There's No Place Like Oz

Melbourne to Adelaide 3-day tour

One of the things the PLANNER in me arranged long before I even packed my bags was a 3-day trip from Melbourne to Adelaide with Adventure Tours (through their partner Oz Experience). After one week in Sydney and two in Melbourne, I was up at 5:15am on a Saturday to get ready for the bus […]

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Hostel Review: Nomads Industry

This is the first in a series of posts reviewing the hostels I call home for my first few months on the road! Finding the right hostel for *you* is always an adventure in and of itself. During my first travels, I quickly learned to pay attention to the way hostels portray themselves online. I […]

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One Month In: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

One month. It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for one month already. So much has happened that the past four weeks seem like a blur while equally feeling like a lifetime. Interesting how time and memories play tricks on you. Three nights ago I figured I would spend some quiet time reflecting on the […]

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We Paid to Go to Jail

This is the final post in a series about my 30th birthday trip to Dublin in March! With St. Patrick’s Day and my 30th birthday behind us, we had Thursday and Friday to explore (and eat) anything we had yet to experience! St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre is pretty inside and out We match! Architecture […]

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Melbourne Day Trips: Dandenong Ranges & Ballarat

Although the city centre kept me occupied for days, I’m glad I ventured out to join James in the Dandenong Ranges and Darren and Cherril in Ballarat. Photos are the best way to showcase my day in the Dandenong Ranges! We had a beautiful drive! He liked me because I had food If the birds […]

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Visit, See, Experience: Melbourne

During my first trip abroad in 2003, my dad and I saw as much of Ireland as we possibly could in one week. It was great to see so many places, but our fast pace meant we never got to linger anywhere and simply enjoy our surroundings. So ever since then I’ve taken a different […]

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Culinary Corner: Melbourne

Last week I mentioned that many consider Melbourne to be the culinary capital of Australia, and if you’ve seen my Twitter feed or recent Flickr photos, you’ve already figured out that I love food. While I’m no foodie, and I am definitely on a budget traveler’s meal plan, I do appreciate being in a city […]

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Meetups and Tweetups

Meeting new people is one of the primary motivations of travel. It can be rewarding, educational, entertaining, and life-changing — and yes, sometimes frustrating, overwhelming, or irritating! It didn’t hit me until just a day or two ago that I’ve rarely traveled by myself. If I haven’t traveled with someone to my destination, I was […]

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Australia Work and Holiday Visa (WHV): My Packing List

When you’re going to be gone for a year, what do you pack? Most people probably think of a proper backpack when “long-term travel” comes to mind. creative commons However, with an assortment of back problems, I know I can’t carry something like that around, no matter how strong and supportive it might be. And […]

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Sumo Salad: 11 meals in 15 days

For years I’ve had a salad for either lunch or dinner almost every day of the week. Now by salad, I don’t mean lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and onion alone like you’d have for a side salad in the restaurants back home. I prefer spinach as my base, always include a protein like chicken or turkey, […]

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