art, and played with bike shares. It was a simple and fulfilling way to kill some time before my flight back to Miami.

RiNo Art District is a part of a non-profit art collective focused on uplifting local artists and small business owners. The district also represents a prime example of the erasure of Black history, culture, and prosperity. And how white visitors can contribute to that.

It’s Black History Month, and so I kick off this post with a bit of education about one of our country’s most gentrified cities right down to its most gentrified neighborhood—what was once considered The Harlem of the West.

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A Vaccinated Staycationer's Guide to Miami: Friend Weekend

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A Vaccinated Staycationer's Guide to Miami: Friend Weekend

The vaccine for COVID-19 changed a lot of things in the last few months. Places all over the USA are opening up, including New York City this past weekend for Pride events. And Miami has been opened up for a while.

I didn’t feel comfortable going out fully until about one month ago when two of my friends visited. In anticipation of their arrival, I put together an itinerary of activities based on their requests. We were all eager to not only spend time together but to also go out like “normal" and explore a city—the city of Miami!

For me, I am basically still new to Miami since the pandemic hit only a few months after my arrival. So this was a really awesome 4-day adventure around Miami including a hotel stay at Miami beach, tons of great food, awesome rooftop bars, and so much more.

Our experience serves as a guide for any vaccinated visitor or staycationer in Miami!

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Beyond Van Gogh Immersive Exhibit in Miami

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Beyond Van Gogh Immersive Exhibit in Miami

I missed pre-pandemic visits to art exhibits and museums. Especially as a newcomer to the very art-centric city of Miami, I couldn’t wait to dive back into the art scene here. As people get vaccinated and COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, there’s now more opportunities to get together with friends and see art safely indoors.

Two weeks ago, my friends visited from New York and Denver. I took them to the immersive Beyond Van Gogh exhibit. The exhibit made me feel like I was inside of Gogh’s paintings. It was awesome!

In this post, I share some background about the exhibit as well as photos and a video depicting our absolute joy during this experience.

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The Aqueous Exhibit at Artechouse Miami

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The Aqueous Exhibit at Artechouse Miami

My friend’s birthday was coming and I wanted to gift her an experience. Artechouse in Miami had COVID-19 restrictions that made me feel safe enough to visit—so I bought tickets to take her there for their current exhibit.

Aqueous is a cool, blue, ocean-inspired multi-media art experience at Artechouse. Far from art hanging on a wall, Aqueous is video production and atmospheric audio. This art makes you feel it emotionally and interact with it in a physical way!

I loved this exhibit and feel lucky to live in a city like Miami with access to art like this. Sometimes, you don’t have to go far to experience something new and creative!

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15 Self-Guided Things To Do In London

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15 Self-Guided Things To Do In London

There is so much to see and do, mostly for free or low cost, in any big European city. London is no different.

I spent about 4 weekends exploring London during my visit to England in 2012. On those visits, I wandered the streets of London and found incredible history, architecture, art, shopping, food, parks, and more.

I share in this post all of the highlights from my mostly self-guided experience around London.

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3 Days in Denver: Art Exhibits, Red Rocks, & Golden

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3 Days in Denver: Art Exhibits, Red Rocks, & Golden

There's nothing like spending time with a close friend in a new city and seeing new sights together.

For the last 2 days of my trip to visit Dasha in Denver, I saw psychedelic art, celebrated her birthday with more of her friends, and explored some iconic parts of the Denver area.

We visited the Natura Obscura art exhibit, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and checked out a little western mining town called Golden. Read on to hear about and see all that we did before I departed back to New York!

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Overnight in Montréal: A Travel Friend Meet-Up

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Overnight in Montréal: A Travel Friend Meet-Up

When friends invite you to travel across the border for a one night adventure—you take it! My friends Chelsea and Dayle headed to Montréal, CA last summer for a friend’s wedding. They offered to bring me along for an adventure of my own.

I couldn't pass up the chance! I decided to meet up with an old friend whom I met in my travels. It was an opportunity to catch up with her and see more of Montréal after visiting in summer 2017.

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11 Things To Do In Cape Town, South Africa

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11 Things To Do In Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa. There is a ton of history and culture to explore and lots of adventures that will give you some epic coastal city views.

In this post, I share 11 highlights or things I experienced in Cape Town and the nearby areas. Perhaps this will inspire you to visit or revisit to see and do some of the things I did!

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Exploring Windhoek and Partying With Queer Namibians

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Exploring Windhoek and Partying With Queer Namibians

Who knew Namibia had a queer scene? When I planned my trip to Namibia, I never expected to meet Namibian queer folk—and party with them! But that's exactly what happened through my couchsurf host in Windhoek, Namibia's capital city.

I stayed with Naville, a friend of a friend in the couchsurf community, while in Windhoek. Naville lives close to the city center. So it was super easy to access and explore shops, restaurants, sights, and bars from his place!

In this post, I share everything I squeezed into 1 full day and night in Windhoek. This included ethically shopping African souvenirs from local tribes and learning about local LGBT rights over ciders at a bar.

Despite limited time, I ended up making some great memories and even greater friends!Who knew Namibia had a queer scene? When I planned my trip to Namibia, I never expected to meet Namibian queer folk—and party with them! But that's exactly what happened through my couchsurf host in Windhoek, Namibia's capital city.

I stayed with Naville, a friend of a friend in the couchsurf community, while in Windhoek. Naville lives close to the city center. So it was super easy to access and explore shops, restaurants, sights, and bars from his place!

In this post, I share everything I squeezed into 1 full day and night in Windhoek. This included ethically shopping African souvenirs from local tribes and learning about local LGBT rights over ciders at a bar.

Despite limited time, I ended up making some great memories and even greater friends!

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Cemetery Tour in New Orleans: The City of the Dead

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Cemetery Tour in New Orleans: The City of the Dead

The summer is officially over, the leaves are starting to fall, and all my favorite kitschy Halloween stuff is showing up in stores. This is, hands down, my favorite time of year to be in the United States.

In New Orleans this past summer, I went on a free cemetery tour and a free ghost tour where I learned historical and present day tales of the dead and other spooky happenings. What I learned easily qualifies New Orleans as one of the creepiest cities in the country!

With October only a few days away, I am excited to finally share the chilling history of New Orleans in two installments. In this post, I share what I learned from my tour of the city's oldest cemetery.

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