Take Your Pick
Reader's Are Loving
Our Top Posts
rachelteodoro
Grief didn't just change my life. It changed the way I travel.
Before loss entered my world in a way I couldn't ignore, travel was something I carefully postponed. It was planned around responsibilities, schedules, and other people's availability. Trips lived in the vague future of someday, next year, when our schedules free up a bit.
Then my younger brother died.
He was only 42 years old when a very brief illness took him far too soon. He left behind two small children, a family that feels the emptiness of the loss, the heavy burden of uncertainty, and a lifetime of big dreams that never got the chance to be fully lived. Watching someone so young disappear from the future we all assumed he'd have shattered my belief that time is promised.
Grief stripped away the illusion of "later." And in all of that reckoning, it completely rewired how and why I travel.
rachelteodoro
Landing at Dublin Airport for the first time can feel a bit overwhelming. It's a bit of a journey from the airport to the downtown area where most people are going to want to stay. But friends, even if you are renting a car later in your trip, now is not the time to rent one! I promise you, you don't want to be driving downtown Dublin! You are likely arriving a little excited, a little jet-lagged, and you are wanting to get your trip started. You may not be spending a lot of time in the city, so you want to make the most of it. Don't pay for an expensive taxi or ride share. I'm telling you one of the easiest {and cheapest} ways to get into the Dublin city center. I've done this myself multiple times and I have all the tips. Keep reading!
rachelteodoro
Alright, let's say the quiet part out loud...some trips are easier {and honestly maybe more fun} when your knees still trust you, your balance is decent, and sleeping on a train overnight doesn't ruin your entire week!
This isn't about age-shaming, just me being realistic {and maybe a little strategic} so you don't put off experiences that do get harder with time, even if your curiosity never fades.
I've been putting together a list of places and experiences that I want to consider visiting sooner, rather than later, and I'm sharing it with you too. That way maybe, just maybe, while our bodies are a bit more forgiving and recovery time is shorter, we can enjoy these experiences more.
rachelteodoro
If you're planning a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, there's one attraction that's likely popped up again and again on your Instagram and travel search results: Train Street. Train Street is a narrow residential street where an active rail line runs so close to homes, cafes, and shops that when the train passes, you can literally feel it rush past within inches of your table. It's an unforgettable experience and uniquely Hanoi. But since its rise to global fame, Train Street has also seen closures, safety crackdowns, and new rules for visitors, so it's important to understand how to visit safely, legally and with respect to the locals.
rachelteodoro
Let's get one thing straight: being cheap doesn't mean being miserable, cutting corners that ruin your trip, or sleeping somewhere that makes you question all your life choices! For me, being a cheapskate traveler means spending money intentionally so I can travel more often, for longer, and with less stress. It means knowing where to save, where to splurge, and how to stretch a dollar without sacrificing the experience.
Over the years, I've traveled both domestically and internationally, visited places most people assume must be "expensive" and still managed to stay within a realistic budget. I'm not a luxury traveler, but I'm also not backpacking on $10 a day. I live in that sweet spot in the middle and it's honestly my favorite way to travel.
If you've ever thought, I'd love to travel more, but I just can't afford it, than this post is for you!
