travel short stories

45 Funny, Heartfelt, Unforgettable Travel Stories

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I tell travel stories for a living. I do this because I can’t NOT tell travel stories — every experience I have is shaped in the moment and waits in anticipation to shoot out of my fingertips.

And I live to share those stories with an audience. As humans, we’re hard-wired to be influenced by storytelling, and I feel like stories are what inspire people to actually book a trip.

To be honest, though, compelling stories are what’s missing from most travel blogs today, where SEO-driven travel planning posts make up the majority of the content.

We have SO many great travel stories to tell. But we’re not telling them as often as we should. So I decided to share some of the best stories in one place.

I reached out to my travel blogger friends to share their most entertaining posts of all time. Nothing travel planning-oriented, nothing keyword- or affiliate-stuffed — just fun, entertaining stories that would make a stranger smile or laugh. And did they EVER pay off!

Each of these stories is a treasure. I hope you enjoy them.

Note: Due to COVID-19 and a dwindled demand for travel worldwide, travel bloggers have lost significant portions of their incomes. Between people not researching or booking travel and advertisers reducing their spend, many travel bloggers will be making a small fraction of their usual income for months.

The best thing you can do right now is find a story you like on this list and visit several pages on their blog. It costs you nothing, but your eyes on their display ads (no clicks necessary, we get paid by views!) will earn them some much-needed cash in a difficult time.

Want to help out even more? If you love one of these blog posts, sign up for their email newsletter. You can find mine here.

Table of Contents

Funny Travel Mishaps

Are you looking to read about crazy mishaps that happened on the road? Here are some good ones!

Possibly My Favorite Travel Poop Story Ever

Nomadasaurus

OMG. I had never read this one before but this is one of the funniest travel stories I’ve ever read!

Jared tells the story of when diarrhea hit at the worst time ever — on a Chinese bus — and where he ultimately ended up pooping!

Embarrassing Stories From My Travels

Legal Nomads

Jodi is well-known for being pooped on while traveling — 14 birds and one bat so far — but this post shared plenty more of those stories.

If you’ve ever wanted to know the most embarrassing way to ask where to catch the bus in Argentina, here it is.

Hooked on the Cook Islands: My Giant Wedgie

Neverending Footsteps

Lauren is well-known for her extensive list of disastrous “travel incidents” around the world.

This one involves a snorkeling trip where she accidentally flashed her vag to an entire boat of people, including a family with young kids.

I Have a Confession to Make

Journalist on the Run

Imagine being a travel writer who gets paid to stay in a luxurious resort in the Maldives. Dream job, huh?

Now imagine that you get hit by the worst diarrhea of your life while pretending that everything is normal as the staff gives you a tour! Janet lays out her experience in excruciating detail.

When a City Girl Goes Camping

Suitcase and Heels

I may be a city girl who took her first steps in a tent — but not all city girls take to camping so easily.

Melissa shares a camping adventure in Newfoundland that did not go as planned! (NEVER forget the bottle opener!)

An Ode to Señor Frog, The Worst Car in Cozumel

Emily Luxton Travels

What happens when you rent a weird pea-green car that looks like an emaciated Volkswagen Beetle? Well, you definitely get an adventure out of it, Emily shares.

Know this before you rent a tiny car on a Mexican island!

How to Have the Worst Day Ever in Phuket (and How to Turn It Around)

Why Wait to See the World

Sometimes you have a travel day when you hit disaster after disaster after disaster — and sometimes it’s when you’re on your first full travel day with your boyfriend, ever.

That happened to Steph in Phuket, but soon she found a way to turn it around.

The Time I Got Pissed On in Manila

Aussie on the Road

Continuing the bodily fluids theme, Chris shares a rather disgusting late-night incident in a hostel dorm.

This proves that sometimes fellow backpackers are the most horrifying thing you could run into on the road!

Terrible Travel Tales: Mishaps, Setbacks, and Comical Foibles of Globe Trotting

Year of the Monkey

From missing a flight at the last minute due to a nosebleed to getting mistaken for a child at the age of 32, this is a big list of stories.

Paroma shares her favorite travel mishaps she’s collected over the years, all in excruciating detail.

That Time We Got Held Hostage by Monkeys in Ubud

Bridges and Balloons

And I thought I was terrified in the Monkey Forest in Ubud — Victoria and Steve got TRAPPED in a house surrounded by monkeys and couldn’t escape!

One of my worst nightmares. They seemed to handle it well.

My Embarrassing Driving Experience in Ourzazate

Norbert had never driven stick before in his life — so when the car he rented in Morocco turned out to have a manual transmission, he figured he could just wing it and learn to drive stick that day. NOT SO MUCH!

As a fellow driver who has never driven stick, I felt this one.

Ayurvedic Massage, Not for the Modest

Jessie on a Journey

If you had the chance to get a massage for just $16 in the heart of Kerala, India, you would go for it, wouldn’t you?

Then Jessie found out that this massage was done naked. COMPLETELY naked. With lots of oil and boob massage.

Scary Travel Mishaps

Sometimes mishaps can be on the dark side — though often you’ll find aspects of them humorous in retrospect. Either way, you won’t want to miss these posts.

Disaster Strikes

Escape Artistes

When horseback riding in rural Mongolia, Theodora’s son fell and severely broke his arm…in the middle of absolute nowhere.

This kicked off a breathless emergency of trying to find healthcare in one of the most remote places on Earth. It’s a gripping read.

When Traveling Sucks: A Hospital Visit in Fez, Morocco

Foodie Flashpacker

What’s worse than getting bitten by a bunch of bugs in the night? Getting bitten by giant mutant insects whose bites swell up enormously…right in the middle of your forehead.

Nathan details the story of his medical incident in Morocco and a doctor’s office that looks straight out of Chernobyl.

When a Man Comes Knocking

Borderline Crazy Bloggers

One of the scariest things while traveling is when a man has fixated on you — and because the culture is so different, you’re not sure whether you should be afraid or not.

In this story, Marieke shares the story of an Indian man who showed up at her door and kept refusing to leave.

Tales of Romance and Love

Do you love stories about love? I bet you do!! Here are three stories that will make you believe in finding love on the road.

The Last Time I Saw You (Part Five)

This Battered Suitcase

This is an ongoing series on Brenna’s blog where she tells the stories of the loves she’s met while traveling.

This is a short story that feels like it’s much longer — an incredibly romantic dalliance with a French man on a tropical island, then how it all crashes down once returning to real life.

10 Love Stories From My Travels

Adventurous Kate

It’s been years, but this is still one of my favorite posts I’ve ever written. I share ten different love stories from my travels, and tell you the ten locations where they took place — but you have to use logic and deduction to figure out which location matches with each story.

Nobody has ever guessed all 10 correctly. Maybe you will.

Nacpan and Calitang Beach: One of the Last Starry-Eyed, Lovestruck Journeys of the Previous Chapter

Nomadic Experiences

Looking back to days on one of the most beautiful beaches near El Nido in the Philippines, Marky tells the story of a special girl and the sweet moments they shared on one of the most idyllic islands in the world.

They’ve long since broken up, but he gently holds the experience in his hand, frozen in time.

Unforgettable Travel Experiences

These are the moments that got us out of our comfort zone, introduced us to memorable characters, and turned us into better travelers — and people.

How I Met Gunther, The Best Taxi Driver in Vienna

Budget Traveller

Every now and then, you meet someone who restores your faith in humanity. Gunther the taxi driver was one of those people.

Not only did he defy the odds to get Kash to his bus on time, he was unbelievably kind about the dilemma that happened next.

The Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done: Two Weeks Hiking Japan’s Kumano Kodo Iseji

Adventures Around Asia

The Kumano Kodo hike in Japan is one of the most famous spiritual pilgrimages in the world. Richelle was excited to get out of her comfort zone — then ended up doing the hike in convenience store waterproof pants.

Despite a very tough start, it turned out to be a fantastic experience.

Hiking in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Inside the Travel Lab

Sometimes the most magical travel experiences take place in the most remote areas.

Abi extols the romance and beauty and culture of these isolated villages of Morocco, yet wonders if bringing more travelers here would be a good thing.

What I Learned From Giving Up Meat, Alcohol, and Complaining in India

Ashley Abroad

When Ashley went to Rishikesh, India, for yoga teacher training, she went out of her comfort zone by staying sober, sticking to a vegetarian diet, and giving up complaining.

Did it work? In some ways, yes, and she learned a lot about herself from the experience.

The Thrilling Adventures of Super Boyfriend

No Place to Be

So your girlfriend has dropped her camera in the Nam Song river in Laos. Surely a lost cause, isn’t it?

Not for Poi — a.k.a. Super Boyfriend — who leaped to the rescue, underwater among the sharp rocks.

Alaska Road Trip: Our Top 12 Adventures

Alaska is a destination that so many travelers dream of — but the reality ends up looking different from what you pictured.

Mike and Anne share gorgeous photos and stories from their multi-year honeymoon.

Controversial Takes

A lot of bloggers swear that controversial posts are the way to get traffic. I agree, as long as you go about it the right way. By that, I mean make a point, be fair, and defend it well. And PLEASE don’t trash the Philippines just to get crazy traffic.

5 Reasons to Stop Hating on “The Instagram Girl”

Follow Me Away

It seems so fashionable to hate the “Instagram girl” with the popular travel account — after all, who really wears a ball gown on top of a mountain?

But in this post, Victoria points out why the hate is misguided and the reasons why we should be supporting women with unconventional careers.

8 Reasons Why You Should Never Go to Wales

A Dangerous Business

Sure, Wales is beautiful and fun and interesting to explore, Amanda writes — but do they REALLY need all those castles and myths? Come on, now.

(Let’s say some people didn’t quite get the sarcasm.)

5 Reasons Travel Just Totally Isn’t Worth It

travelingmitch

I’m sorry, why are we even traveling, anyway? It’s so annoying, Mitch says!

What if people don’t speak English? What if you’re forced to challenge your preciously held views? WHAT IF YOU GET LOST AND CAN’T GET UN-LOST?! Better stay at home.

Is a Backpack Just Another Word for “Female Mid-life Crisis”?

GrrrlTraveler

Turning 40 and continuing to backpack around the world as a single woman with no kids. It’s what Christine enjoys — but is this what she really should be doing at this age?

For her, the answer is yes — and this post really shows how deep our cultural norms can set.

8 Reasons Hiking Sucks

Food Fun Travel

When people love food and wine and music as much as Tommo and Megsy, it’s not surprising that they’re equally passionate about what they hate: hiking.

Who needs to go back to nature? Who likes going somewhere without pubs? Is it a bonding experience? Bonding in misery, maybe!

How-To Guides You Never Thought You’d Need

Travel blogs are a great place to learn something new! And often it’s something you NEVER thought you needed to know…

How to Throw Out Your Garbage in Germany

Ali’s Adventures

Who knew just the act of throwing out your trash was so ridiculous and complicated in Germany?!

Ali shares what she’s learned as an expat in Berlin. Also, the comments are a gold mine.

How to Use the Toilet in India

BreatheDreamGo

Worrying about stocking up on toilet paper? Indians don’t use toilet paper at all!

India expert Mariellen shares all the tips for using the toilet in an unconventional (better?) way, and shares a hilarious video from Wilbur Sargunaraj.

How to Survive a Power Outage like a Puerto Rican

Indecisive Traveler

Reese spent years living in Puerto Rico, and during that time she went through quite a few power outages, including a four-day outage in 2016.

Step one? Immediately buy all the cold beer you can and take it home!

Big on Bidets: How Do You Use a Bidet and What is a Bidet For?

LL World Tour

Have you ever stopped in your tracks at the sight of a bidet in a bathroom in Italy or France and not known exactly how to use it?

Lisa shows you what you need to know. Because there’s nothing better than a clean anus!

Quirky Stories from the Road

All of us love to travel for the unusual things we discover on the road. Here are some of the best stories of unusual discoveries while traveling.

The Peens of Pompeii

Domestiphobia

Did you know that the ancient ruins of Pompeii are filled with penises? WELL, YOU DO NOW!

Katie visited the ruins for a day and was struck by how you can find a peen outline just about everywhere you look.

The Funniest Farm Market Sign in Southwest PA

Around the World L

Proof that there’s lots to be loved here in lesser-known parts of the US.

I love this sign that Lillie shared from a farmer with a side of sass!

Pictures of Cats and Dogs in Naples, Italy

2 Food Trippers

Naples is one of the greatest food cities in Italy — if not all of Europe — so it’s no surprise that the felines and canines of this city are as plump as they are adorable!

A cute post from Daryl and Mindi.

Sheep Driving Distractions in the Lake District

Raulerson Girl Travels

The Lake District of England is a wonderful place for a scenic drive…if it weren’t for the kamikaze sheep who leap right in front of your car!

I didn’t believe how fearless the sheep were until I saw Heather’s crazy photos.

How Creepy is the Ringling Brothers Circus Museum in Sarasota, Florida?

My Wanderlusty Life

You don’t have to be afraid of clowns to be creeped out by this weird museum, Ashley opines.

If you’re a hardcore circus fan, sure, knock yourself out! Other people? You don’t know what you’re getting into…

Lady Fails at Grocery Shopping

A Lady in London

Who knew it was so hard to grocery shop in the UK as an American? (Me. Boy, do I know that.)

Turns out none of the items are the same as what you would look for in the US (no tomato sauce ANYWHERE!) and Julie struggles to find normal items she just wants to cook.

Transportation in India: What the Tuk-Tuk?!

Traveling Canucks

Tuk-tuks are one of the most common forms of transportation in India — and they can be TERRIFYING.

Nicole and Cam vividly share every detail of a typical tuk-tuk ride, from near-accidents to carefully maneuvering around cows, and you’ll be white-knuckling it along with them.

That Time Angie Made Us Stay in a Sex Motel

Living the Dream RTW

When Jeremy and Angie had to spend the night in a Colombian border town, Angie chose a nondescript hotel.

Well. Turns out it was filled with a wide cadre of “hourly” guests all night long — and the walls were paper-thin.

You know…these funny posts don’t fit anywhere else, so here they are.

50 Amazingly Achievable Things to Do Before You Die

Fevered Mutterings

Forget those usual bucket list items — go skydiving! See Machu Picchu! — and focus on things that you CAN do. Trip on a shoelace. Use a leaf as a bookmark. Walk into plate glass.

Mike makes sure you’ll finish this post with a smile on your face.

8 Places to Travel in Case of a Zombie Apocalypse

Amateur Traveler

So once the zombie apocalypse actually hits, where should people be going? Chris shares his favorite spots, including Louisville, home to the famous baseball bat.

I have to admit, the isolated Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha is an inspired choice.

8 Funny Facts About Traveling With Your Twin

Slow Spirit

Guilherme and his twin brother Gregório are identical twins who travel together — and they are VERY distinctive-looking. They get photographed nonstop, people who meet them individually refuse to believe there are two of them, and yes, they play a lot of pranks.

I laughed out loud at their hostel prank!

Thanks for reading! We loved sharing these posts with you.

Which one of these stories was your favorite? Share away!

***Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase.***

Best Short Travel Stories: 15+ Bloggers Share Their Favorite Travelling Story

Table of Contents:

Every tourist has at least a few interesting travel stories to share. The more you are exploring the world, the greater the chance that you have experienced something unique. We’ve asked our blogging friends to share their most memorable experiences. Check out these awesome short travel stories and get inspired!

Best Travel Stories Including Romance

Love at first lettuce.

by Juliette from Snorkels To Snow blog

4 years later the hunky builder became my husband.

Adventure With A Stranger In France

by Barbara from Jet Settera blog

After our short meeting, we kept on chatting for about a month on Facebook and then we decided to meet up in Florence in a hotel room and explore Tuscany together.

We agreed on the itinerary and he flew in from Vienna and I arrived from Milano. We rented a Fiat500 and we traveled all around Tuscany for a long weekend.

We visited some of the most romantic cities in Italy , such as Siena, Lucca, Pisa, and Cinque Terre. It was an amazing adventure together.

We had lots of fun on the trip and we went on more trips after that. The conclusion of the story was that sometimes it is good to come out of your comfort zone and take a chance on a stranger, maybe he will be an excellent travel partner.

Scary Travel Stories That Will Give You Chills!

Jumped by an adult puma in the bolivian jungle  .

by Aaron from The Dharma Trails blog

Cheap, Bolivian vodka . That’s what got me there. Isolated, deep in the Bolivian jungle, with an apex predator wrapped around my body (and hot breath on my face).  

Volunteering at a Bolivian animal sanctuary I saw all kinds of monkey bites and scratches. It was common for backpackers to show off their fresh wounds at the end of each day. But no one had a story like this…

The weekly volunteer party got out of hand (the night before). Those with the appropriate big-animal training didn’t wake up or sign in to the morning’s meeting. I was there. Hungover, but there.   So, I agreed to help out with the puma (even though it normally requires months of training and animal integration/familiarity).

After an hour of trekking through the jungle, one of the team members and I reached the puma’s enclosure. The huge cat growled at me with a distinct sense of dislike. But that didn’t stop us from continuing our task.   We entered the caged area, attached two ropes to the puma’s “collar” and begun to walk him through the jungle.   

The puma, completely unpleased with my intrusion, stepped forward hesitantly. After only a couple of minutes, he stopped, looked back at me, and growled directly into my eyes. I watched helplessly as the puma leaped 10ft into the air towards me. In a split-second, his powerful legs wrapped around my waist, arms wrapped around my throat and fangs pressed into my forehead.  

I heard my team member scream. But I couldn’t move. Completely still, I assumed the worst. Yet, somehow it felt completely natural. The circle of life. The scream faded as I began to lose consciousness. Then, all of a sudden, I was released.   The animal let me go and stepped backwards.  

After swearing profusely, my team member yelled “stick your palm out towards him”. For some reason, I did.   The huge cat stepped back towards me and licked it. And, that was it. He knew that I knew, who was king of the jungle. After that we were friends.  

Volunteering with animals is a great way to give back while you  eco travel . Just be sure to pick places with adequate training if you don’t want to have bad travel stories like mine!

Getting Arrested in Gansu, China

by Wendy from the Nomadic Vegan blog

My short story about my travel experience is from Asia. On our first trip to China , one of the destinations my husband and I were most looking forward to, was visiting the Labrang Monastery. Located in remote Gansu province in the west of China , Labrang is a holy site and a place of pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists. 

At that time, neither one of us spoke any Chinese, and we were finding it frustratingly difficult to get where we wanted to go. We didn’t understand why all the bus drivers were refusing to let us get on the buses heading towards the transport hub from where all onward transport to Labrang left.

When one of them finally did let us on, he then forced us to get out on the outskirts of town, well before we reached the bus station. Confused, and not knowing what else to do, we started walking in the direction we thought the station was in. We didn’t get far before two police cars skidded to a halt next to us, and we were suddenly surrounded by six cops wearing S.W.A.T. badges on their sleeves.

They brought us to the head of the prefecture, who luckily was a very friendly Tibetan man who spoke enough English to explain what was happening. Unbeknownst to us, the Chinese government had recently made that part of Gansu off-limits to foreign tourists in light of protests by ethnic Tibetans in the area.

After treating us to a tasty lunch of vegetarian Chinese food , the head of the prefecture drove us back across the prefecture border himself and made sure that we got on a bus back to where we had come from.

We never made it to the Labrang Monastery on that trip, but at that point, we were just happy not to be in a Chinese jail. As I write this, we are in Mongolia, planning to cross back into China in a couple of weeks. We have been told that Labrang has reopened for foreigners, so 10 years later we are going to give it another shot. Hopefully, we don’t get arrested this time and we will only have amazing travel stories to share!

Snake Attack In Vietnam

by Lina from Divergent Travelers blog

We were just about to take a final stretch of country road and head onto highway 1 for the next leg when we saw something in the road ahead of us.

It was up ahead of Jon and it was the kind of thing you couldn’t really tell what it was until you were right on top of it. In an instant, we saw Jon whip his legs up as a huge snake lunged at his leg when his scooter sailed next to it. I was mortified as I am very afraid of snakes. The last thing I wanted was to have this thing striking at me as we cruised by.

We pulled over, laughed, and discussed the size of it while noticing a local man running down the road with a long stick. He was hollering at us excitedly and pointing at the road. Apparently, snakes of that size are worth well over 1.2 million dong and the man was bursting with excitement about catching the venomous beast.

Asking where it went, he moved into the grass at the edge of the rice field in pursuit. The movement caused the snake to flee into the rice paddies and the local man immediately gave chase into what became a dance between him and the snake. Each challenged the other until the man lept to the opportunity and seized the snake by the head with his bare hands.

He smiled proudly as he came back to the road, showed off the snake then as swiftly as he appeared, left us standing there while he made his way down the road back to his house. Snake in hand. You don’t see that every day! It was definitely one of these fun travel stories that we will never forget.

Dangerous Night Trip In Peru

by Danielle from the Like Riding Bicycle blog

Not every travel story is fun. I have many scary travel stories to share, including the one from Peru. Many years ago, when I’d just started traveling , I took a bus going through parts of the Amazon… at night. Apparently, this wasn’t the best call. Around 3 am I was alarmed to wake up to the bus stopped, and a man in a black mask with a huge black gun pointed at us all. He yelled in Spanish and everyone’s hands went up into the air, so I flung mine up following suit. Before long the men were marched off the bus, leaving us women, hands still in the air, to wait for what would come next.

I had a moment in which I thought: “What are they about to do with the men? What are they about to do with the women? What are they about to do with me, the only foreigner on the bus?” I was far from rich, but they didn’t know that.

After some time another man came on the bus, this time with a small silver pistol which he pointed at each of us as he robbed us blind. No one was physically harmed, though I knew that people who weren’t as fortunate to be a Westerner like myself lost more than they could afford to replace, which was a hard thing to realize. I couldn’t help, only sit there with my arms in the air.

So go to Peru – it’s amazing! – just don’t take a night bus through the Amazon!

Mutant Bugs Attack

by Nathan from Foodie Flashpacker blog

Although at the time it happened I wouldn’t have called it my best travelling story, now, looking back on it, it’s one of the best/funniest stories of my nearly three years of traveling. This all took place during my visit to Fez , Morocco in 2016.

The time I survived a direct attack to the face by killer mutant bugs from outer space. And then visited a vagina doctor with the world’s oldest x-ray machine to put my face back together again.

Long story short- one day I woke up with a face full of bug bites. The concerned guest house owner sent me to a pharmacist who then sent me to a doctor.

More specifically, I later learned, was that I had been sent to a gynecologist. We established that some large insects had attacked my face and I was in need of multiple medications. And, for reasons still unknown to me, an x-ray. At least I think he x-rayed me.

Being A Suspect In The Disappearance Of Girl In France

By James from The Portugal blog

One of the funny adventure stories that I have is from the time I found a 5-month housesit in the middle of the French countryside. It sounded idyllic, and perfect for me and my girlfriend at the time who had just started out as digital nomads. 

In reality, it wasn’t quite as idyllic as advertised. The biggest issue was the lack of internet; something which was supposed to have been installed by the time we arrived. But, we made do. We bought French sim cards with 3 GB of internet each (the max we could get at the time) and vowed never to look at YouTube or anything that might use lots of data for the entire 5 months.

It was all going perfectly until one day there was a knock at the door and two local French policemen were standing there. They began asking us what we were doing on the property and where the owners were. In the best French, I could manage, I explained the concept of house-sitting but I could see it wasn’t going over. 

Then, they showed us a picture of a girl who was missing. We hadn’t seen her and, in fact, didn’t know anyone in the town. We apologized that we couldn’t be of more help, thinking that was that. 

It wasn’t. One of the policemen then pulled out a printout of a forum conversation between the missing girl and someone who they believed was her biological father. Then in the forum conversation, they showed me a mobile number: my French mobile number. 

I didn’t know how to explain it apart from to say that it must be a typo, but that wasn’t good enough. They asked to see my computer and began looking through the search history. Then, obviously not buying my house sitting story, they asked where the owners were again.  

Unsatisfied, they told me to come into the station that afternoon for more questioning at 2 pm. I didn’t know what to do. There wasn’t enough time to find a lawyer or even a translator as they would probably have had to come from the nearest city. I opened Google Translate and tried to come up with as many useful sentences as I could, but it was hard to concentrate. 

At 2 pm on the dot I walked through the doors of the police station and when the policeman saw my worried face he burst out laughing. “Lucky for you, she showed up,” he said. And that, amazingly, was the end of that. I’ve never heard any more about this again. 

Lifechanging Short Travel Stories

Stepping out of a comfort zone in dubai.

by Michaela from Awe Inclusive blog

In 2014, I was scrolling through a Facebook group when I spotted a post claiming $200 roundtrip tickets to Duba (btw if you want to save on your next trip, check out this trip com coupon ). As is routine in that group, I confirmed the deal, checked my calendar, and booked tickets – no asking friends, no waiting for job approvals, and no overthinking. It would be my first trip alone.

I met Jibri during the layover. She got my attention and started chatting about travel deals and groups. During our small talk, I considered putting my earphones back in or making up a reason to excuse myself. Instead, I decided to embrace a new person and see where it could lead.

Not only did we exchange contact information to meet-up in Dubai, but we joined other travel group members who rented out a yacht for an afternoon cruise along the Persian Gulf.

It was totally outside of my comfort zone and totally what my comfort zone needed – to be stretched out of shape! I met amazing people and forged exciting friendships.

Dubai was life-changing. I learned to trust my abilities and instincts even when I had to improvise. I learned that strangers are just friends who haven’t met you. Most importantly, I learned that my suitcase was much lighter when I didn’t fill it with fear.

This year, I took a solo trip to Thailand and it was the absolute best. More solo trips are in my future as I continue to challenge myself to get uncomfortable and do more than I thought I could.

See also: Best travel stories from Thailand .

Beautiful Travel Friendship

by Viki from Chronic Wanderlust blog

I’ve been in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for a few weeks now for my divemaster training. I spent every day in the water with customers and my instructor. I loved it! We shared the boat with another dive shop and I started to notice that they were also training a divemaster to be.

She seamed to be my age and so I started talking to her. Janice is from Canada and also madly in love with the ocean and all things diving. We started to hang out more and more and even became very good friends then.

She left Mexico a few days before I left, but we managed to stay in touch. For almost two years now we talk several times a week, she helped me through many things as a stupid breakup.

Last year I told her I was going back to Mexico for a few weeks and if she wanted to meet me there. She told me that she couldn’t manage with work. I had wanted to see her so badly! And I knew she wanted to be in sunny Mexico with me as well.

I remember the 30th of December when she told me that she had just bought the ticket and will be in Mexico the next day! I was beyond happy, I was going to see my best friend again. I was going to see her for the second time in my life and yet she knows more about me than any other person that I see more often.

I love how friendships can last over distance and time zones. Meeting Janice is definitely one of the best solo travel stories that I have.

Best Adventure Travel Stories

Hawaii adventure.

by Carole from Berkeley and Beyond blog

Even though I have many short stories about traveling the world, I want to share the one from Hawaii. I’ll never forget the time I landed on the remote Hawaiian island of Molokai and was told, “We have a wedding and two funerals on the island, and so we have run out of cars.” It was at about the same time as a popular movie with a similar title was out, so the statement had a humorous overtone.

However, since this was hang-loose Hawaii , I was assured by a mellow employee that all would work out and so there was really nothing I could do but relax into it. The car agency arranged for (and paid for) a cab to deliver us to our condo so we could check-in, and told us that the next morning someone would pick us up and deliver us to the mule ride.

Done, though we did almost miss our morning ride due to confusion regarding the meeting spot, but the point is we didn’t  miss it, and we were told by that driver that our car would be waiting in the parking lot for us after our ride.

And there it was! Pure Molokai magic.

Visiting A Real Quechua Village

by Gabor from Surfing the Planet blog

Although Machu Picchu is simply indescribable, it turned out that a totally improvised adventure left a much stronger mark on us. When we were staying at a Couchsurfer’s place in Cusco, we asked him whether it would be possible to visit a real Quechua village.

He said we could try, although we would have to find it out ourselves since these Quechua communities live quite far in the Andes and there’s no public transport to get there.

In the end, we got very lucky, since looking for transport in Ollantaytambo, we found out that the local doctor and other social workers were going to visit some of these tribes and they let us join them.

We were really happy because we had the chance to stay in a Quechua community, learn about their traditions, see the colorful clothes they wear every day and take part in their daily routine for some time. We often had to use hand gestures to communicate, since most of these people don’t speak Spanish, only Quechua. This is one of our most interesting travel stories and a real heart-warming experience that we will never forget.

Funny Short Travel Stories

Mistaking a brothel for a massage spa in china.

by Talek from Travels With Talek blog

Ah… cultural confusion.  One weekend I was in a part of Beijing I was not familiar with and decided to get a massage.  I remembered what appeared to be a massage spa nearby. The location didn’t look exactly like a typical spa, but I went in anyway.

The inside of the location had all the spa-like features which reassured me.  However, when the hostess approached me, she appeared apprehensive and asked me something in Chinese. I pantomimed a massage.  She disappeared into a dark room behind a beaded curtain. I could hear her and another woman speaking animatedly.

After some uncomfortable moments, the woman returned and lead me to a dimly lit, rectangular room with a massage table in the middle. I positioned myself as I normally would. A different woman came in and gave me a lackadaisical massage for about an hour. I paid and went back to my hotel.

The next day my colleagues and I discussed our weekend. I mentioned my massage at a location next to the Wanda department store. “Oh! That’s a high-end brothel” they said. They’re probably still laughing.

Crazy Travel Stories

Free helicopter ride.

by Kris From Nomad By Trade

My favorite travel story is from a business trip I took to a small town in Kentucky. One morning, my co-worker noticed that there was a helicopter parked out on the hotel’s lawn, which we thought was odd but pretty cool.

That week, we ended up befriending the helicopter’s pilot and his wife and talking to them at breakfast and the evening periods of light snacks.

He somehow offered to take us up for a free ride, so one morning before work, we each took a turn hopping in his helicopter and flying up and over town. He banked, dipped, and shot up to the sky like a rocket during our jaunt through the Kentucky skies.

I still find it funny that I wouldn’t get in a car with a stranger, but I had no qualms about hopping in a helicopter with one. I’ve been traveling on an almost weekly basis for work for six years and that’s still one of the coolest things that I’ve gotten to do on the road.

My Birthday In A Private Castle Near Prague

Crazy Flight With A Hyperactive Child

by Alexis from World Travel Adventurers blog

We’ve had our fair share of unforgettable and funny travel stories as parents traveling with a spirited 2-year-old and 4 years old, but this one still takes the cake. We think every parent who has ever flown with young children can relate.

We were on our way home from Salt Lake City to Baltimore, which is a 5-hour flight, so my husband had the brilliant (or so he thought) idea to sedate our energizer bunny son (whose nicknames include Taz, tornado, hurricane, wrecking ball, the destroyer) to make the long flight easier.

Having a wild toddler restricted to a seat for 5 hours is no fun for anyone, but a sleeping toddler sounded much more appealing.

We had given him Benadryl before when he was sick and it put him right to sleep like a charm, so we thought we were in the clear. It turns out, some kids have the opposite reaction to Benadryl and turn into hell on wheels.

Well, our son turned into that kid. I think everyone on the flight, especially the person sitting in front of him, wanted to kill him or at least put him in a straightjacket and a muzzle. The flight attendant, who used to be a nanny, could tell early on that something was up and had a hunch it was from Benadryl gone wrong.

In the midst of his craziness, I took him to the bathroom at the front of the plane to change his diaper. When we headed back to our seats, he took off running down the aisle full speed ahead. He was so fast and agile (being much smaller than me and able to maneuver through the narrow aisle like a star football player) that I couldn’t catch up to him until he had run the entire length of the plane.

My husband said he saw a flash go by his seat, and then saw me running after yelling my son’s name. He thought it was hilarious. I did not. We can both laugh about it today and will NEVER make that mistake again.

So to all my fellow parents of traveling youngsters, beware and never use Benadryl for a stress-free flight unless you’ve tested it a few times and are sure that your child will not turn into a Tasmanian devil. Unless you want to add something to your funny holiday stories collection, then go for it.

Meeting The President Of Ecuador

by Dane from Holiday From Where blog

My best travel story is from a time I was in a small city called Salinas on the south coast of Ecuador . I was just hanging with a local friend and surfing every day before I started to head north. I kept hearing about this wave that was really good and you couldn’t surf because you had to sneak through an air force base to get to.

One day my friend was telling me it was going to be really good, so, we decided to try and sneak in. In hindsight, it was really stupid. We were crawling on our hands and knees through some bushes on the bad side of a shooting range while they were actively shooting. We made it to the beach got changed and ran for the ocean.

We were in the water for all of 15 minutes when two large me with AK-47s appeared on the beach and started to yell and whistle. We got a few more waves and went in. The men were extremely un-impressed and very angry.

We knew we were doing the wrong thing but obviously played dumb. As we were about to get dragged off a man and his wife came over a small dune and just walked up to us. The man asked us how our day was and if we had a good surf we replied we did and he just smiled at us and walked off.

As he did my friend informed me that it was the President. Everything happened so fast and in no time we were in the back of a military vehicle being taken to a small building. I was out a short time later with a stern warning never to return. 

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Did you enjoy reading this post? Share your best travel story in the comments below!

72 Responses

Love it! Thanks for including our story. Traveling opens you up to so many incredible (sometimes hilarious) experiences so it’s great to hear about other memorable moments from fellow travel addicts!

It’s our pleasure, Alexis! Your story is great, thanks for sharing it :)

Pinoy TV is one of the few international channels that provide high-quality entertainment.

These stories are great. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Thanks for the inspiration Karolina! Traveling the world is something I’ve always wanted to do, but have found it hard to make the leap.

Hey Karolina,

Very inspiring travel stories! Makes me want to book a flight now and create an amazing travel story ever told! ;) There is nothing more gratifying than traveling, yes you spend but you learn more. Been to many places and every story is just different and amazing!

These stories are inspiring and it makes me want to travel more. Cheers!

Some amazing stories in there! It’s amazing what opportunities can present themselves when you are travelling abroad.

There’s some incredible stories in there. It’s amazing to see what opportunities can present themselves to you when you are travelling abroad. We’ve got a lot of great memories and stories from our time abroad, can’t wait to get even more!

Getting arrested in China must have been an exciting experience. Luckily, no jail. So happy end.

Thanks for the inspiration Karolina!……,! great story

Glad I enjoyed the post! Thanks for sharing this.

You’re welcome!

The only way to achieve happiness is to cherish what you have and forget what you don’t have

I really liked reading your post! Very high quality content and useful information. With such a valuable blog I believe you deserve to be ranking even higher in the search engines.

Thanks for your comment, Maria.

Wow, interesting crazy stories! good stuff!

Incredible stories. Frankly, I envy people who travel freely, I hope that I succeed.

Such a kind of knowledge give by this stories.

Much Appreciated! Get your travel and tourism guide of top tourist places, attractions about travelling and exploration of the world.

Hey really Incredible stories.Appreciated your blog.Such interesting travel story.The details are very informative.I also love to travel.This stories inspires me to travel to my dream place.Looking forward to see more from you.

Thanks for your comment!

I’ve got no idea what I’d do if a snake lunged at me while on a scooter! Hopefully, I’d have the commonsense to hit the accelerator and keep going. Even non-poisonous snakes can be dangerous. And I’m guessing that the snake ended up as someone’s dinner or that seems be have been implied :/.

I also love to travel the world. Your story inspires me a lot

Your travel stories are awesome. I love to travel to other countries and experience every culture.

Wow, interesting crazy stories! good .

thanks for sharing this info superb

Wow this is very interesting and amazing article for all travellers and I hope they will get lots of information from this article. It will also helpful for all beginners. Thanks for sharing this article to us..

Hey, it’s amazing way for our time . Thanks for sharing.

These short travel stories always teach me something new.

Its really amazing post for me. Thanks for sharing

Excellent post with rich knowledge for travelers. Thanks for sharing

Amazing stories! Thank you so much for sharing them. As a traveler it is exciting to hear new stories. It certainly makes you want to go out and travel again.

It was nice to be inspired by you, Karolina! Although I have always dreamed about traveling the world, I have struggled to make this step because it seems so risky.

Hey, I think it’s a great way to spend our time these days. That’s great that you shared that with us.

I love your all content keep share with us, keep shared with us.

thanks for sharing this info, superb article

I have been wondering where to travel across Europe. And getting exposed to this amazing stories has energised my travelling plans and the countries to visit. Thanks so much for sharing such a wonder and useful stories. Looking forward for more stories.

I am really happy with the quality and presentation of the article. Thanks a lot for keeping great stuff.

Travelling is one of the best way to create memorable stories.

What a great idea for a post and a wonderful collection of stories!

Thank you for this great sharing!

Thank god! The housesitter did not have to go to a Chinese prison. The whole incident was quite amusing.

Thanks for this site i like it.

Article was very lovely and all stories are great

All stories are lovely and amazing.

There is no better way to create memorable stories than by traveling.

Traveling is one of the ways to create and be a part of stories. The travel stories in the blog are all interesting. I have also read stories on how travelers are set up by placing drugs in their luggage at airports.

Yeah however I am not sure if it’s true.

Thanks! i loved this site thanks for recommending.

Excellent post with rich knowledge for travelers.

Unforgettable

Such a great post thanks for sharing this with us and keep posting these are soo amazing.

There is no better way to create memorable stories than by traveling. :)

thank you so much

Thank you. you have explained almost everything.

Great post.Thanks for sharing. You have explained almost everything.

all the stories shared are good and well explained.

Thanks for sharing this article it was quite insightful.

Thanks for sharing such information. I appreciate your hard work

Great post, Thanks for the information provided! Your post is so awesome. Keep it work and share your amazing post with us. Thanks again!

Thanks a lot for sharing this post. Your travel story is so amazing.

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!

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We are Karolina, Patryk, and Mia, the lazy traveling family. After spending 5 years as digital nomads, and living in many countries in the world, we decided to make Poland our base.

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Best Short Travel Stories – Crazy, Funny & Inspiring Anecdotes

Published: September 8, 2023

Modified: December 27, 2023

by Leontine Child

• Plan Your Trip
• Weird & Amazing

Introduction

Traveling is an incredible experience that allows us to explore new places, immerse ourselves in different cultures, and create lasting memories. From witnessing breathtaking landscapes to indulging in delicious local cuisine, every trip has its own unique charm. However, it’s the unexpected and unforgettable moments that truly make travel special.

In this article, we present a collection of the best short travel stories. These stories range from crazy and hilarious anecdotes to inspiring and heartwarming tales, all shared by fellow travelers who have embarked on remarkable journeys. Whether you’re a seasoned globetrotter or someone who dreams of exploring the world, these stories will entertain, inspire, and remind you of the incredible wonders that travel has to offer.

So sit back, relax, and prepare to be transported to different corners of the world through these captivating and entertaining tales. From mishaps and misadventures to serendipitous encounters and life-changing experiences, these stories encapsulate the essence of travel – the joy, the excitement, and the unexpected surprises that make each adventure truly remarkable.

Whether you’re seeking a good laugh, a sense of wanderlust, or a boost of inspiration, these travel stories have got you covered. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the world of crazy, funny, and inspiring travel tales.

Crazy Travel Stories

Traveling can sometimes lead to the most unexpected and bizarre situations. From encounters with wild animals to navigating through challenging terrain, these crazy travel stories will leave you in awe of the incredible experiences that happen on the road.

One traveler found themselves in a remote village in Africa when they stumbled upon a traditional tribal ceremony. They were invited to participate in the festivities and were amazed by the vibrant dances and cultural rituals. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse themselves in a completely different world.

In another crazy story, a group of friends went on a hiking trip in the mountains. Little did they know that they would encounter a rare sighting of a majestic snow leopard. As they cautiously watched the elusive creature from a distance, they couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of awe and wonder.

For those seeking adrenaline-pumping adventures, one traveler decided to go skydiving in New Zealand. As they soared through the clouds and experienced the rush of freefall, they couldn’t help but feel an exhilaration like never before. It was a heart-stopping moment that will forever be etched in their memory.

Another traveler shared their crazy experience of getting lost in a bustling city. While wandering through the maze-like streets, they stumbled upon a hidden gem – a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that served the most delectable local cuisine. It was a serendipitous discovery that turned a moment of confusion into a delicious and unforgettable gastronomic adventure.

These crazy travel stories remind us that sometimes the most extraordinary moments happen when we least expect them. Whether it’s stumbling upon ancient rituals, encountering rare wildlife, or getting lost in a foreign city, embracing the unexpected is part of the magic of travel.

Funny Travel Stories

Traveling often leads to hilarious and lighthearted moments that become the stories we share with friends and family. These funny travel stories will leave you in stitches as you imagine the amusing situations that travelers find themselves in.

One traveler found themselves on a crowded train in Japan during rush hour. As they were standing amidst the sea of passengers, a sudden jolt caused their backpack to accidentally open, sending their belongings tumbling onto the floor. Embarrassed but quick-witted, they started doing a makeshift magic show with their scattered items, turning an awkward moment into a laughter-filled spectacle.

In another funny story, a traveler attempted to order a meal at a local restaurant using a language translation app. However, the app misinterpreted their request, and instead of ordering a traditional dish, they ended up with a plate of fried insects. With a mix of surprise and amusement, they decided to give it a try, discovering that it was surprisingly delicious and became a memorable culinary adventure.

For those who have traveled with pets, there are often comical moments that arise. One traveler shared the story of their adventurous cat who managed to escape their hotel room and was found perched on a rooftop, seemingly enjoying the view. It took some creative problem-solving and a bit of embarrassment to safely retrieve their feline friend.

Another funny travel story involves a traveler mistaking a sheep for their tour guide in the Irish countryside. They followed the sheep, believing it to be leading them to the next point of interest, until they realized their mistake and had a good laugh about it.

These funny travel stories remind us that even in the midst of the unexpected, laughter is often the best response. From language mishaps to animal antics, these humorous moments contribute to the joy and entertainment of our travel experiences.

Inspiring Travel Stories

Traveling has a way of touching our hearts and inspiring us to see the world in a different light. These inspiring travel stories showcase the transformative power of travel, the connections we make with others, and the profound impact it can have on our lives.

One traveler shared their experience of volunteering in a remote village in Nepal. They helped build a school for the local children, witnessing firsthand the resilience and determination of the community. The gratitude and joy they felt in seeing the children receive an education touched their heart and left a lasting impact on their perspective of the world.

In another inspiring story, a traveler embarked on a solo backpacking journey through Southeast Asia. Along the way, they met incredible people from diverse backgrounds and forged deep connections. These encounters taught them the beauty of human connection and the importance of embracing different cultures.

For some, travel becomes a transformative experience that changes the course of their lives. One traveler shared their story of leaving a corporate job to pursue their passion for photography. They traveled to remote corners of the world, capturing breathtaking images and sharing the stories of the people they encountered. Through their experiences, they found purpose, fulfillment, and a new sense of self.

Another inspiring travel story involves a traveler who set out on a journey of self-discovery. They hiked the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage trail in Spain, facing physical and mental challenges along the way. This grueling journey led to profound introspection and personal growth, reminding them of their inner strength and resilience.

These inspiring travel stories serve as a reminder that travel has the power to broaden our horizons, ignite a sense of purpose, and foster deep connections. It encourages us to step outside of our comfort zones, embrace new experiences, and discover the transformative beauty that the world has to offer.

Travel is not just about exploring new places or ticking off bucket list destinations. It’s about the moments that take our breath away, the laughter that fills our hearts, and the inspiration that sets our souls on fire. The best short travel stories capture the essence of these extraordinary experiences and remind us of the magic that travel brings into our lives.

From crazy adventures to hilarious mishaps and inspiring journeys, these stories showcase the diverse range of emotions and encounters that await us on our travels. They remind us to embrace the unexpected, find joy in the humorous situations, and let travel change us for the better.

Whether it’s witnessing the vibrant dances of a tribal ceremony, experiencing the adrenaline rush of skydiving, or finding ourselves in a serendipitous gastronomic adventure, these stories highlight the beauty of stepping outside our comfort zones and immersing ourselves in different cultures.

Moreover, travel stories connect us through shared experiences and inspire us to explore the world with an open heart and a curious mind. They remind us of the transformative power of travel, the connections we make with others, and the personal growth that comes from venturing into the unknown.

So, the next time you embark on a journey, keep your eyes and heart open to the possibility of creating your own travel story. Whether it’s crazy, funny, or inspiring, these moments have the power to shape our lives and leave an indelible mark on our souls.

With each travel story shared, we pass on the gift of inspiration and encouragement to others to embark on their own adventures. So, let these stories inspire you to explore, to connect, and to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Remember, the world is waiting – so go out there and create your own incredible travel story.

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My Funniest, Cringiest & Most Embarrassing Travel Stories

Last Updated: October 18, 2023

*FYI - this post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase from them. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Check out our Privacy Policy and Disclosure. for more info.

Whenever I tell people I’m a travel blogger, the first response I typically get (well, besides the backing away slowly) is “wow you must have so many fascinating travel stories to tell” .

At which point I laugh nervously and try to change the subject.

The truth is, most of my best travel stories happen because I did something shockingly stupid, as opposed to the fearlessly inspirational wanderlust stories most people imagine.

Truth be told, these days, my site (like many travel blogs) is more geared towards helpful, practical how-tos and guides. That’s what the people tend to want, and (truthfully) that’s where the money is.

But you really can’t beat a good travel story.

So here are my top stories about travel – zapped of all practical tips and paraded here for your amusement only.

Save this list of funny travel stories for later!

You’ll be very glad you did.

To offer a semblance of organization to the chaos, I’ve divided my travel stories into the following sections:

• My funniest and most embarrassing travel stories (short travel stories to make you laugh)
• My best travelogues (journal style content that is only slightly more serious)
• An archive of my old travel updates organized by month/year

Simply tap on each Travel Story title and the tale will reveal itself. Enjoy!

My Funniest & Most Embarrassing Travel Stories

I’ve long considered myself a magnet for cringe, awkwardness and embarrassment. Luckily. my pride’s loss is your entertainment’s gain! Here are the funniest travel stories I have in my repertoire.

I’ve always considered myself a grandma in disguise. 

After all, I love baking cookies, I often use the term “youths” non-ironically, and quite frankly: I’m nostalgic for time periods I wasn’t even alive to witness. 

But you know, dating a grandpa by accident – that’s where I draw the line.

And as absurd as it sounds, this happened. I went on a date with a man 3x my age one night in Liverpool. All by accident. 

Here is that story. 

Let me start things off by saying – I wouldn’t consider it an actual “date”, though maybe he thought differently. Moreover, my boyfriend finds this story rather hilarious so let’s not slander my name with terms like adulterous and wench.

Anyways, last summer I found myself in Liverpool while criss crossing England by train. This was a true bucket list trip for me, one that I’d dreamt of ever since deciding in high school that I’d be weird and listen exclusively to music that was at least 40 years old.

So yes, an early onset obsession with the Beatles is what led me to Liverpool.

My visit coincided with peak season, meaning a hostel was all I could afford without subsisting off ramen the entire trip. I was excited though – it had been a while since I’d stayed at a hostel, and I was looking forward to the social element.

Well, the social element definitely came through in a way I did not expect.

One night, after delighting myself with countless Beatles  tours that flung my fangirl heart into overdrive, one piece that remained missing was seeing a live performance at the Cavern Club, where the Beatles rocked the stage decades ago. 

I stopped at my hostel to quickly drop off my things and rest up before attending the show. 

To my surprise, as I flung the door open, one of my dormmates happened to be slightly above the average age of a backpacker. 

… By like, 50 years.

“Oh helloooo!!” he sang as I tip toed in. His enthusiasm was undeniable. 

After an awkward hello, I quickly learned that this man, easily 50 years my senior was in fact a local – Liverpool born and raised, supposedly holed up in my hostel dorm due to some water issues at his own home. 

And while I was taught since birth to avoid hanging out alone in rooms with strange old men, I was captivated by his stories. He rattled on and on about what it was like to grow up in Liverpool during such an important time (yes, he grew up with the Beatles’ rise to fame), and chatted about his favourite spots in the city.

Then came my ultimate blunder.

In an awkward attempt to fill the conversation, I asked him if he had ever seen the Beatles tribute band at the Cavern Club on Thursdays.

His response? 

“That sounds great. LET’S GO!” 

Did I just ask him OUT? 

It seems, in a comical twist of events, he had interpreted my question as an invitation, and before I could clarify he was already rattling off how excited he was to be going again. 

As a safety net, I roped in another guy from the dorm to come, turning my awkward maybe-date into a definite threesie-date type situation. 

We took the short 5 minute walk to the Cavern Club, and as I slipped through those iconic doors to see the exact setting where the Beatles performed decades ago, I temporarily forgot I was on a date with a strange old man.

What about my safety net invite, you might ask? Let me tell you – that man did NOT stick around. He soon faded to the back of the room and left me alone with my grand-date, who had sweetly scavenged some beers for us as the concert began.

But I was too blissed out to care. After all, I was in the Cavern Club, watching a Beatles Tribute Band that (to my blurry vision) was a dead-ringer for the real Fab Four. 

This was living.

Of course, there were moments here and there that would snap me back to my bizarre reality, like when Gran-Date tried to teach me how to twist. 

Or when he tapped me on the shoulder mid-twist to say “I’m so glad you dragged me to this!”, likely to the horror of anyone who could hear.

But most curious of all was when briefly after the intermission, I turned to my side mid-jam, and found my Gran-Date nowhere to be found.

Gone like the wind. Replaced with a wall of drunk tourists.

Apparently I’d been ghosted.

After the concert, I walked back to the hostel, soaking in the brisk Liverpool air, trying to process the simultaneous euphoria of a bucket list concert and the bizarre company I’d mistakenly roped into the ordeal.

And just as I pondered the mystery of my disappearing date, I slipped into our shared hostel dorm and found him snoring away in his bottom bunk, dreaming (I assume) of the golden days where he’d twist and shout the night away. 

I slipped into my bunk, dress soaked through with the stench of smoke and spilled beer from the Cavern Club, thinking about what a weird day that all was.

All in all though, I’ve had worse dates.

There are few times in my life when I have laughed hysterically, uncontrollably and in sheer terror.

My dear readers, today I will recount to you one of those times.

This is the story of how I once managed to forget an entire suitcase on my way to a trip. No, I did not leave it at a bus stop. I did not negligently have it taken from me in a busy cross street. No, I simply left it on the floor, meticulously packed on the dusty carpet of my studio apartment, probably wondering why his mommy left him. 

It was a hazy November evening, specifically – it was Black Friday.

Exhausted from a recent press trip and the daunting catch-up to be played that morning, I can fully admit I was not myself, mentally-speaking. Marbles might have been lost, or destroyed entirely. 

But a Christmas market getaway was soon to be my reward for a hard day’s work! 

My to-do list that day was the only thing standing between me and a weekend in üusseldorf munching on bonbons and frolicking wherever the glühwein was fresh. 

So, dutifully, I started my day by packing for the weekend, and then proceeded to spend the next 8 hours glued at my desk, clacking away at the keyboard.

When my boyfriend got home from work, we had to act fast. Our train was set to depart within the hour, so it was very much a “grab bags and go situation”. Luckily, having pre-packed, I felt pretty smug as he darted around trying to find his toothpaste while shoving all his things into an oversized duffel. 

I was clacking away at my keyboard up until the moment he said “time to go!”, at which point I threw my laptop in my backpack and off we went. 

Throughout the 15 minute commute to Munich’s main train station, I kept my nose glued to my phone, attempting in earnest to craft the perfect caption for a Facebook post (yes, really). 

“How Cosmopolitan of me!” I thought. A woman on the go juggling work so effortlessly en route to a weekend away in a glassy new city. 

I AM CARRIE BRADSHOW MEETS MICHELLE OBAMA, I gloated giddily to myself, thumbs still working as the U-Bahn came to a slow crawl. 

Hauptbahnhof. Central Station. That’s me – the woman on the go.

It was at this moment that I felt the emptiness of my hands. 

I didn’t have ANY OF MY STUFF. 

In horror, I realized I hadn’t brought the suitcase I had so dutifully packed, and had nothing on me but my small black backpack with my laptop and camera.

But with my train leaving in 10 minutes, I had to go. Forget running back to get my suitcase – I had to bust my butt to even make it on the train.

Luckily, I did.

And so I sat on my overheated train bound for Düsseldorf, 5 hours ahead to allow the full gravity of my problem sink in. 

I had no clothes… nothing but the woolen granny sweater I threw on last minute, and a black tank top which was sure to be caked soon with 72 hours’ worth of sweat and humiliation. 

And my boyfriend? Smugly unhelpful.

There are a few moments of my life that I’m not terribly proud of. In the aftermath of my realization, and amidst the hysterical laughter that followed, I would have traded places with any of those prior moments 20 times over.

But as they say, even lemons can be made into lemonade. I hurled myself into a DM upon arrival and stocked up on makeup and hygiene essentials, and treated myself to a dorky Christmas sweater to last me the rest of the weekend so I had at least one outfit change.

Add on some borrowed clothes from my cooperative boyfriend, and I was back in business, able to frolic and enjoy Düsseldorf’s Christmas markets to my heart’s content.

72 hours later, when I arrived back home to Munich, I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically a final time as I saw my sad suitcase sitting in the middle of the room, handle up, ready to go… exactly as I had left it only a few short days ago.

Maybe next time, bud. Maybe next time.

Warning: this story will make zero sense if you have not seen Game of Thrones (or at least familiar with its main characters). Read at your discretion. 

Dear readers, there was a time not too long ago that I was a raging, rabid fangirl.

Like, to the point where I would fly long distances to meet my favourite musicians, gift them fan art, and attend the PBS taping of their concert special.

And while those dark times are now (fortunately) in the past, there are still some specks of that fangirl enthusiasm that remain. 

Said speck is what spurred me to buy a last-minute ticket to see Kit Harrington’s play in the West End by myself on one random London day, an expensive and spontaneous decision that would lead to one of the weirder days of my life.

(Bear in mind this took place during the peak of Game of Thrones hysteria, so try not to judge me too hard)

With a ticket confirmation in hand for the performance later that evening, I swung by the Duke of York’s Theatre in the late afternoon to get my ticket. 

As I exited the theatre, my fangirl spidey senses began to tingle. Stood steps from the door, I watched as a silver car pulled up to the curb…

And the passenger door swung open to reveal a mass of curly black hair.

KIT. FREAKING. HARRINGTON.

Literal metres from me.

I froze in place as a mob of fans seemingly emerged from nowhere, swarming him for photos and autographs. He made a pretty firm beeline for the theatre, stopping only for a photo or two.

And just like that, he was gone.

As I reeled trying to process that flash entrance, a French accented voice snapped me out of my daze. 

“He arrives everyday at this time. I always come when I have the day off” she said. 

I turned to see a girl about my age, holding a letter she’d written for Kit and intended to give him. 

For a few minutes, I chatted with my fellow fangirl in battle. She told me how she’d met Kit Harrington only twice, but she’d recently met Shawn Mendez 11 times, and how she had a group chat on Whatsapp with fellow fangirls where they swapped Shawn-spotting tips daily. 

She also told me how Kit’s work had helped her during a tough time, and that she’d written him a letter with the specifics… something she intended to give him at some point today, even though she didn’t have a ticket to the show.

I knew instantly, if anyone was going to crowbar her way into Jon Snow’s heart with weaponized fear, it would be her and her alone. 

So we said our goodbyes, I grabbed a romantic Chipotle dinner for one (AKA the ‘Cry for Help’ combo) and headed back to the theatre.

There, I watched the play (it was terrible) and rushed outside right after the final bows, just as I was instructed. 

Immediately, I saw my new ally, feet planted into the concrete, guarding her position at the front of the gate. She motioned me over, permitting me the honour of fighting by her side in this battle.

I mean… with stakes as high as breathing Kit Harrington’s air, we needed a united front.

Together we stood, hopes high with every squeak of the door, watching with the ferocity of hawks. Countless cast members exited, each ushering in their own wave of disappointment.

Then, finally – another squeak of the door… and there he was! Black curls, black coat. “King of the North!!!!” Except, sad? Oh no…. 

We watched as he leaned in and whispered with his security guard. Suspenseful murmurs. In the silence, you could almost HEAR the crowd peeing their pants. 

Then, he turned away. The King of the North turned away… and walked off.  

“Unfortunately Kit is feeling under the weather and can’t do signings today,” announced the foxy security guard.

Nooooooo!! YOU KNOW NOTHING, JON SNOW!!!!! I later pieced together that this was the evening he had gotten in massive trouble in the media for claiming male actors were also “sexual objects”. Not a great chapter of sweet Kit’s life, I’ll tell you.

And so, defeated, the crowd dispersed, eager (I’m sure) to air their grievances over Twitter.

In my grief, I began my walk of sadness towards the Tube. I walked no more than a few blocks to see another mob of fans, no different from the one I had just bitterly exited. Feeling like I had nothing to lose, I asked an excited gaggle of girls in line “What are you waiting for?” 

Their answer? “ROBB STARK! HE’S PLAYING ROMEO!” 

……… Iiiiiiiinteresting. 

Like a well-trained robot, I claimed my spot in the Robb mob. 

And not even 10 minutes later, the play ended, the crowds emerged and our mob doubled in size. Another 10 minutes and Robb Stark was there – right before our eyes, smiley, charming and beautiful as ever. 

Somehow I had weaseled my way into the front of the mob, literally a foot away from him. Bear in mind I hadn’t even watched the play, so had no ticket, no program, nothing for him to sign.

There I stood, deer in headlights, nothing to sign, just a fangirly glob of goo vaguely pieced together as a human being. As he passed me, he smiled, Sharpie in hand, then, seeing that I was just a motionless psycho who didn’t even want an autograph, he moved on as quickly as he came.

And so, I suppose I did end up meeting the King of the North, one way or the other.  Proof that sometimes fairytales do come true. 

… You just have to be a little shameless 😉 

It’s 5pm at Gatwick Airport and my pockets are filled with bacon.

Literal, raw slabs of bacon.

… as in, “salty fat strips plucked from the fluorescent freezer at Tesco’s” bacon.

I can admit this was a bizarre situation to be in, but allow me to pepper in a smidge of context. You see, for some time, one of my biggest gripes with life in Germany had zero to do with the red tape, the bureaucracy or the fact that it made me fat. Rather, my #1 complaint was simply the bacon: too thin, too flimsy and woefully unsatisfying. 

So when I found myself in London for a little break before retreating back to Germany, I immediately recognized an opportunity… 

“England has GREAT bacon” my brilliant mind mused. 

I could simply bring home a bundle of English bacon and then rid my new German life of its one mild (but troubling) imperfection.

I’ll take my Nobel Prize by mail, thank you.

Slow clapping at my supposed perfect plan, I set the wheels in motion. One cloudy London morning, en route to the airport, I slid my way into a fluorescent Tesco’s and got my claws on a few packs of sweet English bacon.

Fast forward to airport security. 

… I’m sure you can tell where this is going.

After dutifully removing my coat, my shoes, and my bag, I went through my usual security routine, perfected over dozens of airport visits and that classic Canadian fear of confrontation. 

Then it happened…

I watched as my backpack zipped into place on the secondary conveyer belt, the one intended for re-checks of delinquent liquids above 100mL and rogue electronics. 

Except my backpack wasn’t filled with delinquent liquids or rogue electronics. My backpack was filled with sweet, English bacon. 

Paranoid thoughts began to cloud my already questionable judgment. Oh god, what did I do? Was it worth it? Was I doomed to rot in airport jail, alongside other fearless smugglers of cured meat? 

I stood there, accumulating pools of sweat in my furry Uggs, as he swabbed my bag for classic things one might smuggle, like Columbian cocaine. All he managed to locate however were the tattered remains of my dignity.  

“It’s bacon,” I squeaked.

The look on his face said it all. If I could translate facial expressions, his probably translated to “daheq did you just say, child?” 

“It’s bacon. I hope that’s okay. I just… the bacon is Germany isn’t very good… so…” I continued to mumble. 

After the disbelief washed off his face, I watched in slow motion as Mr. Airport Security flashed a smile. “So the bacon’s no good then?” he confirmed.

I breathed a sigh of relief as he handed me my bag and moved onto the next delinquent in line. No airport jail, just a crippling sense of shame. Also known in my life as an average Friday night.

I wish I could tell you the rest of the commute was smooth. Unfortunately, I found myself at the mercy of EasyJet’s strict one bag policy, meaning my backpack had to be stuffed in my carry-on suitcase, which simply wouldn’t shut for one reason: 

That damn bacon. 

So that’s how it ended up in my pockets. All of it. There was nowhere else to put it.

Boarding that flight, I threw on my big burly coat, pockets precariously stuffed with bacon, as I climbed into my narrow seat, I prayed for mercy from the gods of embarrassment. “Please don’t let a pack fall out… please don’t have anyone tell me Miss, you’ve dropped your…….. bacon?!” 

I am forever indebted to the gods of mercy because thankfully, dear readers, all of said bacon did manage to stay unseen, all throughout the 2 hour flight and the subsequent 1 hour commute home… 

Success: My sketchy meat smuggling remained secret for another day. 

And yet, amidst all that chaos…. I can still say: I have zero regrets. That well travelled bacon (who has travelled to more countries than some actual humans) turned out to be just as delicious as I hoped. Just maybe next time, I’ll bring a bigger suitcase.

I often speak about my travel experiences with a fairly a rosy lens – with words like magical, enchanting and postcard-perfect getting prominent use in my (admittedly) Disney-fied vocabulary.

But there are travel experiences that jade even me, the token overexcited corgi of the travel blogger world. 

Today I’d like to share with you one of those times.

This is the untold story of when my boat in Venice vanished, and the whirlwind hell that ensued.

Once upon a time, when I was still interning for a river cruise company as a photo reporter, it was my actual job to visit magical places, live on boats and document the whole thing. 

My 5 th cruise brought me to Venice, one of the most romantic cities in the entire world. 

I had been there before once as a high schooler, and I couldn’t wait to see it again in my more mature form. As I rode from the airport to the docks, I passed through an industrial side of Venice I had never seen before. Giant loading zones for mammoth cruise ships, and woah – roads. The Venice I knew didn’t have roads. 

As we reached our stop: “San Basilio Dock”, my taxi driver pulled into an empty parking lot and gestured unhelpfully towards the water. “Boats there!”  

At the time, I was confident I’d figure it out. There was no time to clarify or press. I was in Venice! There was pasta to be eaten! Gondoliers to fall in love with! Or you know, at the very least, many tourist pictures to photo bomb. 

And so, I made my way along the water, passing super yachts, cruises, little dinghys. I didn’t know how long I’d have to walk but at this point, I had seen these cruises multiple times, I thought I’d recognize it instantly, so I wasn’t worried.

… About 15 minutes later, that delayed worry began to kick in. Where was this stupid boat? 

Nervously, I dragged my rolling suitcase across the rickety cobblestones, demolishing the romantic ambiance with my utter lack of grace.

I still do wonder how many proposals I ruined that night. 

Up and down, I searched for my boat. I doubled back twice as the sun sank lower and lower behind the rippling waves of blue.

In my panic, I ducked into the only official looking building around, showing someone a print out of my boat’s name, and the printed instructions to visit this exact dock. 

The burly Italian man, with orange, sunburnt skin squinted at my papers… Then with 4 words, destroyed my already shaky sense of confidence.

“MS Michaelangelo? No here!” He accompanied his harsh words with an even harsher X made with his arms, to really hammer in the fact that no, this boat was not here, I was kinda homeless in Venice and I had no (real) idea where I actually was. 

All I could muster was a weak “okay” as I escaped outside to contemplate my demise. 

Searching through all my papers in a panic, I finally found the boat’s phone number. A fast-talking Italian woman greeted me on the other end. 

“No no no, we are not at San Basilio. Walking will take 1.5 hours, take the vaporetto and….” The rest of her directions came out in a jumbled, frenzied mess, capped off with an “okay bye”. 

It turned out the boat had not simply vanished, but was docked elsewhere for the night due to scheduling/water levels.  

But how the heck was I supposed to get there?! 

Nervously, I waddled to the first vaporetto spot I could see. I didn’t know how to read the timetable, so I just stood there, and literally stared. I was the definition of helpless. The vaporetto schedules made no sense, it was getting dark, I had no idea how to get to this boat, and I was (quite honestly) certain of my imminent death. 

Then a voice came from nowhere. 

“Do you need help?” 

There stood a short, thin man, teeth so bright they practically glowed.

Over a short conversation, I found out he had lived in Montreal for 10 years, now in Venice for 20 and knew the city like the back of his hand. I told him the name of my new location, and he explained the complicated route to me, which required two vaporetto transfers and a short walk in the dark. My eyes were glazed over. I had no idea what he was saying. 

And so Mr. Mysterious Montreal stood with me as countless boats passed. “Not this one”, he would repeat. He probably had kids wondering where the heck he was all night. “Helping a useless Canadian girl, kids… helping a useless Canadian girl.”

Then, it came. Vaporetto #2. Like an action movie right before an impending explosion, he held his foot down on the boat, extending his hand and shoving me on board through the exit. 

I sat there in fear the entire time, clutching my suitcase like my first born, as the Venetian sun came down. For a brief second, the worry dissipated as I caught glimpse of the final shreds of orangey sunset in the sky. I followed the steps as advised, and arrived to the boat like a traumatized puppy – drained and in need of a good cuddle.

And so, as I entered my tiny cabin home for the next week, I set my bags down and heaved a sigh of relief. I didn’t die in Venice that night, but what happened the day after made me wish I had. 

… but of course that’s a story to be continued. 

I embarrass myself often, but there are times far worse than others that make me wish I could buy a secluded cabin in the woods and never see another human again.

This tale of a chocolate goatee was one of such times. 

When I arrived in Venice to find my boat was nowhere to be found, I was traumatized (to put it lightly) and in need of some serious dessert therapy. 

With a free day before my cruise was set to begin (I was working on board as the resident blogger/photographer), I decided to embark on a personal mission to eat the woes away: find the largest gelato I can find, and eat it. 

So that’s what I did. 

If my life were a coming of age film, this would have been the montage scene of me living my best life to upbeat music, dancing through the streets of Venice as a liberated solo female traveller. I escaped into narrow streets, skipped across bridges and you know, embraced a day of feeling pretty darn pleased with myself.

I felt like James Bond gliding through the streets, only with a much less serious mission: to find and consume a gelato the size of my face.

And I found one! 

A perfect, giant gelato cone the size of my face – 4 whole scoops – for only 5 euros. 

I ferociously wolfed it down, realizing I had only 15 minutes to get back to the boat for boarding and introductions. I would soon be officially meeting the crew I’d spend a week with, alongside all the passengers I’d be tasked with interacting with. I wanted to make a good first impression. Riding off the sugar high, I was rocking my favourite dress and I felt on top of the world. I was ready to impress.

I walked up to the boat, many passengers already boarding. I introduced myself to passengers, to crew, to pretty much anyone that would listen because I WAS JUST SO HYPED UP ON SUGAR.

I thought I did great.

Feeling mighty proud of myself for successfully interacting with humans, I walked back to my room, still riding that sugar high (and now a grossly inflated sense of self-confidence). 

That’s when I looked in the mirror. 

And oh god… it even hurts to type this right now…

I had a flipping goatee. 

A GIANT, CHOCOLATE GOATEE. 

What had happened? Who had I pissed off in another life to warrant this kind of karma?!

I had a slow motion flashback to my first voracious lick of that gelato. My chin landed right on the chocolate scoop. I must have been too enamoured by the treat to notice. I had just met everyone on the boat, passengers and crew, had full-on CONVERSATIONS, all with a chocolate splat the size of Mt Vesuivus firmly stained on my chin.

It was my worst professional blunder to date. 

But it didn’t retain that honour for long.

Because less than a week after, I would do something far, far worse. 

Though again, that’s another story to be continued…. 😉 

When people lightheartedly ask if I’ve ever missed a flight, my entire body cringes. 

Because my dear readers, the answer is Yes…. Yes I have. By an entire 24 hours. 

You might be wondering how this is even possible… well, here is that story.

During the summer of 2015, I worked as an intern on board European river cruises, documenting the experience for the company’s blog and social media channels.

My 5 th cruise brought me to Venice, where I encountered a rough start (the boat had vanished) and an even rougher middle (when I introduced myself to everyone while rocking a chocolate goatee).

Little did I know, the end of this cruise would by far take the cake… and it still goes down as one of my worst travel fails in history. 

My next destination was Croatia, the cruise I had been looking forward to most. I had heard time and time again that this was one of the company’s best cruises, and I even had a friend I met on a previous cruise set to work that route with me.

So on my final day in Venice, I was excitedly awaiting my taxi when I got the worst phone call I’ve received (probably) in my entire life.

Sat in the ship’s lounge, sipping a too-sweet cocktail, my phone began to shake, quickly lighting up with a string of mysterious numbers.

Nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

“This is the captain of your Croatian cruise. Where are you????” an angry voice shouted on the other side.

My heart sank. My stomach dropped. I might have peed a little, who knows.

Over the course of a panicked conversation, I was made to realize I had somehow missed my plane by 24 hours, that the crew had been expecting me since yesterday and that they were set to depart in a few hours, without me on it.

Through a further round of panicked phone calls with my supervisor, I went through rounds of apologizing profusely, them saying they would get back to me and then, the gutwrenching blow: There was no way I could make it to Croatia in time for this cruise.

I felt like I could literally see my dreams get thrown out the window. 

I ended up staying in Venice an extra 3 days, and placed on a cruise in Berlin in lieu of Croatia and the Loire Valley in France. Of course, things could have been much worse, but I couldn’t shake that feeling of complete failure and humiliation.

Of course, in time, as most things do, this story resolved itself. The first fully sponsored trip I was offered on this blog was, you guessed it, a sailing trip through Croatia. It felt like my life had come full circle, and you know what – things do (no matter how mortifying) happen for a reason. 

I guess, sometimes happily ever afters come a little delayed.

For many, the prospect of hitchhiking sounds like an enchanting shortcut to getting murdered. 

Having grown up on movies and TV shows where hitchhikers were exclusively murder-bait, I too subscribed to this belief.

But when a few friends and I attempted a really poorly planned hike in Bosnia & Herzegovina and missed our last bus in the process, we had no choice but to give it a try.

After all, we were three nervous girls stranded in Blagaj with no more buses until the next day. The sun was setting, the hanger was imminent, and times were getting desperate.

So with a deep breath, we stuck out our thumbs.

Within minutes, a BMW began to slow as it came up to us, and it truthfully took everything in me to not immediately run for the hills screaming for my mom. 

Luckily, my friends were brave.

“Mostar??” we collectively said, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible. He nodded wordlessly and then waved us in. 

And so, like the start of any good horror movie, we three girls piled into a stranger’s car. 

As we drove, the language barrier became clear immediately. 

Attempting only with excessive gesturing to get his point across, our driver admitted to knowing zero English and continued to furiously blab in a language we knew zero of. 

But soon, his tone changed. We turned onto a vast county round and his eyes lit up.

 “Lavanda!” he proclaimed. 

“Lavanda, lavanda! MY lavanda.” The repetition was Pokemon-esque, and deeply confusing. 

He whipped out his ID card, and in minimal English tried to explain to us his roots, his religion and what he did for a living.

Tough topics to tackle when you know like 3 words. 

But nonetheless he persisted and continued the drive, which was scenic and somehow pleasant despite the broken conversation.

The short drive passed uneventfully, and as he pulled up to the curb a few blocks away from our hostel, he ejected himself from the driver’s seat and popped open his trunk.

“This was it! He was gonna throw us in the trunk and never look back!!!” The paranoid freak in me lamented.

But no. None of that happened. Instead, he flashed a toothy grin as he unveiled his roomy trunk…

Which was filled with tiny draw-string packets of dried lavender.

Lavanda. Lavender. This man was a lavender farmer!

“Lavanda!” he said for a final time as he waved us off and got back into his car.

Relieved and dazed, my friends and I continued our walk home, laughing to ourselves that we had just rode through Bosnia & Herzegovina with a baller lavender mogul. 

And true fact: he’s the reason why to this day, I still smile every time I see lavender.

Once upon a time, I drove through the Dolomites with a burst appendix.

Except just kidding – my appendix hadn’t burst, though for some time I was very convinced it had. 

You see, being a drama queen and mild hypochondriac has troublesome consequences. 

For one, WebMD will literally keep me up at night. By my own diagnoses, I should have died twenty seven times. 

Another consequence, clearly, is interpreting mere stomach pain as a serious medical condition, whilst among the mountains in a foreign country.

It was while driving through the stunning Dolomite mountains in Northern Italy that the latter happened. 

And it’s painfully embarrassing to recall, even now. It was an early morning and we had been driving for about an hour, en route to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike, one that has dominated my bucket list for years. That’s when it hit me. 

“Ow. My stomach hurts.” I whined to my boyfriend as he diligently weaved through the route’s hairpin turns.

It could have been all those winding roads, or perhaps the fact that I was practically inhaling a bucket of yogurt because I wanted to save time on breakfast… but my stomach started to clench, like someone had clamped over my intestines and just started twisting. 

I couldn’t tell if I wanted to vomit, cry or what.

We pulled over to a scenic viewpoint, and as I opened the door, I keeled over like a little baby.

Truly, without exaggeration, I had never experienced this level of pain before in my life.

“I think maybe my appendix burst” I declared to my all-too-worried boyfriend as I sprawled out on a luckily placed bench.

Here’s a hot travel tip for you: when you literally pull out Google maps and search “hospital”, there’s a high likelihood you could in fact be in trouble. This is what he began to do just in case.

Then came the WebMD. A list of vague symptoms that apply already to most people. 

“Do you feel nauseous?” YES 

“Do you need to pee?” I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE.

And while I was ready to speed off to an Italian hospital for what I was sure would be an emergency surgery, my boyfriend, every the rational one, tried to calm me down. He encouraged me to lay still for a few moments and try to breathe. 

Within minutes, the pain began to ease.

He then suggested we go for a walk around the lake to hopefully “walk it off”. 

Indeed, a loop around the lake and I was fine.

As we headed back into the car, appendix (most likely) in tact, I realized maybe I was indeed being a bit of a drama queen.

But if there’s one thing you take away from this story, it’s this: do not eat yogurt in a fast moving vehicle. The symptoms may lead you to believe that death is imminent.

My Top Travelogue Stories

If you’re looking for more journal-style travel stories complete with photos, here are some of my best ‘travelogues’, from Verona to Istanbul!

“So, how did you meet your boyfriend?”

For me, that’s always a fun question to answer. I could tell you that I met my boyfriend halfway across the world while dressed as a teddy bear (which is true), or that our first date involved building an IKEA table (which is also true).

I could detail the very random circumstances that led to our meeting, and the string of punny conversations that promptly followed… but the reality is: I probably  would not have a boyfriend if it weren’t for one thing: Flixbus.

Yes, the budget bus company.

I guess, in the random tangled mess that is my life, this odd choice of Cupid makes sense. Here’s how a simple bus trip landed me a new leading man.

Let me start by saying the obvious: dating in the 21st century is a  very  interesting thing, full of secretive codes, unspoken rules and bucket loads of uncertainty. I’ve never been good at these kinds of games, especially since my first relationship started at the bright-eyed age of 15 and lasted… well, until last September.

Call me rusty, call me out of touch, but one thing I pride myself on is that I’m not a complete and total maniac.

… Well at least I thought so… until I booked a VALENTINE’S DAY  getaway to  ITALY  with a  GUY WHO WASN’T MY BOYFRIEND.

Yes guys… raise those red flags.

To be fair, I’m a spontaneous exchange student.

When you’re doing study abroad, weekends away are pretty much on par with grocery shopping in terms of frequency.

So naturally, one day, while chatting with a new boy in my life, the conversation switched to a cheap sale that Flixbus was having. 10 euro tickets for almost all their routes. It was a tempting offer indeed.

With a midnight cutoff pending, we proceeded to plan a trip at lightning speed.

“Where do you want to go?”   Uhhh Verona. “Let’s do the weekend of the 12th?” Okay. 

30 seconds later, we were booked. Sure, a weekend away seemed a bit committal for two 20-something ‘seeing each others’, but we got along really well, so what could go wrong?

Well…

Turns out that was Valentine’s Weekend.

Valentine’s weekend in Verona, to be precise… one of the most romantic destinations in Europe.

There would be red wine, beautiful art, cheesy candles, and many guitar serenades from men named Pablo.

The result of our epiphany was not panic or cancellations… on the contrary, after bouts of nervous laughter and jokes, a mutual decision was made to embrace clichés and make this the cheesiest weekend we possibly could.

So, with this mindset, I packed a suitcase decked in red and black, channelled my inner rom com heroine and embarked on a ‘romantic getaway’ for the ages.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and soon learned the hard way that storms do not press pause for anybody, not even two dummies on a ‘special romantic getaway’.

We arrived at our bed and breakfast in the state of two drowned cats.

Our chatty host Vittorio (a burly Italian man with a perfect beard) welcomed us in, at which point I could have passed out. In an unexpected turn of events, our room was gorgeous . I mean, for a last-minute booking on Hostelworld, I definitely did not expect this: 

Gold-framed mirrors, dreamily draped curtains, and wall motifs of books and clocks… There was even a tray of snacks, aperitifs and wine to welcome us.

By the end of our first interaction, it’s safe to say we were both head over heels for Vittorio, who sang Rihanna at the top of his lungs when he thought we couldn’t hear him (another true story).

After collectively fangirling over our room, we hit the city, armed with a map scribbled with recommendations from our bearded Italian angel. Hence began Operation Romantic Getaway.

It wasn’t until we arrived in the city centre that we realized just how Valentinesy this trip was going to be. Strolling through Verona was like getting punched in the face with red, hearts and chocolate.

The city was brimming with festivities for the annual ‘Verona in Love’ celebration, which meant heart lanterns, an endless parade of couples and chocolate-dipped everything.

While we weren’t quite Romeo and Juliet, we did spend our first day #coupling pretty hard, wandering around Verona’s gorgeous little streets, exploring picturesque piazzas and cozying into cafes for gelato and drinks.

The rain only got fiercer as the day went on. By dinner time, we were a shivering mess of wet boots and numb fingers… which prompted us to seek refuge in the closest restaurant on Vittorio’s recommendations list.

We ended up in Ristorante Maffei, one of Verona’s top-rated restaurants – a place where fancy waiters wore white and we walked in (literally) on a red carpet. The verdict? We left very full, and very bankrupt.

The next day was a maniacal whirlwind of sightseeing. With Verona being a small city, we were able to cover an impressive amount of ground.

In the span of 10 hours, we explored grand churches like San Zeno and Sant’Anastasia , scaled the Torre di Lamberti for incredible panoramic views, got our culture on at the  Achille Forti Gallery of Modern Art , soaked in the grandeur of the Verona Arena and walked through the Teatro Romano . 

Of course, we capped things off with a mandatory stop at Juliet’s House, where we did NOT rub her statue’s boobs for good luck, in case you were wondering…

… But you know what? We didn’t need Juliet’s boobs. (Now, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say). Instead, it seemed the magic of Verona was enough.

Throughout the two days of extreme coupling, we had indulged in all the cliches: running through the streets while holding hands, watching the sunset with a bottle of red, eating at fancy restaurants that we couldn’t afford. 

Despite this story having all the trappings of a classic rom com, it wasn’t… this was my actual life.

A life that did, against all odds, get more cliched… because the weekend wasn’t over.

We were going to spend Valentine’s Day in Venice. 

And it was there that he popped the question.

… to be his girlfriend though. Obviously. Read on for Part 2 of this Valentine’s Saga.

I’m a cheesy person, I really am.

BUT, sometimes, I’ll do things that even I find tremendously cringeworthy.

Spending Valentine’s Day in Venice was definitely one of those things.

A few weeks ago, a boy and I planned an accidental romantic getaway to Italy… ( backstory here ), and yes, if you’re still reading this, it was a genuine accident.

And, to clarify, we did not murder each other.

On the contrary, we decided to embrace the cheesiness of our circumstances, and inadvertently became an official couple in the process. I mean…  Valentine’s weekend in Italy.  We were kinda asking for it, weren’t we?

A visit to Venice is quite possibly one of the world’s most romantic holidays… I mean, come  on.  There’s the beautiful canals, the picturesque houses, and enough gelato to feed ten armies. Apart from the kitschy souvenir stalls, this city feels like a step back in time, and yes, it is extremely, heartachingly romantic.

But enough about Venice. You’ve probably read a million stories about it already.

You’re here for the stories of a psycho girl who dragged a guy to Venice on Valentine’s Day. 

So how did that play out exactly?

After two days of non-stop red and hearts in Verona, we boarded a train to Venice, only a short hour away.

As far as romance goes, it seemed we had the odds stacked against us.

We arrived to an absolute downpour of rain, with a long drizzly walk from the train station to our canalside AirBNB. Surrounded by poncho-clad tourists and jabby selfie sticks, this was hardly the romantic vision that taunted us from the city’s many postcards…

But, you know how we dealt with it?

Alcohol. No, just kidding – optimism… and creativity! As it turns out, there’s no shortage of romantic things to do in Venice, even when it’s pouring rain.

Sure, you can’t laze out in sunny piazzas, but you can still explore the countless hidden backstreets that make this city so mysterious and wonderful. Along the way, you can still discover the hidden gems that give Venice its inexplicable magic, places like the Libreria Acqua Alta (one of the prettiest bookshops in the world) and the many mask shops that fill the Venetian streets.

And sure, with the rain, at times the gondolas don’t run, but you know what’s perfect rain or shine? The delicious comfort of a perfect, Italian meal.

So I guess what I’m saying is: Venice can be amazing with or without rain… you just need to find what makes it special for you.

And so we spent our time experiencing Venice differently… Instead of trudging around the main tourist sites, we ducked into cute cafes and shops whenever we could, enjoying the simple joy of perfect cappuccinos and crazy masks we could never pull off.

We took a day trip to Burano , rode up to St Mark’s Campanile and ate until we were human blobs. Genuinely, the city seemed void of V-Day gimmicks, a welcome relief from the heart explosion seen in Verona… Although I did have to run from a rose salesman (or ten).

And as for Valentine’s Day dinner? A cozy table for two, in a tiny restaurant where we were the only customers the entire evening. That’s the funny thing about Venice – no matter how crowded and touristic it gets, there’s always little pieces of this city that you can call your own.

And despite the torrential downpours, the rain-soaked crowds and the many many silly encounters with rose salesmen, I had the best time exploring Venice, the most cliched city in the world to spend Valentine’s Day.

… all because of a boy that I invited to Italy by accident.

A boy that, at the end of the weekend, formally asked me to be his girlfriend.

Which I now am.

So you know, sometimes life throws you a curveball, annnndd you get a boyfriend out of a Flixbus seat sale.

Seriously guys, never underestimate how random life can be.

You know what? I have to admit, sometimes I love it when things go wrong.

Tales of misadventure are my favourite because they’re the funniest, and well, like any optimist who hates dealing with their problems, laughter is my coping mechanism of choice.

You see, when things go awry for me (which, I admit, is often), I remind myself that no matter how scary, awful or random things are at the moment, a hilarious new story is waiting at the finish line.

With that in mind, I want to tell you about one of the most ridiculous nights of my first backpacking trip in 2014 – my accidental foray into Berlin’s alternative nightlife scene.

In a single night, I braved a gothic horror bar, a boozey Ping Pong pub, some punk rock tavern and a gay club nestled in an underground parking lot. An epic adventure for sure, which, like all great journeys, began because of a mistake.

This is the story of how I accidentally ended up on Berlin’s 666 Anti-Pub Crawl.

Truth be told, it was pretty much all my fault. As cliched and touristy as it was, I had my heart set on attending at least one pub crawl during my time in Europe.

After all, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it right? When we arrived at our hostel in Berlin, it seemed like it was fate that the welcome chalkboard wrote in bold letters: “PUB CRAWL TONIGHT – MEET IN THE LOBBY AT 8:45”. I figured, of all places, why  not  Berlin? Despite my travel partner’s reluctance, she gave into my puppy dog eyes.

That was her first mistake, because I should not be trusted with decisions.

A few hours (and coats of makeup) later, I had my party girl disguise on, eager to blend in with the throngs of cool, Berlin partygoers.

We were led to our first bar by a slightly-out-of-it tour guide, who rolled his cigarettes on his lap as we sat on the tram. Ha, oh Berlin, you so alternative. 

Our night began at Yesterday , a quirky cocktail bar decked out in a crazy, over-the-top mish-mash of decor. Sunflowers topped the blue ceiling, with assorted knick knacks clinging to the walls.

There was just about anything you can imagine filling the corners of this place – even pinball machines. Our group appeared to be the only ones there, so we took this opportunity to get acquainted with everyone, shouting introductions over the mellow mix of 60s-80s oldies.

So far so good, I thought to myself. I’m so freaking hip! These people have no idea I’m a 20 year old granny.

A few potent cocktails later it was time for us to venture into the great unknown of Berlin’s nightlife. We were ushered outside, and huddled around our tour guides, one of which began with a compulsory spiel on what a great night we were going to have.

But, we knew something was off when he ended this pep talk with  “Welcome to the 666 Anti-Pub Crawl!”

Wait, whaaaaaaaat?

That didn’t sound right. 666? Anti? It seemed like there was a simultaneous epiphany on our parts that this wasn’t what we had signed up for.

My group exchanged confused glances… Hmmm, the hostel never mentioned that this was, in fact, an “alternative” pub crawl and that we would soon be whisked away to solely off-the-beaten path nightlife destinations in Berlin.

Full disclosure: I’m not much of a partier. Yes, I’m a huge fan of wine and beer, but even at home in Canada, clubbing and going out is not my activity of choice.

This chronic homebody syndrome was probably a huge source of my discomfort throughout the night. Luckily, I’m a much braver soul when I travel, so I wasn’t too phased initially… I mean, what was the worst that could happen?

We were promptly separated into three groups, our new friends ripped from our clutches as we were dragged separately into the glittery abyss of Berlin’s party scene. With enthusiasm, our tour guide informed us of our first stop:  Dr. Pong!

If the name doesn’t give it away, Dr. Pong is a ping pong bar. What exactly does that mean? It is literally what it sounds like – a bar where people play ping pong.

Immediately as I entered, I got the feeling that I wasn’t supposed to be there.

It had a seedy garage feel to it, with bare decor and a single blue ping pong table in the centre of the room. “ Oh my god we’re in a crack den”,  exclaimed my travel partner.

She tends to be a worrier, and maybe she was being a little dramatic, but I felt some truth to her words. The bar’s windows were suspiciously covered, and the entire space had a grungier feel than us innocent girls were used to. No doubt, we were out of our element.

But alcohol could fix this right? A minimalist bar was set up in the back, so I grabbed myself a beer and took a seat on a creaky plastic chair.  Drink until this feels okay  was kind of the motto for the night.

After watching some sweaty men circle around the table playing ping pong, we were whisked off to our next stop. But first,  we were treated to some free shots on the sidewalk! No doubt, I wasn’t in Canada anymore… But again, drink until this feels okay , right?

The next stop of our adventure was  Last Cathedral,  a heavy metal-blasting gothic horror bar.

… Talk about not fitting in.

The decor of this place was crazy. With skulls lining the bar counter and torch lighting on the walls, I felt like I was in Dracula’s basement. I’m pretty sure the locals could smell my nervous sweat from miles away.

Apparently it was singles night too, so yay lucky me.

Berlin’s gothic horror crowd (is that even a thing?) was out in full force, and they sure were singles ready for minglin’. I’ll never forget trying to dance to heavy metal that night, a feeble attempt at fitting in with the lone dancer – an enthusiastic German headbanger who flung his majestic mane like nobody’s business.

To ease my discomfort, I ate nachos here. I like nachos.

I didn’t take down the names of our last two stops, but nonetheless, we journeyed onwards. The first was a tavern featuring a live punk rock band. I think this spot was the most in my element. I love live music, and the band playing was pretty cool.

Save for the eye-stinging smoke machine, I was rather into it.

This stop gave us a chance to relax a bit, especially after braving three bars that were  way  different from what we were used to.

My travel partner was no doubt ready to murder me for this accidental adventure at this point, but I tried my best to laugh it off.

After all, travelling is your time to live a little and try something different. Even though some of the stops felt sketchy and unsuited to my taste, I learned a very valuable lesson that night:

Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.

After our chill punk rock session, we headed out to our last stop of the night, where we were reunited with our entire hostel group.

What magical place marked the end of this wonder tour, you ask? Of course, it was an underground gay night club! And when I say underground, I mean they literally brought us into a small elevator and lowered us into a smoky parking lot.

Well folks, I guess it doesn’t get more Berlin than that, right?

With blaring electronic music, glittery drag queens and an alarming lack of ventilation, it was a thoroughly interesting end to a crazy night.

As we trekked back home, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself about the last few hours and where I had been. Sometimes, travelling brings you the most random moments and adventures.

Absolutely, I was out of my comfort zone and felt totally sketched out half the time, but there was honestly no reason for me to be scared.

I was in a completely different part of the world, spending time where locals do, taking in new cultures (and subcultures!) that I would have never otherwise encountered.

At the end of the day, isn’t that what travelling is all about? Looking back, I could (and should) have been more openminded… and that’s a big lesson I learned for sure.

And although this little nightlife adventure was a bit much for my prudish, Canadian heart, it is still to this day one of my favourite memories from my Europe trip.

There’s something about Berlin’s nightlife that you just don’t forget. Regardless of whether or not I’d do it again, it’s safe to say: I had my taste of Alternative Berlin, and a great story to toss around for the rest of my life.

It’s 2pm on a Tuesday, and I’m strolling through the streets of Munich in a banana suit.

There are times when I do really question my life decisions, and no doubt, this was one of those times.

Now, before you assume I had some kind of mental banana suit breakdown, let me inform you that there was a reason for my fruitlicious garb. 

One of the best things about living in Europe is the many reasons to celebrate and have fun, and this past Tuesday (recognized as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras elsewhere in the world) was one such example of mad celebrations at their best!

I mean, with Lent about to begin, it’s a common occurrence that good boys and girls get together and unleash all their madness before giving something up.

In Munich it’s called Fasching, elsewhere in Germany, it’s Karnevale… Carnival in Brazil, etc. etc. No matter how you name it, it’s a fun excuse to get out, be ridiculous and have a good time. It’s serious stuff though: Bavarians even get a half-day at work for the occasion!

So, eager to get in the Fasching spirit, I zipped up my teddy bear onesie, layered on my floppy ‘too long for me’ banana suit, and clasped the hand of my boyfriend, dressed up as a tropical version of Frozen’s Olaf.

What a pair.

Our plan was to visit Munich’s main square, where we heard there were tons of stages, festivities, dancing, etc. happening.

With a 15min trek to Marienplatz, we couldn’t wait to get out and see everyone’s vibrant costumes and onesies! My mind was dancing with images of all the awesome party photos I had seen from the year prior, and I was certain the streets would be abuzz as soon as we stepped out.

And so, the banana and snowman hit the town.

… and there was nothing.

Well, besides some judgemental German frowns, there was nothing.

It was SO weird!  Besides our ridiculous outfits, everyone else was cloaked in the unofficial Munich uniform of black waterproof coats and boots. For the 15 longest minutes of my life, we walked through town to reach Marienplatz…

A number of questions ran through our heads, namely…

“… Did we get the date wrong?”

“Are snowmen and bananas offensive???”

“How quickly can we run if a hypothetical mob chose to attack us?”

Even as we crossed into Old Town, through the (usually lively) Hofgarten, we didn’t see a single soul dressed up. We were 100% sure we had somehow gotten the traditions or dates mixed up, and were already thinking up an escape route that would minimize our public humiliation.

Then, we saw it.

A tiger onesie here, a crazy clown there…

We had found our people!

Despite a shaky (and paranoid) start, we got to Marienplatz and finally found the party. The weather might have been grey and soggy, but the next few hours were an absolute blast.

Even better was the fact that there were all these traditions that we had no clue about, which made things all the more fun. From the many kids aggressively throwing confetti (AT us, by the way) to the red-faced partiers hollering German hits that I didn’t know the words to… it was all in all, a pretty wonderful way to spend a Tuesday.

We ate crepes, chowed down on Hungarian langos, bobbed in the crowd during a bunch of musical performances and in true Bavarian fashion, drank plenty of beer. The periodic rain and dreary Munich grey didn’t seem to deter anyone from being their craziest selves.

I even got stopped for a few photos, because clearly I’m one irresistible banana.

Maybe one day I’ll make it to the big Karneval celebrations in Cologne or maybe  (let’s dream big), even Rio! 

Until then though, I’m pretty happy with my first Fasching experience. In fact, I’m already brainstorming the costume ideas for next year…!

I need to make it known that I am the absolute worst road trip partner (possibly in the entire history of road trips).

Not only am I an inept driver, it seems I was also born without any inner compass, which means maps are (ironically, as a travel blogger), my kryptonite.

I had high hopes and dreams of exploring Germany’s romantic road last weekend, a plan quickly dashed by my lack of navigation skills and complete inability to stay awake in moving vehicles. You know how children unfailingly doze off in cars? That’s me, except far less cute.

This is how I ended up 100km off course during said road trip. The initial plan was to grab a bus up to Frankfurt, rent a car, take a detour to Eltz Castle and then onwards to Würzburg, where we’d drive along the Romantic Road down to Munich.

These were great plans, except for one fatal flaw: they counted on me being able to accomplish basic tasks … which I am not. After loading up the Google Maps route, I perked up as chief navigator and informed my boyfriend “It’s only 1.5 hours away!”. We got on the ever speedy Autobahn and those were the last words I remember, until I was gently nudged awake about an hour later.

“Are we almost there?” my boyfriend asked. I felt silly (but not surprised) that I fell asleep, but I assumed there weren’t many turns or exits anyway. I picked up my phone and realized that… nope, we were nowhere near Eltz Castle, and were in fact, en route to Cologne, about 100km away from where we had intended to go.

SOOO, I guess we were going to Cologne!

Now, this accidental detour wasn’t my first time in Cologne, but it was the first time I’d seen it so empty. I have to admit – it was really nice to step into the epic Cologne Cathedral without a huge crowd mobbing the front square.

The city was setting up for Karnevale (with big festivities this weekend), but there was barely anybody on the streets. With shops not yet open, and because apparently I hate myself, I decided to climb the cathedral’s tower, which was a thigh blasting 533 steps. A good morning workout to jolt me out of my zombie-like state!

We spent a little while exploring the city centre. I have to say, Cologne’s Old Town is ridiculously pretty, with picture-perfect sights like this that we got to enjoy all to ourselves. Not a bad place to chow down on a pretzel, I’d say. It was a short stop (mostly for a driving break/sustenance) but a pretty happy accident all in all.

After fuelling up with some breakfast and (maybe 10) energy drinks, we made the drive to Eltz Castle, our initial 1st stop.

I have to say: Eltz Castle is a sight truly worth the detour. I mean, hey, after all, this is travel guru  Rick Steves’ favourite castle (sorry for that nerd fact), and for a guy who’s travelled a ton and seen (I assume) his fair share of castles, that’s a rather big deal. We visited knowing full well that it would be closed. After all, it’s super off-season for them, but I desperately wanted to prance around, play princess, and see the prettiness for myself.

To reach the castle actually requires a 15-20min walk through the forest (which, I promise, is much less shady than I make it sound). The suspense was killing me. Every time we turned, I expected to see the castle towering above me, Disney intro style. When we finally caught our first glimpse of it, we saw the castle from the side, and I have to admit, I was a bit surprised by how normal it seemed….

It was a very quiet day to visit, with no more than 2 or 3 groups of people there at a time. All the better, since I hate crowds and had lugged a helium heart balloon with me (for a rather cheesy Romantic Road photo shoot I had planned).

As I shamelessly posed #forthegram, I got the craziest surprise ever…

I was almost run over by a van!

Like huh?? Where did it even come from?! It was the most bizarre sight, seeing a regular van pull up to the old wooden door of this fairytale castle.

An old man climbed out of the car, opened the door and proceeded to drive in, worriedly peeking at me to ensure I wasn’t going to follow them in.

Yeah it’s okay man, I’d be terrified of the crazy girl with the balloon too.

Since my boyfriend is more of an athletic explorer type, we went on a little trek around the grounds to get a new perspective on the castle. That’s the thing – Instagram ever only shows you one side, so it was really cool to be able to climb up some hills and dangle my feet off some (very muddy) rocks and see the castle from a whole new perspective.

After bidding farewell to my dream home, we made a quick detour to Frankfurt to visit Chipotle (where all my burrito dreams came true) and then continued onwards (in the night) to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

Naturally, this didn’t go according to plan either. Thanks to yet another Google Maps disaster, for an hour, we drove towards another Rothenburg that wasn’t actually where we meant to go. For a variety of reasons (including severe sleep deprivation), I lost it.

And I started bawling like a baby.

“I’m… just… so… bad… at… MAPS!!” I remember heaving through the lamest sobs known to man. It was at that point that my tears mixed in with my day-worn eyeliner and I started looking like I’d been dumped at prom.

Some Class A consoling later (gold star for boyfriend!), I picked up the shambles of my dignity and watched Google maps and every sign like a hawk.

By some miracle, we made it to Rothenburg ob der Tauber before midnight, through its epic city walls and into the cozy bed of our guesthouse, strategically positioned above a lovely Italian restaurant.

When in the morning, it was a blue sky day in Rothenburg and I finally got to see the medieval town that we had driven into, I could have cried (out of happiness this time). I’ll have full guides on Eltz Castle and Rothenburg ob der Tauber coming soon, but for now, just take a peek at these picture-perfect photos:

So in all, despite many wrong turns (literally) and more than a few missteps on my part, what started as a romantic weekend did end up being one… with a few unexpected stops, 100% more Chipotle and much less of the Romantic Road than expected. Still, it was one for the books.

It might surprise you guys to know that at one point in my life, I absolutely  hated  Rome.

*gasp* I know, how could I? Rome?   “But Gladiator was suuuuch a good movie!”

Trust me – nobody was as shocked as I was.

Call me a starry-eyed backpacker, but the first time I set foot in Rome, I was ready to be swept away like the heroine of a cheesy rom com. I had all these dazzling images of Rome in my head ( thanks Lizzie McGuire ) and I had my heart set on loving the city as much as I always thought I would.

But, following a mucky week of thunderstorms, sketchy guesthouses, sweaty crowds and one pickpocketed purse… I was done. I shook my fist at the unfair travel gods and left in a huff, vowing never to return.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago: I was swept away in my usual 3am Skyscanner binge (#rowdyFriday), testing all sorts of dates and combos for a quick January escape. Because Munich had turned me into a walking popsicle, I craved a visit to someplace warmer. That’s when a suspiciously cheap flight caught my eye.

… a cheap flight en route to Rome.

It seems my impulsivity outweighed my pettiness, and I decided that Rome was worth a second go. A week and a half later, I had recruited a travel buddy and soon found myself in the mecca of carbs and glorious architecture. And you know what? In an unexpected turn of events, Rome won my heart in four short days.

Here’s how.

Visiting Rome in January was drastically different from June.

For one – you only get stabbed by a selfie stick once every few hours, rather than thrice per minute. Second – the insane heat fizzles out, and you feel much  less  like a melting slab of dough. For the first time, I felt like I could see Rome for what it was – a glorious city with epic history and sights, rather than a cesspool of fannypacks and tripods.

It’s genuinely incredible how many  amazing things you can do in Rome for free .

Our first day was devoted to exploring all the tourist must-sees, starting off with the  Trevi Fountain, which recently re-opened after a 2 year restoration. 

One of the most bitter moments from my last visit was when I trekked to the fountain, excited as a puppy to see it for myself, only to discover (upon arrival) that it had been drained out, covered in ugly scaffolding and shut down for (literally) 2 years without a word.

For me, this visit was redemption time, and you know what? It was worth the wait.

The fountain was absolutely stunning, and while I felt embarrassed throwing my coin in, I later learned that 3000 euros are collected from the fountain each day, and are then put towards social programs.

So hey, cheesy photo opps for a cause!

After an amazing lunch where we ate our weight in pasta, we rolled our food babies to the Pantheon , Rome’s most famous temple.

The inside was absolutely gorgeous, and substantially less crowded than in June. With bright light flooding through the oculus, the entire temple was lit up with unbelievable golden tones…

Like an idiot, I stood there with my mouth hanging open, trying in vain to capture the beauty on camera. We lingered here for a few minutes, soaking it all in before we pried ourselves away to our next stop: the Piazza Navona.

Truth be told, it almost felt like the universe was saying “yo Christina, your last visit really sucked. Have a balloon and let’s make this right.”

But actually though, when we arrived at Piazza Navona, it was decked out in gorgeous balloon arches (in heart form, no less) and all sorts of carnival booths with colourful toys and prizes. Coupled with kids running around having the best day ever, it was quite a different vibe to the Rome I remembered.

Sadly, all this hub bub wasn’t actually to appease me, but rather to celebrate Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas. My favourite bit? The live band looking dapper in their matching outfits.

All love’d up from the buzz at Piazza Navona (where we coincidentally ran into a classmate of ours from Germany), we raced to our final stop off the day – Castel Sant’Angelo, the cylindrical beauty at the end of the Sant’Angelo Bridge.

The views at this museum (formerly a mausoleum, fortress and castle) were just ok. No, I can’t lie to you – they were amazing. So amazing that my SD card filled up.

When Day 2 came, I had already formed an odd attachment to the city. I just couldn’t believe how much better it was the second time round.

According to my phone, we logged almost 20km of walking on Day 2 alone… but don’t worry – the calories lost were promptly replenished with oversized gelato cones the size of my (already rather large) face.

Our long walking day took us from Termini Station onwards to  the Spanish Steps, passing gorgeous attractions like the Santa Maria Maggiore, the Opera House, Piazza di Republica and more along the way. While the Spanish Steps themselves were sealed off for restoration (oh Rome), we were able to walk up to the Villa Medici, where we got the most gorgeous view ever of the city:

As we climbed back down, we made our way past Piazza del Popolo and then to the quaint neighborhood of Trastavere,  an amazing subset of Rome with the laidback vibes of small town Italy.

The lovely cafe-lined streets were a welcome change from the heavy tourist bustle, so we decided to rest up in the coziest possible way – sipping foamy cappuccinos while wolfing down cups of panna cotta.

We held nothing back on Day 3, when we conquered Ancient Rome with the agility of badass gladiators. One combo ticket was all we needed for access to the Coliseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

Pro tip: if you purchase your combo tickets at Palatine Hill (which usually has little to no lineups), you can then jump ahead in the queue at the Coliseum.

That alone saved us 1.5 hours in line! If you’re looking for an opportunity to improve your smug face, this would be an excellent one.

The logical reward for all this sightseeing was an unnecessary amount of food.

On this particular day, my waistline was heftily expanded through the following events: a pre-lunch sandwich that ruined me for other sandwiches, a delicious seafood pasta lunch and a post-lunch suppli (a deep fried rice ball oozing with tomato sauce and melted cheese).

Yuh huh. It was as good as it sounds.

And rather than give into a food coma afterwards, we lugged ourselves to see the  Altare della Patria  (the massive typewriter-esque building that Romans love to hate) and the  Galleria Borghese,  one of Rome’s most well-known art galleries.

And for our final day, we crossed into the world’s smallest country: the Vatican. Our first order of business was climbing the dome ( cupola)  at Saint Peter’s Basilica, a feat not suited for the claustrophobic or exercise-averse.

After cramming myself through some  pretty  narrow passages, I survived the 551 dizzying steps up and came head to head with this stunning view:

And then onwards to the impossible grandeur of the Basilica’s interior…

Even though it was my second time inside, I still couldn’t believe how incredible it all was. For real, I was getting neck pains from staring at all the ceiling’s fine details. I even saw a few people who were so moved, they were crying. If there’s one thing you can’t miss in Rome, to me this is it.

By 2:30pm (after a long lunch of course), we had made it to the Vatican Museum, surprisingly void of crowds. What’s it like getting a massive museum like this all to yourself? Well, it was tough to resist the urge to just slide down this epic stairwell, but I assure you: I kept my cool and acted like a proper adult.

We ended our last night in Rome with a lovely outdoor dinner beneath the twinkling lights of a Roman side street. On our way home, we picked up our final scoops of Italian gelato (dulce de leche and stratiatella to be precise) and headed home, 10 pounds heavier and with the fondness of Rome I always knew I had.

And so, for those thinking of visiting Rome in the off-season,  do it.  Just remember to pack stretchy pants.

Further reading:

A Local’s Guide to Rome

Sometimes in life, you just have to trust your gut.

Truth be told: when I found myself with a plane ticket to Istanbul only 48 hours after a terrorist attack, I didn’t know what to do with myself.

Frantic pacing was involved of course, alongside incessant Googling and nervous wine guzzling… but as I’m sure you can appreciate, “TERROR ALERTS ISSUED FOR ISTANBUL” weren’t the most comforting of headlines to read.

It didn’t take long for my travel buddy to cancel her trip, prioritizing safety over the lost cash from our bookings. Simultaneously, the panicked phone calls from home began to pour in, with my parents urging me to play it safe and (essentially) lock myself at home in panic position.

My ever-so-lovely parents even offered to fly me home from the chaos, despite the fact that I was in Munich, miles and miles away from where the bombing even occurred. But… you know how logic can often escape worried mothers.

So I did what I thought was right: I assured them of my safety, cancelled my hostel booking and went to sleep in a huff, feeling robbed of my dream trip to the beautiful city of Istanbul, which had glittered for ages at the top of my bucket list.

I’m not quite sure when or why I woke up and said “screw it”… but I did. Maybe I dreamt a particularly adventurous dream… but something in my gut told me I would regret not taking this trip of a lifetime. So, with a few white lies told and a quick panic packing session, I found myself all alone on a plane bound for Turkey’s capital.

And it was the best decision I ever made.

I can’t lie to you and say it was all Turkish delight and free apple tea… although my waistline can attest that there was much of both. Instead, I’ll say this: it was one of the most amazing, but challenging travel experiences of my life.

Istanbul is a stunning city oozing with depth and culture. I ate some of the best food of my life here, and saw some of the most beautiful sights and architecture.

I originally wrote this post in 2016, leaving the story at that – the good stuff, but I feel I’d be doing you a disservice to not tell the whole truth. I adored Istanbul and I adored being out of my comfort zone, with zero clue how to do anything properly (even buying a ticket for the metro)… but as much as I’d like to romanticize this experience as a whirlwind adventure, it was also the same trip that I got hopelessly lost, partially stalked, a few times followed and as a result, became more of a badass solo traveller.

So here’s a (rather long) photo diary of my trip – a review of the good and the bad. This experience is by far one of my most memorable, not just for the impossible beauty that is Istanbul, but because it reminded me of why it’s so important to travel, and to try it solo every so often.

Traveling is  supposed  to challenge you – your assumptions, your limits and of course, the boundaries of your comfort zone. I’m beyond thankful that I got this chance to learn, grow, and eat baklavas til near-implosion… here’s what I got up to:

The culture shock began as soon as I arrived at the airport. Without even a clue of how to buy a metro ticket (or token, I guess), I realized just how out of my element I was.

I’m used to travelling on my own, but mostly through Western/Central Europe where most systems are the same, and cater to dummy tourists like me.

After a great deal of confusion, I took the long ride from the airport and got off at my stop, realizing all too quickly that I never saved walking directions to my hostel.

It was at this point that I got hopelessly lost navigating the steep streets of Istanbul’s Galata neighborhood, following a zig zaggy blue dot on my iPhone.

It took over an hour of searching (and a terrifying roaming bill), but I finally found my home for the next few days.

After resting up, my first full day was dedicated to seeing all the sights. Even in the winter, Istanbul was absolutely breathtaking, and unlike any place I’d ever been. 

The byproduct of this beauty was of course, utter distraction, which led to me walking straight into a poor old Turkish man en route to the Old City, whose tea did an impressive splat across his entire body. I apologized profusely, he smiled, and I felt bad for the rest of eternity. #CanadianProblems

One of my first stops was the  Basilica Cistern, a famous underwater reservoir known for its appearance in “From Russia with Love”. In full tourist garb, I didn’t feel much like a Bond girl, but I did manage to sneak a few glorious long exposure shots.

It was an eerie but fascinating setting, with long illuminated columns lining pools of still water. Wonderfully tranquil (bar the many other visitors who thought flash photography was a good idea…)

I then emerged from the darkness (which is a cool sentence I never thought I’d say) and set my sights on one of Istanbul’s biggest attractions: the  Sultan Ahmed Mosque  (AKA the Blue Mosque).

With its close proximity to the bombing site just a few days prior, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sure enough, there were security guards all over the place, patting people down, plus a sea of police officers and civilians making their way to the mosque.

I had arrived at prayer time (during which it’s closed to visitors), so I explored the area, made friends with stray cats and people-watched from a gorgeous courtyard nearby.

When I was finally able to go inside, I got dressed in the robe, skirt and headscarf that they provided and stepped inside.

Truly, wow.

The detailed tile work was absolutely mindblowing, and was of course a recurring theme in all my Turkish sightseeing. After grabbing myself a quick lunch (did I mention how cheap and wonderful the food is?! They even gave me free tea as I waited!), I set my sights on my next big attraction of the day: the Hagia Sophia.

Once the world’s largest church (before it became a mosque), the Hagia Sophia today is a badass museum that will truly make you stop and stare. 

I’ve seen a lot of churches throughout my time in Europe, but this one genuinely blew me away.

The sheer scale and beauty of the place is borderline unbelievable, with ornate mosaics and towering pillars everywhere you look.

Coincidentally, it was while lining up here that I ran into one of my hostel roommates who I had met earlier that day, along with two guys he had met while sightseeing.

It’s always interesting how quickly plans can snowball when you’re a solo traveller. Case in point: within a matter of seconds, I went from roaming solo to conquering Istanbul with 3 friends (two of which were apparently entertainment moguls who knew Jet Li. … or so they claimed).

We spent the evening together, sampling Istanbul’s best sweets while sipping gallons of apple tea. My new friends even treated me to a dessert of my choice, and after an agonizing few minutes staring holes into the menu, I chose a delicious Burma Kunefe  (a swirly pastry wrapped with layers of pistachio).

It was oh so perfect.

After completing the night with a smoky local shisha bar (where I most definitely did not blend in), I spent my next day doing something I’m a bit better at: shopping.

As a female travelling on her own, and one that’s visibly not Turkish, I wasn’t surprised at all that I’d be subject to much hollering and swarming at the local markets. I wasn’t bothered by it – more amused by the eyebrow swaggles and “HEY LADYs” that became the soundtrack of my day.

After getting attacked by pigeons at the New Mosque,  my first stop was the  Egyptian Spice Bazaar , where I was greeted by picture-perfect spice mounds, sparkly tea sets and stand after stand of unknown treats.

Here, I learned about the Turks’ very liberal sample policy (which meant I ate my weight in Turkish delights) and moreover learned flavours like cheesecake DO exist!

Of course, despite my earnest attempts at haggling, I still walked away with a much lighter wallet, and a camera bag crammed with spices, teas and treats.

Ugh,  weakness is me.

Mourning my monetary losses, I made my way to the  Süleymaniye Mosque,  the 3rd largest mosque in the city.

It was probably the quietest and most peaceful spot I visited in Istanbul. Right next to the mosque was a gorgeous Ottoman cemetery and a big courtyard boasting the best ever view of the Bosphorous.

While admiring this viewpoint, I caught a photographer using me as a prop for his photos, his ninja snaps not being as subtle as he thought.

Recognizing that I do have a pretty good “staring out wistfully” pose, I pretended to not notice and instead tossed the guy a few gramworthy poses. You’re welcome bro, I know the struggle.

From oddly peaceful to hopelessly touristic, I made my way from the Süleymaniye to Topkapı Palace, where swarms of tour groups had arrived to snoop around, just like me. Once a main home for the Ottoman sultans, today the palace is a museum and tourist magnet.

It’s not hard to see why. All I can say is: dang those Ottomans knew how to  live. 

Sprawling over four courtyards, this place was like getting smacked in the face with opulence. Especially in the Harem (my favourite part of the visit), I was surrounded by an endless display of elegant tiles, intricate patterns and vibrant colours. Needless to say, I wouldn’t mind moving in.

Of course, a little retail therapy was needed after all that hard sightseeing work.

Off to the  Grand Bazaar  I went,where I came face to face with a Turkish movie starlet.

… except well, not quite.

Passing by my 10000th rug shop of the trip was when I met a dapper mustached salesman who with a prideful tilt of the chain, waved me over. I had gotten pretty good at dodging salespeople at that point, but something about him seemed intriguing.

He gestured at my giant Nikon and beckoned “Take my photo… I’m a famous Turkish movie star!” This guy couldn’t be for real. I laughed, ever the skeptic, but indulged him in a mini photo shoot.

After showing me a few of his rugs, he sheepishly confessed to me that he wasn’t in fact a movie star,  but  was happy to have some company for once.

Well shucks. I of course forgave him quickly.

Going through the markets was a really interesting experience for me, mainly because it was so much emptier than I expected.

While chatting with a shopkeeper (a young guy who got sucked into the family biz selling lanterns), he told me that tourism had been going down a lot in the area… but that for locals, life went on as normal. “What are we going to do, stop our lives?”

Over a few cups of tea, he told me about how he just came back from studying in Australia, and how he hated the way Turkey was portrayed in the media.

I opened up to him about some of my safety concerns… like how I avoided being out on my own at night “just in case”. He laughed and asked what I was afraid of. “If you’re afraid of being robbed, I can promise all these guys are richer than you are”, he said as he gestured to the shops around us.

Despite how lighthearted our conversation was, it did make me think.

While I loved Istanbul, there were definitely moments where I felt uneasy being on my own.

There were some men who approached me on the street, walking with me and asking me questions for several blocks.

There was the shopkeeper who shook my hand as an introduction and then didn’t let go for an unsettling amount of time… There was even, in my own hostel, a guy who waited for me to wake up so we could hang out (another story for another time), but all these experiences did (as much as I hate to admit) make me wish I wasn’t travelling on my own.

My new shopkeeper friend dismissed my worries as paranoia. I’m still not so sure it was. When he decided to close up shop early and invite me to another place for tea, that’s when those same worries began to settle in.

“We’ll go for shisha at a local place too, I’ll show you!” The sky was getting dark, I was pretty far from home and this guy, while very lovely, wasn’t someone I actually  knew.

So I declined the invitation. The offense he took was clear. A quick, snappy goodbye later, he stormed away in the opposite direction.

Maybe I should have been a bit more openminded… but if there’s anything I’ve learned from my travels, it’s to trust your gut. I love venturing abroad with friends, but one of the perks to solo travel is that you develop assertiveness, thick skin and an ability to fend for yourself. 

Our interaction may not have ended so well, but I’m still thankful for the eye-opening conversation, whether or not I was being paranoid.

On my final day, I had just a few short hours left to explore the city before heading to the airport.

I had been eyeing the Galata Tower all throughout my stay, mostly because it was part of my daily walk back to the hostel. My last day seemed a fitting time to finally visit.

Unlike most tower views in Europe, this one omits the typical leg blasting climb and opts instead for a quick elevator ride that zips you right up. It was a very quiet morning, which meant yes, I felt like the queen of Istanbul with this view all to myself:

The rest of the day was dictated naturally by food. I had a few remaining liras in my wallet, and the most accurate description I can use is I went full Pacman through the streets of Istanbul.

It was, without exaggeration, a marathon of Turkish street eats, with me buying essentially every item that caught my eye.

After leaving the tower, I made my way to  Karaköy Güllüoğlu Üretim Tesisi , renowned by many as the maker of Istanbul’s best baklava. 5 flaky, gooey baklavas later, I can confirm that it was a most heavenly experience, one that made me melt into a puddle of caloric joy.

This proceeded with many cups of fresh fruit juice and creamy ayran (a Turkish yogurt drink) , plus a doughy simit (a circular bread encrusted with seeds) and lamb köfte (spiced meatballs). Not a bad consumption record for like… 3 hours. No regrets, because every bite was absolute bliss.

It was with that eatathon that I ended my time in Istanbul. I hopped back on the metro (my pants feeling much snugger than before), and promptly made my way back to the airport.

In hindsight, I am so extremely glad that I went with my gut and boarded that plane.

This experience taught me that fear should never hold you back, and that despite all the risks and dangers everywhere in the world, it’s still important to venture out there and experience what the world has to offer. It won’t always be easy, especially if you’re travelling alone, but you’ll widen your perspective

Thanks for an unforgettable visit, Istanbul… I hope to be back someday soon.

my Travel Update Archive

Once upon a time, this travel blog had a ton of Dear Diary type posts that I eventually phased out. Looking back on these updates though make me smile and realize how far I’ve come, so if you’re also curious to see snippets of my life from years ago, feel free to flick through these old travel stories and updates.

Surrrprise, guys… I’m alive!

Okay, I really have to own up to it…  it has been an embarrassingly long time since I’ve blogged.

I could make up a million excuses for this bit of Internet silence, but the simple truth is this: since packing my bags for Munich three months ago, I’ve been caught in a whirlwind of new friends, new experiences and jam-packed days.

I’ve been trying so hard to soak up every single moment that I’ve gotten a little neglectful… erm, lazy even… with documenting them properly for the interwebz.

That said though, with 2016 just around the corner, I figured it was finally time to resurrect this little site of mine… hopefully, for good 🙂

So what’s new?

Well… On September 1st, I left Vancouver to live abroad on my own for the first time in my entire life! I am now more than halfway into my exchange semester at LMU in Munich, where I’ll be studying until the end of February.

After that, I intend to travel around Europe for a few more months before settling back in Canadaland.

I’ve been sitting here for about 20 minutes trying (in vain) to explain how much I love my life here in Munich. Do you know those moments in life when everything seems to just fall into place?

That’s exactly how the past few months have been. From randomly meeting the greatest group of friends to landing an unexpected job, my exchange has been an absolute dream. I have so so many stories to share, and I can’t wait to blog them up for you soon.

Onto more site-related news, some of you might have noticed the name change!

As of now, Hello Guanster is no more, and here’s the simple reason why… You know that cringey feeling you get when you revisit your first email account? (e.g. ahh [email protected] … what was I thinking??)

That’s the feeling I was starting to get about Hello Guanster. It seemed catchy and cute at the time, but I definitely feel like I’ve outgrown it.

My plan is to orient this blog more towards travel in the coming months, and beyond just a place to offer tips and guides, I want it to be a place where I document how my adventures have helped me grow.

My plan is to turn this blog into a space where curious optimists can get together and fangirl collectively at how great this world can be, so here it is…! I think Happy to Wander has a pretty nice ring to it… don’t you?

To sum things up, 2015 was hands down the best year of my life so far, and I’m determined to make 2016 just as great.

With trips in January to Rome, Istanbul and Marrakech, I think I’ll be off to a good start.

And on a more bloggy note, I plan to spend a lot more time working on Happy to Wander, writing up stories, tips and all that good stuff for you. Finding a good balance between ‘living in the moment’ and documenting moments can be tough, but striking that happy medium is undeniably rewarding.

Like all good things, travel blogging takes a great deal of dedication, hard work and patience, and I’m making it my goal for 2016 to really give my all to this site. I hope you’re ready!

I’ll have plenty more posts for you soon. Until then, enjoy the rest of 2015!

With an overflowing backpack on my shoulders and an unshakeable grin on my face, I’m thrilled to announce that I am officially on the road again, and will be travelling full-time for the next 1.5 months.

While I’ve travelled quite a bit in the last few months, this will be the longest trip I’ve taken in a while. Going back into ‘constant travel’ mode will take some getting used to, but it’s a challenge I’m s ure I can handle. With eight new countries in the pipeline, here’s a sneak peek at where I’m headed in the next few weeks: 

1. Finland and Scandinavia

I’ve seen quite a bit of Western Europe, but never the North, which is why I am so excited for this part of my trip. I just stopped for a long layover in Riga and am now in Helsinki for a few days.

From what I’ve seen, this city oozes ‘cool’ and I can’t wait to spend a few days museum & restaurant hopping. From here, I’ll get a chance to relax at a friend’s summer cottage near Turku before working my way through Scandinavia. See you soon, Stockholm, Bergen and Copenhagen!

2. Amsterdam and Rotterdam

After wrapping up my mini tour of Scandinavia, I’ll be spending Easter Weekend in Amsterdam at my first music festival! This will be my third year in a row visiting the Netherlands, but hopefully this time around I’ll get to dig into more ‘off-the-beaten-path’ itineraries for both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. If all else fails, I’ll just stuff myself with Dutch cheese and apple pie. I’m pretty good at that.

My excitement for this trip borders on ridiculous. Iceland has been a dream of mine for years, and finally ,  at the end of March, it’ll become a reality!

From Amsterdam, I fly to Reykjavik, where I’ll be driving across the country with two friends in a cozy camper van.

From the Blue Lagoon to mindblowing nature at every turn, I’m pretty much ready to vomit from excitement. If you want to see why, here’s the video I watched years ago that inspired my Icelandic obsession:

4. Ireland and Scotland

Last but not least, before returning to Munich, I’ll be flying from Reykjavik to Dublin! This part of my trip is still a bit fuzzy on details, but I definitely plan to see Dublin, Edinburgh, and many undecided places along the way. Any recommendations would be much appreciated!

Ahhh… I am  so ready to take on these next few weeks! I hope you’ll all follow along by catching updates on  Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a  lot  of planning to do…

Apparently I do monthly updates now!

I know this is pretty random, but the past few months have been packed with existential crises, the most recent of which made me realize my blog has been severely missing a personal touch.

While I LOVE writing guides and photo diaries, sometimes it’s nice to remind you that there’s a human potato who’s behind these giggly words, which is why I’m now committing myself to monthly updates that catch you up on what I’ve been up to, AKA which countries I’m currently pillaging for carbs.

And so, for the creepos interested in tracking my movements, this one’s for you 😉

Now, why two months bundled into one?

Well, I just came up with the idea now (#showerthoughts for the win), plus March and April have been absolutely insane months packed with travel, which will make me seem a lot more exciting than I am 😉 I am so painfully behind on blogging about all the beautiful places that I’ve stumbled through in the past two months… but I’m slowly working my way through! For now though, enjoy some highlights!

You know those major bucket list destinations that haunt you from the corner of every Pinterest board and Instagram? Since moving to Munich, that has been Slovenia for me.

No joke – some days I would just stare longingly at a map, daydreaming about how close I was and how easy a weekender would be. Mid-March, I finally did it!

A short road trip later, I was able to do a sunrise hike around Lake Bled, discovered the unreal beauty of Ljubljana and found zen at Bled’s less famous cousin, Lake Bohinj. The verdict? Not enough time at ALL. I’m already plotting my return.

After Slovenia, I took the slow route back to Munich and spent a few days in the all-too-underrated Croatian capital of Zagreb.

I’m a rather stubborn person, so after repeatedly hearing that Zagreb was boring, I set out to see for myself. People, Zagreb is so far from boring !

At the end of March, I headed off to Malta for a press trip and it was absolutely incredible. One of the coolest, most interesting countries I’ve visited in a long time in terms of architecture, history and food. Four days of pure bliss, I came home with a full SD card and a little extra cushioning around the tummy. I guess some sacrifices need to be made eh?

PS: The swishy hotel I stayed at even had a tanning bed in the bathroom (which I did not use) and a Jacuzzi on the balcony (which I used plenty). My lifelong dream of eating chicken nuggets in a hot tub? Fulfilled at long last.

MONTENEGRO, CROATIA AND BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

After catching my breath for a few days in Germany, I headed off again for a week in the Balkans. For the first time in my life, I went in with absolutely no plan, embracing a go-with-the-flow spontaneity that would make any backpacker proud.

This was my first solo “backpacking” trip in ages and was such a great reminder of why I started travelling in the first place. From Podgorica, Montenegro, I had a week to make it to Tuzla, Bosnia. Besides that, no fixed plans!

That’s how I ended up hiking fortresses in Kotor, meeting friends who convinced me to stop over in Dubrovnik for a night, then falling absolutely head over heels with Mostar. So much that I kept extending my stay, leaving only one day in the capital of Sarajevo.

I’ll be writing more in-depth about how this trip affected me, but truly – there is no country in the world like Bosnia. Besides its stunning beauty, it is a genuinely captivating country that will simultaneously break your heart yet fill it up with hope.

Mushy and vague I know, but I’ll elaborate further in some future blog posts. While here, I did some wild things… I climbed an abandoned sniper tower for sunset, scaled a mountain on all fours in a dress and even hitchhiked for the first time. I know, right? Who have I become?!

Hey you guys wanna hear a funny joke? I ran a half-marathon.

For real! Me! I am now officially Christina Guan – human potato / half-marathon runner. My packed travel schedule meant almost zero training, so it’s a miracle that my knees didn’t just snap off. Here are some fun screen grabs of the awful photos they got of me at the finish line. I know, I look like a thumb.

And now, as I type this rambly mess of an update, I’m sitting in a beautiful artsy café in Bulgaria, a country that has challenged and surprised me daily. I’ve been here since the end of April, and will continue making my way through the country until mid-May, when I’ll be in Bucharest, Romania for an awesome event called #ExperienceBucharest!

I’ll be joining over 100 other bloggers, vloggers and influencers who will be storming through the city to experience what it has to offer and showcase the epicness of Bucharest.

It’s my first blogger event ever – can you imagine? I’ve got my business cards ordered and have been practicing being a normal human daily in the mirror, but we’ll see how that pans out. I’ve never been one for networking, but this will be interesting!

SO if you’ve made it this far… congratulations and thanks for reading! I’d love to hear in the comments what your travel plans are. Talk to me, friends! 🙂

When the other day, I had the epiphany that we’re over halfway into 2017, I might have peed a little.

Here’s the thing – I don’t deal well with time passing. It makes me feel old and weirdly vulnerable. I mean, despite my “early 20s status”, there are some days when I feel ready to just procure a rocking chair, learn to knit and call it a day.

That said, after I staved off my existential crisis, I realized how long overdue I was for a monthly update! I have to admit, when I valiantly promised monthly updates back in April, I didn’t expect my plans to unravel so quickly.

To be fair though (as will be revealed in this post), May was non-stop go go go and June was packed in a different way. Hence hello, yet another “monthly update” – 2 for the price of one 😉

May was a month spent entirely on the road, which sounds really cool and romantic, but in reality was just a mix of poor nutritional choices (I’m nursing a prominent #BalkanBulge around my midriff as I type), coupled with wearing the same 4 shirts over and over.

BUT, if that’s the tradeoff for seeing and doing epic things, I guess I’m okay with that.

Here’s where I went in May!

When I first told people I was visiting Bulgaria, initial reactions consisted mostly of “why” and “ where?? ”.

But seriously, I need you to know this: Bulgaria is ridiculously awesome.

I’ll admit, I endured a shaky start travelling solo in a country where I couldn’t even read the alphabet, let alone carry any kind of conversation.

But in spite of initial struggles, Bulgaria amazed me . It is hands down one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever visited. My two weeks took me through Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Veliko Tarnovo – the unsuspecting city that completely rocked my world.

It was here that I met the coolest group of friends who adopted my little scaredy cat self and transformed me into a (slightly more) adventurous badass.

With them, I shimmied into abandoned Communist monuments, went night time swimming in waterfalls and hiked trails that would make former-me cringe.

It was the best experience ever, and the biggest “eff you” I could have given to my comfort zone.

I plan to write way more in the future about Bulgaria, but here are some photos of the amazing things I saw. If you get the opportunity, please go. I’ll pay you a good chunk of my savings to bring me back some  banitsa  and  tarator  soup. *drools*

Waddling into Bucharest, I felt like the chosen one.

Chosen for #ExperienceBucharest that is – the largest ever tourism campaign the city has ever seen, and run entirely by volunteers to boot. It was my first time at an event of this kind, where I got to rub shoulders with over 100 other bloggers and influencers, many of which I have stalked  admired for years .

I mean… business cards were exchanged, so you can imagine how important and fully “adult”ed I felt.

But I bet you can also imagine also the 50 shades of awkward I breezed through, because I am me, and cope poorly in social situations.

Here’s an actual photo of me awkwardly sipping wine at a networking event:

Blue wine aside, the main focus of this trip was about discovering Bucharest, and I have to say: this Romanian capital was a wonderfully unexpected surprise.

From cool hidden cafes to colourful, secret passages – Bucharest was absolutely nothing like I imagined. If you’re looking for a unique getaway that’s more off the beaten path, book a flight to Bucharest and you will be smacked in the face with awesome. I promise!

Plus, despite initial networking anxiety, I met some really cool blogger friends along the way. Woah – I have real (non-Internet) friends again. #bigstep

Straight after Bucharest, it was onwards to London.

Oh, London… AKA that time I went bankrupt. I can’t lie, my budget had ten heart attacks jumping from Romania to England, but in the spirit of “hey it’s expensive anyway”, I decided to go 1000% wild and treat. mah. self.

I’m talking: fancy brunches with ridiculous views, high teas where the pastries looked like makeup (lol) and all sorts of frolicking around neighbourhoods I couldn’t afford.

Here, I met up with some friends from home and just tore through the city’s food scene with Pacman-esque enthusiasm. I have zero #ragrets.

Exploring England by Train

After a few amazing days in London, I spent the next week city hopping around England thanks BritRail . I admit, train travel is not the cheapest option for seeing the country, but I’ll be damned if it ain’t amazing and convenient.

Oxford was my first stop, and it was just as gorgeous as I always imagined. I got the chance to tour a few of the colleges and realized, Hogwarts is REAL. (Well, pretty much anyway). The architecture in this city is both droolworthy and photogenic – a must visit when you’re in England.

After that, I caught the train to Liverpool , a place I now affectionately dub as “my spirit city”.

I always knew I would love it because my Beatles fanaticism knows no bounds, but beyond that – I discovered a buzzing and vibrant hub for food, culture and entertainment.

Plus, it was here that I accidentally went on a date with a 70 year old who grew up in Liverpool during peak Beatlemania. No joke. 

We met at a hostel, and with so much excitement, he told me what it was like growing up in the city during such a crazy time. I then asked if he’d ever seen the tribute band that plays at the Cavern Club every Thursday (where the Beatles themselves played hundreds of gigs). He paused, then was like “great idea! LET’S GO!!!”

SO that’s how I spent the entire evening at a (pretty convincing) Beatles tribute concert, while this crazy 70 year old jammed out and relived his youth next to me. He knew every lyric to every song, and kept saying “I’m so glad you dragged me to this!!”

Well, I didn’t, but okay.

My little England tour was capped off with my greatest travel fail to date – or rather, my boyfriend’s (FYI, my actual boyfriend, not the 70 year old Liverpool guy). He was joining me for the weekend and had literally one job: book a hotel.

He ended up booking a hotel in the wrong city.

(And people wonder why I swim in trust issues).

Ending up in Eastbourne rather than Brighton, I soaked in the serendipity of this booking gone wrong. Though my time in the city was brief, I got to enjoy a cotton candy sunset, a pretty walk along the water and a rather unexpected tribute concert for one of my favourite bands, the Killers. Random, but very wonderful.

We did end up in  Brighton the next day, where I ate my weight in sweets at Choccywoccydoodah and soaked in the buzzing atmosphere of the seaside, crowded despite the cloudy skies. I’ve always admired the Brits for their optimistic weather outlooks! Brighton was a really cool city – I mean, it was no Eastbourne , but I liked it alright. 😉

[FYI – that was a joke. Both cities were great. You can put those tomatoes away.]

London (Again)

Before flying home, I returned to London for one last nerdy hurrah.

… at a fan convention!

Yes, I’m a geek and I refuse to apologize for it. I mean, a chance to breathe the same air as some of my favourite TV stars? *swoon*

Wrapping up my London celebrity bingefest, I caught John Bodega in Woyzeck, an amazingly powerful play where as a bonus, I had Steven Ogg from the Walking Dead sitting at the end of my row, much to the gleeful joy of my TWD fan-boyfriend. He never mustered up the courage to talk to him, a fact that I am confident will haunt him until the end of days.

A Month Back Home

In June, I returned to my hometown of Vancouver with a sole purpose: vengeance.

No just joking, I really just needed to graduate and get my degree. Or, you know, the pricey piece of paper that tells the world I’m apparently worth something.

I officially walked the stage on June 9th, after a week of rejuvenating naps and eating all the sushi within eyesight. Without a doubt, Vancouver sushi joints have learned the wrath of Guan.

Fun story about my graduation: after years of buildup and moral support, my parents somehow managed to miss the crucial moment they’ve waited so long for – me crossing the stage.

They heard the announcement of my faculty “Communication, Art and Technology”, heard only the “technology” part, thought: “oh she’s not studying that” and decided on that exact moment to take a washroom break and not pay attention.

Oops. I also managed to be the only girl out of the hundreds of grads to receive the wrong hood pinned on her by accident.

We were all properly lined up, ready to walk out when another girl noticed my hood was a different colour. They had (obviously foreseen my genius) and decided to give me a Master’s hood. I had to waddle in heels to get a repin, but made it out just in time. Only me, am I right?

After my grad fiasco, June was mostly a homebody month, apart from…

A Road Trip to Alberta

Father’s Day weekend was a really special one for me. It was the first time in over ten years, I went on a vacation with my dad… and I got to make it ridiculously special by surprising him with his dream hotel, a promise I made when I was a silly nine year old girl.

His reaction was priceless. You can watch it here.

Onwards to a Journey Across Canada

And now, as I type this, I’m on a shaky Canadian train eastbound to Saskatoon, where I have literally no idea what awaits me.

This month, I’ll be crossing Canada by train (a dream of mine for ages) so I’ll be on the road, being ‘interesting’ again.

Then, at the end of the month, I’m jetting off to a mystery destination… and I can’t wait to tell you where. HINT: it’s a country I’ve never been to before… and it’s in ASIA!

I can’t wait to submerge myself in noodles.

What can I say? Miracles do happen.

Every once in a blue moon, something truly extraordinary graces the planet with its rarity, an unexpected anomaly disrupting the fabric of existence itself.

Today marks that moment… because Christina’s monthly update is actually on time, and finally for a single month, rather than two.

Please be wary of the flying pigs on your way out.

I apologize for the dramatics, but I am (quite frankly) shocked that I actually published this on time, and I can’t wait to share my crazy month with you… which I spent entirely on the road.

Before we begin, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram  for real time updates/stories, since that’s my go-to platform when I’m travelling. Wait what? Was that a desperate grab at followers? Shhhh – just let this happen.

July: All about riding the train across Canada

Long story short: Canada’s national rail company this year released a few thousand special edition tickets celebrating 150 years of the Canadian confederation…  This meant the lucky fools who got one (me included!!) received unlimited train rides in July for the swoonworthy pricetag of $150.

Ripped straight from the pages of the Willy Wonka playbook, this publicity stunt worked, and when July hit, thousands of bushy-tailed backpackers descended upon the country with blankies in hand and snack-stuffed backpacks.

Truth be told, it wasn’t exactly a glamorous experience.

After all, we had no access to showers or proper beds on board, making dry shampoo and baby wipes the most precious things one could own. Plus there were often delays exceeding 12 hours… but hey who was keeping track? 😉

Luckily, I stopped every few days to explore a new city, particularly ones that I never thought I’d see. This turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

Canada is one beautiful, badass country. Here are some of the places I visited by train. Let me know in the comments if any of these were new to you!

If you’re wondering Saska- where,  I feel you. Honestly, Saskatoon, located in the Canadian prairies (read: the middle bit) is a city that I never in my life thought I would visit.

I grew up being told that it was a boring place with nothing to offer. For the two days on board that it took to get from Vancouver to Saskatoon, I had countless travellers laugh at me for stopping there at all.

And so, I skipped into the city expecting a barren wasteland of tumbleweed nothingness.

Instead, I discovered a colourful city with hip neighbourhoods, crazy good food and fun events going on all over the city.

From open mics and DJ shows, to watching a bluegrass  twist on Shakespeare, I found myself unexpectedly falling for the underdog. Saskatoon won me over, and is solid proof that “boring” cities are some of the most fun to explore and discover.

Onwards from Saskatoon, I rode a day-long train to Winnipeg , found in the heart of the Canadian prairies.

Similar to Saskatoon, common west coast snobs will dismiss Winnipeg for being flat, boring and uneventful. After 48 hours there, I can confirm that these west coast snobs  sit upon a throne of LIES.

I mean, in a mere two days, I saw polar bears, relaxed in a stunning Nordic spa, saw dozens of epic street art murals and visited some truly unique museums (including the world’s only museum dedicated solely to human rights awareness).

I was also given the opportunity to dine like an absolute queen, with a food scene just as diverse as Winnipeg’s multicultural population. 2 days wasn’t enough! Pouty and whiny, I forced myself to move onwards East, AKA…

From Winnipeg, I caught the train through Ontario back to Toronto, where I was given a day to explore and frolic around (with an open heart and even more open mouth).

With only 24 hours to spend, I had a wildly baller time digging into the best of Toronto’s food scene. Among the casualties were a beautiful sushi donut, (more than a few) rooftop cocktails, and a shake-inducing combination of sweet coffees from gorgeous cafes around town.

For a day, I pretty much adopted the life of a socialite, meeting up with friends as I ate my way through social gatherings and overdue catchups. It was pure caloric chaos, but nothing compared to my time in…

I have two words for you about my time in Montreal: poutine pregnant.

Those of you familiar with the glory of Canada’s favourite drunk snack will understand what I mean, and those who aren’t, well…. Imagine a heaping serving of crispy fries, topped with squeaky cheese curds and mounds of savoury gravy. NNNGH. On those days, I thanked the universe a million times for loose clothes.

Montreal for me has always been a city of indulgence.

The last time I visited, it was at frigid winter temperatures during which the air legitimately hurt my face. This time, in the summer sun, Montreal was more alive and buzzing than any city I’ve ever seen.

Every two blocks marked the start of a new festival and with the sunshine on my skin, I couldn’t have been happier just walking for hours, seeing all the sights again in a whole new light.

[Give me a gold star] I also managed to sneak away to get some work done at the coolest concept cafe of all time – the Anticafe, which bills you by the hour rather than by your purchase.

Basically, you pay for the time you spend there (at a maximum of $9 for the day) and then you get to hang out in their cozy living room-esque space, drinking up all the caffeine and inhaling all munchies your little heart desires. Yes, it is as splendid as it sounds. Be sure to go if you’re ever in Montreal!

Atlantic Canada: Halifax and… PEI??

Up until this trip, Quebec was the farthest east I had ever been. This time, hopping on a train, I crossed through New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia… a region known as Atlantic Canada.

My original plan was to spend four days in Halifax, but then spontaneity got the best of me, and within 24 hours, I went from “hi what’s your name” to sharing a car/bed with total strangers.

… wait, that sounds bad, but let me explain!

You see, in travel, things tend to escalate quickly… and you can go from being strangers to family in the matter of days.

Essentially, I met up with some fellow travellers on my train who were keen on the idea of visiting Prince Edward Island, the smallest province Canada has to offer.

Quite simply, this is a place that young travellers don’t often visit, which, for the curious George in me, made it all the more appealing. Some last minute planning later, we found ourselves squished together in a little car, en route to PEI for a night.

It was a gorgeous trip that played out to the background of rolling green fields packed with hay bales and golden canola. It was here in PEI that I had a lobster roll so good, I almost cried, and also where I frolicked across red sand beaches with Grand Canyon-esque rock formations.

I feel so grateful to be from a country with so many unexpected tricks up its sleeve.

After this spontaneous jaunt, I had two days left to #DiscoverHalifax.

… and it was seriously nothing like I expected. In place of a quiet, maritime town, I found myself in a buzzing city crammed with cool museums (the Canadian Museum of Immigration and Maritime Museum were my favourites), awesome sights (like a hill-top citadel overlooking the city) and of course, fresh seafood that could make a grown woman cry. I mean, look at this lobster poutine and tell me it isn’t a true work of art:

And from bright rainbow chairs scattered around town, to comfy orange hammocks dangling by the water, this city showed to me that there’s way more to Halifax than its port. I’m already plotting my return… *ominous music*

And now for the ultimate plot twist: from Canada to… Indonesia! I left Halifax ten pounds heavier and headed back to Montreal, where I caught a ridiculous 24 hour commute over to Jakarta.

Why am I here? Weeelll, for the next two weeks, I’ll be venturing around Indonesia for #TripOfWonders alongside 9 other awesome bloggers from around the world.

I’d love if you followed along on Instagram (and all the better if you turned notifications on because the time difference is killing my reach).

The focus of this trip is on cultural discovery, and I seriously can’t wait to dig deeper and see what Indonesia has to offer across its 18,000 islands…. (though I’ll only be visiting 4!)

I keep pinching myself that this is really happening. I’ve always joked that I’m the only travel blogger in the universe who has never been to Bali, so I am beyond stoked for that to change.

… Just get me one of those big hats and I’ll be a walking cliche 😉

Hello my name is Jetlagged, and I am very Christina.

… wait. I think I mixed that up.

*trembles while sipping 10th coffee*

It goes without saying: August was a ridiculous whirlwind, and I am now one very tired coffee bean. 3 continents, 1 transatlantic move, starting a new business and lots of awkward dancing along the way.

But you know what? Despite the fact that I’ve shoved my inner body clock into a rickety blender, I’m grateful for every second and opportunity. This month was a big game changer for me, so without further ado – here’s what happened in August!

You might remember that last month, I decided to travel across Canada by train. A sensible person would have gone home first to pack up and regroup, but instead, I acted like the overexcited corgi that I am, flying straight from Montreal to Jakarta, Indonesia.

In total, I spent 2 weeks in the country, the first ten of which were exploring the country’s cultural wonders with the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism for their #TripOfWonders campaign.

… and it was SO MUCH FUN.

This was my first time in Indonesia and I loved that we visited so many lesser-visited spots and saved Bali for last. Yes, this deprived travel blogger finally  made it to Bali, where all the cool kids apparently hang out. Many smoothie bowls were consumed, I can confirm.

But while I did like Bali, the highlight of my trip was getting to explore the culture and cool sights/history elsewhere in the country.

We started off at Lake Toba, the world’s largest volcanic lake, then moved onto other cultural hotspots like Surakarta (AKA Solo), Semarang, and of course, the epic Tana Toraja (known around the world for their fascinating burial rituals).

After the press trip wrapped, I spent a few extra days in Bali living THE Instagram-perfect life at Alila Villas Uluwatu with Sher from Sher She Goes . It involved a lot of posing, photoshoots and awkward candid laughter.

It was as glam as you’d expect, although I quickly realized just how tough and staged the “IG perfect” life really is. Nothing makes you question your life decisions more than when you call hotel reception asking for rose pedals and extra fizzy bubble bath for the gram.

I am 100% certain the hotel assumed that Sher and I were lovers.

Surprise: I moved to Germany! … again.

After spending less than a week back in Canada, I was on the move again and set my sights on Munich – my new homebase for (at least) the next year while I make the most of my working holiday visa.

I absolutely love it here… the beer gardens, the lakes, the mountains, the beer gardens, the beer….. 😉 Being based in Central Europe is such a dream.

A few hours in any direction and I can be immersed in a whole new culture! Quite legitimately, it’s like unleashing a rabid child into an all you can eat candy shop.

My days have been consumed by 4am Skyscanner/Flixbus binges to see where I should go next. There are too many options, guys! Someone please put a kiddie leash on me.

So, as you’d predict, it didn’t take me long to head somewhere new (48 hours to be exact). My first stop after moving back to Europe was…

Let’s be clear: the first rule of living in Europe is, you ain’t wasting your weekends. 

With that in mind, still groggy from 2 major time zone changes, I sped off to my first destination only 48 hours post-landing.

My first adventure? A glamping weekend in Slovenia with BIG BERRY.

An accurate summary of the weekend would be to tell you that I’m well on my way to unlocking Slovenian housewife status. I drank a ridiculous amount of wine (aka a typical Friday), learned to make bread and even had some time to relax with my main girl, Mother Nature.

Because BIG BERRY is located right on the border to Croatia, I actually got to canoe over to a new country one morning, which (trust me) sounds much more impressive than it really was.

I had an awesome time with BIG BERRY. Read more about my experience here: 

Hyperlocal Glamping in Slovenia: Soaking in The Big Berry Experience

Plans for September

And now? I’m fresh off the heels of a little family weekend in England (where, no big deal, I kinda won a trophy for trivia despite not technically being part of the family #braggingrights).

I’ll be off to Austria for a weekend of hiking in the underrated Vorarlberg region and soon after that, it’ll be a non-stop flood of guests coming into Munich for Oktoberfest.

It’s going to be a busy, beer-filled month but I’m ready for it. Bring on September!

Talk to you crazies soon,

Sometimes when I think about the past month, my head spins a little.

Part of it might be due to the weeks spent at Oktoberfest, sipping elegantly (lol jk – chugging) on beers the size of my torso. But also, it was a crazy month packed with a lot of life changes.

There were exciting things (like gaining momentum on a new business venture ), fun things (like the many days spent at Oktoberfest) and also very sad things (like losing my best friend, my sweet pup Rodeo who I’ve had since I was 10 years old).

And while admittedly, I did spend many days sulking, soaking in my grief thousands of miles from home, it reminded me that travel and life abroad isn’t always rainbows and comically large pretzels. Inevitably, there will be times when it sucks… like when you’re forced to say your last goodbye over Skype.

But that’s life, with all its ups and downs.

And while I admit yes, it has been a tough few weeks, I’m quickly bouncing back to my usual (caffeine-crazed) self.

This isn’t meant to be a sad, pity party type post (after all, Rodeo lived to be almost 100 in dog years – a legitimate shock as he never exercised, much like me) BUT I just wanted to take a second to let you know that life on the road certainly has its lows, and if you ever need to talk about it, I’m here for you 🙂 <3

With that out of the way, the rest of this post will be wayyyyy more lighthearted! Here’s where the month of September brought me.

My month started off with a quick weekend break in England to visit my boyfriend’s extended family.

As in like… cousins, aunts, uncles, random little children… all in one swoop.

It was a bit nerveracking, meeting so many family members at once, but I stifled my ironic (and phony) English accent for the weekend and tried my best to emit some kind of Canadian charm. According to insider sources, I did alright, and even managed to snag a “FAMILY WINNER 2017” trophy out of it, after getting weirdly competitive at trivia.

My ego was quickly knocked down a few pegs when I tried to be cute and teach one of the little kids my name. At the end of the afternoon, when I asked him “Heyyy Leo, who am I?! his answer was a blunt “nobody.”

It was a big win for my self-esteem.

Travel side-note: I learned on this trip just HOW CHEAP it is to get from Bavaria to London if you plan right. The airport at Nuremburg runs budget flights that literally cost 10 euros if you book early enough. That’s cheaper than a day ticket to travel around Munich. You can bet my UK friends will be seeing me a lot more often 😉

A few weekends after (I needed time to nurse my bruised ego), I spent a weekend in Austria’s stunning Vorarlberg province, specifically in the Bregenzerwald.

I love Austria. I’ve been to Salzburg, Vienna, Innsbruck and a few towns along the Danube during my old river cruisin’ days. It’s a stunning country and I always look for excuses to go back.

Here’s the thing though: Vorarlberg is not at all like the rest of Austria. Bordering Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, this province is known for its modern adaptations of longstanding tradition, which means so many different things, like surprisingly contemporary architecture, an exciting food scene and all sorts of events like you’d never expect from a sleepy Alpine region.

I spent the weekend enjoying an array of cool activities, like culinary hiking (where you hike from course to course in the Alps), doing self-guided scavenger hunts through town, eating my face off and even jamming out to a rock concert in the clouds (or well, at the top of a mountain).

Highlights include zapping my butt on an electric fence and eating cake for breakfast (before a 4 hour hike). All in all, a solid weekend. I would definitely recommend checking this region out if you find yourself in Central Europe!

Oktoberfest in Munich… over and over

When Oktoberfest hits Munich, every resident can expect at least one drunken friend to crash on their couch.

… it’s practically part of the rental agreement.

And this year, I think I maxed out my limit when I fit 9 people at once in the tiny shoebox apartment I call home.

Yes, nine. I was basically running an unlicensed hostel.

Here’s the thing: I’m absolutely rotten at goodbyes. I will literally say anything and everything to avoid the awkwardness of saying a forever-bye to someone.

This applies to friends met while travelling… and last May, when I spent 2 weeks in Bulgaria, I met some ridiculously awesome travellers I soon came to recognize as family. During our sad goodbyes, I inevitably blurted out “COME VISIT ME DURING OKTOBERFEST!”

The crazy thing is: they did. Friends from 3 different continents managed to align their schedules again to come visit…  and it was absolutely wild.

Besides my Bulgaria fam, I also had two friends from home visit for a weekend. I think I terrified them a little bit with my enthusiasm for the city. I honestly love living in Munich so much, it borders on weird. I swear the city only gets prettier every time I walk through it, and my “tour guide spiels” pour out more like creepy fan letters. It’s okay though, when your city looks this nice, I reckon you’re allowed.

I had a total of one night without houseguests before I set off for my last stop of the month –  beautiful Romania!

Back in May, I spent some time in Bucharest  and ended up really falling in love with the country. Every day since then, I’ve been plotting my return, so when I was invited to explore an underrated gem in Transylvania known as Covasna County, I signed up quicker than the Energizer Bunny on steroids.

Covasna is a quiet, undiscovered county in Romania with a lot of different nicknames – Land of Mansions being one.

That’s because there’s almost 200 different castles, manors and mansions in the region, many of which have been restored and repurposed for tourism. We got to stay in one and it was awesome – I felt like I was in some old timey murder mystery!

Over the span of a few short days, we explored the best of what Covasna had to offer, visiting local artisans, soaking in the unspoiled nature and going full Pacman on the wide range of food and drink. Naturally, I enjoyed a cotton candy 4x the size of my head and attended a festival dedicated to cake. We also watched bears and painted gingerbread cookies. What can I say – it was a packed itinerary!

It was also during this trip that I (low key) became a local celebrity. In the span of a few days, I was interviewed for two national TV channels (speaking about cake, of course), once for a local newspaper and I even attended a press conference where I did not realize until we arrived that I WAS SPEAKING AT the conference, and not just attending. Why is my life so strange?

Anyways, take the hint Romania, if you’re looking for a hype gurl, hit me up.

Onwards to October…?

I’ve been more inclined to take it easy these days with travel. Constantly being on the road burns me out, and now that I have a new business to worry about, my main goal is on productivity (shameless plug: check out Slaying Social here!). I do have two trips planned for the end of the month (guess where?!) but that’s still a few weeks away. So, my next (mega-exotic) destination is a James Blunt concert. #wanderlust

I’ll also be partnering with Eurail to discover some of Europe’s most scenic train rides. I have my pass for the next two months, but I haven’t made solid plans yet. Let me know if you have any recommendations for me!

Now, allow me a few seconds to be super basic, but ahhhh, I’m so excited for Autumn! I’ve been watching the leaves change colour from my window while I happily sip tea and bundle on increasingly fuzzy scarves. My life might be a chaotic mess right now, but at least it’ll be a sweet pumpkin spice mess in the coming months 😉

Sorry for that longwinded update. I hope you enjoyed it! Talk soon.

We all have that one ridiculous friend that is fifty shades of pumpkin by the time Autumn arrives.

*awkward wave* Hi, Christina here, and  I’m that friend.

Honestly though, October is always a sure recipe for joy in my books, between the chance to throw my boots into crunchy leaves and burrito myself into layers of blankets… Yes, this month I’ve been a happy, happy girl.

Of course, watching the leaves change in Munich (with a stalker-esque intensity I must add) has brought on a whole new set of feels. I feel so lucky to call Germany home, and it’s really hitting me now (2 months in!!) that this is  home for the next little while. That doesn’t mean I stayed put too much though. Here’s where the wonderful month of October brought me:

Life in Munich

Let’s be real: this blog mostly shows you the adventurous traveller side of me.

The other side that goes woefully undocumented is the Domestic Human Blanket Burrito side, the one that needs Netflix as much as oxygen itself. This was the side of me that I happily indulged for the first half of October, as I soaked in the cozy colours of Fall and became one with my sofa.

Here’s what I’ve learned: settling in a place for a while allows you to recapture the joy of simple “little thing” type pleasures.

Hence why one of the highlights of my month was a meatball + showroom pilgrimage to IKEA, which in some ways, made me just as happy as hopping on a plane to Stockholm. Hi, broken travel blogger here – reporting for duty.

That’s not to say I didn’t go insane exploring my own “backyard”.

I mean, when your backyard is a bucket list destination in itself, there’s no time to waste.

One of the highlights was doing a (ridiculously gruelling) hike from Heimgarten to Herzogstand, one of the most scenic routes in Bavaria. For me, it meant 8 hours of almost passing out. Still, it was worth it… for extraordinary views like this:

Another highlight was reaching ‘peak basic’ when I found out Germany was home to the world’s largest pumpkin festival. Guys, I am not making this up. This incredible event takes place every year in Ludwigsburg, Germany, only a few hours from Munich by train. Naturally, I sped there like a sugar-crazed child.

You can’t blame me. This festival is hosted on the grounds of a spectacular palace, and pays homage to all things pumpkin – from spectacular sculptures and foods, to delicious products and every shape of gourd you can imagine.

This year’s theme was Rome, which meant tons of Rome-inspired pumpkin sculptures. I couldn’t believe it. Definitely a worthwhile trip if you find yourself in Germany next year! 😉

The Netherlands

After literally rolling around in pumpkins, I took the train up to Utrecht to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Everyone always describes Utrecht as a mini-Amsterdam, happily without the bucketloads of confused tourists.

I can confirm that Utrecht is, indeed, a selfie-stick free zone, bursting with beautiful architecture and charming Dutch streets at every turn. I was sold, and look forward to visiting again sometime soon to explore properly.

I even caught a few rainbows along the way 😉

From ‘dam to ham, I found myself on a short press trip to the Sierra de Aracena region of Andalucia, Spain. This lesser known part of Andalucia (only 1 hour away from Seville by car) is packed with the cutest villages and enough ham to turn one’s blood into pure lard.

… That was not a complaint, by the way.

I had so much fun visiting this underrated slice of Spain, the highlight of which was the spectacular food and natural magic. I can’t wait to share more about this region with you soon!

Last but not least, I am crushing  hard  on Mother Nature right now after a ridiculously spontaneous trip to Northern Italy to hike the Dolomites.

Here’s the thing: Bavarians get a ludicrously wonderful number of holidays. This year, two holidays came stacked back to back, with only a Monday between them and the weekend. This meant my boyfriend was able to only take one day off work, allowing us to skip off into the Italian sunset for a magical long weekend.

Hiking through the Dolomites has been my dream since forever, and it was every bit as wonderful as I always dreamed. We hit the road in our tiny Volkswagen, pulling over at every opportunity, hiking for hours until the sun came down… I’ll be writing up more details soon – but for now, enjoy these photos!

Plans for November

And now you might be wondering: what’s next?! Well, I’m typing this from the Nuremberg Airport just before midnight, with my sights set for London tomorrow to attend World Travel Market, one of the biggest travel industry events of the year. Will I fall flat trying to network my face off? Only time will tell. Until then, I hope you enjoyed that update, and I’ll chat with you all soon!

Sooo, monthly updates still count when they’re 6 months apart right?

Hi guys! *awkward wave*  It’s Christina, here to claim the title of “actual worst”. Around this time last year, I vowed to write a monthly travel update for you all, and dutifully, no matter how painful, I kept it up.

But then (as they usually do with me), things got a little wacky, and my plans went off the rails.

The truth is, I iced the updates because I thought nobody was reading them. Sometimes it felt like I was typing up all these muddled thoughts, sending them up to cyberspace only to receive virtual crickets and the occasional pity comment from my mom.

But when (from time to time), I started getting questions about my next update, where the personal posts had been, I realized maybe there’s like 1-2 of you that actually read them.

So here I am… for you!  If you do happen to enjoy these more personal posts, please let me know 🙂 A quick emoji in the comments… a virtual high five. Something to rescue me from crying myself to sleep, maybe? Thank you!

Desperation aside, if you want jokey, play by play updates of my travels, your best bet is to follow me on Instagram and watch my Stories.

Now, onwards to the update…

An Exciting New Partnership with Omio

First thing’s first, I announced on Instagram a few weeks ago that I have officially joined Omio as their Munich local expert! For any of you travelling in Europe, Omio is an awesome, free site that allows you to compare prices, times, etc. on transport routes all around the continent, which means you can quickly and easily see the best ways to get from Point A to Point B. You can check them out here.

I’ve been using Omio for years (since my first backpacking trip, if I remember correctly), so this partnership is a total dream come true. I can’t wait to produce monthly content with them all about my beautiful city, things like this insanely detailed guide to public transport.

My New Travel Partner

Next, I need to introduce you to my new travel partner: Alphred! He’s dark, handsome, takes amazing photos, and….

Okay, fine, he’s a camera. Alphred is a camera.

But not just ANY camera… My Alphie is a shiny new Sony A7iii , a full-frame mirrorless beauty that takes THE dreamiest photos. It has been a full four years since I’ve bought a new camera, and while my Nikon D3200 (my first ever DSLR) served me well for a long time, an upgrade was long overdue. Friends, say hello to Alphie! 🙂

My 2018 Travels so Far

Okay, now onto this long overdue travel recap. Honestly, sometimes I scroll through all my photos from the past three months and wonder how I survived without becoming an actual coffee bean.

In the past three months, I’ve hopped through three continents. Here’s a quick recap.

February brought me to India for a very exciting collaboration with Incredible India. As one of 60 bloggers invited to take part in the  Great India Blog Train , I got a chance to experience one of India’s top luxury trains: the swishy Golden Chariot, which took me through the South Indian provinces of Karnataka and Goa. You can read a full review in this post.

Immediately after that, I did a surf camp in Fuerteventura with Planet Surf Camps . Trading in a sumptuous luxury train for a surfer hostel was interesting to say the least. I think the princess in me withered up and died a little. Overall it was good fun, and you can read my full review here . I survived, but my dignity remains in tatters.

Trading in a wetsuit for a business suit, I flew directly from Fuerteventura to Berlin to attend ITB, the world’s largest travel trade fair. Of course, I arrived ten shades tanner thanks to the Spanish sun, and so my first stop was to buy myself some new foundation that didn’t make me look like a surprised ghost.

To my shock/horror, I was officially the darkest shade offered in Germany: so-called “chestnut”.

For the next few days, I scooted my chestnut butt around ITB, catching up with great blogger friends, getting barraged with “YOU’RE SO TAN?” and making some great business connections along the way. If you’re a fellow blogger, I can’t stress the importance of attending in-person events. It’s so important!

Arriving back in Munich, I had all of two days’ to myself before my best friend from Vancouver flew in for a visit. Basically she decided to like, parachute in while my whole world was in flames.

Sleeplessness aside, it was great to have a familiar face in my new hood, and after showing her all my favourite spots in Munich . Together we then jetted off to Porto (one of my favourites) and Lisbon (a new favourite, despite an unlucky brush with pickpockets ).

We managed to visit during a freakish rainstorm as well, which locals found comically unusual. Oh, and a seagull stole an entire omelette off my friend’s plate. Against all odds, I still had an amazing time.

On the way back from Portugal, I stopped for a quick city break in the beautiful fairytale city of Bruges, where I drank from mugs larger than my face, gawked at a vial of Jesus’ blood and stood over top the world’s first beer-filled pipeline.

Guys, Bruges is cool. You can copy my 48 hour itinerary here , check out some alternative things to do, or read about the top, beautiful must-sees .

I only had a few days after that trip to repair my trust issues, when another friend decided to drop in on a parachute: Penelope from the The Flyaway Girl !

After a whirlwind visit in Munich, we flew off together with AirBaltic to visit Vilnius, Lithuania . There, we partnered up with the awesome team at Travel Addicts Club and they showed us a side to Lithuania I never knew existed. Guys, Vilnius is amazing.

You need to go. Here’s a post I wrote explaining why I fell so hard, and of course a great roundup of things to do in the city.

Now, I can’t lie to you – my main reason for visiting Vilnius though was that I had booked a very very cheap flight deal from there to visit home in Vancouver for two weeks (like, 300 euros cheap), two weeks filled with a non-stop parade of sushi and international eats I can’t get my grubby hands on in Munich.

I also happened to be home just in time for peak cherry blossom season, a happy coincidence that resulted in one of my most popular posts this year – where to find cherry blossoms in Vancouver .

My days were filled with blossom chasing with my parents as co-pilots, and it was pretty darn awesome and after a brief Insta-training, my dad is getting weirdly good at photography.

The blossom trend continued as I returned to Europe.

My flight home stopped in Amsterdam , which made a brief foray into the famous Dutch tulip fields a must. With my spontaneity being costly (what, on a holiday weekend in APRIL in the Netherlands), I looked for alternative accommodation outside of Amsterdam, which is how I found myself in the magical little village of Giethoorn .

It was crowded, but lovely, and staying the night there made all the difference (especially for super vain pics like these):

I then got to meet up with a friend off Instagram, Kristy from Tassie Devil Abroad, who gave me the okay to third wheel a romantic tulip adventure with her and her partner.

We skipped the oh-so-popular Keukenhof in favour of lesser-known tulip fields around the province of Flevoland. It was bliss!

Then came Paris. Spring time in Paris has always been a dream of mine, and so I couldn’t resist a quick break here. Side note: I know it sounds like I’ve been making it rain euro bills all over the place, but travelling around Europe can be SO affordable ( here’s my guide to cheap transportation options ), and I actually hopped on a bus from Amsterdam to Paris for less than 50 euros. Amazing.

In Paris, I was blessed with brilliant weather, spring blooms, and the most perfect few days in one of my favourite cities. For those of you who hate Paris or think it’s overrated, fight me.  Yes it’s cliched, yes it’s touristy, but if you know how to do it right, it’s also pure magic. It helps of course that I got to work with Hotel Le Pavillon while there, a brilliant boutique hotel with the most absurdly stunning view. I didn’t want to go home!

My last stop before going back to Munich was a press trip to the amazing butterfly-shaped province of Trentino, a beautiful area in Northern Italy between the Dolomites and Lake Garda. Genuinely, I think it’s one of the most underrated spots in Italy I’ve been to – all the beauty and sights, without the crowds 😉 I can’t wait to share more of my trip with you soon!

So… What’s Next?

I really want to slow things down for the summer. Dial it down to a slow mo, light some candles, yenno, the good stuff. I genuinely believe that travel is best appreciated when there’s balance and ample time to reflect.

I have a few short weekend press trips lined up, but apart from that, I want to make the most of my time in Munich and the European summer… maybe try to get back in shape, because although round is a shape, I’m getting noticeably doughy, a not-so-ideal consistency for bikini season.

This time last year, I had just finished a half marathon, and now this year, the only half I’m finishing is half a cake. Then the second half.

I also need some time to focus on work. I’m a workaholic by nature, so the inability to sit down and get things done is really weighing down on me. I guess you can expect a loooot of content coming your way.

To be honest with you, I’m still struggling to find the balance between travel and work, an especially troubling issue given that I’m a full-time travel blogger.

The issue is this: when I’m in a new place, I always try to do it all, experience it all, often to the demise of my productivity and sleep patterns. The amount of times I’ve fallen asleep, mouth-open in bed while editing photos or writing is far too many… but it’s a 1st world problem I’ll happily take if it means I get to do what I love.

So anyways, another “short” updated that has turned into a novel. I guess I really am back 😉 Talk to you all again soon!

I hope you enjoyed my list of Travel Stories!

I don’t write a ton of narrative type posts anymore, but let me know in the comments if you’d like me to add more.

My Go-To Travel Favourites:

🧳 Eagle Creek: My favourite packing cubes

💳 Wise: For FREE travel friendly credit cards

🍯 Airalo: My go-to eSIM

🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels

📷 Sony A7IV: My (amazing) camera

✈️ Google Flights : For finding flight deals

🌎 WorldNomads: For travel insurance

🎉 GetYourGuide: For booking activities

2 thoughts on “My Funniest, Cringiest & Most Embarrassing Travel Stories”

Firstly I have to say you are such a great story teller, you had me in stitches from the go! It is so refreshing to read something so different to the usual “Top 10 tips” type of travel blogs! I think I can top your grandad date though…. I inadvertently went to an erotica with my dad. Now that is awkward!

Great fun to watch your Christmas markets guide, and to read some of your stories! I will definitely be coming back for more

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6 Remarkable Short Travel Stories – Be Inspired By These Short Stories About Traveling

Looking for some short travel stories? Reminiscing on my travel memories, whether good or bad, is always nice.

I love telling my own travel stories and of course hearing others. Stories have been used to make others laugh, learn, and cry for centuries.

They connect us with our humanity because it helps us relate to others as they tell their experience.

Even now, we can still learn from the first storytellers through cave paintings. How cool is that? These short travel stories are bound to surprise and entertain you!

6 Short Stories About Traveling

Travel stories allow me to relive the exploration. As I think back to what I’ve encountered and the people I’ve met, I’m transported back to those vibrant moments.

Even short travel stories can hold a lot of significance. These tales, though they are shorter, can still connect people across time and space, bridging cultural divides and nurturing a sense of shared humanity.

Each story is a treasure trove of experiences, emotions, and profound lessons that have shaped my worldview and enriched my soul.

By sharing these, I want to awaken a sense of wanderlust and inspire others to embark on their own transformative journeys. Here are 6 awesome short travel stories for you.

Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links that will cost you nothing extra but offer me a little commission for any purchases made. These commissions help me continue to offer helpful tips. Thank you so much for your support.

#1 Scary & Fun Travel Volunteering Experiences

Travel bloggers share some crazy, fun, and scary experiences they had while volunteering through work exchanges .

Read about volunteering at a farm in Scotland, doing Peace Corps in South America, helping a yoga retreat in Australia, volunteering in Nepal, helping an Alpaca farm, volunteering at a big cat rescue in South Africa, and a work exchange horror story from Costa Rica.

#2 Stuck In An Albanian Hostel

After finishing volunteering at a Workaway project in Montenegro, I crossed the border into Shkoder, Albania .

I had visited before and loved it. I was so excited to get back to the amazing Balkan country, Albania . The day after I arrived, the whole country froze.

#3 Amazing Local Experiences In Europe

It is so normal to see travel displayed traditionally like cruises, resorts, big hotels, that finding more authentic experiences in touristy places seems impossible.

When you think of Europe, maybe the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and the Colosseum come to mind.

Though the big touristy sites are so cool to see, there are so many great experiences to discover beyond them.

If you want to hear about some seriously remarkable local adventures that travel bloggers have gone on, check out these articles.

Irish Sea Cliffs, Mud Volcanoes, Olive Farm Volunteering, Visiting A Russian Banya

Armenian Wine Tasting, Danish Chalk Cliffs, Learning Spanish In Spain, Home Cooked Montenegrin Food

Transformative Local Art, Half Abandoned Albanian Village, Peak District Wild Swimming, Romanian Drinking Lessons

#4 Why Traveling Is Good For The Soul

People can have many different reasons for traveling. Maybe they want to relax on vacation or be immersed in a new culture.

For me, traveling didn’t even seem like a possibility because life could be difficult where I grew up.

When I was a teenager, I had no idea I would amount to anything, let alone graduating with two degrees and becoming a travel blogger.

Read why traveling is good for the soul and 5 amazing things I’ve learned!

#5 Helping At A Budapest Hostel

My worst travel nightmare happened. I came down with food poisoning as soon as I arrived in Budapest.

Now don’t go judging Budapest, it probably happened from something ate the day before I left.

Regardless, it was terrible. It got so bad that I even had to go to the hospital (and I hate hospitals).

Here are some things I learned during my two weeks in Budapest helping at a hostel.

#5 Experiencing Daily Life In Denmark

During my visit to Denmark, I was lucky enough to stay with some friends there.

Besides a short trip to Iceland, I had not gotten to see the Nordic lifestyle was all about.

Since I was staying with Danish friends in their home, I had a quick snapshot of what life is like for them.

I must say I liked it a lot. The interior design, their healthy food, and of course the people.

#6 What I Learned About Northern Ireland

While living in the Republic of Ireland, I traveled up to Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom).

No one ever discouraged me from visiting but I could tell there was some type of disdain whenever I mentioned going there.

Even though I shouldn’t have let it, it made me feel like I wasn’t going to like it there.

There are many stereotypes about Northern Ireland because of the country’s troubled history.

Why Travel Stories Are Important

Travel stories foster empathy and understanding. Through vivid descriptions of foreign places and encounters with diverse cultures, I strive to show world we inhabit through my eyes.

By evoking empathy, these stories encourage open-mindedness and acceptance, eroding the barriers that separate us. They remind us that despite our differences, we are all united by our shared experiences as human beings.

Telling travel stories also serves as a form of preservation. Memories, like sand slipping through our fingers, can fade with time.

By recording my adventures, I’m able to keep the essence of those moments alive, ensuring they are not lost. Travel stories often become heirlooms too, passed down through generations, connecting loved ones to the experiences too.

Recounting travel stories allows me to reflect upon my own personal growth and transformation.

As I weave together the tapestry of my adventures, I notice hidden threads of resilience, courage, and self-discovery that have defined my journey. In a way, sharing stories can also be an act of vulnerability.

Final Thoughts

In essence, telling travel stories is an art form that transcends time and space, cultivating connections, fostering empathy, preserving memories, and illuminating personal growth.

By embracing the power of these narratives, we can weave a rich tapestry of shared experiences, ultimately uniting us all in the universal tapestry of humanity.

Check out all Maptrekking travel stories for more inspiration!

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Worldwide Walkers

10 Funny (and Unlucky) Short Stories from One Year of Travel

I’m so excited to share this one with you! I’ve gathered our top 10 most funny (and unlucky) travel stories from our round-the-world-trip, and put them into short stories in this blog post.

I want to show you that traveling isn’t always as glamorous as it’s set out to be. I’m sorry to break it to you, but that classic Instagram picture where you see someone sit in a bubble bath in the middle of the mountains with a glass of champagne is just not something that the majority of us will ever get to experience.

Traveling can be rough! In fact, two of these travel stories that I’m going to share are about poop, one has a sex worker in it, and another one is about bed bugs.

That’s as glamorous as it gets here on Worldwide Walkers travel blog – Sorry!

But all the mishaps that happened to us during our trip are what created these funny travel stories. And I honestly wouldn’t exchange any of them for a glass of champagne and a bubble bath in the mountains. Although, alcohol might have made some of these short travel stories a bit more endurable…

Anyways, this is our top 10 most funny travel short stories from our one-year trip around the world!

1. Getting bed bugs in Thailand

All right, so let’s start from the very beginning.

Glenn and I took a whole year out of our regular calendars and devoted this time to travel around the world. We left on July 10 2019, and we bumped into our first challenge only one week later in Thailand. I experienced every backpacker’s worst nightmare: Bed Bugs! UGH!

We had spent the first week getting over our jet lag in Bangkok followed by a celebration of Glenn’s birthday in Kanchanaburi. I finally started to adapt to my new lifestyle, and I was excited to go and explore some of the beautiful Thai islands.

So, we jumped on the night bus from Bangkok and made our way towards Chumphon where we got dropped off at 3 AM and had to wait for the 6 AM boat… That’s what happens when you always go for the cheapest option.

A few hours (and a couple of mosquito bites) later, it was finally time to board the boat! Little did I know that this boat would be the source of the next 2 weeks of hell for me. Because I apparently got bed bugs from this boat.

Later that same day, I remember waking up from a nap in our hotel in Koh Tao. My back was completely red and itchy. It looked like a rash, and I naturally started to panic (I’m an anxious type).

But Glenn calmed me down and convinced me to go to the beach and try to relax. And since I was convinced that it was just a rash (or some kind of allergic reaction), I said to myself, “what the heck, let’s go to the beach! The rash will be gone by tomorrow.”

Surprise, surprise – the rash wasn’t gone by the next day. In fact, it had gotten much, much worse! It was so red and fiery that I thought about calling my travel insurance – can someone please get me a doctor?!

I told myself to take a deep breath and just go and talk to the pharmacist around the corner, maybe they could help me. So, I walked into the pharmacy, lifted up my shirt and showed my back covered in the red burning spots. The lady in the pharmacy just said, “Oooh bed bugs.”

Excuse me? Did you say FREAKING BED BUGS?!

NO NO NO, I’d rather just have bad allergies acting up.

Come on, just tell me it’s a rash…

I actually (dumb tourist as I am) tried to convince her that it was a rash, but she just looked at me and repeated, “Bed bugs!”

So, I spent the next 2 days anxiously cleaning all of our stuff and looking for bed bugs, their eggs, and their excrements. It was pure hell! The following days, the swelling continued to get worse and itchier. I actually learned that the reason why my body reacted so badly is because I’m allergic to these small bloodsuckers.

Glenn on the other hand, he didn’t get a single bite…

It took more than 2 weeks for the bites to finally start to disappear. It was such an itchy nightmare!

But today it’s one of my “funny” travel stories. Who’s that dumb that they’d try to convince a pharmacist that they have a rash rather than just admit they have bed bugs? – ME!

If you want to read more about my story and learn what to do if you get these small bloodsuckers on a trip, then go read my blog post about it: Bed bugs in Thailand .

2. Fresh poop-laundry in Cambodia

This is quite the disgusting story… But it’s also one of my top 10 funny travel short stories! Although, it wasn’t much fun for Glenn – but we’ll get into that.

When you’re traveling full-time, you can’t do your own laundry. So, we often hand in our laundry to some locals in exchange for a bit of money.

And at this point of our trip, we were staying in a hostel in Cambodia where they recommended us to go and give in our laundry to the family living across the street. We gave the family $5 and they did all of our laundry – nice deal!

The next morning, Glenn went to pick it up. We were packing our backpacks because we were heading onto a new destination in Cambodia. So, we had to catch the bus and were therefore in a bit of a hurry.

We started packing our “fresh” clothes when suddenly Glenn saw a big brown stain on his toiletry bag. He looked confused – What could this be?

I told him to smell it.

(All right, I know it’s really mean to tell someone to smell a brown stain, but it might as well have been mud?! There was only one way to find out…)

So Glenn smelled it. And then he gagged.

It was poop. Fresh sh*t. From a human.

We looked around to detect the poop source and saw that the plastic, which Glenn had gotten the laundry back in, had a big piece of poop on it. He had put the fresh pack of laundry on the bed – on top of his toiletry bag, which explains how the poop ended up there. So, somehow the family across the street had put our clean bag of laundry onto a poop.

We quickly learned that there were small poop stains on several pieces of Glenn’s clothes.

It was really disgusting… but somehow I couldn’t stop laughing when I learned that it was only on his stuff and not on mine (I know, I can be quite the mean girlfriend). Glenn on the other hand, he did not think it was funny at all – he was so pissed off!

We didn’t go back to the little family to complain because they were living in a small shed, and you could see that $5 meant a lot to their economy. Their small children were running around naked, so we assumed that it was their poop.

We just let go of the incident and instead decided to embrace it for what it was – a funny (and disgusting) travel story to add to the collection.

3. Getting spiked in Cambodia

Sooo… out of all the short travel stories, this is probably one of the least funny ones – at least for Glenn.

Glenn and I don’t go out and party hard that often. We are the kind of couple who instead enjoy the bar culture where you can have some great laughs with friends, do a bit of dancing, and play a round of pool.

However, if you ever make it to Siem Reap in Cambodia, then it’s mandatory to go on a pub crawl with your hostel. It’s a pretty rowdy experience where everyone drinks a ton of shots and gets absolutely smashed before waking up the next day with a raging hangover.

Sounds lovely, right?

Anyways, we joined the pub crawl one evening – which was actually more of a club crawl.

When we made it to the last club, we were all moderately wasted, but not completely smashed. So, Glenn and I started playing beer pong with another couple from the hostel. The couple suddenly left, so I saw the opportunity to also leave the table and go play table football with some of the guys from the hostel.

Consequently, Glenn was left alone at the beer pong table. BIG MISTAKE!

A few moments later, I saw that he was suddenly playing with a very tall slim Cambodian woman who was wearing 3 layers of make-up, insane amounts of glitter, and the smallest mini-skirt I’ve ever seen. She also had very broad shoulders, a big jar, and an obvious Adam’s apple… You get the picture now?

I honestly thought it was a pretty hilarious scene. It was obvious that she was some kind of sex worker in the way she was dressed and in the way that she approached Glenn. But what she didn’t know was that he had come with someone else – me!

Glenn and the tall woman was playing against two Cambodian guys who obviously knew the woman. It honestly looked a bit shady from afar. It was obvious that they wanted something out of poor drunk Glenn.

But Glenn isn’t stupid, he knew what was going on. But the reason why he didn’t want to leave the table was because we had paid for the beer, and he wanted to drink it all. So he just kept playing until there was no more beer left… My boyfriend is Belgian and he just can’t let any beer go to waste.

What he didn’t know (until he chugged down a full glass) was that they had swapped out the beer with something else – he said it just tasted like water.

Strange. Where had the beer gone? He didn’t even see them switch around the drinks.

After some time, the whole situation only got stranger, so I decided to interfere – it was time to just leave and go home.

However, the minute we left the club, Glenn suddenly lost the ability to walk. He was all drowsy and he felt like he had to puke. I supported him the best I could and we started to walk home. Keep in mind that we drank the same amount all night, which meant that I was also drunk – but in no way was I in his condition… and Glenn can normally drink way more than me.

So I knew that something was completely wrong with him.

Long story short, Glenn slept by the toilet all night and had a complete blackout. It was obvious that something had been put in his drink – he couldn’t remember anything the next day.

The only time he had been drinking something unknown and different from what I was drinking was when he was playing beer pong with the Cambodian prostitute and her two male friends. They were obviously running a scheme and must have put some kind of tranquilizer in his drink.

If a situation seems strange, then remove yourself from it! Don’t be like Glenn and insist on drinking the last drop of beer – only to find yourself in a strange blackout within the next hour.

What a night. I honestly had a great time! Glenn… not so much. This night definitely deserved a spot in our hall of fame of funny travel stories!

Just a little side note to this story: Cambodians are some of the friendliest people on this earth! I don’t want to scare people off from going here with this story because getting spiked can happen anywhere in the world. To show how nice Cambodians are, I’ve added a picture of Glenn chatting and laughing with 5 friendly monks!

4. Learning about domestic violence in Vietnam

This is one of my favorite funny travel short stories!

This story both shows how incredibly friendly Vietnamese people can be towards foreigners, and how we humans can still manage to find a way to communicate without knowing each other’s languages – and in spite of big cultural differences.

This funny travel story takes place in Tam Coc, which is one of the most beautiful places in all of Vietnam! Read my blog post about things to do in Tam Coc , and you’ll see.

We stayed in a guesthouse and one night the owners invited us to join them for dinner. We gladly accepted! They had cooked an impressive feast, and we were excited to try some new Vietnamese food.

The only problem was that we didn’t speak Vietnamese, and they didn’t speak English. So after a while, we ran out of body language, and it became quiet around the table. I mean… you can’t rub your tummy and say, “mhmmm” all night. We had to find something to talk about.

So we pulled out Google Translate – every traveler’s best friend.

And it turned out to be so much fun!

The owner wanted to introduce his wife, so he said something in Vietnamese, which came out in a monotone robotic Google Translate voice like this, “My wife’s name is Bitch”.

We all fell into a coma of laughter!

His wife’s name is “Bich”, but Google translated it into “Bitch”. It was hilarious!

We had so much fun and ate so much fantastic food (which they insisted we shouldn’t pay for). However, the more rice wine we drank, the weirder the night became.

The man started telling us stories about how his wife was being violent to him all the while his wife was sitting right next to him and laughing about it. Then the wife tried to teach me how I should punish Glenn. According to her, I should take his money, so he doesn’t go sleep with other women, and then I should start slapping him – Give him the “100 hands” as she called it on Google Translate.

We don’t condone domestic violence in any way! But we also didn’t want to be rude to our hosts, who were both laughing about this matter. So, we kind of just laughed along…

Even though the whole night took a weird turn, we still had a really fun night! These people were so generous to us. And despite our cultural differences, language barriers, and different views on domestic violence – we still had one of the best nights of our entire trip.

It was definitely one of our best local and cultural experiences, and today it’s one of my favorite funny short stories from our one year of travel.

5. A dog pooped on my seat in Bolivia

Okay, so here goes my second poop story… Apparently one wasn’t enough.

This short story definitely deserves a spot in our top 10 funny travel stories – I still can’t believe the bad luck we had on this day.

This travel story takes place in one of the most incredible places in the world – Salar de Uyuni! Salar de Uyuni is the name of the famous salt flats in Uyuni, Bolivia. It’s an area that doesn’t look like it belongs on earth. It’s honestly one of the most incredible places you can visit in this world! And I’m not exaggerating.

However, we made the mistake of choosing the cheapest salt flat tour that we could find. It’s a habit to look for the cheapest tours when you’re a budget traveler… But word of advice – don’t be a cheapskate when choosing a Salar de Uyuni tour.

Long story short, we ended up sitting with our knees in our faces in the back of a jeep for more than 8 hours with a really rude Bolivian family, a guide who didn’t speak English, and an ugly little dog.

The whole tour was one big mistake from our side. We should just have paid for something better from the beginning!

It was such a bizarre day because we were visiting one of the world’s most amazing places, yet we weren’t really enjoying it because of the weird tour we had gotten ourselves into.

And after several hours of disappointment in our fellow explorers, just before the tour was over and we were about to head home, then the rude Bolivian family’s little dog took a sh*t on my seat.

I was SO mad that I refused to get back into the car. I wasn’t mad at the little dog, but at the irresponsible family who had been feeding the dog candy and other kinds of crap all day.

The Bolivian family started to panic a bit when they saw how mad I became, but their solution was just to hand Glenn a tissue.

So, they wanted Glenn to clean their dogs poop? I honestly couldn’t believe how rude they were, and both Glenn and I refused to clean up after their dog.

The poor tour guide had also had enough of the family, so he just took the tissue and started cleaning the seat.

I was just thinking to myself, what kind of person doesn’t clean their own dogs poop?! They were such bad dog owners. After the seat had been cleaned with a tissue, they even wanted me to go back into the jeep and sit on it… They didn’t offer to change seats.

Glenn and I eventually reached a point where we just started to laugh because of how unfortunate the whole day had been. That’s why today this story made it into one of my top funny and unlucky travel short stories.

If you want to read more about this unfortunate day, then go read my blog post: How (not) to visit Salar de Uyuni

6. Getting stuck on a mountain in Bali

This funny travel story is one of those classic Southeast Asia backpacker stories that involves a scary scooter fall and a breakdown in the middle of nowhere.

We had rented a scooter from our guesthouse in Bali. It was in a very poor condition, yet we thought it was a great idea to drive to the top of the steep 600 meter high Mount Lempuyang, and visit the famous temple on the top.

But of course it turned out to be a very bad idea…

The hill was too steep for the scooter. I was driving with Glenn on the back, and I turned the gas as much as I could, but we were basically standing still on the hill. So Glenn had to jump off and start walking up.

We decided to take turns in driving and walking up the steep mountain.

It went fine, until it didn’t…

At some point during Glenn’s turn of driving, I heard him scream, “F******CK!”, and then there was silence.

SH*T! Did he drive off the mountain?

In a complete panic, I tried running up the steep hill. I made it around the corner and saw Glenn in the middle of the road. He had fallen with the scooter. But he was okay, and there luckily weren’t any scratches on him or on the scooter.

I was so grateful that nothing had happened to him!

Apparently, my scooter helmet, which was laying between his legs, had rolled off during a sharp turn. So he tried to reach out for it but consequently lost his balance on the scooter. He said that the only way out of the situation was to just let himself fall slowly onto the side.

The only problem now was that the scooter wouldn’t start. The battery was completely dead.

We tried several times, but after 20 minutes we had to admit to defeat. We were stranded on top of a mountain in Bali… At least we had an incredible view over the island and the ocean!

I remember how funny it was when Glenn tried to ask for help when cars were driving by. Glenn waived with his arms signaling them to stop and help us, but they didn’t get the message because the people in cars just smiled and waived back.

After about half an hour, Glenn randomly tried to start the scooter again – and it magically worked!

We were contemplating whether we should continue up the road to the temple (we were only 900 meters away), or if we should just ride back down.

We took the fall and the broken scooter as a bad omen and decided to just head back down the mountain.

So basically, we never got to see the temple… But riding up that hill in the first place wasn’t a complete waste because now we have yet another travel tale to add to our collection of funny stories.

I know so many travelers who have scary scooter stories, and now we have one too! Although, today we find it quite funny and mostly just laugh about it. But please be careful on the scooters in Southeast Asia… A lot of accidents happens.

You can check out some my blog posts about Bali here:

• Is Bali still worth visiting?
• 22 interesting facts about Bali
• Best things to do in Sidemen

7. Drunk on rice wine with locals in Vietnam

While writing these funny short travel stories, I find it a reoccurring theme that it’s often Glenn who is the subject of the stupid things that happen… Coincidence???

Glenn is also the main character in this story, which he later that day came to regret.

Long story short, Glenn and I was out exploring Hanoi when we started to feel hungry. We walked around in an area that didn’t have many food options, so when we saw a little local street vendor we decided to just go for it.

It was the kind of place where you sit on small plastic chairs, and you throw your leftover food onto the ground. Not very hygienic, but a great cultural experience.

The local people sitting at the little street food restaurant were excited about two foreigners joining them. One of the men told Glenn to come and sit next to him by slapping the little red plastic chair besides him. Glenn sat down, and he was quickly offered beer, cigarettes, and rice wine.

The man constantly filled up Glenn’s glass and yelled “trăm phần trăm!”

trăm phần trăm apparently means 100% – or bottoms up!

The Vietnamese man made it his mission to drink Glenn under the table. Glenn looked at his watch and saw that it was just past 12 PM, which is the appropriate hour to start drinking in his world according to Belgians, so he accepted the challenge.

The only problem was that Glenn had never had Vietnamese rice wine before, and it’s not unusual that rice wine has an alcohol percentage of 40%. So, I knew that Glenn would get completely smashed from this little game he was playing.

A lot of Vietnamese people started to join in on the scene, and all of a sudden Glenn was chugging rice wine with half of Hanoi’s citizens (yes that’s a complete overstatement! My point is that a lot of people joined).

When the bottles were empty, I decided that it was time to end the show and move on with the day.

Glenn was so drunk that he started hugging the old Vietnamese grandmother who was part of the street vendor family. To my surprise, the grandmother responded by touching and grabbing his biceps. It was such a hilarious scene from my sober point of view!

The street vendors didn’t want us to pay a dime because they were just so happy that we had stopped by to join them for lunch and a drinking game. It’s incredible how generous people around the world can be!

I saw that Glenn’s condition worsened by the minute, so I got a taxi to take us back to our hostel. 20 minutes later, Glenn had his head in the toilet and then passed out on the bed for hours.

Just a little advice; if you’ve never had Vietnamese rice wine before, then take it easy – it’s really strong!

You can watch this funny travel story in our travel vlog beneath:

8. Dehydrating on Roy’s Peak Track in New Zealand

Out of all our funny travel stories, this short story is probably the dumbest one. We absolutely have no one to blame but ourselves for this…

This is the story of when we dehydrated on Roy’s Peak Track in New Zealand.

It’s really dangerous to go hiking without enough liquids, so I don’t know how funny this travel story actually is – but at least we learned from it, nothing happened, and we can just look back and laugh about our stupidity today.

So basically, we thought it was a good idea to hike one of New Zealand’s toughest trails at noon on a hot sunny January day. Furthermore, we thought it was a good idea to do it without enough water.

We completely underestimated how tough this hiking trail was and therefore miscalculated how much water we would need… The hike ends at the incredible 1578 meter high viewpoint, and it was at this point that we officially ran out of water.

The remaining 8 kilometers turned out to be a nightmare.

We were walking back down for more than 2 hours in the blazing hot afternoon sun without any water. We both started to feel really bad – obviously dehydrating and feeling dizzy and powerless.

This just shows how IMPORTANT water or any type of liquid is while hiking. It’s super dangerous to go on a hike and not have enough water… ALWAYS bring more water than you think you can drink. More often than not you’ll end up opening that extra bottle.

We miraculously made it back to our van in the parking lot in one piece and drank everything we could find in the van. The only cold thing we had was milk, so Glenn started chugging all the milk. I didn’t care about cold or hot I just needed something liquid – and a lot of it! So, I took the gallon of water we had in our car and started drinking from it. Although, it was actually more like tasteless tea because it had been standing in the sun all day long.

It was honestly such a pathetic sight! I can’t imagine how stupid we must have looked in the parking lot of Roy’s Peak trail, panic-drinking everything we had…

Today it’s just one of our funny travel stories – “Remember that time we almost dehydrated and died on Roy’s Peak?” – and then we have a laugh. But lesson learned: NEVER underestimate a trail, it can be so dangerous if you start dehydrating because you didn’t bring enough water.

If you want to read the full story, then check our my blog post: How (not) to hike Roy’s Peak

9. Almost missing our plane to Chile

Come to think of it, this short story isn’t actually that funny compared to some of the other travel stories.

But it still deserves to be told because it was one of those, “What the F*CK!”-moments. It’s also one of those dreadful travel stories that many full-time travelers have experienced, and it feels so unfair and unnecessary.

That’s why we just have to laugh at it.

So basically we had paid A LOT of money for a direct flight ticket from Auckland in New Zealand to Santiago in Chile. The tickets were non-refundable, so we couldn’t afford to miss the flight.

Luckily, everything went smooth. Until it didn’t.

As always, I had done my research and checked all the necessary information we needed to know in order to enter Chile. I also researched whether you needed proof of an onward ticket or not, which you should ALWAYS check before going anywhere. After a small hour of research, I concluded that it was okay to fly to Chile on a one-way ticket, so I didn’t think more about it.

That is, until we were standing at the check-in desk in Auckland Airport and a lady from the airline staff asked me, “May I see your return ticket?”

I told her that we wouldn’t return to New Zealand, but instead move into Bolivia afterwards. We just hadn’t planned that far.

…She said we needed an onward ticket to get on the plane, and thus refused to let us check in.

I started panicking.

We had spent so much money on this flight ticket, and it was going to be my first time in South America. And now I maybe didn’t get to go?!

The thing is, you get nowhere in life if you just sit down and cry. So, I picked myself up and we started looking at our options. We looked into buying a plane ticket out of Chile, but we couldn’t decide for how long we wanted to stay in Chile. We also didn’t know which city we should fly out from… There was just too much pressure on us to start planning our whole South America trip in just 1 hour.

So, we found another solution.

There is a website that offers “fake” onward tickets for $12 per ticket… The tickets are actually real, but they automatically get cancelled 24 hours after you buy them. It honestly sounds super shady, but at this point we didn’t care. We just needed a quick solution to our problem.

So, we bought two random onward tickets online and hoped they would arrive in our mailbox before the check in closed. About 20 minutes later, we received our two “fake” tickets out of Chile to somewhere random in the US.

I was a bit nervous to return back to the queue for check-in, but at least now I had the proof they were looking for.

When we made it to the check-in counter, we didn’t get the same woman as before. We were now being checked in by the woman who was standing right next to the woman who rejected us.

We handed in our passports and ticket numbers, but when I asked her if she wanted to see our onward tickets she said, “No thanks”.

So that one lady sent me into a complete panic coma for nothing? Apparently it’s up to the individual to ask you about your onward tickets…

I felt so annoyed that she had to put us through the stress, yet I was super relieved that we were allowed to check in!

It’s just one of those typical travel stories that you only think is funny afterwards… I know that a lot of people have experienced this around the world. And it’s super annoying that it’s up to the airline to ask, and not just a permanent requirement for the country. Because then you can never be sure about what’s right or wrong.

When we arrived in Chile, nobody asked us to see anything. The immigration officer took a quick look at me and my passport and gave me the approval stamp in less than 2 seconds.

10. An uncomfortable hospital visit in Bolivia

Okay, this short story might be a little bit uncomfortable – but it actually turned out to be one of the most funny travel stories from our trip.

It’s not funny because I got sick. But the hospital visit turned out to be rather hilarious!

We started our trip in Bolivia at a 3500 meters altitude, which led to me getting altitude sickness. I was feeling awful, so I decided to call my travel insurance who advised me to go to a lower-altitude city and visit a hospital. They booked me in at a hospital in Sucre for the following day.

When Glenn and I showed up at the hospital the next day, we were the only ones there. So, it didn’t take long before a doctor was ready to see me.

The doctor was nice, but he didn’t really speak English, and we didn’t really speak Spanish… So it was limited how much I really understood of what was going on.

He took my temperature and listened to my lungs. Everything was luckily in order!

Then he guided me into a small room where I didn’t really know what I was waiting for. A few moments later, a woman came to take a blood sample from me. She took out a comically large syringe and just started tapping my arm. I remember thinking, why does she need so much of my blood to do a few tests?

But I just complied.

Then I was sent into another room where I (again) didn’t know what I was waiting for.

Another lady came in with another syringe, and she signaled me to drop my pants. She then give me a jab in the butt and injected something in me… And to this day, I still have no clue what was injected into me.

Then that same lady handed me two cups and a little wooden stick. The items looked like take away dressing cups, and the stick that’s left after eating an ice cream.

Basically, they needed a urine and stool sample from me. And I did what I had to do… Although, it wasn’t easy to do it in a dressing cup.

All there was left for me to do was wait for the test results, which arrived a few hours later.

The doctor told me that I did indeed suffer from a light altitude sickness, but that I also had salmonella. So here I was, battling 2 illnesses at once!

The doctor prescribed me 4 different types of medicine… which I also wasn’t 100% clear about what was.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to such a confusing hospital visit where my whole arm was tapped of blood, I got injected with something mysterious in the butt, and I had to poop in a dressing cup.

But the hospital did help me out a lot, and I was eventually cured for any illness I had – and for that, I’m grateful!

If you want to read the full story about me getting altitude sickness and going to the hospital in Bolivia, then you can find it here: Getting altitude sickness in Uyuni . Or check out my blog post from Sucre, which is the beautiful city where I went to the hospital: Things to do in Sucre

I hope you enjoyed my compilation of these 10 funny (and unfortunate) short stories from one year of travel. As you can see, we ended up in some bad situations on our trip, but we always tried to get the best out of it. The world isn’t as dangerous as you would think, and situations often gets better if we can find something positive in the negative. Laughter truly is the best medicine!

If you have any funny travel stories that you want to share, then feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear them. Thanks for reading and happy travels!

Hi, I'm Cecilie! And I'm the writer behind our travel blog. I only write about places that we've personally been to and want to recommend to you. I'm passionate about creating truthful travel guides, which can help you plan your own trip. When I'm not traveling or writing, you'll find me on a hiking trail, in a coffee shop, or in a shoe store around Copenhagen.

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Nice Post ! I have read your other posts which are really informative for any traveler.

Thank you! Glad you found them informative 🙂

Losing and Finding My Way in Japan

by Norm Williams

For much of my career, I traveled the world as a salesman.  Our company hired people in each country we sold in to help with various duties. One year I went to Japan, and the sales agent chose the Kokusai Hotel in Kyoto for my stay due to the efficiency of its proximity to his office.  I left early on a calm, bright morning to find my way through a beautiful historic part of the city built in traditional Japanese style.   The cute, smiley hotel receptionist had written directions on a map, circled the area of my destination, and wrote out the address in Japanese in case I needed help.  Shyly, she said in broken Japanese-English and with her hand covering her mouth, “It’s in this area.  If you get lost, here’s the address.”  With an early start and a clear sense of direction, I felt comfortable about arriving on time – a business culture imperative in Japan. I thought I found the circled area on the map with ease.  I then compared the hand-written address to the kanji characters on the buildings to discern a match.  With no Japanese reading ability, I struggled as if trying to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs without the Rosetta stone.  I soon realized, “I’m lost, and not just in the usual way when I’m at home in the U.S.  I’m lost without local reading or speaking ability, not knowing anyone in the city to go to for help, and a cell phone without reception in this country to call my sales agent.”  Bewildered and disappointed that I could not find the way on my own, I began to wander.  I looked for help among the passers-by. 

I used my ignorant foreigner look, which I had patented around the world — the clueless, helpless, American businessman who is hopelessly lost, out of his element, and pleading for some host country compassion. I tentatively approached a businessman, presumably walking to work.  Being deep in thought, I surprised him as a foreigner.  But, kindly, he took pity on me. He looked at the address and, after a long pause, said, while shaking his head side-to-side, “Aaannnooo.”  To me, this sounded like, “I don’t know.”  Later I learned that “anno” is the Japanese form of “mmmm.”   We parted with a mutual look of apology.  I continued to beg for help as I disrupted Kyoto’s quiet, morning street routine.  A coffee shop appeared to be a prospect for a captive audience of potential helpers.  A lone, older man, enjoying his coffee and newspaper, sat in the corner, isolated.  I cornered him.  He had no choice but to help.   He took a long, discerning look at the address, then the map, then the address, then the map again.  He pointed to a spot on the map with an air of precision and confidence.  But beneath his veneer of clarity and calm, I thought I saw a man pinning a tail on a donkey piñata while blindfolded.  Time to move on, I thought. I learned later-on that addresses in Japan are codes to unravel.  They indicate a ward, a district within the ward, a subsection of the district called a chome, a block number within the chome, and, finally, a building number.  In Japan, they number buildings in the order of their construction. They are not in numerical order as in the U.S.  The address I looked for could be located anywhere on the block, not somewhere in sequence. In place of a conventional numbered street address, an address in Japan could read like this in the U.S.:  “Go down this alleyway, take

a right at the nightclub, continue past the graveyard, and it’s the red door on the right after the old oak tree.”    Next, I found a lady pulling boxes on a cart.  I guessed that a delivery person would know the area well.  After quickly reviewing the address, she waved me hurriedly in another direction as if she knew exactly where to go.  We eventually reached her old van in front of a gas station.  She took out a map. As she looked at it for a long time, a deep crease began to form in her forehead. Her air of confidence became a look of “I don’t know.”  Fortunately, her fellow worker, who sensed the problem, stepped in, analyzed the address and map, and then pointed with the certainty of a commanding general to an area of buildings across the street.  My translation of her gesture, however, was:  “It’s somewhere over there!”  Another pin-the-tail moment. By now, I trusted no one walking the street.  So, I waved down an expert – a taxi driver.  His response to reading the address was an elongated samurai grunt and finger-pointing fit in Japanese-English, “Why are you taking a taxi?  It is around here.  We don’t need to drive anywhere!”  But I could detect uncertainty in his expressions as he desperately tried to help me.  I responded to him in my best, polite international English that I had learned works around the world – simple words pronounced slowly and loudly with a local accent as if the person cannot hear me well enough. In English with a Japanese accent, I said,  “Pleeease driiiive meee tooo theee ahdresssss ah.  I wiiill paaay youuuu eeeeven if it iiis aaacross the streeeeet.”  Then it dawned on me that he did not understand any of my Japanese accented English.  So, I resorted to the universal sign language of desperation conveyed with an American G I Joe gusto that said through body gestures, “I don’t want to walk there.  I am very late!  Please drive me even if it costs $50 to go 10 feet!”

He interpreted my gestures differently from what I meant because he zoomed off with me towards the center of town.  He tossed me what looked like a Japanese language guide-book to the city with pictures of landmarks and pages of street maps.  It was like he was giving me a tour of the town as he pointed to various places.  Perceiving the misadventure ahead, I emphasized my unwavering interest in going to the phantom address by vigorously and repeatedly pointing at the address written on the paper.  He responded with more grunts mixed with smiles as if saying, “You can point all you want.  You are my prisoner.” After many miles, we arrived back where we began the city tour and parked outside the gas station.  A determined and, apparently, a compassionate man, the driver did not want to let me down now.  He went to the gas station’s workers and pulled them together for a conference.  For what seemed like an eternity, they diligently researched maps, considered directories, animatedly discussed possible locations, and pointed in various directions. Then the gas station workers appeared to bow to each other in a humble celebration. Grandly, one of them stepped forward from the group and pointed to a building directly across the street. In the same direction that the cart puller’s fellow worker had gestured to, and the taxi driver told me about, I wondered, in despair, “Could it be that the building was, all this time, just over there, and I hadn’t listened to them?” The elated cab driver, who dearly wanted to finish the job, eagerly waved me into the taxi.  Ecstatic, I jumped in.  With a simple U-turn, he would deliver me to the door of the building across the street.  But, of course, that would be too simple. We drove in Japan, and the strict traffic laws overrode any sense of simplicity. My cab driver pulled out, zoomed off, took a dozen or so turns down one-way streets, and we finally pulled up to the building that was across

the street. I could have walked back and forth between the building and gas station twenty times while in the cab.  Gratefully, I paid the taxi driver a ransom for my release plus a tip for the city tour.  As I walked into my sales agent’s office sixty minutes late, his lady assistant graciously approached me, saying, “He is waiting for you at the Kokusai hotel to bring you here.”  “Oh My God! What message did I miss that told me to wait there?” I thought in anguish. “I spoke with a half dozen Japanese, disrupted their morning routine, struggled endlessly to understand them, walked many city blocks, traveled unnecessary miles, felt the helplessness and hopelessness of being lost, arrived an hour late, and I only had to wait for the sales agent to quickly and efficiently take me to his office! Feeling quite humble, I entered the meeting room and sat down at the conference table. My sales agent began to speak, and I listened carefully to his direction.

Have just reread this post. Hope you’ll pass through this corner of the world again soon ❤️

I will as soon as I can ❤️

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Life-changing travel experience stories

There’s nothing like other travelers’ tales to get inspiration . When you are home longing to be on the road, or when you are on a journey wondering why you left the comfort of your house, submerge into these life-changing travel experience stories, beautiful tales of how a trip can alter the trajectory of your life .

I’m sure my regular readers are used to me talking about travel experiences . But for those who are discovering this little window to my soul called Experiencing the Globe , you can see that it all started with a bucket list of all the –surprise, surprise– travel experiences I want to have around the world.

The list is my goal in life, so I’m spending as much time as I can on the road. But when I’m home in between trips I seek inspiration in other travelers’ tales. I’ve read as many books about exciting journeys as I could put my hands on. And recently I got a hold of Lonely Planet’s Travel Goals: Inspiring Experiences to Transform Your Life .

It got me thinking of my own life-changing travel experiences . Like my transformation into a sustainable traveler after fully grasping what that meant for the planet and all the life in it. I have a trip to the Caribbean to thank for that. The first trip I took alone, when I was starting to test my boundaries, empowered me as a solo female traveler, and opened my eyes to a new world of possibilities! I’m so thankful I chose Italy , an amazing destination to explore on your own! I reaffirmed my faith in human kindness after spending a month in Iran , meeting the loveliest people I’ve ever encountered.  And the most literal life-changing travel experience, moving to Croatia after meeting the love of my life in this beautiful country that now I call home.

The book also encouraged me to ask other travelers if they had a story in their own travels that changed their lives in one way or another. I was overwhelmed with the beautiful tales… some of the best life-changing stories that’ll inspire you to travel!

Life-changing travel experience stories that’ll inspire you to travel

Collecting memories, not counting countries.

I want to start this series of tales with my own. As I told you, many aspects of my life have changed over the years due to a travel experience, but the one I want to elaborate on is the one that defined what my life would be. Traveling hasn’t changed me, it has made me. It’s who I am. Several trips to the south of Chile showed me where I was going. This is the story of how I became the person I am today:

My parents took me camping to the Chilean Lake District every summer while growing up. This was in the dark age, before the internet. Back then we had to rely on maps and guidebooks. So through the endless hours of our road trips, I kept myself entertained glancing at a map, reading about the small towns we passed, and convincing my folks to take a detour to visit some place that caught my attention.

During one trip I told them that I have decided I wanted to go everywhere in the world. After a few laughs, my dad told me about the Travelers’ Century Club (TCC), a group for people who have visited 100 or more of the world’s countries and territories. My eyes sparkled with the thought of being a member, and I made it my goal.

Obviously, I started asking to go to another country instead of the same National Park we always visited. They laughed again –conscious of the monster they have created– and offered a compromise: they’d take me to our neighbor Argentina, my first trip abroad, but I had to see more of my own country before I embarked on my adventure of visiting another hundred. I happily accepted.

See, what I immediately realized is that –as much as I wanted to be part of the TCC– the main reasons to travel should revolve around what I’ll get out of a trip –whether that’s meeting locals, tasting the typical cuisine, exploring nature, or adventuring into an activity– it shouldn’t be just to count countries . I know the “why you should travel” is super personal, but ticking countries off a list only because you put your feet there feels meaningless to me.

Why do people travel? Well, there are as many reasons as people traveling, but even if it is to get a tan while you’re permanently sipping from a cocktail, that trip will always be part of your story, so you should make the most of it.

After visiting every region in Chile, I started to go abroad. Nowadays, getting closer to 100 countries and territories of the TCC list properly visited, what I knew instinctively, transformed into lessons I learnt during my travels … What inspires me the most to hit the road is experiences, because they feed my adventurous soul –the TCC list (and my own bucket list) became the means to guide my journey, not an end themselves.

Spreading the word about the truth of traveling

Claudia’s life story is remarkably similar to my own. Being avid travelers changed the way we perceive a destination, and the story that should be told about it. We both left behind an academic career and repurposed our research abilities towards travel writing. Now we both blog from a distinct point of view. This is the story of how in a visit to Cuba she found her true calling:

“Cuba changed my life because it was nothing like I had expected it to be –quite the opposite, in fact. You see, being the avid traveler that I am, before my trip to Cuba I spent months reading just about anything I could put my hands on. If it talked about Cuba, I had to read it. Everything made it sound like traveling to Cuba would be easy, and locals would be generous and welcoming.

My time in Cuba was less than fabulous. Don’t get me wrong, it is a gorgeous country and now, a few years later, with much more traveling experience and understanding, I am ready to go again. But back then, it was awful. My 23 days there were a constant challenge to avoid scams –a challenge that a few times saw me succeed but that other times saw me fail miserably. It was frustrating. I felt I could not trust anybody. Where were the lovely Cubans everyone talked about in their blogs?

Cuba taught me that people lie, even (or especially) online. Because nobody really wants to say they have had a bad experience, and nobody is really interested in reading about others’ bad experiences –but is that really the case?

I decided there and then to be different. I decided that I had to warn others, tell them the truth, let them know what they should expect and what they should do to avoid scams. That’s why I opened my blog. It was just a pastime at the beginning.

Fast-forward 2 years and I realized that I did want to make an effort to make it work out. After all, what did I have to lose? My contract as a research fellow at the university had expired and I had no real prospect if not a series of menial short-term teaching jobs I was less than interested in. So, I gave blogging my heart and soul. And it worked. I’m a much happier person now. I love what I am doing. I wake up in the morning to face a long list of to-do things and I read it with a smile on my face, which is priceless.

Cuba changed my life. And despite all the frustration I felt back when I was there, it changed it for the best.”

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Encountering wildlife to find yourself

Camilla was looking for something, but she wasn’t sure what it was. Her heart lead her to India , and after that trip her life would never be the same. Animals can have different impacts in our life, but for this former vegan chef, one particular big cat meant more than anything. This is her story:

“January 2017. That’s the date I first arrived in India. By that time, I used to work as a freelance vegan chef in the hustling city of Paris. Having attended a 4-weeks course on yoga and Ayurveda, I had planned to spend the following month exploring this amazing country.

Little did I know that a special encounter would change my life forever.

Always an animal lover, over the years I had developed a passion for the most majestic of big cats: the tiger. The striped animal had somehow summoned me. To what reason and to convey what message I do not know, but to such a call one can hardly resist.

India is home to more than 60% of the world’s remaining wild tigers. The critically endangered species is highly protected, and the country has given to many of its national parks the status of Tiger Reserve.

It was time for me to see my first one in the wild.

With zero safari experience and many hours of research, I booked 4 drives in Ranthambhore, one of India’s most famous Tiger Reserves .

I will always remember the excitement before that first drive in the jungle, and I will never forget the distress of realizing that finding the elusive cat is no easy task. 

But all of a sudden, there it was. Glorious in its fierce black striped orange coat, a killer look and an attitude to die for. My first wild tiger.

That fleeting moment was enough to make me want more. Today, I have moved to Central India, prime tiger landscape of the world, and I have seen 103 different individuals. But every time I see those eyes, I feel the same excitement that I felt as a total beginner that day in Ranthambhore.”

Finding love in an unexpected place

Traveling is full of surprises. A spontaneous detour can change your life forever. Don’t I know it! A quick, unplanned stop in Split after exploring Dubrovnik ended up seeing me move continents for love. A simple recommendation of a town in The Philippines had the same in store for Alya. This is the tale of the trip that lead her to her husband:

“Meeting my future husband was definitely one of the most life-changing travel experiences I’ve ever had. We met 6 years ago in the Philippines. I was traveling alone around Southeast Asia for a couple of months. After completing my dive course in Gili Air Island in Indonesia and didn’t know where to go next. I was looking for a good place to learn to surf. My dive instructor told me about a small town on Luzon Island in the Philippines. It sounded like the perfect place for me. I bought a plane ticket immediately and two days later arrived in San Fernando.

The hostel I stayed at had a big dormitory with many beds. I met many travelers including Campbell. In fact, we had neighboring beds in the dormitory. He traveled alone as well and we liked each other, so we started going together to the beach, surfing and going out at night. By chance we had very similar travel plans and decided to continue our trip together.

We both like doing the same things, like surfing, diving and hiking. We left San Fernando and traveled around the Philippines together for 2 months. From there we went to Singapore. Unfortunately, I had to go back home, my 4-month holiday was over. We arranged to meet up again two months later in Nepal since we both had trekking to Everest Base Camp on our bucket list. So we did, it was our first multi-day trek together.

We met up a couple of times on the road again in different countries. After 6 months of on and off I decided to quit my job and join Campbell on his around the world adventure. Three years later we got married and decided to start a travel blog . In the last 6 years we’ve done hundreds of hikes, spent a year hitchhiking through Latin America, drove thousands of kilometers across Africa and walked seven Camino de Santiago routes.

Now I can’t imagine how my life would look like if I hadn’t gone to that place in the Philippines and had never met my husband.”

Giving is better than having

A trip to South East Asia gave Corritta’s life a whole new meaning. Possessions are overrated, true happiness comes from giving. She and her family left a comfortable life in the United States behind to fill their souls while making the world a better place. This is the tale of their journey:

“My life changing experience prompted me to sell our house, car and possessions to take off on a journey to see the world. That may seem a little extreme but let me explain. My first international trip was to Bangkok in 2018. I thought this trip would be a great way to get away from the stress in my life. It turned out to be a life altering experience that made me realize I was existing, not living. 

While in Bangkok we took a day trip to Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand and it changed my life. We learned how cruel animal tourism is and how we, as tourists, are unwitting accomplices. We support illegal pouching and animal cruelty by taking part in animal tourism. This includes taking pictures with large cats or monkeys and riding elephants. When we do these things, we are not only hurting the animals, we are ensuring things will never get better. I must admit I was never an animal lover but being up close and personal with elephants changed something within me. It made me want to give back.  

So, two years later, with my partner and our one-year old baby boy, decided to take off for a  family gap year .  We sold everything and left San Diego to live a life of service. We will use this time to give back to those less fortunate. 

When I left Thailand my definition of happiness changed. It was no longer associated with material possessions, but by the quality of life I wanted to live. I realized what truly matters is the love of your family. The Thai people with their families were happier than most Americans. So I decided to take back one of the most invaluable things in the world, time. Never forget, all the money in the world can’t buy you more time.” 

Small changes can make the world a better place

A trip to Australia developed plastic-issue awareness in Simona. Seeing how the tides brought tons of plastic to the shores made her change her approach to traveling. From carrying her own grocery bags and water bottle, little adjustments made her a much more responsible traveler. This is how her journey towards sustainability started:

“The first time ever I realized that plastic was a serious matter for our planet was during a road trip in Western Australia, almost 12 years ago.

We stopped at a supermarket along the Coral Bay coast to buy some groceries and the lady at the counter told us they didn’t sell any shopping bags to prevent plastic in the ocean and to help preserving the endangered turtles living in that area. After a first reaction of surprise, we gathered all our shopping in our arms and left, reflecting on what we had been told.

This was just one of the many experiences I’ve lived that made me more conscious about my impact and pushed me to adopt various habits to live and travel more sustainably. For example, after that trip, I am always carrying a cotton bag when I go shopping.

Our eco-honeymoon to Borneo was another life-changing experience that has strengthened my resolution to turn to a zero-waste lifestyle. I selected three ecotourism projects to visit. In Asia finding safe drinkable water is always a challenge, but we traveled with our water bottle, and we chose the right service providers engaged in sustainable travel so, with a little effort, we managed to avoid almost entirely the use of plastic during our trip.

However, we were seriously struck by our stay on Libaran Island, where a sustainable and turtle conservation project was launched 10 years ago. Despite the big efforts carried out by the project and the community in cleaning up the beaches and creatively re-use plastic, the shore is washed daily with tons of plastic coming from the tides. Walking on a carpet of plastic that almost prevented us from seeing the beach underneath was quite shocking.

Facing this global issue in person, raised in me a contrasting feeling of sadness and anger that soon turned into determination: to do as much as possible to reduce plastic in our life. Sometimes we may feel helpless in front of big problems, but we should be aware that small changes can actually make a difference!”

• The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel
• Sustainable Travel Photography
• Eco-friendly hiking: sustainable tips and packing guide
• Plant-based diet & Sustainability

Discovering happiness in simplicity

When her career and personal relations were failing, Soujanya decided to retreat to the mountains. The Himalayas were the perfect setting to get away from everything and regain perspective. In a small village she discovered that technology is overrated, and that what counts are real connections. This is how a trip to India changed her take on life:

“Back in mid-2019 I wasn’t in a good place in life. I was getting out of a serious relationship, I was burn out at my job, I had problems within my family, and the ever-increasing sense of loneliness had thrown me into a pit of depression. During that time, I turned to the only positive thing I had going on for myself, which was travel and blogging.

After some contemplation, I decided to quit my job to travel. I had saved up enough money that would last me 8-10 months so I didn’t give it much thought because I knew it was the only thing that would keep me from tipping over the edge.

The first thing I did after leaving my job was to head to the Himalayas in India. I spent a month in the Kinnaur and Spiti valleys in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The Kinnaur district was a breath of fresh air. The snow-clad mountain range in the distance, the lush green vegetation all around, the sparse population and the friendly people spoke to my soul.

There was one village called Chitkul , which lies on the Indo-Tibet border and has no cell connectivity, that helped heal me the most. A remote village with a population of less than a thousand people and only a handful of tourists, with nothing around it for many miles.

I spent my days sitting by the river, hiking to the nearby hills and walking through meadows. Just being there surrounded by the Himalayas, without any social media due to lack of connectivity, and making real connections with other travelers and the villagers had some sort of magical effect on me. Not only I have the best travel experience of my life, but the place also healed my mind. I came back happier than ever, with a renewed spirit, ready to enjoy everything that life had to offer.”

Uncovering a braver version of yourself

We all have that one thing we’d love to do but we’re too scared to try. A trip to Thailand taught Allison that life is what we made of it. Pushing her boundaries not only allowed her to have a ton of fun, but also gave her a new path, one in which she gets to do what she loves. This is her story, an encouragement for you to get out of you comfort zone too:

“Shortly after I graduated from college, I moved to a new state to start a full-time job. One day at work, I found myself wanting to go traveling. As I didn’t have any friends there, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to go on my first ever solo trip. So I quickly started doing research on where I’d like to go.

I had never traveled alone before, especially overseas, so I decided to sign up for a guided group that was going rock climbing in Thailand . This gave me a sense of security, being new to solo traveling. It felt like a great way to dip my toes into being alone and meeting strangers, but also doing something that sounded really fun and engaging for 2 weeks.

The entire Thailand trip forced me out of so many comfort zones that ended up being one of the big turning points of my life. The time I spent in Thailand navigating airports and taxis alone, meeting a group of complete strangers, and spending 2 weeks climbing with them in often remote parts of the country, ended up being one of the greatest experiences of my life. Up until this point I had always considered myself a ‘shy’ and ‘cautious’ kind of person, but this travel experience lit me up to become different. It showed me a brave, strong, and self-sufficient side of myself that went on to influence my life in dramatic ways when I returned home.

When I got back, I pretty much dedicated my life to spending as much time as possible outdoors whether that be climbing, hiking, or backpacking… essentially doing things that I once thought I wasn’t ‘capable of’ or was ‘too scared of’. Today, roughly 6 years later, I’m an outdoor empowerment coach and backpacking educator.

My trip to Thailand was the spark that I needed to make that change. It showed me what was possible. I don’t know if it was the people I met, the experiences I had, or the beauty of traveling in Thailand – likely a bit of all of it– but whatever it was, it changed the trajectory of my life, and I’ll forever hold Thailand (and all the people I met) in a special place in my heart.”

A leap of faith towards a new life

Getting to visit a new place after a business trip is nothing out of the ordinary. For most people. For Derek and Mike it was literally life-changing. After a quick trip to Copenhagen , they packed up and started a new chapter of their lives as expats in a different continent. This is the tale of their journey:

“In November 2016 we had a life-changing travel experience in Copenhagen, Denmark. My partner Mike was asked to make an unexpected business trip to the city to help with a project. His company had recently acquired another company in Denmark, and he was asked to help with the integration. He flew there from our hometown, Philadelphia, with only a few days’ notice, and on his first day in the office they asked if he would stay a few weeks longer. He agreed but asked for time off during the American Thanksgiving so that I could fly to Denmark and take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a cheap trip to Europe with no-cost lodging and some meals expensed.

We loved getting to check out a city that we didn’t have on our travel bucket list before this opportunity came about. We did a few tours, visited the Christmas markets and dined out. At one restaurant we got to try the Christmas traditional Danish meal . I enjoyed Copenhagen for 5 days and Mike remained there for work until the end of November.

On his last night in Denmark, he had dinner at his boss’ home. They shared a meal with a lot of wine and then Mike called me when he got back to his hotel. I could hear the excitement in his voice. He asked if I liked Copenhagen, which seemed odd because he knew I enjoyed myself when I was there. Then he asked if I liked it enough to move there, because on that final night, his boss asked if we would take an expat assignment in Denmark.

We didn’t hesitate to accept and our life abroad began almost right away. That trip to Copenhagen was certainly life-changing!”

Learning to fully appreciate what’s in front you

No matter how much you have traveled, there are places that will bring up the best of you. No matter how much there is still to see, some places will take your breath away and will forever stay in your heart. A trip to Antarctica transformed Wendy into a student. She acquired as much information as she could to fully absorb the beauty that she was about to witness. And now she is longing to go back. This is her story:

“Before my cruise from Ushuaia to Antarctica , I was already quite well-traveled. I had visited about 75 countries and seen plenty of natural beauty before. But all of that paled in comparison to the White Continent. The Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina had mesmerized me just days earlier, but now I was seeing dozens, even hundreds, of sparkling white glaciers practically everywhere I looked. These landscapes were so different from anything I’d ever seen that it felt like I’d traveled to another planet.

On the times when the weather was bad, and on the long days of crossing the Drake Passage between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica, I soaked up every bit of knowledge that I could about this snow-and-ice-covered land. Our ship, the MV Ushuaia, was manned by a full staff of scientists and lecturers who were experts in a number of relevant topics, from geology to ornithology. When we were out on the high seas with nothing to do, these experts held lectures on the flora, fauna, history and geology of Antarctica, and I attended every single one.

When we stopped at the British base at Port Lockroy on Goudier Island, I grilled the staff there with questions about how I too could go live and work on the island. And while that dream never materialized, my memories of Antarctica are still sharp in my mind 11 years later, and I still dream of returning one day.

Such an expensive voyage would normally be the trip of a lifetime, not a return destination. But if you’re willing to try your luck, sharply discounted last-minute deals can be found at the port in Ushuaia a day or two before departure. In recent years, these huge discounts have become few and far between, as most ships fill up months in advance. But still I’m thinking of a return trip to Antarctica for some more adventure!”

No matter where you go, every single place in the world has the potential to change your life! Tell me in the comments if you’ve had any life-changing travel experiences!

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16 thoughts on “Life-changing travel experience stories”

Wow this is really amazing,I pray that I will be opportuned to travel around the world one day

Sometimes we think it’s a far away dream because it’s dangerous, or expensive, or because we can’t take time from work. I’m aware that for some people it’s actually quite impossible due to their passport or the political situation in their country. For others, their responsibilities are far too great to leave behind. But for most of us, it’s just a matter of priorities. Don’t wait until you have all the money you think you need, or all the time you’d like to spend on the road. Just go! Even if it’s a weekend trip to your neighboring city, or to the countryside close to your place. You got to start somewhere, and every trip has the potential to be life-changing! Let me know how it goes! 🙂

I was looking for inspiration, and inspiration I found. I can’t travel at the moment, but I’m already thinking of how to be more sustainable on my next trip. Thank you all for sharing!

That’s amazing to hear, Dani! Welcome to the sustainable traveler’s team! 🌱

I googled inspiring travel stories to see if my day could be picked up, and I’m so glad this popped up! Lovely stories, super inspiring! I can’t wait for the pandemic to be over to create some travel stories of my own ❤️

Awww! I’m so happy to read your comment, Monty! Hopefully the pandemic will be under control soon and you’ll get to have some travel stories too. Make sure you tell me about them!

Beautiful tales! I can’t wait to start traveling again. Travel already has changed my life, but I’d be happy living through any of the wonderful experiences described here!

When you get to travel again, keep an open mind and an open heart… amazing experiences will happen! ❤️

Very inspiring stories! Thank you for sharing them!

It was a blast to write this, and collect other wonderful tales!

Love all these stories! Love how travel has shaped everyone!

In one way or another, every trip makes us a bit different. It was great to get these wonderful travelers to share their stories -now I’m sure it’s not only me who is deeply changed by travel!

These are all such inspiring stories! Really goes to show you how much travel can impact your life. Thanks for sharing!

It’s crazy how much travel can change us, and how much we can learn from it, no matter where we go!

I loved reading this! All of the stories are such an inspiration! I can’t wait to get back on the road 😍

In times of armchair travel, nothing like beautiful stories to keep the wanderlust up, right? ❤️

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Time Travel Stories That Explore What It Means To Be Human

Holly smale recommends kate atkinson, octavia butler, and more.

The inspiration for Cassandra In Reverse came—as art sometimes does—from heartbreak, or something quite like it. A short but intense relationship that unravelled so quickly, and so unexpectedly, I was left reeling. What had gone wrong? Was it my fault? What could I have done differently?

Caught in a familiar, never-ending thought-loop, I spent months trapped inside my own head: obsessively re-running the entire relationship in enormous detail, looking for clues, searching for the point where it all went wrong. If I could just go back and tweak it—say the right thing, understand a facial expression I completely misinterpreted—would it have had a different ending? Would it, perhaps, not have ended at all?

As I worked through this familiar yet confusing process—carefully editing a memory and allowing my imagination to play out the consequences in detail—I slowly realized it was an idea for a book: a woman, gifted with the power of time travel, who initially uses it to try and fix her relationship. But, when I pitched it to my agent, she had a few understandable questions. Why would anyone become so hyper-fixated on a short-term relationship like that? Why obsess, and repeat, and re-run? Why not just… let go and move on?

The answer to that question came with my autism diagnosis, a few years later. As I grappled with understanding my own neurology properly for the first time, I realized that the way I thought and behaved was tied, inexorably, to the fact that I was autistic. The need to repeat, to loop, to hyper-fixate, to obsess, to examine, to study, to analyze: I did it because I was autistic. Thus, rather than being a time-travel book with an incidentally autistic protagonist, this was a protagonist who time travelled because she was autistic: because the very act of time travel was, on a macroscopic scale, a narrative version of what goes on in her brain anyway.

I think there’s a part of every human who wonders if editing a part of their life would make a difference to where they ended up. But, in using time travel to reflect my character’s internal workings, I was able to give Cassandra a way to show her distinct neurology, instead of just telling us.

So much of being autistic is in attempting—and often failing—to connect to the world around us, and time travel allows Cassie try, over and over again. It allows her to explore what it’s like to carry time with you—blessed, and cursed, with an intense long-term memory—and to see what life is like when you get a dress-rehearsal first. It allows her to search for love, just as I have searched, and to try to understand those around me, as I have also tried. And it allowed me, as the writer, to repeat, to loop, and to undo and redo, to my heart’s content.

My favorite books are those where character and plot become one and the same. And, while time travel has been done so many times, Cassandra in Reverse is, in many ways, simply autistic neurology writ large, which felt like a slightly new perspective worth bringing to the table.

The best time travel stories, for me, allow the writer to essentially explore what it means to be human, and the incredible books I have picked below do exactly that.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

In this beautiful novel, Kate Atkinson uses a form of time-travel to investigate the fragility of being alive in a warm, luminous and witty way. Ursula is consistently dying and being re-born—with each life repeating until she uses her memories (and often instinct) to send it in slightly different directions and make alternative choices. One of the biggest issues of writing a time travel book is making sure that the repetition isn’t boring for the reader, and this book does that sublimely. Every sentence is so beautifully and clearly observed, and its companion book ( A God In Ruins ) plays with an off-shoot of the same basic idea: where would we all end up if we got another chance?

Kindred by Octavia Butler

An incredibly powerful novel, Kindred centers on the lives and experiences of slaves through the eyes of Dana—a Black woman living in 1976—who finds herself repeatedly pulled through time to the slave plantation of one of her ancestors in 1815. Time travel is used with enormous poignancy to explore race, gender and power dynamics through the eyes of a woman with modern sensibilities: a woman who cannot escape the time she has been thrown into, or the inevitable pain and struggle that comes with it. Every character feels alive, every story is explored and compassion is woven into every line: even for the brutal white plantation owners, who also seem caught in a time they cannot escape from. An astonishing book, as well as a vibrant and fascinating narrative that pulls the reader backwards in time along with its heroine.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

No list about time travel would be complete without a nod to what is generally considered the first book to popularize the concept, as well as the first to coin the term ‘time-machine’. In his novella, H.G. Wells uses the eponymous Time Traveller—never given a name—to question the “fourth dimension,” and a human’s ability to travel through time as well as space. He uses time travel to move only forward, thus the book becomes a searing social dystopian examination of what human society—and the earth itself—will eventually become if it continues on the same path, and peers at the living standards of the working class through the lens of the underground Morlocks. Weird, dark, morbid but brilliant, this book opened up a brand new genre and still has enormous power.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger

The focus of The Time Traveler’s Wife is love, predominantly from the perspective of the person who doesn’t time-travel: who is, essentially, left behind with the consequences. The connection between Henry, a man with a genetic condition that causes him to time-travel, and Clare—the woman he falls in love with—feels so real, as does the heartbreak, but it is the impact of waiting that really stands out: a sense of longing for a person, or a time, that has been or yet to come.

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

An incredibly entertaining and poignant novel, Oona is a unique character: one gifted—or cursed—with experiencing each year of her life in the wrong order: hopping forwards and backwards in time, and attempting to piece it together into one cohesive whole. It’s a novel that explores the impact our life choices have on us, externally and internally, and allows the characters to develop organically on the inside, even as her outside jumps around. It also has immense fun with technology, the use of ‘seeing the future’ to financially profit, and how foresight doesn’t necessarily prevent it all happening again, but this is a book that predominantly focuses on the importance of making mistakes, as well as embracing every age of being human.

__________________________________

Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale is available from MIRA Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

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Summaries, Analysis & Lists

Time Travel Short Stories: Examples Online

The short stories on this page all contain some form of time travel, including time loops. Some of them contain time machines or other technologies that makes the trip possible; in other stories the jump in time doesn’t have an obvious explanation. They don’t all involve obvious trips to the past or future. Sometimes, the story simply contains an element that is out of place in time. See also:

Short Stories About Time Travel

“caveat time traveler” by gregory benford.

The narrator spots the man from the past immediately. The visitor identifies himself. He’s surprised to find he’s not the first visitor from the past. He wants to take something back to prove he made it.

“Caveat Time Travel” can be read in the preview of  The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF.

“Absolutely Inflexible” by Robert Silverberg

A time traveler in a spacesuit sits in Mahler’s office. He’s informed that he’ll be sent to the Moon, where all visitors from the past have to go. The man tries to get out of it, but Mahler explains why no exceptions are possible.

“Absolutely Inflexible” can be read in the preview of  Time and Time Again :  Sixteen Trips in Time.

“Yesterday Was Monday” by Theodore Sturgeon

When Harry Wright wakes up on Wednesday morning he realizes that yesterday was Monday. Somehow there is a gap. He notices that his environment doesn’t quite seem complete.

“Yesterday Was Monday” can be read in the preview of  The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century.

“Death Ship” by Richard Matheson

The crew of a spaceship is collecting samples from various planets to determine their suitability for human habitation. While nearing a new planet, Mason spots a metallic flash. The crew speculates that it might be a ship. Captain Ross orders a landing to check it out.

“Death Ship” can be read in the preview of  The Time Traveler’s Almanac.

“The Third Level” by Jack Finney

The narrator has been to the third level of Grand Central Station, even though everyone else believes there are only two. He’s just an ordinary guy and doesn’t know why he discovered this unknown level. He relates how it happened.

“The Third Level” can be read in the preview of  About Time: 12 Short Stories.

“A Touch of Petulance” by Ray Bradbury

Jonathan Hughes met his fate in the form of an old man while he rode the train home from work. He noticed the old man’s newspaper looked more modern than his own. There was a story on the front page about a murdered woman—his wife. His mind raced.

This story can be read in the preview of  Killer, Come Back To Me: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury.

“Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving

Rip Van Winkle is lazy at home but helpful to, and well-liked by, his neighbors. He’s out in the mountains one day to get away from things. With night approaching, he starts for home but meets up with a group of men. He has something to drink and goes to sleep, which changes everything.

This story can be read in the preview of  The Big Book of Classic Fantasy .

“Twilight” by John W. Campbell

Jim picks up a hitch-hiker, Ares, who says he’s a scientist from the year 3059. He says he traveled millions of years into the future, but came back to the wrong year. Life in 3059 is trouble free, with machines taking care of everything. Future Earth is in trouble, with all life extinct, except for humans and plants.

This is the second story in the preview of  The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Vol 1 .  (49% into preview)

“The Man Who Walked Home” by James Tiptree, Jr.

An accident at the Bonneville Particle Acceleration Facility decimated the Earth’s population and severely damaged the biosphere and surface. Decades later, a huge flat creature emerges from the crater at the explosion site and promptly disappeared. There are other sightings in the years that follow.

This story can be read in the preview of the anthology  Timegates .  (18% into preview)

“An Assassin in Time” by S. A. Asthana

Navy Seal Jessica Kravitz recovers from the effects of the time jump. She’s done it before, but there are always side-effects. She’s on a highly classified, very important, and expensive mission. Previous jumps have familiarized her with the grounds. This time, she should be able to reach her target.

This story can be read in the preview of  AT THE EDGES: Short Science Fiction, Thriller and Horror Stories .  (17% in)

“The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” by Ted Chiang

Fuwaad, a fabric merchant, appears before the Caliph to recount a remarkable story. While looking for a gift, he entered a large shop with a new owner. It had a marvelous assortment of offerings, all made by the owner or under his direction. Fuwaad is led into the back where he’s shown a small hoop that manipulates time. He also has a larger gateway that people can walk through. The owner tells Fuwaad the stories of a few who did just that.

This story is on the longer side but doesn’t feel like it. Most of “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” can be read in the Amazon preview of  Exhalation: Stories .

“Time Locker” by Harry Kuttner

Gallegher is a scientist—drunken, erratic and brilliant. He invents things but pays them little attention after. His acquaintance Vanning, an unscrupulous lawyer, has made use of some of these inventions, including a neuro-gun that he rents out. During a visit he sees a locker that is bigger inside than out. Fascinated with the item’s possibilities, he offers to purchase it.

Some of “Time Locker” can be read in the preview of  The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century.

Time Travel Short Stories, Cont’d

“All You Zombies” by Robert A. Heinlein

A young man explains to a bartender that he was born a girl. He (she) gave birth to a child and there were complications. The doctors noticed he (she) was a hermaphrodite and performed an emergency sex-change operation.

A lot of this story can be read in the preview of  “ All You Zombies—”: Five Classic Stories .

“The Hundred-Light-Year Diary” by Greg Egan

The narrator meets his future wife, Alison, for lunch exactly when he knew he would. His diary told him. Everyone alive is allotted a hundred words a day to send back to themselves.

Most of this story can be read in the preview of Axiomatic .  (Select Kindle first then Preview, 57% in)

“The Dead Past” by Isaac Asimov

Arnold Potterley, a Professor of Ancient History, wants to use the chronoscope—the ability to view a scene from the past—for his research on Carthage. The government maintains strict control over its use, and his request is denied. Frustrated, Potterley embarks on a plan to get around this restriction, which is professionally risky.

Some of this story can be read in the preview of  The Complete Stories, Vol 1 .  (6% in)

“Signal Moon” by Kate Quinn

Working with the Royal Naval Service, Lily Baines intercepts radio communications to enemy vessels for decoding. One night, everything changes when she picks up an impossible message—a plea for help from another time.

Preview of “Signal Moon”

“Journey to the Seed” by Alejo Carpentier

An old man wanders around a demolition site, muttering a string of incomprehensible phrases. The roof has been removed and, by evening, most of the house is down. When the site is deserted, the old man waves his walking stick over a pile of discarded tiles. They fly back and cover the floor. The house continues to rebuild. Inside, Don Marcial lies on his deathbed.

“A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury

In the future, a company offers guided hunting safaris into the past to kill dinosaurs. Extreme care is taken to ensure nothing happens that could alter the present.

Read “A Sound of Thunder” (PDF Pg. 3)

“That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French” by Stephen King

Carol and Bill, married twenty-five years, are on their second honeymoon, driving to their destination. Carol experiences déjà vu; voices and images keep coming to her mind. Their drive comes to an end and she finds herself at an earlier point in their trip.

“The Clock That Went Backward” by Edward Page Mitchell

The narrator recounts the discovery surrounding a clock left to his cousin Harry by his Aunt Gertrude. As young boys they witnessed a strange event. Late one night Aunt Gertrude wound the clock, put her face to the dial, and then kissed and caressed it. The hands were moving backward. She fell to the floor when it stopped.

Read “The Clock That Went Backward” 

“Soldier (Soldier from Tomorrow)” by Harlan Ellison

Qarlo, a soldier, is fighting in the Great War VII. He doesn’t expect to be able to go back. The odds are against it. Qarlo anticipates the Regimenter’s order and gets warped off the battlefield. He’s not sure where he is but his instincts kick in.

“The Men Who Murdered Mohammed” by Alfred Bester

Henry Hassel comes home to find his wife in the arms of another man. He could get his revenge immediately but he has a more intellectual plan. He gets a revolver and builds a time machine. He goes into the past.

“Cosmic Corkscrew” by Michael A. Burstein

The narrator is sent back to 1938 to make a copy of a rejected story by an unnamed writer. Unknown to Dr. Scheihagen, the narrator adjusts his arrival to three days earlier. He wants to make contact with the writer.

“Time’s Arrow” by Arthur C. Clarke

Barton and Davis, geologists, are assisting Professor Fowler with an excavation. The professor receives an invitation to visit a nearby research facility. Barton and Davis are curious to know what goes on there. The professor says he will fill them in, but after his visit he says he’s been asked not to talk about it. Henderson, from the research facility, returns the visit. Something he says starts the geologists speculating about a device that could see into the past.

“The Final Days” by David Langford

Harman and Ferris, presidential candidates, are participating in a televised debate. Ferris is struggling to connect with the audience while Harman relishes the attention. The technician signals Harman that there are fourteen watchers. His confidence increases.

Read “The Final Days”

“Hwang’s Billion Brilliant Daughters” by Alice Sola Kim

When Hwang is in a time he likes he tries to stay awake. Hwang jumps ahead in time when he sleeps. It could only be a few days; it could be years.

Read “Hwang’s Billion Brilliant Daughters”

“Fish Night” by Joe R. Lansdale

Two traveling salesmen, a father and son, get broke down on a desert road. They sit by the car and talk about how hard it is to make a living. The father tells his son about an unusual experience he had on the same road years ago.

Read “Fish Night”

“The Fox and the Forest” by Ray Bradbury

William and Susan Travis have gone to Mexico in 1938. They’re enjoying a local celebration. William assures Susan that they’re safe—they have traveler’s checks to last a lifetime, and he’s confident they won’t be found. Susan notices a conspicuous man in a café looking at them. She thinks he could be a Searcher, but William says he’s nobody.

“A Statue for Father” by Isaac Asimov

The narrator tells the story of his father, a theoretical physicist who researched time travel. He’s celebrated now, but it was a difficult climb. When time travel research fell out of favor, the dean forced him out. He continued the research independently with his son. Eventually, they succeed in holding a window open long enough for the son to reach in. He brings back some dinosaur eggs.

“The Pendulum” by Ray Bradbury

Layeville has been swinging in a massive glass pendulum for a long time. The people call him The Prisoner of Time. It’s his punishment for his crime. He had constructed a time machine and invited thirty of the world’s preeminent scientists to attend the unveiling.

Read  The Pendulum

“Who’s Cribbing?” by Jack Lewis

A writer has his manuscript returned by a publisher. The story he submitted was published years before—he obviously plagiarized it. They warn him against doing this again. The writer has never heard of the author who first wrote the story and claims it’s an original work.

“Who’s Cribbing” is in  Time Machines: The Best Time Travel Stories Ever Written.

I’ll keep adding short stories about time travel and time machines as I find more.

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Short Adventure Stories from around the World – Machu Picchu to Sandboarding

The Adventurous Traveler is always seeking for the adrenalin-kick, the special experience to feel alive. Find real-life travel stories from adventurous traveler all over the world. These stories were contributed by the Hostelgeeks community.

Keen for even more entertaining and inspiring travel stories? Check out are huge collection below.

Read all the great stories from around the world. You can instantly share them as well if you enjoy them!

Find all 180+ short travel stories here.

Feeling liberated in Norway!

My boyfriend and I spent last August in Norway.

Our first stop was Trolltunga, 22 km of walking through snow, mud, rain, wind and darkness. Two days later we hiked Pulpit Rock , almost half the distance, this second hike seemed like a breeze compared to the first one.

We spent the rest of the time relaxing and exploring the beautiful county of Ryfylke – from a 10 Euro/day spa overlooking the lake, gazing at the incredible and numerous waterfalls, to aimlessly driving by the fjords.

I have always been scared of heights.

It had been less than a year since my foot surgery, accomplishing these hikes made me feel excited and liberated.

On one of our drives along the fjords, we found ourselves alone on the road surrounded by endless beauty, I felt like this was my chance to do something else I’ve always wanted to do…

When visiting Norway, hop over to Bergen. It is a beautiful city to visit with so many amazing things to do.

Read our guide on fun things to do in Bergen, Norway . Here is our guide to best hostels in Bergen .

Find more exciting Short Travel Stories here .

Catching the train with the police

After our Freedom Trail tour, we wandered around China Town in Boston in search of our next thing to do. We ended up reaching the train station and thought that maybe it’ll be cool to check out Gillette Stadium. We didn’t put much thought into it and next thing we knew, we’re on the train towards Walpole station.

It was quite a hassle getting to “Patriot Place” but we found it to be a cool spot to chill out. However, we failed to realize that there will be a back-to-back football match happening that late afternoon. We lingered around too long, and there were no means for us to get back to Walpole station. (Traffic was down, making it impossible for cabs to come in, and it was a long walk away).

When we saw a policeman down the street, we ran up to him, asking about other alternatives to rush back to Walpole for the last train leaving in 10 minutes. To our disbelief, he offered us a ride in the police car. So thanks to the Boston Police, we were back in Boston safe and sound, just in time to catch our bus to New York.

Read: 13 Crazy Travel Stories – when the Hostel burns down

Danger and Fear Climbing the Italian Dolomites Mountain

Having experienced many exposed and challenging Via Ferrata, I thought my rational fear had subsided over time. That was until my friends and I had to cross an icy bridge that was completely open to the elements.

Without the usual pseudo protection of my carabiner clips and iron wire, I suddenly felt extremely at risk.

Either side of the foot-wide ice-crossing were drops that had no bottom and considering we were climbing on a mountain that stood over 2000 m tall, my guess is that if I had slipped, I would not be re-telling this story today. If I learned only one thing – do not underestimate the Dolomite Mountains!

Read: Once In A Lifetime Travel Experiences – The Travel Stories

Machu Picchu’s Gigantic Aura – Reminder Why I Travel

On day three of the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru , we reached the summit of Abra de Runkuracay, eager to take in the surrounding views. The day was unusually warm; wispy white clouds rolled in and out of the deep green valleys, aided by a gentle breeze. We scuttled up to the highest point we could find.

Even though the clouds obstructed much of the view, I could feel the enormity of the valley we were perched above. I searched for snowy peaks in the distance, searched for the river far below. At that moment, I could do no more than revere my surroundings and feel that I was a part of something important.

The history enveloped me, the sights burned themselves into my memory, the crisp mountain air filled my lungs.  My overwhelmed senses were reminding me: This is why I travel .

Sandboarding at 65k through Namibia’s Dunes

We left Swakopmund, Namibia early in the morning and drove out to the dunes with the sand boards. It was a difficult trudge to the top, and I gulped when I got there and looked down the slope we would be using. Too late to wimp out, though.

I smeared the bottom of the board with wax, clipped in my boots and performed the backwards somersault they had shown us how to do to get started. Then I was up on my feet and scudding diagonally across the dune, balancing better than I imagined, and picking up more speed than felt safe. I shifted my weight to try to slow, but the board dug in and flung me forward, and I landed face-down in the sand and rolled. “ Like a helicopter taking off sideways,” someone said when I got back to the top, spitting sand.

I graduated then to lie-down boarding: headfirst on a sheet of ply at the top of the dune, pulling up the corners and barreling down the slope. The guy measuring the speed shouted “ 65k ”. Then the board caught and stopped dead, and I buried myself in the sand some distance ahead.

When starting your Africa-Experience, Namibia is the perfect spot. We’ve visited Tsumeb Backpackers in Tsumeb, a remarkable home on the road. Find all hostels in Tsumeb here .

Sun Rise in the Desert of Morocco – Lasting Travel Memories

Travel Memories! We love to think back of our time in the Moroccan desert.

Back in 2013 we were staying in the wild city of Marrakesh.

It was loud, it was colorful, many different smells run through our noses. It was truly a wow-experience to get to know Marrakesh. One day we got the opportunity to hop on a bus to a desert adventure. It was a bus tour with local guides on their way to the far desert, stopping at a few small towns in the mountains.

On the way we crossed the majestic Atlas Mountains, and there are tons of tiny villages hidden in the middle of nowhere.

Really impressive!

We spent the night in a small group of tents. In a bigger tent, we all came together to have dinner. After enjoying a Tajine loaded with Cous Cous and Vegetables, our new friends started to play some music, and everybody started singing.

The most impressive part of the whole night, however, was something different.

Have you ever seen 1 Billion stars?

This is how we felt whilst watching the clear sky in the cold desert. We both have never seen so many stars.

We decided to wake up early. We wanted to watch the sun climbing up behind the mountain and feel the first shafts of sunlight. This is when we took the photo, trying to freeze those good travel memories.

You can download our secret guide to Marrakesh here .

Read : complete guide to best hostels in Marrakech . We also have a guide for the best hostels in nearby Essaouira  and the best hostels in Casablanca .

We share here the best desert tour from Marrakesh, a handmade souvenir, and a secret spot you will love us for.

I believe I can fly – Tobogganing down a 3 km narrow piste

It was reassuring when, before trying out tobogganing for the first time, my friends admitted to being a little apprehensive. Staring down a 3 km narrow piste, with a flimsy wooden sled between me and the compact snow, I took a deep breath and pushed away. Before long, we were racing around bends and hitting speeds that sent the trees into a blur.

Suddenly it didn’t matter if we tumbled into the powder or got damp from the melt – we were once again 6 years old with absolutely no fear or a care in the world.

The Dangerous Roads in Morocco Across the Atlas Mountain

Traveling through Morocco by car is a great way to see this diverse and beautiful country. But the roads in Morocco can be diabolical . We rent a car and take off from Marrakesh airport. Within 5 minutes, we were lost, having missed the signposted turn-off to our destination. On entering the highway, we were greeted with an overturned truck.

We journey over the High Atlas Mountains. A steep, winding and rugged road, the main danger is not the drop-offs, or the wandering sheep, or even the overloaded trucks. The greatest danger were the Mercedes taxis that come hurtling at you from around every corner, horn blaring, speed limits ignored.

Read: best hostels in Morocco

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13 time travel novels from (nearly) every genre

There's a time travel novel for you no matter your reading taste..

• BY Anne Bogel
• IN Book Lists , Books & Reading
• 133 Comments | Comment

Time travel is one of my favorite story elements—but not because I’m all that interested in the mechanics of how a character travels through the time. Whether the time travel occurs through magic or science or a rip in outer space, what I’m really here for is the high stakes, the shock of a new setting, and witnessing the main character’s world turn upside down in time travel novels. Plus I always love stories where someone gains a fresh perspective on the life they’ve become accustomed to, and stories in this category reliably make that happen.

I love seeing a character’s instant perspective shift when they get yanked out of their own time and place—or they’re in a familiar timeline they expect but looped in a “groundhog day” scenario. Time travel forces characters to reckon with the ramifications of their seemingly small decisions, and to grapple with their personal significance in the fabric of history. 

Philosophical implications aside, I find time travel novels to be just plain fun! They combine thoughtful contemplation and page-turning plots across a variety of genres, so there’s a time travel tale for you no matter your reading taste. Some books I’ve raced through and then raved about it are on today’s list: Kindred, This Time Tomorrow, Sea of Tranquility . Among today’s eclectic collection of time travel titles, you’ll encounter heartfelt contemporary fiction, Jane Austen-inspired fantasy, quirky sci-fi, and unexpected classics. But don’t worry—this list isn’t exhaustive. There’s plenty of room for you to add your favorites to our list: please do so in the comments section!

Is there another plot device you can’t get enough of? I’d love to hear about your favorite story elements in the comments so we can nerd out together.

13 novels that transcend time and genre

Some links (including all Amazon links) are affiliate links. More details here .

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

The House on the Strand

The Rose Garden

Doomsday Book

The Time Machine

The Jane Austen Project

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

The Kingdoms

An Ocean of Minutes

Sea of Tranquility

This Time Tomorrow

The Time Traveler’s Wife

Do you share my love for time travel novels? Tell us about your favorite titles in the comments section!

P.S. Check out 12 novels that play with time or 15 immersive historical fiction books about overlooked events for creative explorations of past, present, and future events.

133 comments

Loved Kindred, Sea of Tranquility and the Time Traveler’s Wife. Also read a recent thriller/mystery/suspense Wrong Place, Wrong Time that I thought was very well done. The story keeps moving further and further back in time. Intriguing premise and great characters.

I loved Wrong Place, Wrong Time. I have even considered re-reading it! Time Travelers Wife is also a favorite of mine. I am surprised how much I enjoy time travel stories. I look forward to diving into these on Anne’s list.

One time travel book I read last year that I have found goes unnoticed is What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon. I loved that book and try and place it into the hands of anyone I know who loves time travel.

I have this on my TBR!

That sounds great! I love Time travel books:)

I love What the Wind Knows!

I’ve heard enough good things about Wrong Place, Wrong Time that I think I may need to bump it up my list!

One of my favorites, I always recommend it!

Yes, I enjoyed What the Wind Knows, too. It has the added bonus of providing the reader with a bit of Irish history, too.

I cannot believe Outlander didn’t make this list! I don’t consider myself a sci-fi reader but these historical novels sucked me in with their epic plots, fantastic writing, well-developed characters, and romance.

I agree! Outlander definitely needs to be on this list. It’s so good!

I love time travel so thank you for this list! I have already read some of them and will add some more to my TBR list. One of my favorites not mentioned about is 11/22/63 by Stephen King.

Oh yes, 11/22/63 is one of my top three favorite books of all time. So good!

I agree that 11/22/63 is great. I was scared to read a Stephen King book but this is not horror at all. Loved it!

I really liked the premise of 11/22/63, and the storyline proved very intriguing. But I have to admit I was really disappointed in the book itself. As a life-long Texan, it felt to me like Stephen King had never actually visited Texas. The characterization of people didn’t feel at all accurate, and there were some glaring anachronisms that made it feel poorly researched (one that stood out to me was the “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign, which didn’t materialize until the mid-80s).

Yes! I loved the book but agree King missed Texas by a mile. I grew up near Killeen and it is hours from DFW.

A book I recently loved was Gabrielle Meyer’s “When the Day Comes.” The protagonist lives two lives at the same time—she starts out in Revolutionary era America and when she falls asleep at night she instantly wakes up in 1914 England. She has to choose which life she wants when she turns 21, but feels pulls to both eras. Really well done and the author has another one coming out in May.

Ooooh that one was super good! And her second in the series comes out in May! Three times in that one! I made her team and can’t wait!

I love time travel books! Here are a few more to check out:

Faye, Fareaway The Dream Daughter Oona out of order Replay She wouldn’t change a thing

I read Oona Out of Order last month and LOVED it!

Replay! That was such a great book. I haven’t read it for years, but I know I’ve given away at least 5 copies!

I agree. When the Day Comes is the best book I’ve read so far this year! It was different from some of the time travel books I’ve read which made it even more enjoyable to me.

An excellent series by jody Hedlund is Waters of Time. People ingest a small amount of holy water and go back to Medieval times. Tracy Higley has several but my favorite is: Nightfall in the Garden of Deep Time, with characters from the past in a party in a secret walled garden next to a bookstore that is standing in the way of progress and a huge new hotel. The bookstore has a wardrobe to enter a children’s section ( not a real portal).

There’s an actual bookstore in Georgia that has this! It’s lovely.

A fun one that isn’t your usual time travel novel is Every Anxious Wave by Mo Daviau. Here the characters find a wormhole portal and use it to travel back in time and see their favorite bands. Its funny, filled with music references, and has a little love story thrown in.

Oh that sounds really good!

Oh my goodness, I’ve read this and had forgotten all about it! Thanks for mentioning it here.

I loved Time After Time, by Lisa Grunwald, set in and around Grand Central Station.

I was about to suggest Time After Time, as well!

Time travel + Manhattanhendge means I loved it!

I LOVE the St. Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor and her spinoff series Time Police. They use time travel as “a study of historical events in contemporary time” and are not supposed to use “time travel” in their vernacular!

I was about to suggest the St. Mary’s series! It’s so entertaining and easy to get into.

That’s the hidden gem I came to mention as well!! I HIGHLY recommend the audio version of this series, so entertaining!!!

I read the first of the St. Mary’s series and was appalled at how closely they resemble Connie Willis’s Oxford University books which were written well before Taylor’s novels. Several reviewers on Amazon noted this, too.

And Connie Willis is a much better writer than Taylor, IMO.

The last book I read was Kindred. Sea of Tranquility is waiting for me to pick up at the library.

The book I’m currently reading is Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. It’s more multiverse travel than time travel, but it’s quite good and I should be finishing it during my next break at work.

This isn’t my normal reading fare, but I guess this has been my current mood and it’s funny that this book list came out at this moment.

Dark Matter was fantastic on audiobook.

If you enjoy Dark Matter, definitely check out Recursion by the same author. One of my favorites!

Connie Willis is so great at this. I loved Doomsday Book and also Blackout and All Clear.

Blackout/All Clear weren’t only my favorite books in the series, they’re on my FOAT (Favorites Of All Time) list. When I finished All Clear, I immediately turned back to page 1 to start over. I just love these characters and how, at the end, everything matters and it’s all woven together.

I loved Blackout/All Clear, too, but thought they could have been edited into one book.

I agree, I was so pleased to see Doomsday Book on this list. I feel like sometimes Connie Willis gets overlooked but she’s such a fantastic author. To Say Nothing of the Dog is one of my all time favorites! And the Blackout/All Clear duology is also fantastic – all the details, the characters, everything!

I was aslo happy to see The Rose Garden mentioned, and I’ll second (third?) 11/22/63 by Stephen King

“To Say Nothing of the Dog” is one of my all-time favorite books. I can’t bear to give it away. The title hints at the fun of this next in the series by Connie Willis.

How I love To Say Nothing of the Dog! A perennial reread. Recently read Doomsday Book for the first time and nearly cried. Such a wonderful view of human relationships and caring for each other, with Willis’ trademark lightheartedness about it all.

To Say Nothing of the Dog is terrific too! It comes after Doomsday Book and before Blackout

For lovers of A Wrinkle in Time, definitely read When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. It’s a middle grade novel that is so thought provoking and tender.

Absolutely – I read When You Reach Me just recently specifically because it was mentioned as a book for lovers of A Wrinkle in Time. It was amazing and I will read it again (and again just like I do A Wrinkle in Time).

I LOVED this book! Thanks for adding it to the comments section.

Along the lines of middle grade books- I think the 39 Clues series is a GREAT family read- even better listen!!! The audiobooks rule!!!

Great list! There’s just something about time travel stories that I find so fascinating.

Some of my favorites are are 11/22/63 by Stephen King as well as Replay by Ken Grimwood, which I think is an underrated gem.

Another fun one from recent years is Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore!

The movie Somewhere in Time was based on the book Bid Time Return by Richard Matheson. It was compelling too, although without the lush visuals of the movie. I’d recommend it to romantics.

I loved this one! My mother an old copy of this on her bookshelf, when I was a teen, and I read it and was enthralled!

Oona Out of Order!!!

Also, What Alice Forgot. It’s not technically a time-travel book but close enough.

Oh, I loved What Alice Forgot! It’s also a great audio book listen. Agree it’s not exactly time travel but gets at the same concepts.

I loved that book and hadn’t really thought about how it IS awfully close to time travel. Thanks for adding it here!

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain was an amazing read!

My favourites are:

This is how you lose the time war – it’s so beautifully written ❤️❤️❤️

Life after life by Kate Atkinson. This book is written like a dream.

Doomsday book by Connie Willis. I cried buckets at this near future Oxford and medieval village during the black death story. Pandemic warning though! There are more books set in the same universe and I also loved Blackout and All Clear set in the second world war

The first fifteen lives of Harry August by Claire North. One of my most favourite books ever. Reads like a thriller as well as a time travel novel.

Not quite as good as the above but still very enjoyable:

Jodi Taylor’s St Mary’s series about British time traveling historians who always find a huge problem and a cup of tea. A long long series with some trigger warnings

The Rearranged life of Oona Lockhart by margarita Montimore. About living your life out of order. Time travelers wife vibes for me

The Far Time Incident by Neve Madlakovic – time traveling historians narrated by the extremely practical secretary who keeps them all right

I adored This is how you lose the time war, as well as Life After Life. I’m happy to see them receiving some love in the comments.

I recently read a short story called The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow which was wonderful in only 30 pages.

I loved both Time and Again (Jack Finney, 1970) and its sequel, From Time to Time.

Yes! Time and Again is one of my favorite books — I think about it whenever I visit NYC.

I agree with Time and Again – I scrolled through the comments just to make sure this book was mentioned! I first read it probably 30 years ago and recently reread it.

Time and Again is absolute favorite time travel book!

Agree with Time and Again and the sequel are classics!

I’m sending you a virtual hug, Anne, to thank you for this list! Time travel is my all-time favorite book theme, and I never get tired of it. So many good choices on your list and in the comments above. I’m adding An Ocean of Minutes to by TBR! Here are a few additional that I didn’t see mentioned yet: * Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey – Not so much a time travel novel but it is a time loop novel, in which the two main characters live multiple lives, and they have different relationships in each one. I loved this book! * Time and Again by Jack Finney. In my opinion, this is THE classic time travel novel; it’s one of the first I read and it got me hooked on time travel novels. * A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain – FBI agent gets hurled back to 1815! Great twist on a murder mystery! Happy Reading!

Cam back to add Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gilly McAllister, which was so unique and had such a great ending!

Meet Me in Another Life! I really enjoyed this book and haven’t seen many people talk about it. I’m still not sure about the ending, but it was definitely surprising!

Allison – I agree! The ending to Meet Me in Another Life definitely took a completely different twist than what I expected. Such a great book!

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister was an interesting read, worth adding to a TBR list.

I’m pretty fond of time-travel novels. Besides “A Wrinkle in Time,” I’ve recently read “Before the Coffee Gets Cold,” and was delighted to see you recommend it! It’s disparate stories are so sweet, touching, and have unexpected endings. I’ve also read “Doomsday Book,” and enjoyed it also. My most-loathed read ever? “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” The relationship of the two just felt like grooming to me. Icky. Icky. Icky.

I totally agree about The a time Traveller’s Wife. I wish I could unread it!

I’m so glad you added Before the Coffee Gets Cold to this list! What a gem.

I also didn’t like “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and cannot imagine why it is so popular. Beyond the ick factor – it just wasn’t very well written, IMO.

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells is a good one!

I loved that one!

Another vote for Jack Finney’s books, especially Time and Again.

I have realized that I really enjoy time travel books. And time loop books, which are close but different: -The Midnight Library (magical realism) -Oona Out of Order (magical realism) -All You Need is Kill (graphic novel) -One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (queer romance)

Yes to The Midnight Library and One Last Stop!! Magical Libraries: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine ( 1st in a series) and The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman are both great series!

My favorite time travel book of all time (ha!) is Stephen King’s 11/22/63.

A Rip in Time by Kelley Armstrong is also enjoyable, a modern police detective ends up in the body of a Victorian maid in Scotland. The second book in the series is coming out this spring

sorry, that should be A Rip Through Time

Yes! I was going to mention this one, too. Looking forward to the second book in the series. 🙂

Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt had me thinking of the various fun things I would want to see with this capability. Also Jack Finney’s Time and Again is wonderful and his time travel short stories are even better.

Don’t forget Time and Again by Jack Finney… my all-time favorite time travel novel!

Oh, and the Chronicle of St Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor, a delightful and funny series about time traveling historians.

I also really love the Found Things time travel series by Paula Brackston. The first book is called The Little Shop of Found Things.

I enjoyed this series too. I think there’s one more coming soon.

One of my favorite time-traveling novels is 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It kept me entertained while I recovered from a fall that broke both my legs. I also love Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series.

I haven’t read any of these!

My favorite time travel books are 11/22/63 by Stephen King and The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain.

I really enjoyed When The Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer. Also, Oona Out of Order by Marguerite Montimore. And, while not specifically time travel, it’s more time travel adjacent, A Day Like This by Kelley McNeil is excellent!

Adding on to all the great suggestions: The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk is a really fun Christmasy Groundhog’s Day tale. One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle is a lovely time travel story that’s light on the time travel.

A unique twist on the time travel genre is Rewind by Carolyn O’Doherty. It’s the first in a trilogy. In essence, there is a small group of individuals that can rewind time to review past events and those individuals are hated and feared. This story focuses on one of these young individuals. Here is a link to a review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/30807336

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned a lovely book, The Scribe of Sienna. A sweet story!

I enjoyed this one as well. 🙂

Timeline by Michael Crichton is a favorite of mine. A group of history students travel to 1300’s France to rescue their mentor.

I’m currently reading The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz. It’s a 2019 release that (surprisingly) flew under the radar. I find it interesting because it is a feminist time travel novel with the main character Tess traveling through time to preserve/save women’s rights.

I love Kindred and pretty much almost anything Octavia Butler writes!

I almost NEVER say this- but I’m enjoying the adaptation of Kindred showing on Hulu better than the book- they made some changes to the story that I think work well, she isn’t traveling from 1976 more like 2020 so it’s modernized and Kevin is not her husband, they are on a first date when it happens. Many may not agree but I like it.

I’m interested in watching this adaptation but didn’t know those details—thank you for sharing, Felicia!

Atomic Anna, by Rachel Barenbaum — and not just because she’s a close friend, it’s a great book and will hopefully be great on the small or big screen someday too!

I loved A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum, but had not heard of this one. Thanks for sharing!

I’m a little disappointed that you didn’t include “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon. The books bring us romance, adventure, history and so much love. Outlander definitely needs to be on this list (especially the first one).

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. It’s fantasy time travel and one of my all-time favorites!

This is one of my all time favorites too!

I love this plot device and have read many of these. Of course, Outlander is my all-time favorite. I also love several mentioned already in the comments (What the Wind Knows, 11/22/63, Wrong Time Wrong Place). One that’s good for teens is a YA novel called Worth the Read by Diana and Kate Cockrell. It puts a modern teen and her mom in the midst of the Boston Tea Party.

I also love books that play with time like Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. These “sliding doors” type books are so heartfelt. Another I two liked was What Might Have Been and Maybe in Another Life.

Time Travel is my favourite! The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas is one I read recently and enjoyed as it focused on time travel as an enterprise rather than just one individual travelling. And I am planning to read the Chronicles of St Mary’s by Jodi Taylor. The middle grade books that first got me hooked on time travel a long time ago were Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park, Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer and Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce. And I have been addicted ever since!

Hands down, Outlander for me.

Cannot wait for the 10th (probably final book).

I got to travel to Scotland early last Fall & did an Outlander tour. We hit many nightlights, but missed out on the village of Falkland. That was the stand in for Inverness on the TV series.

Where Jamie’s ghost stood by the fountain!

I did enjoy Emma Straub as well.

The first time travel book I ever read, decades ago, was called The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser. A young woman looks into an antique mirror and is transported back to 1900 into the body of her great grandmother, if I’m remembering that right.

Good grief, I remember reading this in the 1970s, & I’m 72! I loved it.

I remember reading this as a teenager, and it scared me (but I loved it)! It’s a really good one.

They made this a movie, right? With Lindsey Wagner. I remember loving that movie. (I’m sure it was cheesy!)

A Rip Through Time by Canadian author, Kelley Armstrong, is a great escape. It is a time travel murder mystery that takes place in Scotland. Characters are well drawn and the plot is propulsive. Book 2 coming out in May.

The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser and Second Sight by David Williams were my teenage favorites. Loved watching the tv movie adaptation with Lindsay Wagner, The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan.

Yes! Just commented above. I loved that movie. And loved Lindsay Wagner!

Outlander – the best writing & details of preparing for time travel. Green Darkness – Anya Seton, an older historical romance, so fun & creepy. House on the Strand – du Maurier, also an older book, & excellent!

So glad you mentioned The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. She also wrote Blackout and All Clear, a series of 2 time-travel masterpieces about Oxford historians who travel to WW2 and get stuck. These are amazing (audio too) and shouldn’t be missed!

I love the Kendra Donovan series (Murder in Time, Twist in Time, etc.) by Julie McElwain. A 21st century FBI agent gets transported back to 1815 England where she finds herself solving crimes without modern equipment as well as dealing with the difficulties of being a woman in that period. Part mystery, part Regency romance, part science fiction.

I can’t believe you missed St Mary’s!! Absolutely adore these books about historians who study major events in contemporary time (they are NOT timetravellers!).

Outlander series, of course. The best time travel series ever!

I love Jodi Taylor’s wacky St. Mary’s series, about a bunch of time-jumping British historians. I also really enjoyed Annette Christie’s The Rehearsals, in addition to some of the books mentioned here.

Connie Willis is SUBERB at time travel — so glad to see her on the list. To Say Nothing of the Dog is a delight through and through, and her two volume Blackout/All Clear is a masterpiece.

Ben Elton’s “Time and time again” is another great novel on time travel. The main character is sent from the early 2000s back to 1914 to prevent the outbreak of the First World War. (I also recommend Elton’s other books if you love a page turner.) A somewhat similar story is told in Stephen Fry’s “Making history” in which time travel is sort of used to alter the course of history around the Second World War.

I have two books to recommend that would nestle near the time travel books but aren’t quite that.

First, A Day Like This by Kelley McNeill. More about alternate histories. A woman keeps waking up in an altered reality and goes back and forth. I really liked it.

And The Forgetting Time about a little boy who remembers his past life, and his mom trying to figure out why he has the fears and memories that he does.

Both excellent reads.

I used to love Son of the Morning by Linda Howard. very 90s romance novel. I read it again a few years ago and while it was certainly dated, the overall story was still engaging. My TBR grew exponentially reading everyone’s comments

Two others that I really enjoyed were The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

My favourite “time travel” series of novels is the Chronicles of St Mary’s by Jodi Taylor. Members of a research institute investigate historic events in contemporary time. Written with humour, drama,meticulous research and great storytelling these books make excellent reading.

The Gideon trilogy is absolutely fabulous. I found the first book in the middle grade section of our library, and the cover was so intriguing. It was so well written, and such an incredible storyline. I had to read the other two, and until the very very end, I had no idea how they were going to resolve all the storylines. I ultimately bought the series. Excellent storytelling!

Thanks for the list! I love time travel and enjoyed the Doomsday Book, but the second book in the series – To Say Nothing of the Dog – was soooo long and repetitive. Or maybe I’m just not as interested in Victorian society as I am in the Dark Ages, although the stories about the cathedral were interesting (but also confusing?)

There’s a time travel series called Middle Falls Time Travel. While the writing isn’t great, is it groundhog day scenarios of a person going back in their life to fix it/learn something. Some of the characters appear in other books which makes it fun. Some are better than others and they are a short easy read. I call them a palate cleanser for when I want something easy and different to get my mind off heaviness.

Between your list, Anne, and suggestions from commenters, my TBR list has really expanded! A lot of people have commented on 11/22/63 by Stephen King, which I agree was excellent; however, Stephen King wrote another more recent one called Fairytale, which I liked a lot. Not so much time travel, but similar in that the young man goes back and forth between our world and an otherworldly place. Another book by King which is not horror at all.

The Scribe of Siena by Melanie Winawer is a great time travel novel. I typically am not a fan of time travel books, but this one won me over!

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig.

Time Travel is one of my favourite genres. Many of the books shown and many listed in the comments I have read. My very first was Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine which then led to The Mirror/Millhiser and I was hooked. Here are some that I don’t think have been mentioned: The Good Part/Sophie Cousens See You Yesterday/ Rachel Lynn Solomon The Seven Year Slip/ Ashley Poston Woke Up Like This/ Amy Lea Maybe Next Time/Cesca Major (loved this one in particular) Twice in a Lifetime/Melissa Baton I’ll Stop The Eorld/Lauren Thomas

I just finished The Unmaking of June Farrow and I loved it! Highly recommend!

I’m glad someone mentioned The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I recently read and very much enjoyed that! I found it fascinating, and a fun exploration of the “what if” concept all of us probably think of at one point or another. Sort of related to time travel/messing with time, I thought of the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series. I really liked these first 3 books, at least. I have yet to read the rest of the series, but I love the mix of creepiness and sweetness with a touch of time-bending.

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10 Best Short Manga Series

• Short manga series offer a quick yet satisfying read for busy fans or newcomers.
• These series deliver concise, fast-paced narratives with frequent cliffhangers and plot twists.
• Short manga prevents stories from losing steam, with memorable characters and captivating art styles.

Manga offers a vast array of stories and artistic styles to delight fans. While many manga series run for dozens of volumes, some talented manga artists can captivate fans with a compelling story and unforgettable characters in just a few volumes. For busy manga fans or newcomers looking for a quick yet satisfying read, short manga series are an ideal choice.

10 Best Manhwa With Beautiful Art

Ranging from just one volume to around five volumes, short manga series can be finished in a few sittings. Their abbreviated length allows artists to focus on delivering a concise, fast-paced narrative. Cliffhangers and dramatic plot twists happen frequently to keep the pages turning. And the limited run time prevents stories from losing steam or becoming convoluted.

All You Need Is Kill

My anime list (mal) score - 7.8.

Release Date 2004-12-18

Author Hiroshi Sakurazaka

Artist takesho obata

Genre Sci-Fi, Manga

Where to Read NA: Weekly Shonen Jump

Why Read All You Need Is Kill?

• Sci-Fi Spectacle
• Battle Armor Glory
• Time-Loop Narrative

The All You Need Is Kill manga serves up a delightful cocktail of sci-fi and action. The manga adaptation was illustrated by Takeshi Obata, who is renowned for his work on popular series like Death Note and Bakuman. Illustrator Obata brings the alien Mimics to life in gorgeously grim detail while expertly highlighting the absurdity of protagonist Keiji Kiriya's predicament.

Caught in a time loop where he relives his own death daily, Keiji repeatedly faces down the Mimics with ever-increasing skills but disgust at the viscosity of alien blood and general exasperation. All You Need Is Kill has had a significant influence on popular culture. It inspired the Hollywood movie "Edge of Tomorrow," starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

My Anime List (MAL) Score - 7.3

Release Date 1967-08-27

Author Osamu Tezuka

Artist Osamu Tezuka

Genre Action, Manga, Fantasy

Where to Read Weekly Shnen Sunday

Why Read Dororo?

• Samurai Slices & Supernatural Spices
• Vintage Visual Vibes
• Early Prototype of the Dark Fantasy Genre

The Dororo manga is fantastic fare for fans of bloody dismemberments and tragic backstories, with a sprinkle of heartwarming character growth to round out all the limb-lopping action. It tells the story of a ronin named Hyakkimaru who is on a quest to reclaim his body parts from 48 demons who took them as part of a pact with his father. Along the way, Hyakkimaru is joined by a young orphan thief named Dororo.

The series showcases mangaka Tezuka's signature cinematic style of manga, featuring dynamic panel layouts, dramatic close-ups, and detailed backgrounds. Despite being over half a century old, the artwork in Dororo still holds up well and has a timeless quality to it. Tezuka masterfully balances raw combat with emotional bonding to craft a nuanced tale of trauma and perseverance.

My Anime List (MAL) Score - 8.2

Release Date 2008-10-21

Author Inio Asano

Artist Inio Asano

Genre Drama, Manga

Where to Read Viz Media

Why Read Solanin?

• Slice-of-Life Storytelling
• Relatable Realism
• Everyday Philosophy

The one-shot manga has been praised for its realistic portrayal of young adult life. Solanin serves up a poignant examination of quarter-life crises and existential dread, paired nicely with a subtle undertone of soul-crushing melancholy. The story follows Meiko Inoue, a recent college graduate working a monotonous office job in Tokyo, and her boyfriend Naruo Taneda, a part-time illustrator and member of an amateur band.

10 Best Seinen Manga, Ranked

Meiko’s emerging musical aspirations provide a small glimmer of hope, but Mangaka Asano masterfully balances this with heavy doses of reality as Meiko and her band encounter setbacks and difficulties. Asano's art also complements the story well, with detailed backgrounds and expressive characters that draw readers to the manga's short yet captivating world.

The Gods Lie

My anime list (mal) score - 7.9.

Release Date 2013-09-20

Author Kaori Ozaki

Artist Kaori Ozaki

Genre Visual Novel, Manga

Where to Read Monthly Afternoon

Why Read The Gods Lie?

• Summer Romance
• Adulthood Through Children's Eyes
• Tear Jerker

The Gods Lie follows sixth-grader Natsuru Nanao, a boy who loves to play soccer and has a bit of a crush on Rio Suzumura. She’s not like the others in his class. She's cool and calm and doesn't partake in the group activities that the rest of the students seem to enjoy so thoroughly. Their lives intersect more deeply when Natsuru discovers that Rio is taking care of her younger brother.

The story of this short manga series unfolds over their summer vacation, where Natsuru and Rio grow closer, sharing secrets and forming a deep bond. The title, The Gods Lie, speaks to the heartrending realizations the characters come to as they navigate complex situations that challenge their youthful perspectives. The manga delves into the idea that the world is not always as kind and just as children are often led to believe.

Mermaid Saga

My anime list (mal) score - 7.4.

Release Date 1993-09-24

Author Rumiko Takahashi

Artist Rumiko Takahashi

Genre Manga, Fantasy

Where to Read Shnen Sunday Zkan; (19841985); Weekly Shnen Sunday; (19871994)

Why Read Mermaid Saga?

• Rumiko Takahashi's Signature Blend
• Psychological Depth
• Ending that Defies Expectations

Mermaid Saga is a blend of horror, romance, and adventure. It is written by Rumiko Takahashi, a renowned manga artist known for other works such as Urusei Yatsura , Ranma ½, and Inuyasha. It consists of several interconnected stories that revolve around the legend that eating the flesh of a mermaid can grant eternal life or immortality.

However, the Mermaid Saga series quickly establishes that this gift is more of a curse, as it comes with significant risks and unforeseen consequences. Takahashi balances raw human emotion with supernatural elements. It stands out from Takahashi's other works due to its darker tone and more serious subject matter.

Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms

Release Date 2003-09-00

Author Fumiyo Kno

Genre Drama, Historical

Where to Read Weekly Manga Action

Why Read Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms?

• A Journey Through Time and Heart
• Nuanced Characterization
• Educational Value

Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms, is notable for its sensitive and poignant portrayal of the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and its long-term effects on the people and culture of Japan. The manga is not just a single short narrative but a collection of some of the best interconnected stories spanning different generations, focusing on the human impact of nuclear warfare.

The work is divided into two parts: Town of Evening Calm, which is set in Hiroshima in 1955, and Country of Cherry Blossoms, which is split into two chapters set in 1987 and 2004, respectively. Mangaka Kouno's art style is notable for its simplicity and clarity, which makes the emotional weight of the story even more striking.

A Silent Voice

My anime list (mal) score - 8.8.

Release Date 2013-08-01

Author Yoshitoki ima

Artist Yoshitoki ima

Where to Read Weekly Shnen Magazine

Why Read A Silent Voice?

• Complex Depiction of Bullying
• Disability Representation
• Emotion in High Definition
• See the World Through Different Eyes
• Art That Echoes Silence

Loneliness. Guilt. Redemption. Koe no Katachi explores the turbulent waters of human connection through the journey of two struggling youths. Fans praise how it portrays the psychological effects of bullying on both the victim and perpetrator. With evocative artwork and a strong emotional core, this coming-of-age manga from acclaimed creator Yoshitoki Oima packs an impactful punch.

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A Silent Voice manga acknowledges that the world can be cruel and isolating, especially for those seen as "different." Yet it also argues that one act of compassion can ripple outwards in powerful ways. A Silent Voice was adapted into an anime film by Kyoto Animation . The film received widespread acclaim for its direction, writing, and animation, further boosting the popularity of the original manga.

Release Date 2001-01-23

Author Makoto Yukimura

Artist Makoto Yukimura

Genre Manga

Where to Read Morning

Why Read Planetes?

• Hard Science Fiction
• Slice of Life in Space
• Social and Political Commentary

Planetes is another short manga that offers a gritty, down-to-earth perspective on humanity's expansion into space in the near future. The story focuses on a team of "space sweepers" working for the Technora corporation, tasked with the unglamorous job of clearing Earth's orbit of dangerous space debris. Protagonist Hachimaki dreams of owning his own spaceship and furthering mankind's reach into the cosmos.

But his current mundane reality is a far cry from this vision, as he and his crewmate Yuri slog through an unremarkable daily routine of debris collection to make ends meet. The manga emphasizes the bureaucratic, profit-driven side of Technora's operations, as well as the political tensions extending into orbit. Further, Yukimura's panel composition and cinematic visual storytelling lend a sense of realism and grandeur to the manga's sci-fi setting.

Tropic Of The Sea

My anime list (mal) score - 6.69, tropic of the sea.

Release Date 1999-01-01

Author Satoshi Kon

Artist Satoshi Kon

Why Read Tropic Of The Sea?

• Early Work of a Master
• Tradition and Modernity
• Environmental Message

Tropic of the Sea is a short manga by Satoshi Kon, who is more widely recognized for his influential work in the world of anime with psychological and surreal masterpieces. This manga, however, showcases Kon's storytelling abilities in a different medium, offering a narrative that is rich with themes. The story unfolds in a coastal village steeped in tradition, where the residents have long believed in a pact with the sea. The village must safeguard a mermaid's egg that ensures the community's well-being and prosperity.

In return, the villagers are committed to performing this ritual every few years to appease the sea. Kon's narrative is set at a time when this generational covenant is under threat from the very human forces of skepticism and economic ambition. Tropic of the Sea serves as a microcosm of the larger global struggle between preserving cultural heritage and embracing the allure of new technology and development. What makes Tropic of the Sea particularly compelling is its subtlety. Kon doesn't force answers or moral judgments on the reader. Instead, he presents a narrative that feels both timeless and immediate.

Goodbye, Eri

My anime list (mal) score - 8.68.

Release Date 2022-04-11

Author Tatsuki Fujimoto

Artist Tatsuki Fujimoto

Where to Read Shnen Jump+

Why Read Goodbye Eri?

• Metafictional Narrative
• Cinematic Storytelling
• Ambiguity and Interpretation

Goodbye, Eri is a short but impactful one-shot manga written by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the same creator behind renowned works like Chainsaw Man . The story revolves around Yuta, a young filmmaker grappling with grief and loss after his mother's death. The central idea revolves around the concept that the entire manga might itself be a film created by the protagonist, Yuta, with the events we witness being part of this cinematic creation. This metafictional approach blurs the lines between reality and fiction within the story, inviting readers to question what they perceive as true or fabricated.

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Fujimoto's work is known for not providing straightforward answers but instead inviting readers to find their own meaning within the layers of the story. The film within the manga, and possibly the manga itself, becomes a canvas where Yuta reimagines his experiences, relationships, and losses. The film allows Yuta – and, by extension, Fujimoto – to control the narrative, to choose which version of the story gets told. In layman's terms, "Goodbye, Eri" seems to be a love letter to the art of filmmaking and the power it wields in shaping our perception of reality. Fujimoto seems to be saying that while we can't change what actually happened, we can choose how we tell the story of our lives, and in doing so, we can find peace, closure, or even a new beginning.

NEXT: Best Manga Panels To Ever Exist

I've been to 54 countries and have lived in 10. These 5 underrated places are worth the trip.

• Kate Boardman has visited 54 countries around the world and lived in 10, including the US.
• She's enjoyed spots like France and Bali but says people should visit underrated places like Oman.
• In Ecuador, she climbed an active volcano, and in Guatemala, she swam with hammerhead sharks.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kate Boardman , a 36-year-old former teacher and current content creator from Massachusetts who has lived and traveled all over the world. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I first lived abroad when I was 15, when I participated in an exchange program in Germany. I lived there for a year, attending school and staying with a host family.

That was my first exposure to living overseas and truly immersing myself in other cultures. From there, the travel bug hit me hard. It inspired me to study international business in France while I was at university, and future trips after that.

I've been to 54 countries and lived in 10, including the US. The sense of freedom and self-growth that comes from traveling is unbeatable. I also love being able to see the world in a different way.

The most popular destinations are popular for a reason.

Everyone talks about Paris, London , Bali — all travel destinations that are super popular, in part thanks to social media.

I lived in Bali in early 2012 and saw it expand firsthand. There was a lot of construction — with many beach clubs being built — and it became overcrowded by foreigners. It's led to locals being priced out of their homes.

I also think spots like Cancun are super overrated; there are way cooler places to visit in Mexico. Many tourists spend a week in an all-inclusive resort and think that's fun — but that couldn't be more unattractive to me.

Obviously, there's still beauty in places that are oversaturated and famous. But I think that there's an excitement that comes from experiencing places that are off the beaten track.

It's often in those places that you can have the most surprising experiences.

I was treated like family in Iran

I would say my favorite country that I have visited is Iran. I went in 2018 and was there for 10 days.

Normally, when I'm traveling, I backpack alone and stay in hostels as a solo traveler. However, in Iran, if you're American, Canadian, or from the UK, in order to get permission to enter the country, you need a set itinerary and a licensed travel guide.

It was a very coordinated trip and a bit more challenging to visit, but it was so rewarding because I was welcomed with the warmest hospitality.

One of the unique aspects of this trip was how close my guide and I became. He went above and beyond, inviting me over to his family's house for dinner, where I got to meet and hang out with his friends and family. It was truly special.

Because I had a guide, everything was kind of set for me in Iran. He arranged different accommodations, including a road trip through the country, where we stayed in various cities at different guesthouses.

It only cost me around $1,000.

The nature and landscape of Iran are absolutely beautiful and amazing. The sights, attractions, and history are mind-blowing. You've got these gorgeous mosaics everywhere. All of the architecture had my jaw dropping in awe while walking around.

The food is also delicious, and the markets are incredible, each filled with gorgeous textiles, jewelry, turquoise, and rugs.

I would totally visit there again. I hope the political situation changes because that would definitely be one of my group trip destinations. I think it's just incredible.

Georgia took me by surprise

Georgia is just one of those countries that's not on a lot of people's radar. And then they go there and they're like, 'Whoa, that's awesome. Why didn't I know about this before?'

I knew very little about Georgia before I visited in 2018. I spent only five days in the country, but I was completely blown away.

I stayed in Tbilisi, which is the capital city. It's a really beautiful, trendy, and artsy kind of city. It has amazing wine and incredible food.

Probably one of my favorite things about the trip is that I stayed in this hostel called Fabrika . It was an old Soviet Union sewing factory that they turned into a super cool, industrial, hipster hostel.

In Tbilisi, I also went on a pub crawl throughout the Old Town, which featured a bunch of underground cellars and bunkers that have been turned into trendy nightclubs and bars.

During my time in the country, I took a trip out to the countryside to an area called Kazbegi, which is absolutely stunning. There were gorgeous and breathtaking mountains, hills, and massive churches.

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In the city, I also had a Turkish bath, which is a big thing in Georgia. I got a full scrub down.

Guatemala has something for everyone

When most people from the US think about going to Central America, they're focused on Mexico or Costa Rica. Guatemala seems to be a place that kind of gets overlooked.

But life is great in Guatemala.

You've got beautiful weather all year round, the jungle, rainforests, and the Caribbean's white sand beaches, while the Pacific side has its black sand beaches. It's got a little bit of everything.

I first lived in Guatemala in 2021, where I worked as a teacher at an international school. They provided housing in Guatemala City. However, after I finished working for them, I moved to a beach town on the Pacific coast and lived there for about six months.

I've traveled there on other occasions too, staying for periods of four or five months.

The typical salary for a Guatemalan is about $500 a month, with a good salary being $1,000. I would say that $2,000 a month is more than enough to live there extremely comfortably.

There are a lot of digital nomads moving there, especially to Antigua — an old colonial town with a lot of charm, cobblestone streets, and painted buildings.

There's just so much to do in Guatemala; it's so magical.

The biggest must do is hiking the active volcano called Acatenango . Sometimes, you can see it erupting right from its base camp. There's not many places in the world where you can experience that.

Another good place to visit is El Paredon, a super up-and-coming hippie surf town. The surfing is great, and you've got these black volcanic sand beaches. It's just a really laid-back place.

Lake Atitlan is also an incredible spot. It's surrounded by volcanoes and several Mayan villages, each with its own personality and vibe.

Oman's deserts are magical

Oman is in the Middle East, bordering the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. I've been there three times between 2016 and 2018.

The country is culturally rich, and the capital city, Muscat, is really beautiful. It has old traditional marketplaces and gorgeous architecture — the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is definitely worth checking out.

The deserts there are incredible, so doing a desert trip is a must. I camped out in the desert with the locals, rode camels, and drove Jeeps over the sand dunes.

Having tea and watching the sunset in the desert was magical too.

Oman also has wadis, which are basically big canyons in the middle of the desert with swimming holes. There, you'll find bright turquoise water contrasting with the orange rock.

The country's islands are also beautiful and incredible for snorkeling. They look like you'd be in the Caribbean, but you're in the Middle East.

The Galapagos Islands are truly like nowhere else in the world

I visited Ecuador last year for about six weeks. I was leading a gap year program with a group of high school students. We split our time between the Galapagos Islands and the mainland, which consisted of cities and the Amazon.

Because Ecuador has incredibly unique biodiversity that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world, The Galapagos Islands are an absolute must. I've never seen such incredible wildlife in my life; so many species exist only on those islands.

While visiting The Galapagos, my group went snorkeling with 50 to 100 hammerhead and Blacktip sharks. We also swam with sea lions and saw giant tortoises.

Another amazing aspect of Ecuador is learning about the Aztec or Inca culture. My group did a homestay and lived with a family for about 10 days and learned about their way of life.

We experienced how connected they are with Mother Earth, whom they refer to as Pachamama, and learned about their traditional medicine: They grow their own food and seek out plant medicine when they're sick, rather than relying on processed foods.

Learning about and sharing their way of life was truly special.

I want to show people how to travel the world

There are many beliefs people have about different countries and cultures, sometimes considering them too dangerous, expensive, or unattainable.

I want to inspire more people to explore, step out of their comfort zones, and experience more of the world. In the future, I plan on hosting group trips with the goal of bringing people to these countries and showing them why they are so life-changing.

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The one shocking mistake that led to us tourist rene remund’s staggering $143k bill.

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A US tourist has revealed the moment he received a bill of six figures after a short holiday to Switzerland went horribly wrong.

Rene Remund and his wife Linda made the trip last September, a journey the pair had been on previously given it’s where he is originally from.

As always, Remund ensured his mobile phone provider was notified of his travels, by going in-store to share his overseas movements. He said that as a customer of 30 years, he was told he was “covered.”

But while enjoying the Swiss countryside and sharing some of the magical sights of his trip via photo messages to friends and family, not once did Remund think these texts could be racking up thousands and thousands in daily roaming costs.

After returning home and receiving his T-Mobile bill, Remund thought it was for $143 which he thought to be “reasonable.”

“I get this T-Mobile bill and it doesn’t bother me very much because I was reading $143,” he explained, adding it wasn’t until he went to pay the bill that he realized a few more zeros were involved.

“I look at the bill and I say, ‘Excuse me’,” he said.

“$143,000.00 … are you guys crazy?”

According to the mobile phone bill, Remund racked up 9.5 GB of data while in Europe, costing him thousands of dollars each day.

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And while 5-10GB isn’t considered a large amount of data, not being covered by roaming fees will cause a user to run up thousands of dollars very quickly.

“I called [T-Mobile] and the girl put me on hold for a while,” he explained.

“She said let me check this out and I’ll get back to you. She gets back and says, yeah this is a good bill.

“I said, ‘What do you mean it’s a good bill?’ And she says ‘Well, this is what you owe.'”

“I said ‘You’re kidding me … you’re crazy.'”

Following confirmation his bill was to the value of around $143,000.00 — Remund hired a lawyer to argue the fact he was “covered” for international roaming to avoid such “exorbitant” charges.

His lawyer issued a letter to the president of T-Mobile, for which no reply was given until just a few days ago.

The letter from T-Mobile allegedly said that the service provider was “sorry” for the charges and that Remund would receive a “credit” to eliminate the entire phone bill.

In an email issued to local media Scripps News Tampa, T-Mobile said that customers should always “check the travel features of their plan, such as international data roaming, before departing.”

“If a customer is on an older plan that doesn’t include international roaming for data and calling, they’ll need to make sure they’re using aeroplane mode and wi-fi when using data to be certain the device doesn’t connect to an international network.”

Last year, Melbourne activist and author Sally Rugg was slapped with a little over $720.00 fee two minutes after she touched down in London.

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What the data says about abortion in the U.S.

Pew Research Center has conducted many surveys about abortion over the years, providing a lens into Americans’ views on whether the procedure should be legal, among a host of other questions.

In a  Center survey  conducted nearly a year after the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision that  ended the constitutional right to abortion , 62% of U.S. adults said the practice should be legal in all or most cases, while 36% said it should be illegal in all or most cases. Another survey conducted a few months before the decision showed that relatively few Americans take an absolutist view on the issue .

Find answers to common questions about abortion in America, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, which have tracked these patterns for several decades:

How many abortions are there in the U.S. each year?

How has the number of abortions in the u.s. changed over time, what is the abortion rate among women in the u.s. how has it changed over time, what are the most common types of abortion, how many abortion providers are there in the u.s., and how has that number changed, what percentage of abortions are for women who live in a different state from the abortion provider, what are the demographics of women who have had abortions, when during pregnancy do most abortions occur, how often are there medical complications from abortion.

This compilation of data on abortion in the United States draws mainly from two sources: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, both of which have regularly compiled national abortion data for approximately half a century, and which collect their data in different ways.

The CDC data that is highlighted in this post comes from the agency’s “abortion surveillance” reports, which have been published annually since 1974 (and which have included data from 1969). Its figures from 1973 through 1996 include data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and New York City – 52 “reporting areas” in all. Since 1997, the CDC’s totals have lacked data from some states (most notably California) for the years that those states did not report data to the agency. The four reporting areas that did not submit data to the CDC in 2021 – California, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey – accounted for approximately 25% of all legal induced abortions in the U.S. in 2020, according to Guttmacher’s data. Most states, though,  do  have data in the reports, and the figures for the vast majority of them came from each state’s central health agency, while for some states, the figures came from hospitals and other medical facilities.

Discussion of CDC abortion data involving women’s state of residence, marital status, race, ethnicity, age, abortion history and the number of previous live births excludes the low share of abortions where that information was not supplied. Read the methodology for the CDC’s latest abortion surveillance report , which includes data from 2021, for more details. Previous reports can be found at  stacks.cdc.gov  by entering “abortion surveillance” into the search box.

For the numbers of deaths caused by induced abortions in 1963 and 1965, this analysis looks at reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. In computing those figures, we excluded abortions listed in the report under the categories “spontaneous or unspecified” or as “other.” (“Spontaneous abortion” is another way of referring to miscarriages.)

Guttmacher data in this post comes from national surveys of abortion providers that Guttmacher has conducted 19 times since 1973. Guttmacher compiles its figures after contacting every known provider of abortions – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, and it provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond to its inquiries. (In 2020, the last year for which it has released data on the number of abortions in the U.S., it used estimates for 12% of abortions.) For most of the 2000s, Guttmacher has conducted these national surveys every three years, each time getting abortion data for the prior two years. For each interim year, Guttmacher has calculated estimates based on trends from its own figures and from other data.

The latest full summary of Guttmacher data came in the institute’s report titled “Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2020.” It includes figures for 2020 and 2019 and estimates for 2018. The report includes a methods section.

In addition, this post uses data from StatPearls, an online health care resource, on complications from abortion.

An exact answer is hard to come by. The CDC and the Guttmacher Institute have each tried to measure this for around half a century, but they use different methods and publish different figures.

The last year for which the CDC reported a yearly national total for abortions is 2021. It found there were 625,978 abortions in the District of Columbia and the 46 states with available data that year, up from 597,355 in those states and D.C. in 2020. The corresponding figure for 2019 was 607,720.

The last year for which Guttmacher reported a yearly national total was 2020. It said there were 930,160 abortions that year in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, compared with 916,460 in 2019.

• How the CDC gets its data: It compiles figures that are voluntarily reported by states’ central health agencies, including separate figures for New York City and the District of Columbia. Its latest totals do not include figures from California, Maryland, New Hampshire or New Jersey, which did not report data to the CDC. ( Read the methodology from the latest CDC report .)
• How Guttmacher gets its data: It compiles its figures after contacting every known abortion provider – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, then provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond. Guttmacher’s figures are higher than the CDC’s in part because they include data (and in some instances, estimates) from all 50 states. ( Read the institute’s latest full report and methodology .)

While the Guttmacher Institute supports abortion rights, its empirical data on abortions in the U.S. has been widely cited by  groups  and  publications  across the political spectrum, including by a  number of those  that  disagree with its positions .

These estimates from Guttmacher and the CDC are results of multiyear efforts to collect data on abortion across the U.S. Last year, Guttmacher also began publishing less precise estimates every few months , based on a much smaller sample of providers.

The figures reported by these organizations include only legal induced abortions conducted by clinics, hospitals or physicians’ offices, or those that make use of abortion pills dispensed from certified facilities such as clinics or physicians’ offices. They do not account for the use of abortion pills that were obtained  outside of clinical settings .

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The annual number of U.S. abortions rose for years after Roe v. Wade legalized the procedure in 1973, reaching its highest levels around the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. Since then, abortions have generally decreased at what a CDC analysis called  “a slow yet steady pace.”

Guttmacher says the number of abortions occurring in the U.S. in 2020 was 40% lower than it was in 1991. According to the CDC, the number was 36% lower in 2021 than in 1991, looking just at the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported both of those years.

(The corresponding line graph shows the long-term trend in the number of legal abortions reported by both organizations. To allow for consistent comparisons over time, the CDC figures in the chart have been adjusted to ensure that the same states are counted from one year to the next. Using that approach, the CDC figure for 2021 is 622,108 legal abortions.)

There have been occasional breaks in this long-term pattern of decline – during the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, and then again in the late 2010s. The CDC reported modest 1% and 2% increases in abortions in 2018 and 2019, and then, after a 2% decrease in 2020, a 5% increase in 2021. Guttmacher reported an 8% increase over the three-year period from 2017 to 2020.

As noted above, these figures do not include abortions that use pills obtained outside of clinical settings.

Guttmacher says that in 2020 there were 14.4 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Its data shows that the rate of abortions among women has generally been declining in the U.S. since 1981, when it reported there were 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in that age range.

The CDC says that in 2021, there were 11.6 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. (That figure excludes data from California, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.) Like Guttmacher’s data, the CDC’s figures also suggest a general decline in the abortion rate over time. In 1980, when the CDC reported on all 50 states and D.C., it said there were 25 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44.

That said, both Guttmacher and the CDC say there were slight increases in the rate of abortions during the late 2010s and early 2020s. Guttmacher says the abortion rate per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 rose from 13.5 in 2017 to 14.4 in 2020. The CDC says it rose from 11.2 per 1,000 in 2017 to 11.4 in 2019, before falling back to 11.1 in 2020 and then rising again to 11.6 in 2021. (The CDC’s figures for those years exclude data from California, D.C., Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.)

The CDC broadly divides abortions into two categories: surgical abortions and medication abortions, which involve pills. Since the Food and Drug Administration first approved abortion pills in 2000, their use has increased over time as a share of abortions nationally, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher.

The majority of abortions in the U.S. now involve pills, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. The CDC says 56% of U.S. abortions in 2021 involved pills, up from 53% in 2020 and 44% in 2019. Its figures for 2021 include the District of Columbia and 44 states that provided this data; its figures for 2020 include D.C. and 44 states (though not all of the same states as in 2021), and its figures for 2019 include D.C. and 45 states.

Guttmacher, which measures this every three years, says 53% of U.S. abortions involved pills in 2020, up from 39% in 2017.

Two pills commonly used together for medication abortions are mifepristone, which, taken first, blocks hormones that support a pregnancy, and misoprostol, which then causes the uterus to empty. According to the FDA, medication abortions are safe  until 10 weeks into pregnancy.

Surgical abortions conducted  during the first trimester  of pregnancy typically use a suction process, while the relatively few surgical abortions that occur  during the second trimester  of a pregnancy typically use a process called dilation and evacuation, according to the UCLA School of Medicine.

In 2020, there were 1,603 facilities in the U.S. that provided abortions,  according to Guttmacher . This included 807 clinics, 530 hospitals and 266 physicians’ offices.

While clinics make up half of the facilities that provide abortions, they are the sites where the vast majority (96%) of abortions are administered, either through procedures or the distribution of pills, according to Guttmacher’s 2020 data. (This includes 54% of abortions that are administered at specialized abortion clinics and 43% at nonspecialized clinics.) Hospitals made up 33% of the facilities that provided abortions in 2020 but accounted for only 3% of abortions that year, while just 1% of abortions were conducted by physicians’ offices.

Looking just at clinics – that is, the total number of specialized abortion clinics and nonspecialized clinics in the U.S. – Guttmacher found the total virtually unchanged between 2017 (808 clinics) and 2020 (807 clinics). However, there were regional differences. In the Midwest, the number of clinics that provide abortions increased by 11% during those years, and in the West by 6%. The number of clinics  decreased  during those years by 9% in the Northeast and 3% in the South.

The total number of abortion providers has declined dramatically since the 1980s. In 1982, according to Guttmacher, there were 2,908 facilities providing abortions in the U.S., including 789 clinics, 1,405 hospitals and 714 physicians’ offices.

The CDC does not track the number of abortion providers.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that provided abortion and residency information to the CDC in 2021, 10.9% of all abortions were performed on women known to live outside the state where the abortion occurred – slightly higher than the percentage in 2020 (9.7%). That year, D.C. and 46 states (though not the same ones as in 2021) reported abortion and residency data. (The total number of abortions used in these calculations included figures for women with both known and unknown residential status.)

The share of reported abortions performed on women outside their state of residence was much higher before the 1973 Roe decision that stopped states from banning abortion. In 1972, 41% of all abortions in D.C. and the 20 states that provided this information to the CDC that year were performed on women outside their state of residence. In 1973, the corresponding figure was 21% in the District of Columbia and the 41 states that provided this information, and in 1974 it was 11% in D.C. and the 43 states that provided data.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported age data to  the CDC in 2021, the majority of women who had abortions (57%) were in their 20s, while about three-in-ten (31%) were in their 30s. Teens ages 13 to 19 accounted for 8% of those who had abortions, while women ages 40 to 44 accounted for about 4%.

The vast majority of women who had abortions in 2021 were unmarried (87%), while married women accounted for 13%, according to  the CDC , which had data on this from 37 states.

In the District of Columbia, New York City (but not the rest of New York) and the 31 states that reported racial and ethnic data on abortion to  the CDC , 42% of all women who had abortions in 2021 were non-Hispanic Black, while 30% were non-Hispanic White, 22% were Hispanic and 6% were of other races.

Looking at abortion rates among those ages 15 to 44, there were 28.6 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic Black women in 2021; 12.3 abortions per 1,000 Hispanic women; 6.4 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic White women; and 9.2 abortions per 1,000 women of other races, the  CDC reported  from those same 31 states, D.C. and New York City.

For 57% of U.S. women who had induced abortions in 2021, it was the first time they had ever had one,  according to the CDC.  For nearly a quarter (24%), it was their second abortion. For 11% of women who had an abortion that year, it was their third, and for 8% it was their fourth or more. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

Nearly four-in-ten women who had abortions in 2021 (39%) had no previous live births at the time they had an abortion,  according to the CDC . Almost a quarter (24%) of women who had abortions in 2021 had one previous live birth, 20% had two previous live births, 10% had three, and 7% had four or more previous live births. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

The vast majority of abortions occur during the first trimester of a pregnancy. In 2021, 93% of abortions occurred during the first trimester – that is, at or before 13 weeks of gestation,  according to the CDC . An additional 6% occurred between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, and about 1% were performed at 21 weeks or more of gestation. These CDC figures include data from 40 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

About 2% of all abortions in the U.S. involve some type of complication for the woman , according to an article in StatPearls, an online health care resource. “Most complications are considered minor such as pain, bleeding, infection and post-anesthesia complications,” according to the article.

The CDC calculates  case-fatality rates for women from induced abortions – that is, how many women die from abortion-related complications, for every 100,000 legal abortions that occur in the U.S .  The rate was lowest during the most recent period examined by the agency (2013 to 2020), when there were 0.45 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. The case-fatality rate reported by the CDC was highest during the first period examined by the agency (1973 to 1977), when it was 2.09 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. During the five-year periods in between, the figure ranged from 0.52 (from 1993 to 1997) to 0.78 (from 1978 to 1982).

The CDC calculates death rates by five-year and seven-year periods because of year-to-year fluctuation in the numbers and due to the relatively low number of women who die from legal induced abortions.

In 2020, the last year for which the CDC has information , six women in the U.S. died due to complications from induced abortions. Four women died in this way in 2019, two in 2018, and three in 2017. (These deaths all followed legal abortions.) Since 1990, the annual number of deaths among women due to legal induced abortion has ranged from two to 12.

The annual number of reported deaths from induced abortions (legal and illegal) tended to be higher in the 1980s, when it ranged from nine to 16, and from 1972 to 1979, when it ranged from 13 to 63. One driver of the decline was the drop in deaths from illegal abortions. There were 39 deaths from illegal abortions in 1972, the last full year before Roe v. Wade. The total fell to 19 in 1973 and to single digits or zero every year after that. (The number of deaths from legal abortions has also declined since then, though with some slight variation over time.)

The number of deaths from induced abortions was considerably higher in the 1960s than afterward. For instance, there were 119 deaths from induced abortions in  1963  and 99 in  1965 , according to reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC is a division of Health and Human Services.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published May 27, 2022, and first updated June 24, 2022.

Support for legal abortion is widespread in many countries, especially in Europe

Nearly a year after roe’s demise, americans’ views of abortion access increasingly vary by where they live, by more than two-to-one, americans say medication abortion should be legal in their state, most latinos say democrats care about them and work hard for their vote, far fewer say so of gop, positive views of supreme court decline sharply following abortion ruling, most popular.

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