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What to do in Belgrade Serbia

August 13, 2015 No Comments
In Destinations

The Serbian Road Trip

March 1, 2015 3 Comments
In Destinations

The People of Serbia

December 16, 2014 No Comments
In Austria

Where have I been? Backpacking Europe!

August 27, 2014 1 Comment
In Austria

Europe 2014 Itinerary

July 5, 2014 5 Comments
  • About
    About Me

    I'm Kelly- A human who adores travel, new experiences, planet Earth, self-love, and love of others.

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  • Latest Posts
    • Looking Back on how it all Started–with EF Tours, Italy and Greece
      Europe October 3, 2018

      This past summer marked a really special event for me: the 10th anniversary of the trip…

    • Christmas markets
      7 Magical Photos of Christmas Markets in Munich
      Europe September 26, 2018

      Do you love Christmas? I have, ever since I was a little girl. And it…

    • Two Days in Istanbul
      What to do with Only Two Days In Istanbul
      Turkey September 19, 2018

      Istanbul is located right in the middle of Europe and Asia. It is an amazingly…

    • 24 Hours in Budapest
      Europe August 22, 2018

      Vacation time. That’s a sore subject for most Americans. Most Americans only get about two…

    • Prague's Beer Spa
      A Trip to Prague’s Beer Spa
      Czech Republic August 6, 2018

      A Great Excursion in Prague: Prague’s Beer Spa I had never heard of Prague’s Beer…

    • Hiking Palccoyo: The Other Rainbow Mountain
      Peru July 30, 2018

      Hiking Palccoyo, the alternative version of the popular Rainbow Mountain, was one of the highlights…

    • The Street Art of Barranco, Anthony Bourdain, and the Art of Doing Nothing
      Peru July 22, 2018

      A part of me wondered whether it was worth it or not to share a…

  • Popular Posts
    • Being Overweight and Traveling: My Story
      Travel Journal August 10, 2017

      Being Overweight and Traveling My name is Kelly, and I am overweight-that was not easy…

    • How I Saved Money to Backpack Europe: $5000!
      Travel and Budget Tips May 28, 2014

      People have all sorts of reasons for why they don’t travel. But for people my…

    • Vienna and Solo Travel
      Austria November 11, 2014

      Well, it took me almost four months, but I’m finally going to start blogging about…

    • Europe 2014 Itinerary
      Austria July 5, 2014

      After four years of waiting, a year of saving, and months of anticipation, I am…

    • Thoughts on the First Day at Lamai Fitness
      Asia October 8, 2017

      The First Day at Lamai Fitness It was my first day at Lamai Fitness, and…

    • Fall in D.C.: Photos
      DC December 4, 2016

      There is something about the fall that always feels like coming home. After spending the…

    • How do I Save Money to Travel?
      Travel and Budget Tips November 14, 2016

      In 2014, I wrote a post about how I Saved $5,000 to backpack Europe. The…

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  • I got my wings 🧚‍♀️ My magical morning walking around the neighborhood, Barranco in Lima Peru was full of little gems like these wings. 🧚‍♀️ Sometimes I have a hard time writing blog posts because I spend at least a day just walking around a city. What do you write a post about? I walked around x neighborhood for 4 hours, stopped at y coffee shop, at at Z. Walked around another neighborhood, etc... 🧚‍♀️ My best recommendation for visiting any city would be #1 take a free walking tour, get to know the different areas, then wander on your own. You’ll never know what you’ll find!
  • When I was younger, I loved Christmas. Everything about it was magical to me, the lights, the songs, the food. 🔹 I used to think about getting married in my church during Christmas, surrounded by soft white lights and Christmas trees. And of course, it would snow. 🔹 Then, I went through a really hard time one Christmas. And for years I hated the holidays. The expectations, the rush, the number in my bank account as I tried to buy gifts. And I shunned the holiday. Refusing to take part in those holiday traditions. 🔹 But, last year, I did something wonderful, something that I hope is a new tradition: I went to the Christmas markets in Germany. 🔹 I felt like a kid again. The smells of cinnamon and gluwine and gingerbread was intoxicating. The garlands and lights and ornaments sparked. And I fell back in love (or at least like) with the season. 🔹 I returned to Germany this year, to Berlin, to check out more markets. Even though the markets in Munich were a bit more beautiful, I still adored my time in Berlin. 🔹 I realized life is a series of seasons. Sometimes, you may like certain things, and sometimes not. You’ll go through ups and downs. And you’ll constantly be surprised. ♥️
  • Every time I take photos, I always look for the ones I’m skinniest in to post on social media. 🔹 I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life. And I’ve talked about my weight journey, and losing weight in Thailand at a fitness camp on my blog, theheartofatraveler.com. But, something that I haven’t shared, and that I need to talk about, is gaining the weight back. 🔹 I plan to write a whole blog post on it soon. I first really started to notice the weight creeping up in Peru. I looked at pictures and thought “this looks like the old me.” It made me so sad, and I was so frustrated and angry that I allowed myself to be back here again. 🔹 But, then I remembered, I’m in Peru. I have my eyes to see all of this around me, I have legs to hike around Cusco and explore. 🔹 And I remembered to be thankful. This is me. I’ll never be a size 2, or 6, heck, I may never be a size 12 again, but I’m me. And I’m learning to love me at every shape, and every weight. 🔹 When I look at this photo, I first remember that beautiful day walking around Barranco in Lima, admiring the street art, and drinking coffee at that cute cafe. I remember that morning, and how happy I was in that moment. And, I choose to love me, the person who got on that flight, put on her shoes, and went out to explore the world.
  • I’ve never been much of a shopper. But when I travel, I love looking at the handmade goods that each country has to offer. 🔹 I know lots of people don’t like souvenirs, but I love them. They remind me of everywhere I’ve been. It’s like taking a little bit of your vacation home with you. 🔹 My favorite souvenirs include a rug and tapestry from Peru, a wood carving from Thailand,and a Turkish lamp from Istanbul. They make my house homey and remind me of different places. 🔹 I also collect magnets for my fridge and postcards that I turn into wall art. 🔹 What’s your favorite souvenir?
  • Traveling makes me smile. 🔹 When I post pictures on social media of my trips, my co-workers always tell me, “Kelly, you smile so much when traveling. It’s a different kind of smile than normal. You can tell that you’re radiantly happy.” 🔹 And when I look at photos, they’re right. I’m incandescently happy. I soak up new places and cultures and people and sights. These are the things that make me excited. 🔹 I believe all people should find that thing that makes them excited, that makes them extra happy, that makes them smile extra big. 🔹
  • Sometimes your dreams don’t come in convenient packages. 🔹 Sometimes, your dreams are fulfilled in ways you don’t expect. 🔹 Since I was 18 years old, I knew I wanted to travel. I wanted to travel as much as I could. But, I didn’t know how to make that dream a reality. 🔹 I didn’t know what my dream would look like. I’ve spent years saving money to go on one big trip a year, pinching pennies as a teacher, working two, sometimes three jobs, making sacrifices, giving up on so much so I could live my dream. 🔹 And then, I was hired as a #rampagent . And just like that, the world opened up to me. On my two-year anniversary of getting hired, I wanted to write this to tell you not to give up on your dreams. 🔹 The realization of my dream doesn’t look like what I thought it would. I still work really hard, but I get to travel so much more. And I’m so thankful. 🔹 Never give up on your dreams!
  • I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw a video that caught my eye. 🔹 The video featured a woman who used her phone and microphones to record the vibrations and sounds that sunflowers make. 🔹 The video's description explains that plants "talk" to each other and warn each other of danger. 🔹 Now, I'm not sure if the video is a hoax or not, but when I listened to the sounds that the sunflowers made, it seemed like a noise that I had heard before. It was a sound that reminded me of secluded, wild places, and the delight and magic of childhood. 🔹 There are a few places in the world that I've heard and felt the sounds of the plants and earth about me-New Zealand, the Scottish highlands, and Peru just to name a few. 🔹 I love how wide, majestic landscapes call on something proverbial, something deeply rooted in our bones and souls, something that we don't understand, but recognize in ourselves and in nature. Something beautiful. 🔹 So even if those sunflower sounds aren't real, I know that something in me can hear those beautiful sounds of the flowers and the trees, the mountains and the seas, and that they call to my soul. 🔹 Video of the sunflowers below. 🔹 http://thewildchild.co.za/woman-records-the-voice-of-a-sunflower-it-sounds-like-music-from-another-dimension/

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