There is a white, round scar, about the size of a dime, halfway up the inside of my calf. Like the tattoo on the bottom of my foot, I forget that it's there sometimes, but as soon as I catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye, it always makes me smile.
My travel buddy Michelle and I had just spent a long night on a sleeper train (if you ever get a chance to sleep in a bed on a train do it, it's the coolest feeling) from Hanoi to what we thought was Hoi An, Vietnam.
Read MoreYou don't need months of spare time and huge amounts of money to see the world. Really, I promise!
I've been to 27 countries and 4 continents (and counting!), and TRUST ME, I am definitely NOT made of money or time.
There are lots of different ways to travel long term, or short term, while on a budget and still have unforgettable experiences. You don't need a trust fund to go to Europe and you don't need three months to enjoy an adventure in Cambodia — really!
Read Moreby Lindsay Shapka in Adventure, Destinations, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips
I love the traveling part of traveling, and — if you have the time — there is nothing better than train travel. Europe has an incredible network of trains criss-crossing countries, passing through incredible scenery, and giving you access to off-the-beaten-path towns and villages.
Read Moreby Lindsay Shapka in Adventure, Destinations, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips
Avoiding long travel layovers and international stopovers when travelling long distances by air used to be the goal when it came to booking tickets. But, thanks to some outstanding recent campaigns by airlines like Icelandair (I know that I can't go a day without seeing gorgeous photos of Iceland's blue lagoon popping into my newsfeed), a long layover is not only something not to avoid, but an air travel trend that is now being sought out — it's two vacations in one! And, multiple airlines are getting on board.
Read More"Surely of all the wonders in the world, the horizon is the greatest."
—Freya Stark
"We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, we travel to be lost."
—Ray Bradbury
by Lindsay Shapka in Adventure, Destinations, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips
Are you wondering where to go on holiday this year? Need some insight into the top travel destinations? You've come to the right place!
Everyone seems to put out a "Best Spots to Travel" list every year, so to make things easy for you, I've put together a master list with the Top 3 spots from the following lists: National Geographic's "Best Trips 2017", Travel and Leisure's "Best Places to Travel in 2017", Fodor's "No List 2017", Lonely Planet's "Best In Travel 2017", and Conde Nast's "Best Places to Travel in 2017."
Read Moreby Lindsay Shapka in Adventure, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips
On a recent trip to Sweden, I found myself in the city of Gothenburg with no map, no access to wifi, and no data plan that allowed me to use my phone to figure out where I was. I had the Lonely Planet Sweden in my bag, but the only map large enough to be of any use was of Stockholm. It was unbelievably frustrating to think that in this age of technology, I could still find myself completely lost with nothing to help me navigate the city I was in.
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