Eastern Europe - a place I have to visit more often!

At this point, I've been lucky enough to see a lot of both Western and Central Europe. And I've even visited a bit of Eastern Europe by going to places like Prague and Budapest. However, I recently got to spend some in what felt like real Eastern Europe - and I can't wait to go back!


My most recent literacy coaching conference was held in Sofia, Bulgaria in November. (To be honest, a place I hadn't even thought about visiting!) The whole trip was wonderfully organized by the teachers from my cohort who work there, and happen to be Bulgarian.This meant we definitely got to enjoy a bit of the local experience!

I was really surprised by just how good the food is there. Bulgaria borders Greece and Turkey, which means the food has quite a Mediterranean influence. We enjoyed delicious tomato/onion/olive salads, cheeses, and grilled meats. The wine was also excellent. And everything was so inexpensive!

The weather wasn't the best while we were there, cloudy and rainy most of our visit. The grayness of both the weather and many of the buildings was exactly what I expected in a country where Communism ended just over 20 years ago. There were definitely a number of gorgeous monuments as well.

 

After this trip, I was especially excited for my trip to Romania with Tessa and Tanya just a few weeks later. We had decided to go there for a long weekend mainly because it was somewhere we hadn't been, sounded interesting, and flights only cost 80€. We had an amazing time!

Again, everything there was SO inexpensive - our hotel, meals, drinks. Bucharest also seems to be a place where tourism is just starting to take off, which meant customer service was excellent and most of our interactions were with locals. 

It was cold and cloudy most of our time there as well, which was perfect for drinking mulled wine in the Christmas markets. Again, this weather, combined with the many abandoned buildings and rough look of the people, was exactly what I expected. 

the inside of an old theatre - beautiful!

interesting facades

a splash of color

candy cane anyone?

it's been awhile since one of our family photos!

i love everything about this picture

Needless to say, these two recent trips have confirmed that this is a part of the world I want to visit more. A bit off the beaten path, cheap, and full of things to discover. Next stop - Macedonia?

The Holidays in Thailand

Since moving abroad, I've had the chance to celebrate the holidays in a variety of places: Sevilla, Milan, Denver, Barcelona, London, and Morocco. This year took me to my farthest destination yet - Thailand!

Only in the past year or so has traveling to Asia really started to interest me. After hearing many stories from friends about the food, the beaches, and the inexpensiveness, Thailand began to sound more and more appealing. And as soon as I found out it was at the top of Dani's travel list, we started to seriously consider going. A little research and a few conversations later, tickets were booked!

We decided to spend all of my winter break there, giving us just over two full weeks there together. Dani opted to stay an additional 10 days (he's enjoying Chiang Mai as I type this :). We wanted to see quite a bit and I definitely wanted some time on the beach. Our final itinerary included nights in:

• Bangkok
• Ayutthaya
• Ko Tao
• Ko Phi Phi
• Ko Lanta 

What an adventure we had! It was so fun to explore a country that is so different than anywhere I've been before, yet also so full of similarities.There's SO much I could share about these two weeks - we learned a lot and had such a great time. And in person, I would love to! Here are just a couple of highlights for those I might not see in the immediate future:

Bangkok

Although crazy and full of people, we really enjoyed our time here, albeit short. The temples were stunning and full of great photo angles. We both wish we had more time to explore this city!

some of my favorites at the Grand Palace

Reclining Buddha

Wat Pho

Buddha, after Buddha, after Buddha

Taking almost every mode of transportation possible - 

plane, train, ferry, catamaran, bus, car, moto, tuk tuk

  

The food! I loved that fresh fruit and fruit shakes could be found everywhere! My favorite dishes included: pad thai, green curry, tom yum soup, stir fried chicken with cashew nuts, banana pancakes, papaya salad, and mango sticky rice - yum!

fresh pomegranate juice

tom yum soup

pad thai with chicken

green curry

stir fried chicken with cashew nuts

Ko Lanta - recommended by both Tessa and Hayley, this island was definitely our favorite. Long white beaches, Thai massage stands every 100 meters (each cost about 6€), Bob's Bar, sunshine every day - it was wonderful!

the view every evening

lush jungles and the sea

elephants!

gorgeous sunsets

Bob!

I have no doubt I'll be returning to Thailand in the future - I feel like this was just the beginning of my Asian adventures. I can't wait to go back!

A Return to Sevilla

It's hard to believe it's been almost five years since I left Sevilla (and six since I left the US!)! I'd been thinking about going back for a visit pretty much since the day I left. I had impressed Tessa with my stories of Feria and we'd searched for tickets every year. However, they were always crazy expensive and the timing just didn't work out.

So although it was much later than expected, when I finally got the chance to return to Sevilla in November, I couldn't have been more thrilled! The annual MAIS conference was being held there, which made the trip work-focused, but still a chance to be back in the city that made me fall in love with Spain.

Seeing familiar sights like La Giralda, orange trees, and Real Alcazar instantly brought me back to my first few weeks in Sevilla. Wandering the streets of Barrio Santa Cruz, having a caña on Alameda de Hercules, and seeing my old gym (Gimnasio Sevilla Gym Gimnasio!) brought back a flood of memories. I was reminded of how much I learned about myself that year, what an amazing friend I found in Anna, and how I realized living abroad really was the life for me.

La Giralda (y más!)

Wandering Barrio Santa Cruz

Real Alcazar

Sevilla Gym

It quickly became clear that a weekend in Sevilla wasn't nearly enough, especially when the majority of it was spent in a conference. And what became even clearer was that I have to visit again. I look forward to sharing the city with Dani or meeting Anna there for a reunion in the near future. Without a doubt, a part of my heart will always be in Sevilla . . .