Iowa’s winter wonderland: The first leg of our trip was composed of a snowy landscape. Down through southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, it was all snow. However, once we hit Iowa, we noticed something pretty spectacular: the tops of the trees sparkled with frozen ice, creating the illusion of a winter wonderland that Minnesota’s temperatures are too cold to permit. Continue reading
In writing my last post, I might have implied that I was not going anywhere for spring break. But plans change, and here I find myself planning the last few details of our spring break road trip to Texas only a week before we leave. We will be driving from Minnesota to southern Texas, a 22 hour drive. Although there will be stops along the way (Kansas City and Austin), we will definitely be spending more time in the car than not before arriving at our final destination: Port Aransas, Texas, a small beach town on Padre Island.
Road trips are a fickle thing. With the right people, the driving can be almost more fun than the destination. I like to think that I’ll be ridding with the “right people” on this trip. Continue reading
You know those people who go somewhere like the Mexico or the Virgin Islands every spring? Well, I’m here to break it to you that you don’t have to take a plane to a tropical destination to enjoy your spring break. If you’re going to be home this spring break, a stay-cation can be just as fun as any other trip! Maybe you’ll even check some things off your bucket list!
If you’re blanking on ideas and can’t think of anything worth doing near you to fill your days off, here’s a (hopefully) foolproof 4-step plan to help you craft your perfect stay-cation this spring. Continue reading
Pizza, gelato, expressos, open-air markets and fancy antipasti… What more could a girl need?
Last summer I spent a month in Italy with my family, and one of my biggest regrets, blog-wise, was that I didn’t post more about the food. Sure, the sights were amazing and the country side gorgeous, but what really made the trip was sinking your teeth into a messy bite of lasagna, or feeling melted gelato ooze down your chin. Letting your eyes wander the vast outdoor produce markets, asking yourself what that odd, pointy vegetable could be. Tasting the sweet, fresh taste of a cherry tomato on pizza, wondering why the tomatoes Continue reading
Montreal is a very cool city; we visited for a few days in the fall of 2014. It’s located in the only truly French-speaking province of Canada, Quebec, a legacy left behind from the days of European colonization. That’s what initially drew me to the city; its blend of French and English language, of European and North American culture. And from the moment I stepped out of the airport, I was captivated by this complex and lively city. I loved its rich history, its stunning architecture, its contrast of nature and city life, its delicious food, and most of all, its incredibly unique culture. Continue reading
Today, my sister and I decided to brave the 8 degree weather and spend the afternoon exploring Uptown, a quirky neighborhood in Minneapolis. In my opinion, Uptown has the best coffee shops in the whole city. It also has amazing thrift shops, restaurants, and book stores.
We started off at Magers & Quinn Booksellers. It sold all kinds of books, old and new, and had such an “urban-quirky-bookstore” vibe. My sister and I spent a good half hour there, browsing books and sneaking around people that were there to actually find books to take Continue reading
This week in Minnesota, we got a blizzard. The kind of blizzard that shut down the entire East coast a few weeks ago. But we didn’t even get a day off school. You might think this is normal for Minnesotans. That “Minensota is always snowy”, “it’s always cold in Minnesota”, or even that “Minnesota is a winter tundra all year long!”. Yes, I’ve heard it all, and it’s far from the truth. We do, in fact, have warm summers in Minnesota, and this February blizzard is actually our first blizzard of the season
The snow started Tuesday at noon, and by dusk, driveways had been shoveled repeatedly, rush hour traffic was moving a mere 15 mph on the highway, and kids were coming inside with cold cheeks and icy fingers, eager for the warmth of a steaming cup of hot chocolate Continue reading
One of the biggest chalenges facing those wishing to travel abroad today is the undeniable fact that English is not spoken all over the world. Having a basic controls of a country’s native language is a skill that can prove to be invaluable when visiting another country. We are lucky enough to live in age where countless resources are available to us at the touch of a hand, even recourses for learning new languages. There are so many language learning apps out there it can be overwhelming to figure out which ones would work best for you. Here are some the best ones I’ve found. Continue reading
This winter, I don’t have much travel planned. But the world awaits, and with a spectacular little resource called the internet, there are more ways than ever before to learn about other cultures and see other places, all within the comfort of your home. Of course, websites and books couldn’t even start to compare to real travel, but they’re better than being cooped up all winter, waiting for the weather to warm up. Here are some ways to experience the world without leaving the comfort of your home. Continue reading
Photography has come to be the backbone of my blog. Of course the writing is important, but it seems like the bulk of each of my posts is made up of pictures! When I first started blogging, I never would have imagined that photos would become so vital to my blog; I thought my main focus would be writing. But alas, I’ve come to love photography and can’t imagine the direction my blog would have gone without it!
Since I have no travel planned for the near future, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite pictures that I’ve taken on past trips. I’ve written posts on many of these places, and many of these pictures have appeared on my blog. However, there are a few Continue reading
Roaming Elsewhere 