I decided to go to Strasbourg for a couple of reasons. First, it made sense for my route through Switzerland, and second, because I knew I wanted to see small towns in France, and Strasbourg is a good base for…
Next time you’re in Paris…
The Eurostar train from London to Paris was sold out by the time my trip started. Months ago, I’d written in my (very extensive) planning journal “BUY EUROSTAR ASAP” because I knew 2nd-class Eurail reservations could sell out, but by…
London and Preconceived Notions
When planning my backpacking trip, I always thought of London as a gateway city, the natural stopping point before entering the EU. I looked forward to visiting, but not with the level of enthusiasm I felt about… well, pretty much…
Edinburgh, the Highlands, and Ancient Magic
When I landed in Edinburgh, the first thing I felt was relief to be on the ground and overwhelming gratefulness for having faced my fear of flying and actually gotten on the plane. The second thing I felt was a…
Amtrak and Backpacking North America
Yesterday made exactly a month since I’ve been traveling. In a way, it doesn’t feel like that long because some of the first two weeks were in America, but it was July 4th that I left Mississippi on the Amtrak…
Backpacking Europe, False Starts, and a Flying Trapeze
My parents and Chewie brought me to the airport in mid-June. It was a couple weeks after my mom’s last surgery, and she was feeling nearly normal already. I’d obsessively planned for this trip for 2 and ½ years, and…
