#lbremote

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Riad BE Marrakech

OMG. this. place. 

2/12

Went to Riad BE for a spa day with my lovely friend Anne!

It’s always an adventure finding your destination in the medina. I stumbled upon a wonderful art gallery pop-up along the way, where I bought a few small pieces and custom Arabic calligraphy from the artist’s daughter!

Google maps can only take you so far into the depths of the medina. I was actually very surprised with how well it navigated me inside the walls, but it seemed I could never find my riad without getting lost at the end, always coming so close. As I neared Riad BE my only indicators of its presence were these little arrows, which I assumed were pointing me in the right direction, but who could really know what they indicated?

Marrakech’s kids are smart. Their hustle is to hang around these narrow areas where riads are and find lost tourists, show them to where they’re going (they always know) and beg for money. This happened to me as I was so close but clearly lost, and I tried to pretend I knew where I was going as the kid pointed me towards “Riad Be! Riad Be!” Yes, the kid definitely helped me, but they don’t make it very easy for foreigners to find. They must do this for pure entertainment.

I was delighted to see Medhi, our storyteller from Mom’s dinner, when he answered the door! It all makes sense now-- Sara, our city team manager, signed me up for this spa day-- they all work together. We chatted and he welcomed me in, and when my jaw-dropped awe distracted from the ability to converse he left me alone in my newfound paradise. Riad BE is everything you want in a riad, in an instagram photo, in a Moroccan space. An indoor oasis.

Anne arrived and we had tea in complete tranquility. Mehdi escorted us to where our hammam and massages would take place on the newer side of the riad, where a photo shoot was taking place!

We changed into robes and entered a small room completely made of stone with two benches and a faucet in the middle. Hammam is a traditional Moroccan bath where you strip down naked and get scrubbed with an exfoliating glove. This was my first and only hammam, it was quite the experience! I was glad I had Anne there to laugh with at the strangeness of it all, but it did feel good and we felt like newly bathed babies afterwards. I then had the best massage of my life, seriously it was wondrous, then relaxed with mint tea and wandered the rest of the riad while Anne had her massage. 

We left relaxed, rejuvenated, and with a post-hammam glow! Shoukran Riad BE and your incredible self-care ladies!

#riad #riadbe #riadbemarrakech #marrakech #morocco #travel #lbremote #remoteyear #hammam #spa #spaday

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“Digital nomads seem disconnected, when in reality we are the most connected people in the world.”

- My friend Clem

In one of our many conversations about this wild and free lifestyle, my brilliant friend and idol Clem said this. It really resonated- she’s so right. Society (aka the traditional business model) sees remote workers as disconnected, isolated, avoiding socialization; when in fact digital nomads are perhaps the most connected people in the world. They are definitely the most connected to the world, which in my opinion makes for an optimal employee.

#lbremote #travel #travelquote #quote #remoteyear #traveler #travelquotes

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My Marrakech Yoga Studio

Found the cutest studio in the world: THEYOGiINME

It was surprisingly difficult to find a yoga studio for the month in Marrakech- most were very expensive drop-in prices that clearly catered to tourists. I was so lucky to be recommended by a local to THEYOGiINME, an adorable studio just down the street from the workspace. The price for an unlimited month was super reasonable (included mat rentals) and I fell in love with the place the instant I walked in. It was too perfect. 

The classes were taught in French and English, sometimes I was embarrassingly the only non-French speaker in class so I would try to follow along as much as I could. One of the teachers said she went through yoga teacher training in Arabic, which she did not speak, so she stressed the importance of getting out of your comfort zone. It was a little harsh but I appreciated that. 

Thank you to Ana and all the yoga teachers for inviting me into your little haven among the Marrakech madness! This place was my zen.

#yoga #yogi #travel #yogastudio #theyogiinme #marrakech #morocco #travelyoga #yogis #lbremote #remoteyear

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Chefchaouen

The Blue City.

2/3

I planned our transport from Tangier to Fez through Tangier Taxi (they were great!) with a three hour stop in Chefchaouen (I was a little nervous about finding the driver in the confusing walls of the Kasbah and gathering everyone on time, but it all worked out!). 14 of us piled in the van and began our long road trip. I sat in the front, talking with our driver Mohammed the entire way. Just like our taxi driver the day before, you could tell how proud he is of his country and how much he wanted to share with us. The drive was absolutely gorgeous, endless green hills of olive trees that Mohammed made sure to point out continuously. 

We arrived in Chefchauoen, also known as Chaouen or The Blue Pearl, and had three hours to explore, which was not quite as much time as we’d like. I’d say four hours to a half day would’ve been better, maybe even an overnight as there are some hikes in the area, but to get the gist of the city a few hours was fine.

Stepping inside the walls of the old city it feels like stepping into a storybook. Enclosed by blue it’s like you’re swimming through the town, on land but under the sea. Chefchaouen means “look to the peak” or “horns” as it’s nestled between two peaks in the Rif Mountains. I’ve heard many different stories as to why the city is washed in blue-- keeps homes cool in the summer, repels mosquitos, painted by Jewish refugees who were fleeing Nazi prosecution as a color of solidarity. Whatever the reason, it casts a calm over the peaceful city that is broken in some of the most picturesque spots by instagrammers and influencers, such as this particular street:

There was a long line to get your photo on this street. It felt weird, intrusive, as locals were stepping by to get to their homes.. the kids above looking annoyed but used to the gaggle of foreigners constantly snapping photos of their entryway. Despite feeling bad about being one of these tourists, I still found myself waiting in line to get the shot, and struggled with this dilemma the whole time being there. I felt like I was taking so much from them but giving nothing in return (I guess besides money in their restaurants and shops). I bought a scarf from a shop near these famous stairs and met Ahmed (@roadtothedesert) who taught me how to tie my scarf as they do in the Sahara (his was 9 meters long, he just kept wrapping it and wrapping it!!) I asked him about his work and this city, if the amount of tourists blocking people’s homes was annoying. He said he lives in the Sahara so for him it’s no problem, they bring him business, but for the people who live here it’s a different story. 

We had lunch with the most spectacular 360º view of Chaouen, an immense peacefulness overcoming me. Afterwards we just wandered and explored until it was time to get back on the road. I would love to come back here someday with more time to feel that peace, absorb the city’s calming presence. 

#chefchaouen #chaouen #morocco #travel #lbremote #remoteyear #blue #bluecity #thebluepearl #thebluecity

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Medina Food Tour

Yep, still eating!

1/31

Really what better thing is there to do in a city than eat your way through it? I’ve come to realize that dining out is my favorite way to experience a new place. It brings you to the city’s hot spots in the best neighborhoods and on the cutest streets, it’s the easiest way to meet with locals, it allows you to post up in a cute cafe for hours, it teaches you about a culture, oh and not to mention the food itself!

I am absolutely loving Moroccan food. Olives with everything, mint tea I could drink by the gallon, chicken/vegetable tajine that is filling and nutritious. They eat a ton of bread too, so can’t saying I’m having a light carb diet, but I do feel like I’m getting plenty of protein and veggies.

My second Remote Year event of the month was a food tour through the Medina. I figured this would be a good way to get oriented in the Medina without navigating it myself and also try some yummy street food! Our guide Omar was great, and we had so much fun exploring the massive market through its cuisine.

Basaha!! (Cheers in Arabic- “with good health and comfort)

First course: Chfeng- Moroccan donut

With mint tea, of course (and lentils for our gluten-free gal). These donuts are only sold in the morning for breakfast and at night for dessert. Omar told us that in the north they use larger tea glasses than in the south, but always a small portion at a time.

Second course: Mssimm- Moroccan crepe

This was my favorite of the food tour. Tasty hot bread like roti, with minced onions, peppers and spices to give it a Mediterannean/Middle Eastern kick.

Third course: Baldo - beef cheeks + bread soaked in beef broth

This one I was not so brave to try. Debbie, a vegan, went for it because she had that “gotta try it” mindset (which I have come to discard from my travel style) but her reaction said it all. I stuck to the bread, which I thought was soaked in honey since we had the same-looking thing a few days earlier for breakfast, and was like “this tastes odd..” then my friends informed me it was the broth. DUH. Ugh, yuck. I asked Omar if it’s rude to refuse food in his culture and he said it’s fine, so I didn’t feel bad.

Fourth course: Pomegranate & sugar cane juice

He took straight stalks of sugar cane and squeezed them out into a juice. I could barely drink more than a sip-- so sweet! Loved the pomegranate though.

Fifth course: Fruits

These fruits (don’t remember what they were exactly) are sold on carts in the medina. I liked the taste, but they’re filled with big seeds that are too hard to chew, so kind of awkward to eat.

Sixth course: Babbouche - Moroccan snails

The escargot of Marrakech is one of the most popular street foods around Jemaa al-Fnaa square, the heart of the medina. I tried one and didn’t hate it! The texture freaked me out a little bit but the flavor is yummy, slow-cooked in traditional spices. The shells are so pretty too.

Seventh course: Veggie & lamb tajine

What’s a Moroccan food tour without tajine? We were already full but happily sat down for our main course of tajine, bread, mint tea and olives on a rooftop overlooking the medina. Basaha! 

#food #morocco #marrakech #medina #moroccanfood #lbremote #remoteyear #travel #foodtour #marrakechfood #marrakechrestaurants #streetfood

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Valentine’s Day in Paris

Met my parents in the city of love!

2/14

My parents had a layover in Paris after their trip to Portugal (one month too early guys!!!) so I hopped on a short plane ride from Marrakech to meet them! We only had two full days but we sure made the most of it. I was soooo excited to see them, it was my re-set, a breath of fresh air in the midst of this crazy journey! I love you mom + dad!

I had been to Paris once before (on Valentine’s Day actually!) so I let them lead, and we sure covered the city. It was so romantic, I was third wheeling it missing Russell as all the cute couples went out on the town for Valentines dates. Sigh.

Notre Dame. Did you know it took 200 years to build?

Shakespeare & Company bookstore. I bought Le Petit Prince :) 

Endless cute cafes

Mom found Knoll, where she used to work!

The Louvre

Invalides neighborhood

My Valentines Day date in Russell’s absence.

Some tower

The Seine

Fun Vday dinner at this cute local pub, Le Mesturet. Great experience with friendly locals!

#paris #travel #lbremote #remoteyear #valentines #valentinesday #travelparis

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Atlas Mountains

Hiked to a Berber home in the Ourika Valley.

2/9

Our track event this month (RY offers one free event in each city called “tracks”) was a hike to a Berber (native Moroccan) home in the Atlas Mountains. The day started out frigid in the morning mountain air, but as we got moving and the sun rose we warmed right up. Our local Berber guide, Rashid, was wonderful and attentive to each individual’s various fitness levels. We started from a small mountainside town in the Ourika Valley to hike a quick waterfall loop. A river ran through the village with restaurants right along the riverbank- I’d never seen anything like it!

The trail begins by winding between homes and souks nestled into the hills-- a literal tourist trap, but also really cool to walk along a trail lined with gorgeous handmade Berber rugs. One of the girls bought one!

Another favorite from the hike were the “natural coolers” with fresh orange juice chilled by flowing river water. That fresh-squeezed vitamin C gave me life-- pretty clutch to have drink and snack stands along a hiking trail!

After the waterfall loop we got back in the van and made our way to Rashid’s home trailhead. At this point in the day we were starving, disorganized and cranky (the joys of traveling in big groups) so this leg of the day started out rocky (pun intended) but ended up being one of my most cherished experiences (level 3 fun strikes again!). After a ~10 minute drive down a remote dirt road it took about an hour and a half to hike to Rashid’s village. This is their daily commute. How can we complain when this is their normal? I preferred to walk but after much insistence by the berber men I hopped on a mule for the second half of the trek. I’m not a fan of riding horses so I was out of my comfort zone, especially along the rocky ridges (see below-- yiiiikes!) but these mules are flawless. I tried to relax and enjoy the ride in this stunning scenery.

We broke out into the valley and approached Rashid’s home. The most beautiful lunch scene awaited us: a Moroccan feast with a view.

Perhaps it was because we were hungry beyond belief, but some people said this was the best tajine they had in Morocco. As we gorged, Rashid told us about his life in this desolate, peaceful place. He is the mayor of two villages in the commune of 80 villages- each village has a mayor and there is a president of the whole commune. He told us that men are allowed to have up to four wives, but that is expensive so only wealthier men can afford to have more than one wife (he has one). We listened and laughed, some drifting off into food comas beneath the warm Moroccan sun. 

After lunch and using the bathroom (always a humbling experience in a remote place like this) we hung out with Rashid’s family, communicating through smiles and expressions with no words in common. We met his newborn baby Aladdin (squeal!!!!!), his warm welcoming wife, his adorable father, and a few others. We took photos of the three generations of men and it was beautiful to see how proud these men were of their family. When the grandfather took Aladdin into his arms with such a prideful smile I nearly cried. This is what these experiences are all about-- the people, the natives, those who were in these lands first. Rashid and his family welcomed a group of strangers into their home with unwavering hospitality, showing off their proudest possessions: family and their mountains.

#atlasmountains #ourikavalley #berber #morocco #marrakech #hike #hiking #lbremote #travel #trek #trekking #remoteyear

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“Moloweni! Unjani?”

- Hello everyone! How are you?

There are 11 official languages spoken in South Africa: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, SiSwati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, and Zulu. Most commonly spoken are Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu, with English as their second language. Most South Africans speak more than one language-- the thing I admire most about non-Americans.

We had a language crash course with our awesome local guides where we learned some common Xhosa phrases and words. The pronunciations are the hardest part for us native English speakers-- lots of clicking with the tongue. It’s such a beautiful language to listen to.

Molo - Hello

Moloweni - Hello everyone

Molo sisi - Hello sister/lady

Molo bhuti - Hello brother/man

Lleker - Good, awesome, cool

Enkosi - Thank you

Unjani - How are you

Wena - You

Ndiphilile - I’m fine

Hleka - Love

#xhosa #capetown #southafrica #language #lbremote #travel #remoteyear #learning #afrikaans #learnlanguage

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Yves Saint Laurent Museum

Visited the YSL Museum & Jardin Majorelle.

2/7

I loved this place- the art, the fashion, the colors and serenity of the gardens (minus the crowds, but everyone was dressed so cool for their photos!)

#yvessaintlaurent #marrakech #morocco #ysl #jardinmajorelle #travel #lbremote #remoteyear #fashion #museum

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Kruger Safari: Day 2 Drives

We saw lions *tears of joy* 

1/19

*Again, the professional lion shots are via @arpidiem - my iPhone zoom was useless. Traveling with photographers sure comes in handy!

Animal spottings:

Morning drive: Rhino, kudu, impala, baboons, steenbok, giraffe, elephants

Afternoon drive: Elephant, zebras, chameleon, elephant + babies, zebras, hyena, African hawk eagle, lionesses + cubs (!!!!), leopard (!!!!)

Highlights:

- A little steenbok on a huge rock. Our guide, Jeremiah, said it jumped up there which is hard to believe for such a little gal.

- Saw two zebras fighting, Jeremiah said to show dominance. Men.. *eyeroll*

- A family of elephants with two little dumbos running around with flapping ears... my heart!!

- An African hawk eagle in the middle of the road eating a snake. Some birds hung around begging for leftovers, and eventually another hawk swooped in to try and have a taste to no avail. Glad I didn’t see the snake when it was alive...

- A leopard!!!!! This was my number one top animal I wanted to see! It was really far away so I could only really see it through binoculars, but even that little glimpse was breathtaking. A striking animal with an attitude and blasé demeanor. It was strutting far in the distance, too cool for us and any of the other animals. I felt starstruck, like I wanted its autograph.

- Lionesses and cubs!!!! I have NO idea how someone spotted them, they were hidden so well behind the grass, heads barely poking out. We only saw them because another car was pulled over. So funny, we didn’t want other cars to clog up the road around them so when a car would drive by we pretended to be looking in the other direction so that they wouldn’t know what it was... Jeremiah even played along and grabbed the binoculars to stare the opposite direction hahah. I got a pretty good view of the gorgeous babes with the binoculars. Jeremiah said the car ahead of us probably spotted them as they tried to cross the road, but they had retreated back and were waiting for the cars to pass to cross. They just sat there for a long time, little cubs poking out from behind their moms here and there. They were absolutely captivating, even at a distance. I was shook.

#krugersafari #safari #africa #southafrica #krugernationalpark #lbremote #remoteyear #travel #lionking

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1 Second Everyday: Cape Town edition

Created with the 1 Second Everyday app

#capetown #1secondeveryday #travel #travelvlog #vlog #travelblog #southafrica #lbremote #remoteyear #video #travelvideo #memories

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The Marrakech Workspace

Our office this month is The Spot in Marrakech’s new city.

#remoteyear #thespot #marrakech #workremote #workfromanywhere #digitalnomad #lbremote #travel

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Transition Day #1

Cape Town --> Dubai --> Casablanca --> Marrakech = 24+ hours of travel

1/26 - 1/27

We had a longggg travel day ahead of us. Our route was very out of the way.. Dubai is not on the way to Marrakech.. and flew into Casablanca, leaving us a 3 hour drive away from our final destination. Total travel time for our first transition day was over 24 hours. It was a haul, but we flew Emirates and were all in it together, so that eased the pain.

Bye Rockwell! Will miss this luxury life (managed to sneak in a pedicure and massage before we left.. yep there is even a spa in the building).

Checked luggage weight limit: 23 kilos. Mine: 23.9 kilos. The agent let it go. SCORE!

CPT --> DXB: 9 hours

Dubai airport is fancy. Wish I could’ve stayed here a few days, but I’ll be back when I’m rich. The first thing we heard when we stepped off the plane was the call to prayer- that was so cool. This is the first Middle Eastern country I’ve stepped foot in so it was really exciting to get even a little taste of the culture.

6:00am Shake Shack = happy travelers!!!

DXB --> CMN: 9 hours. Double decker plane, most massive wing I’ve ever seen, got a tiny glimpse of Dubai’s skyline during takeoff. Made my first Moroccan friend on the plane who introduced me to the culture shock I was about to endure- so nice to connect with you, Mehdi! 

Arrived in Casablanca. 

Our first introduction to the heckling of Morocco came the instant we stepped out of the airport. Getting from the airport to our transport was nothing short of a shit show- we were met by our city team manager Taha (who is wonderful) and followed him to the vans, which were lined up on the side of the highway. We were swarmed by men trying to carry our luggage for a tip, and some people didn’t realize they weren’t part of Remote Year, so they handed their bags over and were surprised by their insistence on money. None of us knew which vans were ours, which men were with RY, which weren’t, all while 50+ of us were hauling our luggage along the side of the highway, delirious from over a day of travel, exhausted, smelly, disoriented. Once we finally got in our vans, we struggled through a three hour drive to Marrakech. Get. me. there. already.

Arrived at Atlas Apartments in Marrakech, our new home for the month!!!!

#travel #remoteyear #lbremote #dubai #jetsetter #frequentflier #emirates #casablanca #morocco #capetown #flight #airport #travelday

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Cape Town Dining Guide

My favorite places to eat & drink in the Mother City.

A month in a city is not long. Every time I found a new place I liked, I thought “I’m so excited to come here all the time!” and that happened maybe twice. There’s just too many good places to try! Here are some of my favorite restaurants, food stops, and bars in Cape Town: 

El Burro Taqueria for that Mexican food craving, which we had big time after our Lion’s Head hike.

Cape to Cuba for an eclectic ambiance overlooking the ocean. Cute beach bar with sand too. 

Tjing Tjing for a fun rooftop setting, yummy cocktails and sushi.

The Lawns at the Roundhouse for the world’s most ideal location for sunset drinks.

Truth Coffee for strong craft coffee drinks in a steampunk cafe. Grab a cup to go or post up with your laptop and enjoy your cold brew in a whiskey glass.

Grand Africa Cafe for lunch with your toes in the sand and dolphins jumping out of the water. Turns into a club at night but I only ever went for a leisurely lunch on the beach. 

Tiger’s Milk for solid brewery drinks and food. A few locations in each hot spot of the city.

New York Slice for when you’re craving just that. Open late.

SoCal for a breezy Cali/Miami social club vibe. Tropical house beats frequently spun by Playground Twins (our city team brother duo!)

The House of Machines for a solid breakfast with a biker vibe. Also a hot spot at night.

The Piano Bar for a cozy neighborhood vibe and rooftop pool/sunset view.

Clarke’s for the best brunch + bloody marys. 

Mojo Market for too many choices of all types of cuisine in a hipster market-style setting a block from the beach.

Cafe Caprice for your beachside lounge vibe and Sunday night dancing.

Bootlegger Coffee for a cup to go or brunch to stay. Locations all over the city.

Honest Chocolate for artisan decadence by day and speakeasy-style Gin Bar by night.

La Parada for Spanish-style tapas (big portions!) and First Thursday turn-ups.

Harvest Cafe for a perfect work vibe, plenty of plants, and rooftop views of Bo-Kaap.

Eastern Food Bazaar for cheap yummy Indian/Eastern European/Asian food that will last you at least two meals.

The Bombay Bicycle Club for a funky dinner with friends and theme dress-up nights. 

Kleinsky’s Delicatessen for when you’re craving a bagel.

Mama Africa for live music every night, local art and authentic food.

Kloof Street House for the perfect ambiance for dinner and conversation. 

Izakaya Matsuri for that sushi, ramen, or udon craving (in the building I lived in so it was close to home). Cute patio seating.

Once in Cape Town for a fun hostel patio bar to meet travelers and locals in a fun setting.

#capetown #capetownrestaurants #capetowndining #diningguide #food #drinks #restaurants #lbremote #remoteyear #travel #southafrica #capetownfood #capetownbars

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Kruger Safari: Day 4 Drive

We began our last day at Kruger with a morning drive. Crazy how the 5am wake up call to go see big game felt routine at this point... *stay humble*

1/21

Our guide this morning was D.J. who was super knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the animals. It turned out to be a wonderful last safari drive.

Highlights:

- A giraffe strutting in front of the truck and standing right in front of us for a long time, showing off his stature and looking around, making us wait to pass. We were on his time.

- A leopard!!! It was slinking alongside the road and we quickly lost sight of it as we approached, but got a great glimpse of it from afar. Too cool for us.

- We stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the bush, a big smooth boulder jutting out from the forest like the one we ate dinner on the night before. It’s crazy to me how there are spots throughout Kruger to pull over and hang out with no type of separation from the animals that live here. We also stopped at a cafe/gift shop the day before that had no fencing or blockades from the bush, just “beware of animals” signage.. haha like that’ll help if a lion is hungry nearby..

- A group (herd? babble? pack?) of baboons that entertained us for a good half hour. The macho man went around staking his claim on a few ladies- always looks so violating in the animal world- then climbed up to overlook his kingdom. He was sitting spread eagle with elbows on the knees, just like a dude. It was hilarious we were cracking up saying all he needed was a cigarette and a Budweiser. 

#safari #krugersafari #lbremote #travel #southafrica #remoteyear #animals #krugernationalpark #africa

[lbremote]

Here I go...

12/29/18

Well, I thought I had my shit together… until two days before leaving. Let’s just say these final hours did not go as planned. The day before my flight my parents came over to help me pack up my things and I somehow lost the key to our storage unit in the span of holding it in my hand to a few minutes later when I realized it was gone. Absolutely infuriating and to this day I have no idea what happened to it. My boyfriend is a hero and took me to buy a bolt cutter, sliced the lock off the storage unit, and helped me put the remainder of my stuff in. This hiccup was costly in precious time and money. Once I was finally ready for the moment of truth to weigh my bag, it was way overstuffed. I planned to pack super light but somehow managed to do the opposite. I hurriedly removed items to bring the weight below 50lbs. I wanted to take a cute photo of all my things neatly organized around my suitcase for the blog, but it ended up being a sloppy pack job so not going to showcase that :P 

In retrospect these blunders could’ve been a lot worse, but I was frustrated in myself for not being fully present with my family and boyfriend in our final hours together..rather stressed and flustered. Thank you guys for being patient with me and keeping me sane as I scrambled to get everything ready.

Goodbyes are never easy and I had this day looming over my head for months. I knew it would be hard, and it was, but I also know goodbyes are part of the long-term travel process. I didn’t fight my emotions, just let them happen as they came, and allowed myself to feel the devastation that comes with leaving the people you love. There’s never enough time. I was ready to go and I needed to just go. Through all the tears and exhaustion I managed to get on the long plane ride to Paris, then a longer plane ride to Cape Town. Bon voyage, Seattle!

Pre-Takeoff Thoughts

The last few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster. But despite the scramble, the tears and tough goodbyes, I never once doubted that this is the right decision for me.

My intention for this blog is to have a digital scrapbook of my next fourth months to share with family and friends. I am open to it evolving into a different purpose, but my main focus right now is to keep it updated.

I’m going into each location with no expectations so that I won’t be disappointed if my idea about a place doesn’t hold true. I want to be content with my experience in every city, so I’m not doing much research ahead of time.

The only thing I’m really nervous about is missing my loved ones, but I’m not too nervous about anything travel related. I’m a good, seasoned traveler. I’ve studied abroad and backpacked for months at a time, so long-term travel isn’t new to me. 

My intention for this trip is simply to experience each of these locations and make connections. I’m addicted to being in new places and meeting new people. I’m not looking to find myself- I feel that I’ve already done that- nor run away from anything (although taking a break from 8-5 life is a definite plus).

#premote #bonvoyage #lbremote #thoughts #pretravel #travelday #journey #travel #goodbye #remoteyear