A Month Living in Chiang Mai

After 142 days of not staying in any place longer than a week and almost a year since we started our around-the-world trip, we arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we had booked an entire apartment (through Airbnb) for a whole month! I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to unpack my bag, wash everything we owned and hang up all the clothes – yes, we even had a closet! I was suddenly no longer restrained to what I could fit in my luggage and decided I deserved some Christmas shopping. Note: A month later, as I attempt to squish everything back into my luggage I may or may not be regretting the shopping. Continue reading

Oktoberfest in Munich

We booked a flight from Athens to Munich on October 2nd for one reason: be there for the last weekend of Oktoberfest. It’s one of those things you just need to experience, especially if you’re on an around the world trip and happen to be in Europe in the fall. And that minor detail – that it’s fall, not summer – didn’t hit us until we landed in Munich and it was about 20 degrees Celsius colder than everywhere else we had been (Greece and Croatia had been unseasonably hot). It might have had something to do with landing first thing in the morning barely after the sun rose; but at least that gave us time to get settled into our Airbnb room with plenty of time left in the day. (Another reason we love Airbnb: early check-ins are much more likely than with a hotel or hostel). Continue reading

“Little by little, one travels far” – J.R.R. Tolkien (England)

One of the first things I did when we decided on dates for Europe, was start messaging all my friends and family who live there. Staying with people you know in other countries and cities has countless benefits: you get to catch up with someone you likely haven’t seen in a long time, you are shown a different side of the area, you can get away from just the touristy spots, you can often drive around (without having to weigh the pros and cons of a rental car), you get a glimpse as to how people in that area live and, in my opinion, it improves the overall experience. Oh, and free accommodation doesn’t hurt the budget… Continue reading