semester abroad

Why am I qualified to write about travelling?

Great question. I am absolutely not qualified — but that has never stopped me before, and it’s not stopping me now.

I know that I’m no Anthony Bourdain (though we both consider Vietnam our first love), but he did once say:

I took that personally. And now, having added Paris to the list of place I call home, here we are. We miss you, Anthony.

What are my credentials, then? I present to you: the stats.

• 1 semester abroad — and I haven’t shut up since
• 2 travel diaries filled in 5 months and 24 days
• 1 unforgettable combo of food poisoning + fever + sore throat within my first week (I have seen God twice in my life: once at mile 11 of my half marathon, the next curled up on cold Parisian tile. I don’t even believe in God.)
• 17 countries across 2 continents
• Way too many lovely people met along the way to count
• One too many nights spent sleeping on friends' floors, uncomfortable bus rides, and bottles of €4 wine (life-changing)
• 0 phones stolen, 0 pickpocketing incidents — my most impressive achievement, honestly

But honestly? The one thing I’m most glad I did is that I did it.
Nervous, alone, whatever else — I did it anyway. And I hope, whatever your version of it is, you get to do it too.
Enjoy these snippets from the best few months of my life.

Disagree with any of my takes? Cool — write about it in your travel blog.
Have any recs? Send them my way pretty please. I hope I’ll get to them. ◡̈