"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection." I am reminded of Anaïs Nin's words whenever I write. It brings me great joy to travel, study and volunteer. By recounting these experiences on this blog I re-live these moments, and am left with consolidated memories that become more precious with time. I am particularly grateful … Continue reading Weekend in Paris
When you think "British playwright," or even just "playwright" who first comes to mind? If we were to conduct a survey family-feud style, undoubtably "Shakesepeare" would be one of the most popular answers. And while there are many places commemorating his life and work, I would argue that none are more popular/known than Stratford-upon-Avon. A small(ish) … Continue reading Stratford-upon-Avon
After spending the last two years in Northern/Central Europe (England and the Netherlands), I've had a pretty severe Vitamin D deficiency. Luckily, I was recently invited to spend four days in Portugal, traveling around Lisbon and Cascais with my great aunt. We had a great time exploring both cities. From eating pastel de nata (Portugese … Continue reading Portugal
This weekend was my first uninterrupted, plan-less one in Birmingham. It's always a bit alarming to have a free weekend in a new city, and it requires a great deal of independence and planning. However, I was determined to take advantage and not spend the whole time writing my dissertation and binging on (more) Terrace House. So I took … Continue reading Weekend in Birmingham
During my last week in Maastricht (more on that later), my friends and I decided to take a semi-spontaneous trip to Brugge, Belgium. Three hours away by train, this medieval city is truly beautiful. We were very lucky with the weather, and activities included: climbing up the Belfry of Brugge, beer tasting and of course, eating lots … Continue reading Brugge
Den Haag (aka the Hague) was on my Netherlands "bucket list" from the beginning. Perhaps most famous for the Peace Palace/International Court of Justice, it also is very beautiful and has a lovely coast. While recently the temperature hasn't gone over 5degrees, on Sunday we decided to take a picnic up to the sand dunes of Den … Continue reading Den Haag
Andddd back to Brussels!
Did you know that you can get a round ticket to ANYWHERE in the Netherlands for 7 euros?? All you have to do is find a group of ten people, and you don't even have to come from the same station! This is the NS Group Return Ticket scheme. It's a great deal that many … Continue reading Day Trip: Amsterdam
Mt Rigi Mt Pilatus
Here are a few pictures (and a video!) of a recent trip to Switzerland. It's only part one, but includes our quick stop-over in Basel and our first day in Lucerne. Basel Lucerne Aren't these beautiful! We also managed to take quite a few trips on the lake, thanks to our all-inclusive two-day passes. Here's a … Continue reading Switzerland (part one)