Travel Archives - shm notes & posts

Travel

One man’s return to Greece after half a century

20 July 202420 July 2024

In which I recount taking my dad to his alma mater in Greece after 52 years. Open for a chronicle of the best father-daughter trip you’ve ever seen.

A fun fact about my dad is that his Doctor title comes from studying veterinary medicine in Greece. He graduated in 1972 (during the junta) and hasn’t been back since, until this year. For his 75th birthday, I decided to treat him to a trip to Greece, primarily in Thessaloniki (where he went to school) and Lesvos. . Choosing the island Anyone doing research on Greece knows there are many, many options to choose from when visiting the Greek islands. Knowing that my father likes beaches, olive oil, and ouzo, I decided on Lesvos. I got a few weird looks...

Travel

Completing my mission in Casablanca

29 June 202429 June 2024

In which I spill the tea on Casablanca. Open for reflections and gratitude on a mediocre trip.

One of few concrete personal goals I have is to visit 30 countries and all seven continents before I turn 30. This May I’m officially 50% of the way there after visiting my 30th country: Morocco, by way of Casablanca. This little gem on the Atlantic coast came to my attention mostly because it was the cheapest flight to Africa from Portugal, and I did not want a European country to be #30 for me. It also seemed to be a low commitment in that I wouldn’t feel cheated if I only did a weekend trip, and I was correct....

Travel

What’s in my bag: travel essentials from a road warrior

29 January 202429 January 2024

In which I breakdown some essentials for my travel—beyond the basics like clothes and soap. Open to take a look inside my ever-moving bag.

As someone who travels like it’s her job, I have packing down to a pseudo-science. My suitcase isn’t packed exactly the same every time, but I definitely have some core necessities. Below you’ll find some of the things in my suitcase, complete with links. . Travel closet After trying and failing for years to like packing cubes, I found a travel solution that works amazingly for me: the travel closet. There are a couple of suitcases that have these built in, but I’m a bigger fan of the portable ones that can be put into my carry-on OR checked bag....

Travel

Safari & sites through southern Africa

20 September 202320 September 2023

In which I talk about my trip to southern Africa (including Botswana and Zimbabwe.) Open for animals, sights, and exhilarating experiences.

Johannesburg pt. 1 My first day in Joburg came after 26 hours of travel and consisted solely of the Apartheid Museum and meeting my tour group. Ideally, I would've gone to the museum when I was better rested, but since it's closed on Mon/Tues, it was now or never. All of the thoughts the museum evoked were far too lengthy for this post, but can be read here. After fueling my mind and my stomach at the museum, I made my way back to the hotel to meet my trip mates and guides. Staying at the Holiday Inn was an...

Reflections Travel

Apartheid Museum perusings and musings

17 September 202317 September 2023

In which I reflect on the Apartheid Museum. Open for reflections evoked by Mandela, Tutu, and what put them on the global stage.

The only regret I have about the Apartheid Museum was going after 26 hours of exhausting travel. I wish I was fully alert and rested so I could have read and processed everything more. It would be easy to spend an entire day at the museum, especially since there’s a cafe/restaurant there to refuel if needed. . The enlightenment This was the best museum I’ve ever been to, filled with information that was infuriating, enlightening, and somehow hopeful. I didn’t fully understand the atrocities that occurred during the Apartheid before I entered, and the care with which the museum displayed...

Travel

Falling in love with leaf peeping in the northeast USA

16 August 202316 August 2023

In which I drive up the Northeast USA and discuss how I did it. Open for surprising autumnal delights.

Though I moved to Boston in the dead of winter, everyone I spoke to talked up autumn in the northeast. I grew up with four seasons, so I thought I knew fall—but I was wrong. Fall in the midwest meant the turning of leaves from green to orange and brown, but the northeast had a cornucopia of colors! I saw red leaves en masse for the first time! It was like a fall-colored rainbow, even in mid-October. This trip was a bit spontaneous, but I did some research beforehand. . Planning sights and accommodation A friend who used to live...

Finance Travel

Communism under capitalism [Cuba part 2]

1 December 202229 January 2023

In which I talk about Cuban economics. Open for my take on communism and its relationship to capitalism.

In order to evaluate the true efficacy of communism, it would require a controlled environment with little outside influence. Cuba would make an excellent case study were it not for its overbearing neighbor to the north. The United States’s embargo has a ripple effect (primarily via the Helms-Burton Act) which effectively prevents Cuba from trading freely on an international stage. International trade is a necessity for all nations’ current way of life. We should all commend how well Cuba has adapted to life under draconian policies that overstep the powers that any one nation should have. Looking for the touristy...

Travel

A panorama of Havana [Cuba part 1]

1 December 202223 December 2024

In which I detail my trip to Cuba. Open for Cuba in the eyes of a tourist.

Though my preferences and history trend towards solo-travel, I cannot do everything on my own. The week prior to Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to attend the REMIX CAPITALISM tour hosted by Bravely Go’s founder Kara Perez in the beautiful country of Cuba. This tour was jam-packed with enough information, sights, and conversations for a whole saga, but I will condense down to two posts. This post is about the more touristy parts of my trip. Looking for the economic parts of my Cuban trip? Check out Cuba part two. . First impressions Maybe it’s because Cuba reminds me of...

Travel

There’s no place like Rome

18 September 2022

In which I recount my summer trip to Rome. Open for good times and begrudging respect for Italians and their food.

Full disclosure: I was biased against Rome from the start because of their attempts to colonize my homeland of Ethiopia. That said, the city pleasantly surprised me. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to return to Rome, perhaps in addition to other Italian cities. Though I only spent five days in the city, it felt satisfactory without being tiring. A family friend also did a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to planning activities. Plus, I’m definitely a “one activity per day” type of person, with the rest of the time being for relaxation/wandering. So getting into the...

Travel

A time in Turkey

21 June 202219 August 2022

In which I detail a week-long trip to Turkey from May 2019. Open for my take on some Turkish delights and sights.

Turkey was my first international trip as an adult that I took after losing my precious airline benefits. It was awesome travelling as a working adult! No more hostels! ~Exotic~ destinations! Enough mobility to run around! In order to make the most of my trip I booked a tour package with Tours Turkey for May 2019 that included the following: admission/tours in sights, solo hotel accommodations for 8 nights, internal Turkish flights, daily (MASSIVE) breakfast and lunch, airport pick-up and drop-off, and someone to ask all my burning questions to! For all of that I paid only $1200 USD, which is money...

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