Lydia packed two pairs of shoes for her travels in Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro. She is counting on her well-worn, well-loved sneakers to carry her through coastal markets along the Adriatic, majestic ruins of ancient cities, and Balkan national parks. She also packed a pair of festive sandals, intended for long walks on the beach and questionable hostel showers alike. She considers this an exercise in versatility. When she isn’t carefully curating the most austere of packing lists, Lydia enjoys crafting incredibly niche Spotify playlists and reminding people that she is from California.
Lydia's Latest Posts
The Unbearable Lightness of Traveling
On one of my last nights in Montenegro, I sat around a table with seven other travelers playing a game called Askhole. I’m still somewhat unsure as to the origins of this game – some guy’s friend’s brother had developed it, I think? – but the concept was simple enough. Basically, we went around in […]
Sleepless Nights Abroad, or: A Testament to the Human Ability to Snore
Full disclosure: before I headed off to the Balkans, I’d been warned. This job is fast-paced, my editors told me. You won’t be getting a lot of sleep, former Researcher-Writers cautioned. Solo travel can be exhausting, every single travel blog promised. So yeah, I knew what I was getting into. That being said, up until […]
Celebrating the Fourth of July in Kotor
It’s probably news to no one that Americans don’t have the best reputation abroad. Choose any ten random hostel-goers and ask them what their least favorite nationality to encounter whilst traveling is; eight will say American. The ninth will say British, and the tenth is Canadian and thus will opt out, as they are far […]
Giving Seafood a Chance on the Adriatic Coast
But this summer, I’ve been all about affirming a general commitment to stepping out of my comfort zone. In practice, this has meant jumping off of cliffs near Lake Bled. It’s meant venturing off marked trails to scale waterfalls in Triglav National Park. It’s meant kayaking across the Adriatic Sea at sunset. Most dauntingly, however, […]
My Island-Hopping Adventure in Dubrovnik, Croatia
Croatia is home to over 1,200 islands, and two weeks into my travels through the country I had seen exactly zero of them. Before you judge me, allow me to brag on Croatia’s behalf. This country has so much more to offer than just its beaches (and its relevance as a key Game of Thrones […]
Kayaking Towards Pink Skies in Split, Croatia
I don’t feel that it is hyperbolic to say that this has been the most active summer of my life. Not to self-implicate, but as my friends and family can attest to, I haven’t always been the most outdoorsy person. All that started to change when I solo traveled for the first time last year […]
Yoga Classes Abroad: Finding My Zen on the Slovenian Coast
As a general rule, I’m all about a quick pace. I get bored easily and I don’t do well with downtime. I like to stay booked and busy, thank you very much (success!). In Slovenia, I hit the ground running. There was a spontaneous road trip, a journey into deep dark caves, a rowdy game […]
I Jumped Off a Cliff and I Liked It: Canyoneering in Slovenia
When I was younger, my mom would try to confirm I had a backbone by asking: if all your friends decided to jump off a cliff, would you jump too? The answer is no, of course not, Mom. I’ll pay an outdoor adventure company in Slovenia to take me to a cliff and only then […]
The Recorder Theory of Travel: Friends and Solo Traveling
I was sitting at a table with a Kiwi, a Finn, and three Minnesotans in a Slovenian hostel. We’d landed on the topic of music, category: general. Someone mentioned Jean Sibelius, the great Finnish composer that I should’ve probably known before that point. Someone else mentioned Wonderwall, the mid 90s Oasis masterpiece I know all […]
Boston’s Top 3 Parks, a.k.a. Where To Go When It Has Finally Stopped Snowing
Multicolored tulips in full bloom. Wide stretches of bright green grass. Ducks gliding across serene waters. Wait, what? That’s not what immediately comes to mind when you think of Boston? Okay, sure. Boston’s probably better known for snowy winters than it is for idyllic summers, which means that you probably haven’t heard enough about just […]