travel tips and tidbits w/ eric

Hi you all. I hope you had a fabulous weekend. I lucked out with a three day weekend (my better half had to work Monday)...and my family was in town so we ate some pretty amazing food all weekend long!

Anyway, I have another travel tips interview for you from Eric, of yourworldyourhome. Eric is a new blogger and avid traveler and probably the only person I've heard complain about getting paid too much...a pretty interesting guy, so enjoy:

1. Tell us a little about yourself:

Hey, I'm Eric a perpetual traveler I’ve been living and working overseas for about 5 years. I didn’t start blogging till I finished my most recent round the world trip. When it comes to money, even though I complain the my job pays me too much (my job is about making things efficient and my salary is too much, I would gladly work for less) I still like to save. I watch every dollar and have a thousand tips on how to spend as little as you can. When you mix round the world travel, and my love of saving money then the outcome you get is a year around the world in 21 counties for $2000.

Me and a friend, we had just climbed the tallest mountain in Bulgeria.

2. When/Why did you start blogging:

I started YourWorldYourHome.com on 1/1/13. I have been writing little things here and there must most of the time I find it hard to write or find internet while traveling. I love to write, I love the internet, and people seem to be interested in my stories, so if I combine them all together then I get a blog.
Me and the truck driver ( I was hitchhiking with him) taking a break in India.

3. What is your dream trip:

My dream trip is to continue to travel and world and see all it has to offer. I know I will be on every content and I know I will have many years to experience it all. But one dream is to travel with someone I love.

I might have found that someone. This is Echo, she joined up with me in Armenia. For three months we traveled together, now I am hitchhiking to china to be with her.

4. Where is favorite place in the world:

Karabakh! My god that place is SO AWESOME. Endless forests and mountains, trees full of fruit and the most hospitable people in the world who will always invite you in for a meal and to stay the night.


One of the MANY families who took me in.

5. Favorite food/ where do you find it:

This is a hard one…I really love the food in every country I’ve been too…I would say that if you are going to travel, enjoy it all, explore and taste. Never don’t settle on one dish as your staple, there are SO many good foods out there.

I don’t know what these things were, but I do know they were awesome! Much more tasty then fried bugs (which are not so bad).

6. Any great travel tips/ secrets?


The secrets are endless. There are so many tricks to saving money, to finding jobs abroad (especially non-English teaching ones). Those tips can be found on my blog. But here is a general tip, and if you follow it you will always have a good time. Go, explore, don’t see tourist sites but explore the culture, the people and their lives, and never be afraid to do it, you will always be welcomed with open arms.

Dressing up with the Burmese.

Travel Tips and Tidbits with Colleen

I am so excited to have a travel interview for you all today from Colleen Brynn Travels. Colleen is an optometry student and a travel addict with some great travel adventures in her future! If you enjoy this interview (and you will), be sure to head on over to her blog!

1. Tell us a little about yourself:

I was born and raised in the Canadian prairies, completed a business degree in Manitoba and am currently a first year optometry student, living in Waterloo, Canada. I’ve traveled to over 30 countries, and I’ve lived in Canada, Mexico, Denmark, England and Spain. Apart from traveling, I love reading, writing, dancing, playing hockey, knitting, making soup for friends, and I particularly adore all things Spanish (movies, countries, people…). As a future optometrist, I plan to travel overseas to help those in need of vision care, and one day, I hope to fulfill my (admittedly lofty) dream of having my own clinic on Easter Island.

2. When/Why did you start blogging:

At 18, I moved to England to live and volunteer for a year. While there, I started blogging to share stories and keep in touch with my family and friends back home. Before I went to South America in 2009, I picked up blogging again for the same reason. Since then, I’ve realized how blogging is so much more than just keeping in touch with people and recording stories. I’ve made some valuable connections from blogging, and I’ve been exposed to things and possible experiences that I otherwise wouldn’t have been. I continue to blog because it challenges me, because I am constantly learning new things from the blogs I follow, and because I’m fascinated by other people who blog. It’s also my creative outlet while I’m in school!

3. What is your dream trip:

There are easily too many to just pick one; I have a fairly extensive list of dream trips on my blog. Instead of just choosing one, I will tell you about my upcoming travel plans. My dream trip is as good as what is on my horizon, non? 

I am lucky to be a student with lots of time off during the summer, so I plan to use my time wisely! One of my closest friends from high school is getting married this summer in Anguilla, an island off of St. Maarten. I plan to attend the wedding and see more of the Caribbean while I am there. Those plans are just starting to hatch, but it looks like I may also be visiting the island of Saba.

After the wedding, I plan to take some time to visit family and friends in Europe. My cousin is currently doing a masters at the London School of Economics. I intend to visit her and some other friends I have in England. I plan to go to London via Iceland; one way flights to Reykjavik are a very reasonable way of getting to Europe, and Iceland is a country I’ve wanted to visit for a while. After England, I want to visit my friend Anna in Denmark because she just had a baby! I met Anna while we were both on exchange in Guadalajara, Mexico. I was fortunate to do another exchange in Aalborg, Denmark that same year while she was still studying there. She has since come to visit me in Canada in 2009 and last summer while I was living in Madrid. She is one of my dearest friends in the world, and meeting her baby will be like meeting my niece!

After all the fun of visiting friends and family, the biggest part of my travel plans for next summer is to do the Trans-Siberian railway. It’s a trip I’ve wanted to do since I first live in Europe 8 years ago. The plan is to go through Russia and Mongolia and end in Beijing, China. After Beijing, my plans are still up in the air, but I do also hope to see Hong Kong.

4. Where is favorite place in the world:

Do I have to pick just one?

Immediately, my mind goes to Madrid, Easter Island, Ireland and Canada. All of these places are soul-healing places for me, places where I’ve felt my best, my most comfortable, my most at peace. All of these places have shaped me significantly in some way and contributed to the person I am today. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to any of these places, ever.

If I had to choose just one, I can’t help but think of my grandfather’s words when he told me that my two Irish friends living in Winnipeg must be “missing the old sod”. It’s a sentiment that is very Irish, and a sentiment that I feel runs in my blood. If I had to choose just one place in the world, I would choose Ireland, where my family is originally from. It’s a place I know I’ve lived a thousand lives before this one.

5. Favorite food/ where do you find it:

This is an easy one! Mexican food! When I lived in Mexico, I never had a bad meal. Everything there is fresh and delicious. My very favourite Mexican treat is the torta, the most delicious sandwich I’ve ever tasted. There is meat, cheese, avocados, tomatoes, more meat, some sort of magical sauce, and it’s all whipped up into a perfect, heavenly concoction of Mexican sandwich. My life hasn’t been the same since.

6. Any great travel tips/ secrets?

One thing I always do when I travel is write. I keep a journal when I travel (as in daily life), but I am more thorough about journaling while I travel. I write down where I go, things I see, things I eat, what people are like, but above all, I love writing down funny things that happen and funny things people say. When I look back on my journals years later, I get to relive the hilarious things that happened that I had completely forgotten about. Writing can be a bit of a chore while traveling when living in the moment is the only thing that matters, but trust me, you will thank yourself later for writing all those details down!

Travel Tips and Tidbits w/Carol of Everyday Delights

I am so excited to have a "travel tips & tidbits" guest post for you today and it comes from Carol of the awesome blog Everyday Delights! Carol is a Seattleite/ UW alum too and her blog is full of her amazing adventures (she just got back from jotting around Europe!).

1. Tell us a little about yourself:
Hi everyone! I'm Carol from Everyday Delights! I'm so excited Ashley asked me to post about my love of travel! I live in the lovely city of Seattle (like Ashley!) with my husband of 2 years, Nick. We both went to the University of Washington and now work at a large computer software company here in Seattle. In my spare time I like to cook, bake and spend time outdoors!

hi - I'm Carol! Hanging out with a lion in Venice

2. When/Why did you start blogging:
I started blogging in June of 2008. I started it mainly as a "virtual diary" but I've found it's also a great way to learn new things and learn about new places. Where else can you connect with people all over the world?!

Bike riding in Amsterdam

3. What is your dream trip:
This answer changes for me all the time, but at this moment my heart is set on an African Safari!

4. Where is favorite place in the world:
Bora Bora! Nick and I did our honeymoon in French Polynesia and island hopped between Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. We stayed in one of those over-water bungalows and it was the coolest thing!

happy and relaxed in lovely Bora Bora

5. Favorite food/ where do you find it:
Mediterranean, Italian and Greek is my favorite cuisine. In September 2011 we took a trip to Greece and ate some amazing food!  We hit up gyro stands multiple times a day.  We are lucky that Seattle has a fantastic restaurant scene too and love to go out for anything from Thai to pizza to Indian!

Full of Greek food in Santorini

6. Any great travel tips/ secrets?

Nick and I just got back from travelling around Germany, Austria and Switzerland for over two weeks - and we both did it with carry on luggage only!!  It was so liberating not having to wheel a giant suitcase around, especially since we were taking lots of trains. On the way back we did check my bag though since it had an expander and it was full of treats for family and friends!  I am now a huge fan of packing light, light, light and the Rick Steves packing list helped me so much !  Seriously, you can do it!

Hiking in the Berner Oberland region of Switzerland, so happy we packed light!

Iphoneography/ Travel Tips and Tidbits with Amy

I hope you all had a fantastic long weekend and soaked up the last bit of summer! Around here you can already feel the chill creeping into the air. My weekend was wonderful, I was able to share it with close friends and my fiance! We were so glad that his boat made it into Seattle in time,  so that he could spend the whole weekend relaxing with his friends and working on his tan! I will share with you his photos from Alaska soon! As for now, here are some photos from our weekend: 

And without much further ado...I have a quirky little interview from Amy, of Don't Feed the Birds, Please. She is a student in England, and it is always nice to get the English perspective on travel:

1. Tell us a little about yourself:

Hullo! I’m AmyBird and I run the blog Don’t Feed The Birds, Please. I’m a student in England. Also, I’m a little too obsessed with birds, comics and Batman (who is my ultimate hero by the way; I do plan to hold a job as a masked vigilante sometime in the near future). Yep, I’m a nerd.

2. When/Why did you start blogging:

I started blogging because I wanted a little place separate from the rest of my life where I could share my writings, poetry and musings with other fauna. I needed a space where I could express my weird and random feathered self.

3. What is your dream trip:

National Geographic do some amazing expeditions/trips. The one that I really lusted over was a photography trip in the Galapagos. It looked amazing. Plus I’d be able to say hullo to Darwin’s non-finch fake finches (those guys are such phonies).

4.. Where is favorite place in the world:

My favourite place in the world….. well, I would say it would have to be Great Yarmouth. It’s a seaside town on Britain’s east coast and I fly down there at least once a year. Yep, it’s the typical seaside place that you see on the old postcards. There are lots of fish and chips, ice-cream and donuts that get thrown on the floor which I then have to fight for with the seagulls (I win of course). Then I can hop down the piers or take a perch on a donkey. I have being going there ever since I was a hatchling. In fact, even my granddad has been going since he was a hatchling! So I suppose over years of HarrisonBird evolution it has become an instinct to dwell in Norfolk for a week or two every so often.

5. Favorite food/ where do you find it:

Did you know that birds love brownies? AmyBird certainly does. It doesn’t really matter what type or where they are from (FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED MEEEEEEEEE!) You may be surprised that a bird has a love of chocolate brownies but then again you’d be surprised at some of the other stuff they eat…

6. Any great travel tips/ secrets?

Don’t hold back and don’t plan too much. The whole point of travel is to experience and enjoy. If everything is planned to the last little detail, scheduled and programmed, maybe your trips will be a little robotic, a little monotonous. You’ve got to ask yourself this: do I want to live every second of life as I planned? I got to say, it will be probably get very tedious very rapidly.

Travel Tips & Tidbits w/ Meagan from the Egg

Have you all read The Egg? I hope so because it is one of my favorite blogs and I am so excited that Meagan agreed to do this little interview! I also love that she lives in idyllic Jackson Hole, WY! 
Read on...

Tell us a little about yourself:

Hey friends!  I'm meagan and I blog over at The Egg. I'm super excited to be here today and talk about my most favorite thing: travel!!  My blog is all about living in a small mountain town called Jackson Hole.  Travel is a huge part of my life and I'd love to share my experiences with all of you. When I was 20 years old I told myself that I'd visit at least one new country every year. So far I've stayed true to my goal!  

{home sweet home}

Why did you start blogging:

I started blogging to share with my family and friends back home (the midwest) my life out West.  I went home for a wedding and someone asked me "What do you do all day in Wyoming?".  Um...pause. Seriously? I live in the mountains, people! I realized then how lucky I am to live in such an amazing place. My life is full of adventures so I decided to document them all and share with the world.  I also like to brag about my little mountain town because it truly is a magical place.  I also wanted to get my creative brain flowing and learn photography.  Having a blog pushes me to capture how I see the world.

{thats me!}

What is your dream trip:

Agh, so many dream trips on my list right now!  I'm heading to Argentina in October to help out on a wine touring company.... that sounds pretty dreamy, right?  Every since I can remember, I've always wanted to go to Africa to be completely immersed in a totally different culture and challenge myself as a person.  I love to volunteer so volunteering in Africa would be my top pick!  

{via my pinterest}

Where is favorite place in the world

Hands down, Leland Michigan. 

But the Pinnawela Elephant Orphange in Sri Lanka would be my happy place.  They take such great care of the phants. We were able to walk with them through the village and watch them bathe in the river.  It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

{clearly excited to be there!}

{elephants that have been saved from abuse}

Favorite food/ where do you find it:

Mediterranean! When I visited Dubai, the food was absolutely delightful.  Who doesn't love tapas and eating with your hands?  The hummus and olives were to die for and SO. MANY. SPICES! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it...

{the spice souk of dubai. can't you just smell the goodness?}

Any great travel tips/ secrets?

First of all, pack light! I put together a travel checklist: here. Always travel with someone you get along with and who is just as excited as you to see a new place.  You don't want Debbie Downer holding you back from seeing the world.  Be open to trying new things and expect to be uncomfortable sometimes, it all makes you a better person and appreciate where you live.   If you don't like how a culture is, just go with the flow and remember that you are on their turf and you must respect that.  And remember.....SMILE....it's the universal sign for happiness!!!

Someone recently asked me how I'm able to travel so much.  It's easy, I make it a priority.

Thanks for letting me share!  Now go see the world.

{my best friend and I in Nicaragua}

Thanks Meagan!

Travel Tips and Tidbits w/ Jay

I am delighted to share with you all the adventures of Jay, of the blog From There to Here. She blogs about her life as an expat and writes a great series called Expatriated, where she interviews other expat bloggers. 
Without much further ado,

1. Tell us a little about yourself:

Hi!  I'm Jay and I blog over at From There To Here about our life overseas.  Originally a teacher from Canada, my husband and I packed up our lives to move abroad for his job.  We started off in Gabon, a country on the West coast of Africa, where we were challenged beyond belief yet learned more than I could ever explain.  Currently, we're in Norway and although our future here is a bit uncertain, our fingers are crossed that we get to stay and experience a few years of life in Scandinavia.

Seville, Spain

2. When/Why did you start blogging:

I started my first blog, Into West Africa, in the spring of 2010 as a way of keeping in touch with family and friends as we lived overseas.  Beforehand, I had been sending out mass emails and blogging seemed like a good alternative.  As time went on, my readership grew beyond my family and I realised that I really loved writing it.  Our time in Gabon was coming to a close and we weren't going to be 'Into West Africa' anymore so From There To Here was born.

3. What is your dream trip:

When in Gabon, my dream trip was anywhere that had stable electricity, hot, running water and good food.  Now that I'm in Europe, I think I'd have to say the Maldives.

via

A hut perched on stilts over clear, blue water, cocktail in hand, spa treatments booked - it all sounds like paradise to me.  (We've been talking about booking this trip in 2013 to celebrate the year we turn 30.)

4. Where is your favorite place in the world:

This one is really difficult for me and I don't really have a clear winner.  I love our university town, Edmonton, Alberta.  It's where I met my husband and some of my best friends and I identify it as 'home' more than any other place.  Abroad, I love Cape Town.  The city is stunning.  There are so many funky little areas to explore, the history is rich, wine country is around the corner - both my husband and I fell in love with that city and I yearn to return.

Chapman's Peak Drive, South Africa

5. Favorite food/ where do you find it:

I have to start with my favourite drink - if I could sustain my body on it, I would.  It's called a "Caesar" and it's the Canadian version of the bloody mary.  I've been in love with this drink since elementary school (yes, while my brother & sister were ordering Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers, I was ordering a virgin caesar, extra spicy.)  Unfortunately, it's near impossible to find outside of Canada and it's the one thing I miss the most from home (and the first thing I order when I step foot in a Canadian airport.)

As for 'real' food, I love a spicy, vegetable Pad Thai.  Unfortunately, I've never been to Thailand but I long for the day where I can eat it every day and I will make it my personal mission to find 'the best' pad thai out there!

6. Any great travel tips/ secrets?

I'm a researcher.  When planning a trip, I'm a TripAdvisor addict.  While I take the reviews with a grain of salt, I love hearing others first hand experiences.  It helps me to know what to expect and occasionally, you find some great advice to help plan the trip.

Most importantly...

Don't procrastinate - if there's a trip you want to do, save, research and book it.  I can't imagine ever regretting spending money on a trip because the experience will always be invaluable.  

Paris, France

Thank you Jay! 

*I have a little guest post/interview on travel over @ HM if you want to pop on over! *

Travel Tips and Tidbits w/ Tamara

I was extremely happy to find out about the blog, Tamara's Blend, and I was even more delighted when Tamara agreed to take part in my Tuesday travel series. I hope you enjoy her blog as much as I do! (sidenote: she blogs from Slovenia, which sounds absolutely stunning!).

1. Tell us a little about yourself:

Hey! My name is Tamara and I blog over at Tamara's Blend. I'm really enthusiastic about photography so this is the place where I show some bits and pieces of the beautiful things I come across everyday. Otherwise I am a student of International Relations and Journalism and I'm quite in love with my studies! Other things you should know about me: don't invite me for a cup of coffee, but rather for a cup of tea (huuuge tea lover), book worm (at least try to be in these busy days), inspired by nature, in love with sea and autumn (I love all seasons of the year really, but autumn is especially romantic). Crazy about indie rock.

2. When/Why did you start blogging:

I started blogging less than a year ago. As to why... well I became more and more enthusiastic about photography and design and I really wanted to share my work somewhere so I could get some feedback and improve. I like to think I'm a creative person so I need to compensate the creativity in my free time, since my studies are soooo far from it.

3. What is your dream trip:

Around the World in 80 Days! :-) (one of my favourite books!). But seriously, I have so many to-go places on my wishlist, I'd need a lot more than 80 days to see them all. Well for starters I'd really like to do a trip to Tuscany in autumn, taste the exquisite wine, eat delicious food, admire the landscape and discover old towns.

4. Where is favorite place in the world:

Perhaps it will sound cliche, but... home!

5. Favorite food/ where do you find it:

Pizza! I am quite a foodie, but I'll never get enough of pizza. The best one I ever ate (besides my homemade of course) was at Due Forni in Berlin (highly recommend if you're ever in Berlin). I also really like to cook and experiment - my best friends just bought me Jamie's Italy so I can't wait to make a lovely Italian meal in my kitchen.

6. Any great travel tips/ secrets?

I think everyone should once in their life: 1. Visit Berlin, because it's an amazing city with a really special atmosphere that I've never encountered before. 2. Go sailing in the Croatian islands (I have like 1001 tips about that, so contact me if you'd like) 3. Visit Slovenia. Such a splendid blend of nature, cuisine and culture. You can hike in the mountains, swim in the sea, drink coffee in the oldtown of Ljubljana, have a picnic in one of the vineyards and fields... all in one day! Yes, it's a small country, but we have so much to offer! ;-) 4. Buy a Lonely Planet Encounter guide, pack some clothes, and just go with the flow! I always use LP Encounter guides because they include secret places and tips from the locals too. I've discovered a number of brilliant restaurants and other hidden places this way. And I usually mark which places I've visited and write a comment, so I remember the next time I go there (or when I reminisce :-). 5. Not listen to "less is more" when packing! Sounds weird huh? But I always rather pack more than miss that dress that I really wanted to take but didn't. I like to feel "at home" when travelling so I take as much as I need with me. This was a great interview, big thanks to Ashley for inviting me and letting me be a part of it!

Thank you Tamara!

Travel Tips & Tidbits w/Allie from Beauty & the Feast

I am so happy that Allie, from Beauty & the Feast decided to take part in this little interview! I read her "about me" section and was instantly fascinated by her travels...hope you enjoy reading about them too!

1. Tell us a little about yourself:

My name's Allie! I grew up in Texas but moved to San Diego, California for college. After I graduated, I moved to India for five months to live and teach in an orphanage and travel and it was hands down the most incredible, life-changing experience. I enjoy eating, cooking, blogging, crafting, eating, traveling and did I mention eating? I talk way too much and spend probably too much time [if it's possible] blogging and thinking about blogging. Check out beauty & the feast for my culinary and life adventures!

2. When/Why did you start blogging:

I started blogging to document my five-month trip to India and when I came back, my blog evolved into a food blog but now, it's a little bit of everything. My goal was to evolve my writing and document my trip. I never imagined that blogging would become such a huge part of my life!

3. What is your dream trip:

My dream trip pretty much changes on a monthly or bimonthly basis, but currently, I'm dying to backpack through South America. I've been to Chile and would love to go back and also see Argentina, Brazil and Peru and maybe even take a river cruise down the Amazon River.

4. Where is favorite place in the world:

That's a tough one! I'm going to have to say... a tie between San Francisco and Madrid. I hope for San Francisco to be my final destination when I settle down but I studied abroad in Madrid while in college and recently returned to visit my host family. The city is so vibrant and interesting and still feels like home. 

5. Favorite food/ where do you find it:

These questions just keep getting harder! I honestly don't know if I have one favorite food so I'll rattle off some that come to mind. I have a new obsession with mussels and my favorite place to get them is Solace and the Moonlight in Encinitas, California. I am a self-proclaimed French fry aficionado so I guess those unhealthy morsels are another favorite. I also highly enjoy plantains and black beans from my mom's kitchen (we're part Cuban), as well as s'mores which I usually make myself over a campfire or in the microwave (desperate times...)

6. Any great travel tips/ secrets?

Be open-minded and patient no matter what; it's really incredible what you'll learn if you open up your heart and mind. Take a cooking class if you enjoy the regional food... I promise you'll learn to make all of the local dishes better than any restaurant. There's no such thing as taking too many photos... you'll be happy you did! And finally, smile. No matter what language barriers you may encounter, a smile will always convey the same message.

Travel Tips and Tidbits w/ Hannah from HM.

I'm so excited to introduce Hannah Margaret, of the wonderful blog HM.  She has great taste in pastries and has had some fabulous adventures, so I hope you enjoy & thanks HM! 

1. Tell us a little about yourself:

My name is Hannah Margaret, and yes I use both names, it's a Southern thing I suppose. I'm a senior in college, attempting to get a grasp on the world around me. I have a travelers heart, a passion for people, a love for all things flowered and a desire to experience the unknown. I just returned from a six month stint in Canterbury, England, where I fell madly in love with the culture, the Queen, the pints and, remarkably enough, the food (beans on toast anyone?). I have a slew of international friends, went on a sweet backpacking excursion for a month and became fascinated with what it takes to be a proper Brit. I hope to move there in May.

2. When/Why did you start blogging: 

I began blogging in February of 2010 to have a tool to harness my journaling obsession. Ever since I can remember, journaling has been vital to who I am. Naturally, blogging attracted me. I have unpublished a majority of those posts in 2010 and some in 2011 out a desire for a new direction on the blog. I want to emphasize travel, adventure, people and really living life in every possible capacity (the posts prior were too feelings oriented and childish). If you have a story (Quick hint: you do) and a desire to learn other peoples' story--this is the place for you.

3. What is your dream trip: 

Without a doubt, I want to travel anywhere and everywhere. So my dream trip could involve just about anywhere. I am really more interested in living somewhere as opposed to just visiting for a short time, because then you get the full experience of how that world really operates. Right now, my ideal living spots are my beloved England, Southern France and Germany. I'll keep you updated via blogging.

4.. Where is your favorite place in the world: 

My favorite place has to be Southern France. The culture, the fresh bread and cheese, the stunning landscapes, the cheap wine and the language lure me in without a doubt. In my mind, there is no better place.

5. Favorite food/ where do you find it: 

As a self-proclaimed sweet addict, I would have to say the raspberry macaroon that I had in France takes the cake (takes the macaroon?). The cannollis in Florence, the Kinder chocolate all over Europe and sticky toffee pudding from England are all fantastic runner-ups. I also would just flip to have the coffee beer that I had in Prague again, it was insanely great.

6. Any great travel tips/ secrets?

Always learn "Hello, how are you?" in the native language of the place you are traveling. It proves that you are trying, even if it is nearly impossible (Czech Republic) or insanely intimidating (France). I have tried in the past and will continue to break the stereotype of the obnoxious American tourist. This is one of those ways. Also, you would think this is obvious but you'd be surprised, read up on the place before you go. I used my Let's Go Europe book throughout my time backpacking and found some fantastic finds this way. We ate at the restaurant recommended in Prague for every dinner while there.