Why I Decided to Stay in Kiev
Two new coffee shops have opened up on my street in the last week. One is right down the block from a shop called Meat Loves Cheese, which I have yet to visit despite its tantalizing name.…
Kiev Street Art (+ a Side of Brunch)
He looks like he knows the answers to everything. I stand there, munching on my blueberry Pop-Tart (aka sugared cardboard) and imagine that if this were the Harry Potter universe, he would come to life and dish…
It’s Not About the Castle, Vladimir.
I was walking alongside the road, in a Ukrainian village I couldn’t have pointed to on a map before this trip, when I met Vladimir. We had been riding on the same bus, but he discovered I…
How to Use Kiev Public Transportation (and Live)
With Eurovision coming up, I thought it might be handy to write a guide to Kiev public transportation for our thousands of out-of-town visitors. But then I thought, Oh man, is there anything less sexy to write…
My Magical Weekend in Cluj Napoca, Despite the Odds
Perhaps I had grown lazy, or over-confident, but at the time, catching a bus for a weekend in Cluj hadn’t seemed like such a big deal. I had done some vague research on departures from Bucharest, and…
What To Do in Bukovel For Anti-Athletic People like Me
The original plan for my New Year’s break was a solo trip to Moscow. (Because what would be more fun than going from the epitome of European cold to even blisteringly colder? What could I enjoy more…
A Lonely Girl’s Guide to a Weekend in Kharkiv
As soon as I stepped off the train in Kharkiv, my blood pressure kicked up a notch. I’m not somebody who typically gets anxiety while traveling, but as I followed the crowd down the platform towards what…
17 Alternative European City Breaks
It started when I was fifteen. My aunt and I were embarking on a tour of Spain, two weeks of glorious sunshine to meander our way from Madrid, down along the Costa del Sol, up to Barcelona…
8 Reasons to Visit Normandy, France’s Hidden Gem
Before we talk about why you should visit Normandy and how it’s more than just World War II history, let’s do a little word association exercise to see if you’re anything like me. Ready? France. Paris. The…
Hunting for Ukrainian Castles: Kamianets-Podilskyi and Beyond
You haven’t truly lived until you’re bumping down flooded back roads, following a priest to one of the backwoods Ukrainian castles. Wait, let me back up. Day 1: Kamianets-Podilskyi Fortress Ah, the joys of rolling off a…
