Guatemala!

Prior to heading to Antigua, Guatemala, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't do as much research as I normally would have, so it made everything a little bit more of a surprise. :) But let me tell you, if you're looking for a quaint little town, towering volcanoes, cobblestone streets, and houses splashed with color, Antigua is the place to go. Guatemala is also known for it's coffee, and there are more than enough coffee shops where you can get your caffeine fix!

cruising the streets

typical view in Antigua

The architecture of the city is beautiful, especially that of the churches. Because of an earthquake that happened in the 70's, there are many ruins throughout the town, but that's exactly what makes this city so unique. I could have spent hours staring at the scene at the Saturday morning market.  With the sky, the ruins, and the colors, I really couldn't stop staring. :)

One of many of the city's churchs

Saturday morning market

They even had little horse buggies

love it :)

A twenty minute hike from the city and you can reach the top of a hill with a pretty awesome view.  Overlooking the city from one side is a massive cross; overlooking the city from the other side is a volcano.  Pretty sure I know what side I want to be on!  

Cerro de la cruz

Love this place

 The wedding we were there for was absolutely beautiful.  It was very unique for the couple who got married and was held in a 300 year old convent.  There was even a mariachi band.  :)

Mariachi Band!

On Sunday, we hiked to Pacaya Volcano which is one of seven active volcanoes in Guatemala. Without a doubt, it was one of the foggiest hikes I've ever been on. But with that being said, just as we arrived at the base of the volcano, the clouds cleared and gave us an absolutely perfect view.  Although it was short lived, the timing could not have been better. And since it's an active volcano, we were able to roast marshmallows directly over the volcanic rocks and make smores. Smore what? Not gonna lie, it was pretty sweet. :) 

Let's hope this thing doesn't erupt!

can u say fog?

too bad i don't really eat smores :)

Antigua is famous for it's Catholic celebration of Holy Week throughout the world.  Although we fell just short of Holy Week itself, we were still able to see one of the religious processions the city does in the weeks leading up to Holy Week.  There are hundreds of processional carriers responsible for carrying the floats; one being the first float with Jesus, shortly thereafter followed by the women carrying the float of Mary.  Thank God we literally stumbled upon this procession, it really was a wonderful sight to see.

Incense filled the air..which of course I loved.  :)

Float of Jesus

Float of Mary

If you're looking for a place in Central America to visit, hit up Antigua...it's a pretty cool city!

Nepal NEEDS Tourists... Here's why YOU should visit.

The rooftop of the world
What more could you ask for?  Mountain lover or not, it's pretty tough to beat the mighty Himalayas.  There's plenty of different treks to choose from, whether you're a novice or have heaps of trekking experience.  No matter what your level and trek that you decide on, you won't be disappointed.
 

Annapurna range- Poon Hill trek

 Adventure

If you want some adventure, take a bus ride in Nepal. It's as simple as that. Even if you think that the bus is packed and there's no room, fear not. There's always room! Hop on top or hang off the side like the locals do.  If this isn't risky enough for you, do it while driving through the mountains...I'm sure that'll get your heart racing!

can you see me?

Buff momos

One of the best ethnic dishes in the world that I believe is still under the radar.  A dumpling with buffalo meat and achar (a tomato based sauce) seems to be the local's favorite. A plate of ten momos will cost you a hefty $.60.  Which is why I ate these like they were going out of style.  :)

Pretty sure I ate these in less than ten seconds

Pokhara
Pokhara is a beautiful, lakeside town surrounded by the Himalayas.  Trek up to the World Peace Pagoda, watch the sunrise over the Annapurnas, or sit in kayak while the sun sets.  Or better yet, do it all.  It's a place to kick back and relax from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu.

Phewa Lake- Pokhara

World Peace Pagoda

Meditation

One of the best places in the world to do a meditation course is the Kopan Monastery.  Set in the hills of the Kathmandu Valley, it holds a variety of courses throughout the year.  Even if you're not Buddhist, the Introduction to Buddhism course is an excellent place to quiet your soul and meet people from all over the world.

cushions that got comfortable after day 7

Kopan Monastery

World Heritage Sites

Although some of Nepal's world heritage sites have been damaged or destroyed from the 2015 earthquake, there is still more than plenty to see.  From Bhaktapur, to Boudhanath, to Patan Durbar Square, the stupas and pagodas are definitely worthy of UNESCO world heritage status. 

Patan Durbar Square

The Nepalese people

We all know that the sites in a foreign country are always great to see, but it's the people that make this country such a magical place. Hospitable, humble, and full of life, the Nepalese people truly are one of a kind. You'll find yourself not wanting to leave these amazing people.

Birthplace of Buddha
Now a famous Buddhist pilgrimage site, the gardens of Lumbini make for a great day exploring the grounds where Buddha was born.  You'll witness monks reciting mantras and shrines and temples from around the world.  If you're looking for a unique place to stay, check out the Korean Monastery where for $3/night, you'll get a mat to lay on and three full meals.  That's my kind of place!  :)

Monks reciting mantras

 

Down by the River....On an Elephant

When people think of Thailand, they often times associate it with beautiful beaches, cheap drinks, and of course, riding an elephant.  Well, at least that's what crossed my mind when my friend and I decided to head to Thailand as part of our tour of SE Asia a few years ago.  Riding an elephant was on the bucket list and it was definitely something that we wanted to do.

After spending about three weeks exploring Thailand’s islands and southern beaches, we finally headed north to Chiang Mai where we enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the night markets and some spectacular zip-lining.  Our final destination in Thailand was a smaller town called Pai, which is where we were hoping to find some elephants to hang with.

My eyes were probably closed

I may or may not be afraid of heights

In order to get from Chiang Mai to Pai, you must take one of the curviest roads in the world.  In fact, it has 762 bends in the short distance of only eight-five miles.  Because the road is so windy, it can take anywhere between three-five hours. I did NOT know this before embarking on our journey.  When we got in our small, jam-packed mini bus, the bus driver casually mentioned that we should probably take some motion sickness pills. Perfect.  I instantly rushed to swallow down some Dramamine that I thankfully had with me. My friend on the other hand decided she didn't need any. Fast forward two hours later....she got sick and I didn't.  Luckily for her we had made a pit-stop and she was able to use the restroom. Needless to say, on a road with this many curves, it's easy to get sick...even if you usually don't suffer from motion sickness.  But that’s what makes it fun, right?!  :)

The next morning in Pai, we rented a motorbike and found a place where we arranged to do an elephant trek. I didn't really know what to expect, I just figured we would ride around for a bit and that would be that.  Little did I know what type of adventure lay ahead of us.

Within two minutes of our ride, I wasn't as thrilled as I thought I would be and was quite honestly ready to be finished.  We were riding bareback (without a chair) and I had nothing to hang onto except for a small rope. I soon realized that I could easily fall off this beast and get crushed! But on we went because I must have been too much of a chicken to ask to turn around.

Not sure how I'm feeling on this thing..

As we continued on, I noticed that we were coming up to a river that did not look clean by any means.  Before I even had time to think about what was happening, that's exactly where our elephant was taking us!  He stepped foot in the river, and decided he needed to go to the bathroom...number two mind you.  So there we were, sitting on this massive elephant, now watching it’s feces float down the river.  This is DEFINITELY not what I had in mind!

  

At the time, what seemed like the worst thing that could possibly happen did. The mahout (elephant keeper) started shouting things in Thai that we didn't understand, and all of a sudden the elephant started to shake us off (similar to what a wet dog would do to shake off water) and even went up on his hind legs!  I tried for a split second to hang on to my small lifeline of a rope but there was no hope.  My chicken arms didn't stand a chance and off we fell into the dirty river. My first thoughts were that the elephant was going to step on us...and I’m guessing that probably would have hurt! Thank God that wasn’t the case and when I finally surfaced I couldn't believe what had just happened.  Here I was in this dirty river with elephant feces, my clothes were now soaked, and I was wondering how I ended up in a situation like this.  The mahouts were of course laughing, so it was obvious they did this with all of the tourists.  Was this something that we had signed up for?  I couldn't remember.  I got back on the elephant again thinking we were finished and would head back. I couldn't have been more wrong.  Again, the elephant shook us off and tossed us into the river.  This happened three times before the mahouts finally had their fair share of laughs for the day and took us back.   

Ummmmmmmmmm

 

Really not sure why I was getting back on this thing

Upon arrival back in our guesthouse, I had the best shower EVER and was happy to be alive!  If you asked me if I would want to relive that day I would probably say yes.  I mean, I would of course never do it again, but you’ve got to try everything at least once, right?! So if you find yourself in Thailand one day looking for an adventure, I think you know what you need to do.

Viva Las Vegas!!!

 There are a few different things you can do while you're unemployed....you can cry about it (check), freak out about it (check)....OR take a trip.  And when you find a deal on Expedia for a ridiculously low price, including a 2 for 1 flight, I mean..... You only live once right?!  I call this....FUNemployed.  :)

Vegas just looks cool

When we decided to casually stroll down the strip to explore and check out the sites, I didn't realize we would be walking over 10 miles that day.   The strip is seriously SUPER long.....but at least we had a beer in hand.  :)

We eventually needed a break from all the exploring so of course we did what was natural for Vegas. We found the penny slots, put in $1, and looked for a cocktail waitress.  We may or may not have been pretending to gamble at times.  I mean, sorry but it's not like we could spend hours gambling! We just wanted the beer. :)  When we were sick of sitting at the slots, we grabbed a beer from one of the local shops on the strip for $.99 and strolled around with all the other crazies. 

Does this look like I'm gambling?

A happy hour that turned into a 3-hour happy hour :)

If you've been to Vegas before you've probably heard of the awesome buffets that the hotels have.  Some of them can be a bit pricier than others, but if you're there, check out the half price ticket stands that line the strip.  The lunch buffet at the Mirage was only $15 and included a huge array of  international dishes AND all you can drink wine and beer.  Let's just say we hung out there for awhile. :)

Half Price Tickets

Enough said

There's a bunch of entertainment in Vegas...many of which is free. The Bellagio light show is pretty hard to beat, especially at night when the fountains are in sync with Frank Sinatra. And let's not forget all the randoms that line the streets and make Vegas...well Vegas. 

Bellagio water show

Vegas artist from Trinidad

Mime guys

Until next time Vegas...

Back to Milwaukee!

 Although I've been home for awhile now, I do have to say that I may or may not still be experiencing reverse culture shock.  BUT, with that being said, I do LOVE being back in Milwaukee with my family, friends, hot showers, electricity, awesome food, and of course the brandy old fashioned.

I always knew that brandy old fashioneds were a Wisconsin thing, but it was made very clear to me once I arrived back home.  Everywhere that I went, I was offered a brandy old fashioned...and some were even with homemade bitters.  Absolutely delicious.
I'm pretty sure this will ALWAYS be my drink of choice....I mean technically, it is Wisconsin's (un)official drink.... so how could I not love it?  :)

Being a Packer fan AND enjoying an old fashioned

For those of you who live in Milwaukee, maybe you've heard of Bryant's cocktail lounge.  It was first opened in 1938 and is the oldest cocktail lounge in Milwaukee. It originally started out as a beer hall, but quickly turned to a cocktail lounge, making it the first in Milwaukee. The velvet walls, dark lighting, and swanky atmosphere make this a perfect place in Milwaukee to grab a cocktail.

Outside Bryants

super old school leather booths

Supper clubs... a classic Wisconsin tradition. I mean come on, who doesn't like these places?  Ok, well I feel like many people probably don't...but I'm sorry, I LOVE them!  What's not to like? Good food, local Wisconsinites, and traditional cocktails.  If you find yourself out in the back country roads of Wisconsin and see a supper club...be sure to stop.  You won't regret it.  :)

Supper club, McFarland, Wisconsin

For the New Year, we drove up to Minnesota and honestly it was one of the most beautiful drives I have been on in awhile.  The weather was absolutely perfect, and the trees were brilliantly frosted with snow.  The design of the clouds, mixed with the sun and fields full of snow made for an awesome drive that quite honestly I couldn't get enough of.  The pictures don't even do it justice.

Looks like there's a lot of exploring to be done in this freezing, but beautiful state.  :)

Things Every Solo Female Traveler Should Know

1.  The world is a beautiful and more importantly, friendly place.  

There are literally billions of awesome people in this world, and it's the people who will make your adventure all worthwhile.  The strangers that you may have been once so afraid of, will now become your lifelong friends. 

Celebrating my b-day Japanese style :)

2. Smile

There may be times when you might find yourself in an intimidating or unusual situation.  Maybe you're trying to order at a restaurant and you can't speak the local language.  A smile goes a long way and can break the ice in a lot of different situations you might find yourself in.   Not to mention, smiling is fun. :)

One of my favorite little guys :)

 3. Getting around is much easier than you think.

English is widely spoken throughout the entire world...so even if you don't know the local language, you don't need to worry.  There are plenty of signs in English and friendly locals to help.  That being said, learning a few local phrases really does go a long way.  More often than not, many of the locals already know exactly where the foreigners are trying to get to.  They're usually leading you to the next bus stop before YOU even know what you're looking for. 

South Korean Market

4. ALWAYS carry toilet paper AND tampons!

It's not always easy to find tampons in certain countries and let's be honest here, you NEED toilet paper on hand at all times.  It's an absolute must for those emergency situations that WILL inevitably happen.

Is this the type of toilet you want to end up in and realize you don't have any toilet paper?  I think not....

5. Travel light

Keep in mind that everything you pack, you have to carry! It's not very enjoyable when you're walking around town searching for a guesthouse and you're wearing a 50 pound backpack. I mean, do you really need to bring your favorite childhood stuffed animal? 

Strolling around Ecuador

6. Body spray-Essential!

I'm not just saying this for hygienic reasons...although spraying perfume all over yourself to cover up the fact that you haven't showered in three days isn't really hygienic anyways.   So do yourself a favor and pack something that smells nice, it'll make you feel so much better...even if the last time you showered actually WAS three days ago...

A little dirty after garlic planting

7. Dress modest when necessary

 Not all cultures find it appropriate for women to wear short skirts and tank tops.  You'll receive a lot  more respect from the locals if you dress modestly and respect their culture. 

Local Cambodian outdoor dinner

8. Take time to Reflect!

 Life happens quickly, even more so while you're traveling.  The old adage "time flies" couldn't be more true especially while on the road. Don't let everything pass you up without taking the time to reflect on the beauty all around. Find that perfect bench and take some time to just "be".

My favorite praying bench in Japan

9. Journal

Take the time to journal everyday.  That might seem like a daunting task, but trust me on this one.  When you finally return back home, you'll be so happy to have those memories and most likely they'll help inspire you in new ways you never would have thought of.

10. Trust Your Gut

Be friendly with people, but at the same time, if something feels a bit off, go with your gut feelings.  Like I said before, the majority of people in this world are wonderful, but if you have a bad feeling about someone, trust your instinct and don't overthink it.

And finally.....Be confident and have fun!
 People don't always need to know that you're alone especially if that makes you feel uncomfortable.  Be confident and just know that there are always other travelers around to keep you company.  And don't take things too seriously...relax and enjoy all that this beautiful world has to offer!