When I visited most of the Balkan countries in August, I intentionally skipped Croatia. Other than Greece and Turkey, Croatia probably gets the most tourists of any country in Southeast Europe, and I wanted to avoid the crowded high season….
Podcast and Trip Anniversary
One year ago today, I arrived in Europe after quivering in terror for the entire plane ride. I’m glad to say that it was worth it. A few months ago, my friend Nadine had me as a guest on her…
Writing, Finding Inspiration in Romania, and the Underrated Timisoara
Near the end of my stay in Romania, I’d been in Europe for 3 months, and I could tell how much I’d changed. Though I wasn’t exercising in a gym the way I did back home, I was physically stronger…
Transylvania, Dracula, Paranormal Tourism, and the Most Haunted Forest in the World
I’ve always been fascinated by paranormal tourism. I’m interested in the sociological component of legends and ghost stories and the way these things can shape communities. I love observing what “paranormal tourism” and “dark tourism” reveal about the places promoting…
Brasov, Bears, Dracula, and the Romania of my Dreams
On the way from Bucharest to Brasov, the mountains got bigger and bigger and the leaves got brighter and brighter, and then very suddenly we were in peak-fall foliage in the Transylvania of my dreams. The anxiety I’d felt so…
Bucharest: Complicated History, a Perfect Bookstore, and the Friendliest Hostel
After all my uncertainty about visiting Romania amid the nuclear tension in Ukraine and then the logistical fiasco of getting there, I felt a bit shell-shocked once I finally arrived. I wasn’t prepared for the size of Bucharest. I’d read…
