EuroVideo from 2015; I Think My Production Skills are Improving

Last time I made a video, it took me a good seven months to finish and publish it. This one took a year and some change (pun kinda intended) to make it out of my jump drive.

Este viaje me hace extrañar a Latinoamérica

Conozco poco, pero tan poco, de Latinoamérica. Hay tanto para explorar--desiertos, selvas, ruina, ciudades, glaciares, culturas distintas... No es mi patria, ni la de mis padres. No me llama a la sangre, me llama a la imaginación.

Why I Almost Decided to Come Home Early from My Carefree Backpacking Trip

I wrote this October 27, 2015, when I was on the brink of buying a plane ticket back home.  I didn't end up buying it, not because the reasoning I give below isn't valid, but rather because I couldn't imagine what I would be doing at home that would be more worthwhile than what I'm doing…

Superlative Awards to European Cities, Part II

I've already posted a Part I about the first five cities of our journey.  This part was probably my favorite stretch of The Sister Era, all the way from Czech Republic to a couple of German cities that will be in the next post.  This part of the continent is beautiful and the food is delicious.…

Superlative Awards to European Cities, Part I

It would be impossible to recount every experience I've had in the past month, so I decided to just give each city I've been to a superlative award and let you use your imagination to fill in the gaps. Most Likely to Disappoint Me with Its Primary Language: Barcelona, Spain Yes, I knew there were…

Taking Out the Headphones; Traveling Without Music

Written September 11, 2015 My memories of Costa Rica have a soundtrack of about twenty songs.  One of my favorite pastimes was staring out the bus window at the Costa Rican landscape while listening to music, and just thinking and processing.  I walked down the city streets with headphones as a barrier between me and…

An Ode to the Coffee Float I Just Finished

I would just like to inform the world that it’s everything I dreamed of and more, my life is complete. I am deeply indebted to whomever had the idea to combine my two favorite ingestible substances into one unbelievable cup of miracles.

A First Taste of Europe: Expectation vs. Reality

I guess I had associated travel with reevaluation of self and life and humanity. Maybe Europe is too much like what I know, but with enough differences to be interesting. Or maybe the paths are so often trod that I feel like just another drop in a sea of backpackers rather than like I’m forging a new path for myself.

You’re Not in Costa Rica Anymore; The Thing About Eurotrip Planning

Even as we were still fighting off the jet lag, sister and I came to realize that we did not do the right amount of planning. It was either too much or too little, depending on your perspective. Because here's the deal: for a month (más o menos) in mostly western Europe, it's probably best to either build the skeleton of your trip by reserving train seats and hostels before you go, or to go in with the attitude of letting the wind blow you wherever it will, as long as you don't stray too far from your return flight.

Starting Chapter 3: The Blank Spaces on the Map

I thought about calling this chapter “Uncharted Territory”, but that’s not entirely accurate since Europe is probably the most charted territory in the world. It’s just uncharted for me, and not a real part of the personal map I’ve painted of the world.