Category: Travel

  • How I Am Trying Not to Over-plan Barcelona

    How I Am Trying Not to Over-plan Barcelona

    I am a self-proclaimed planner. I love Google Maps, whiteboards, color coding, notepads, and schedules. I excel at logistics, time management, and strategic planning. I am notorious for checking out the parking situation at a place prior to arrival—granted, I live in Los Angeles, a city even more notorious for its lack of parking. I…

  • What I Thought Would Make Me Feel Like an Adult (And What Actually Did)

    What I Thought Would Make Me Feel Like an Adult (And What Actually Did)

    As a kid, I loved The Game of Life. It was my second-favorite game—behind Clue! The road to adulthood seemed so straightforward: You went to college, started a fabulous job, got married, bought a Tudor house, had kids, and retired rich at Millionaire Estates. Although I never envisioned myself as a “married in the suburbs…

  • Questions I’ve Googled An Embarrassing Amount of Times Before My Trip

    Questions I’ve Googled An Embarrassing Amount of Times Before My Trip

    Google, and the internet in general, is a wonderful tool. It allows us to buy things we don’t need, date people we wouldn’t have known existed and ask questions we might be too embarrassed to ask of another person. While preparing for my trip, I’ve learned two things about myself: I ask endless questions and…

  • Dressing for the Woman I Want to Be

    Dressing for the Woman I Want to Be

    I’ve always loved shopping, specifically clothes shopping. I remember the excitement of back-to-school clothes, eager to pick out something cute and trendy that would elicit mild envy from my peers. Just kidding — sort of. As an adult, that hasn’t changed. I still feel a thrill, and honestly, a sense of comfort, strolling through a…

  • A Solo Afternoon in Pleasanton, CA

    A Solo Afternoon in Pleasanton, CA

    This April, I found myself in the Bay Area for work, staying in San Ramon for two nights. Not sure if you’ve ever been to San Ramon, but it’s safe to say there won’t be a blog post featuring it anytime soon. I thought I would be inundated with work tasks but found myself done…

  • How I am Planning a Month in Barcelona

    How I am Planning a Month in Barcelona

    I have taken countless trips away: three days, four days, even five days in places like Newport, RI, Salem, MA, Portland, ME, Nashville, Scottsdale, Chicago, San Diego, and Napa. I’ve taken weeklong and two-week trips too: Cape Cod, Florida and Pigeon Forge collectively, Mexico — that one time! — and Boston. But I mean, a…

  • How I chose Barcelona for My First Long Solo Trip

    How I chose Barcelona for My First Long Solo Trip

    When I share with friends, family, coworkers, etc. that I am going to Barcelona for a month, the most common reaction is: A MONTH?! To which I reply: yes, a month…

  • Why I Finally Created A Girl Named Gin

    Why I Finally Created A Girl Named Gin

    I created A Girl Named Gin for the same reason I finally booked a month in Spain: because it was something I had always wanted to do, and I finally got tired of treating the things I wanted as someday things. I have loved writing for as long as I can remember. As an adult, I somehow…