Search Results

So, how did we get into this situation? Let me set the scene. My family and I had planned a huge European adventure, our biggest trip yet. We planned to visit the UK, France, Switzerland, and then finish off the trip exploring Italy. The day had finally come, we arrived in London, jet lagged, but excited, and hit the ground running as we visited some London Landmarks. Eventually, we made it to France and took a few day trips to places like Monet’s Garden and Versailles. Next up was Switzerland, and the first few days there were great. We drove through quaint little valleys with grand mountains looming over, we swam in unbelievably clear water, and we ate decadently rich fondue. The last day of our time in Switzerland, we packed up our luggage and got onto the boat tour we would take around a lake, take a stop at a short waterfall hike, and then end up in a town where we would take a train to Italy.  We didn’t just get separated from one another… Now there were six of us traveling together, and some people might have overpacked, so we didn’t just tuck our luggage away in a corner of the boat and secure it. Rather. We made what I like to call “the leaning tower of luggage”; it was a bit humiliating, but comical at the same time. We locked it up with some travel locks, and then we were free to roam around the boat.  The views were absolutely unreal, talk about the most turquoise water I’ve ever seen. Huge mountains shot out from the lake, and the cutest cottages lined the shores. Everything felt like a dream. Before I knew it, we were at the waterfall hike stop. So we set off to go see this waterfall. You could hike all the way up, but we opted for the cable car that could take us closer to the top for the sake of time. We got off and hiked a short distance to the falls which were breathtaking. While walking through the forest to get there, my family and I could understand why fairytales came from Europe, the land simply feels more magical.  Before we knew it, it was time to head back down to the cable car if we wanted to make the boat before it left. So we all headed down, but here’s where things took a turn. There was no one running the cable car. Everything was shut down. Panic set in because all of our luggage was on that boat, and we were way up high on a mountain.  Think Fast Once the reality set in, we realized we only had one option. My brother and dad would have to sprint down the mountain if there was any chance of making it to the boat and getting our luggage, and the rest of us would have to stay behind and figure out a way to get to that train station.  Off they went, running like wild animals down that mountain. My dad had coins flying out of his fanny pack as he was running in panic and forgot to zip it up. Quite the scene if you ask me. As the boat came into view, the staff had already started unhooking the boat from the dock and were seconds away from shutting the gate. My dad shouted for them to wait and made it onto the boat with literally no time to spare.  As for the rest of us, we walked to the nearest hotel, the only hotel, and asked if they could call for a taxi. While we were waiting, we looked out a window, and sure enough, there was a little speck on the lake. That little speck had my dad, my brother, and our luggage on it.  Eventually, we got a taxi. We got in and told the driver where we wanted to go. She was very upset because she thought we wanted to go to a much closer train station, but we would instead have to drive quite a way around the lake. Finally, she agreed, but not without racking up the price. Oh well, we desperately needed to get going. After a long car ride, we made it back in time and were reunited with our family and our luggage.  Moral of the Story The main takeaway here is that travel isn’t always smooth sailing. In fact, you should never expect it to be. The curveballs are all part of the grand adventure. You just have to be ready to think fast and act fast. Just remember this: where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Why talk about quotes? The answer is this: because sometimes other people put certain feelings into words better than I ever would have thought to do. When I read one, I think “Yes that’s it! They get it!”.  A really excellent quote can be the perfect ray of sunshine on an otherwise gloomy day, or the boost of motivation you need to finish a current project. In this case, it might be the burst of inspiration you need to figure out how to take the idea for your next trip and make it into a reality.  Without further ado, these are 3 of my all-time favorite quotes on travel.  1: “Seek not just sights but the stories behind them.” - Unknown I’m not sure who said this, but I am sure that whoever did knew what they were talking about. I love this quote because it encapsulates a large part of what I think it means to really travel , not just take surface-level trips. If you’ve ever visited a new state, country, or region, your itinerary likely included a stop at a landmark that the given place is most famous for. For example, this could be the Golden Gate Bridge in California, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, or the Great Wall of China in China, to name a few of the most famous sights. However, sights aren’t always landmarks; they can be streets, cities, national parks, lakes, or other things.  When you saw this sight, it was probably pretty cool to be there in person, especially after seeing a picture or hearing about it. But what makes the thing special? Sure, the architecture or landscape might be objectively pretty, but it’s the story behind it that adds a whole other layer. Next time you see a sight but don’t know its history, I encourage you to do a little research; it will make your experience much more meaningful.  Image from Shackelton on X 2. “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover” - Mark Twain Ok, maybe this one doesn’t explicitly mention traveling, but it certainly has a lot to do with traveling. Sometimes, it can be hard to justify the time, effort, energy, and money that goes into taking a trip and planning an adventure. But when you take the perspective of the quote, that changes .  Looking back on my own life, it’s the opportunities I didn’t take that make up most of my regrets, not the ones I did. So, as Mark Twain says, explore, dream, and discover; you won’t regret it.  Image from quotefancy 3. “The best education you will ever get is traveling. Nothing teaches you more than exploring the world and accumulating experiences.” - Mark Patterson This is a statement I not only agree with wholeheartedly, but am extremely passionate about. Experience truly is the greatest teacher. At school, you learn academics, but while traveling, you learn about the real world .  You also learn about yourself, how you handle tough situations, how you navigate, how you interact with people, your strengths, your weaknesses, your likes, your dislikes, and who you are in a room full of people you’ve never met and have no preconceived notions of you.

The Busy Nature of Humans Busy streets, busy people, busy stores, busy life, busy mind. Busy is the best word to describe the state of being I exist in a lot of the time. I don’t consciously choose it, but I suppose it is a choice, so I subconsciously choose it. Maybe life really isn’t that busy , but I allow myself to believe that it is, that there’s never enough time, or that I'm running out of time.  Time for what though? To just be more busy? That’s the question. We often find ourselves in this cycle of constant motion, moving from one thing to the next. Many of us hardly ever stop to look around and enjoy the moments that so often pass us by.  Even when I travel, there are so many things I want to see, so I pack my itinerary to the max. It often means rushing to one destination and then the next, only really stopping to take a few photos.  On the last trip I went on, I decided I’d had enough of the rushing to and fro; it was time for me to stop telling myself I was busy and make time to enjoy my surroundings. A Quiet Morning with Sheep in the Cotswolds It was an early morning, and I woke up to dewdrops on the old iron-clad window of a quaint cottage in the little village of Stow-on-the-Wold . I rolled out of bed, woke up my sister, slipped into the bathroom to quickly get dressed, grabbed my book, put on my boots, and off we went.  A few days earlier, we discovered an old church. If you walked to the back of the grounds, there was a little gate that led out to a sheep pasture. We saw multiple people walking their dogs through the field, so we figured it would be ok if we went in, which is exactly what we did.  A few ancient oak trees stood majestically throughout the pasture, and they looked like the perfect place to sit down and read. I found a cozy spot and began to read an antique copy of Wind in the Willows  by Kenneth Grahame. For once, the hustle and bustle of travel fell from around me, and I was able to just sit and be.  What Travel is Really About The experience reminded me that maybe I had been missing the point. Travel isn’t about experiencing all the sights, foods, or famous landmarks of a given place, it’s about experiencing the essence of a place.  In a lot of cases, the sights, foods, and landmarks will be an essential part of feeling the essence and experiencing the culture of a given area. But these are not the purpose ; through them, the purpose can be formed.  So what I would recommend is being more intentional with what you put on your itinerary. Do you really want to see that thing, or is it just something you feel pressure to put on your list because everyone else posts pictures about it? Next time, give the itinerary a bit of breathing room. This will give you more time to explore, wander down a cobblestone road, or discover a hole-in-the-wall hidden gem. You never know what some extra time might surprise you with.  Maybe bring a little journal  or sketch pad  with you to use while waiting for your food at a restaurant, to capture the essence of a place. By trying to capture it, you will be paying more attention to it. Or next time you're waiting in line on a trip, try looking around and observing everything you can instead of looking at your phone. It’s always going to be the little things that make the biggest difference. - Avery

How to Get to The Kilns in Oxford In order to get to The Kilns , you’ll likely drive through the historic city of Oxford , where C.S. Lewis spent much of his time. It’s kind of fun because the story of his life begins even before you get there. You can click this link for the exact address. The Kilns is tucked away in a quaint neighborhood, you would never expect this unsuspecting cottage to be a treasure trove of memories. As I walked through the white picket gate and onto the property, I found myself in a lovely little garden with wildflowers peaking up at random throughout the grass. Wisteria vines climbed the brick walls to create a dazzling display of purple and green. However, what we would learn as we toured inside the house is where the true magic was. What Makes C.S. Lewis's Home So Special? The inside of the cottage isn’t flashy or bold. Rather, it has a classic, warm, and inviting charm. It feels lived in, which is exactly what this Oxford literary landmark was. The tour includes Lewis’s study, living room, kitchen, upstairs writing desk, and a few bedrooms. Each room holds artifacts from Lewis’s life, which aid in the stories being told by the tour guide. As a child, I absolutely loved the Narnia books. I grew up watching them with cousins at nearly every sleepover. The magic the story captured was something that has stayed with me as I got older. Which is another element that struck me so deeply…the concept of growing up. It’s something I struggled to accept, so I felt emotional when the series mentioned growing up and losing your childhood beliefs and magic, like Susan does as she leaves her belief in Narnia. So, to be able to visit a place where the creator of Narnia spent so much of his time was a very cool experience. The History and Restoration of The Kilns Unbeknownst to me, Lewis lived with many family members and loved ones at this residence. The Kilns was originally built in 1922 and purchased by Lewis and his brother, Warnie, in 1930. It is called “The Kilns” because it was built on the site of a former brickworks, and the property even had two remaining funnel-shaped kilns on it. The two brothers lived here along with a former professor’s mother named Mrs. Janie Moore. Over time, others lived at The Kilns as well, such as Lewis’s future wife. It was a lively home filled with people, laughter, ideas, debate, and conversation. One lesser-known fact about the Kilns is that the house fell into disrepair before being restored. C.S. Lewis died in 1963, his brother Warnie lived in the house until his own death in 1973. When both were gone, the house just became another house in suburban Oxford. It passed through multiple owners and mainly served as a place for students to lodge as they were working on their education at Oxford University. It wasn’t until the 90s that the growing awareness of Lewis's legacy prompted interest in saving The Kilns. Scholars, fans, and preservationists came together to change its meaning to the world. In 1993, the C.S. Lewis Foundation (a U.S.-based nonprofit) purchased the home and began a careful restoration, aimed at returning it to how it would have looked during Lewis’s lifetime. Today, the Kilns museum and residential study center. Scholars, writers, and students live and work there as part of the foundation’s mission to preserve Lewis’s legacy. My Takeaway: C.S. Lewis’s Writing Space It’s easy to romanticize the writing space of a famous author, but The Kilns reminds us that amazing things often come from otherwise ordinary surroundings. Whether you’re a lifelong Narnia fan, literature lover, or simply love unique travel off the tourist path, The Kilns is worth the journey. Have you ever visited a place that brought a book to life? Let me know in the comments!

Hi! I’m Avery, and welcome to my blog “Where Avery Goes”. I’m thrilled that you’re here and can’t wait to see what adventures this blog inspires for you. I’ll be giving you all a run-down of my travels from the very beginning stages of planning and packing, to experiencing life-changing and eye-opening journeys all over the world.  Although travel has many incredible elements, my favorite thing about travel is the broad worldview it fosters and expands. This is my why for traveling. Our world is overflowing with awe-inspiring sights, cultures, and people. It’s important to me to involve myself in as many of these as possible.  With that being said, let's get into what you can look out for on this blog! City Guides & Top Travel Destinations Around the World Well, I mean, it is a travel blog, so we’re going to get into the actual destinations! Every time I go somewhere new, my mind is blown yet again. The planet’s diversity is phenomenal. And if that’s not enough, I then get to go and actually make memories in those places, which makes for a lot of “pinch me” moments.  So here’s the deal: under the “destinations” tab in the menu bar, I’ll create a section for each place I travel. That way, all the blog posts written about any given destination will be grouped together for easy travel planning. You’ll find posts such as “My Favorite Place for Crepes in Paris”, under the “Paris” section, to “What to Wear when Visiting The Matterhorn” under the “Switzerland” section.  Stress-Free Tips & Tricks: What to Know Before Your Next Trip Honestly, travel can be over-glamourized, leaving you wondering if it was such a good idea to come all this way just to miss a boat  and wander around in a hot, crowded museum. Let’s face the facts: travel isn't all fun and games all the time . On the bright side, however, there’s a lot you can do to avoid not-so-good situations.  My goal in the tips and tricks section is to help you know what small actions to take to make big differences in the quality of your trip, like what to pack for international travel or some of my favorite healthy airport snacks . But no matter what, something unexpected will inevitably come up on your trip, so my first word of advice would be to throw expectations out the window. Going into your adventure, just excited to be there and see what happens, will be your best bet. The Best Food Finds from a Travel Blogger Now here’s the truth: I love food, and that means finding the best hidden food gems. So you can expect a good deal of food content around here. Food is one of my favorite mediums to experience the local culture, and there is absolutely no gatekeeping here. I won’t let you miss out on some of the best hidden gems around. Let your hours of restaurant review reading be put to rest, I’ve got your back. Oh, you’re going to Italy? Well, you have to try this rigatoni . Looking for the best magret de canard (duck breast) in Paris? Look no further, this  will do the trick.  Personal Travel Reflections & Cultural Insights from My Travels At the end of the day, your traveling really comes down to the feelings you felt and the memories you made. In the “takeaways” section of this blog, I’ll give a general overview of each trip I go on, which will be a little bit different from other blog posts. Instead of keeping the post focused on one topic or giving little details about everything, I’ll talk about how the place made me feel and what I think the most unique or special part of the destination is, in other words, my cultural immersion travel stories. I hope this section gives you a chance to hear about the overall vibes of a place you want to visit. As a disclaimer, though, these are my thoughts and experiences. A place could be totally different for you, but that’s the beauty of it all, isn’t it? We all have distinct feelings and views on everything we do, and thank goodness for that.  Let's Sum This Blog Up No matter where you go or who you go with, being in a new place is bound to offer unforgettable moments you’ll cherish forever. I’m here to help with intentional living through travel as much as I can. Whether you’re planning your first international trip or chasing your bucket list destinations, this blog will be your best friend. Happy travels, -Avery

Image from YouGov 1. Make copies of your passport Passports are easily the most important thing to have with you during your international travels, and losing it would be detrimental. So my suggestion is that you make sure to know where it is at all times. If for some reason it does get lost, having a copy can make a big difference and give you access to all the information in your passport. Image from MAP Communications 2. Let your bank know This may be common knowledge, but it wasn’t to me and this mistake was not a fun one to make. It’s important to call your bank and let them know that you will be leaving the country so they can put a notice on your card. If they see lots of transactions going through in a different country, or even state, it’ll be viewed as suspicious activity. I didn’t know about this and so during my first week here in France, everything went fine, but then out of the blue it declined again and again so I knew something was wrong. I called and they explained to me that I should’ve called before leaving but it was easy for them to get my card up and running again! So don’t worry if you forget because you can do it while you’re on the trip but it’s better to be proactive and do it in advance. Image from Next Vacay 3. Do your research I know some people just like to fly by the seat of their pants and be spontaneous, but you will always be able to see more if you do your research. Even if you don’t schedule everything, it’s still good to know what there is to do in the city or area you’re traveling to. When you schedule everything it does make it easier to maximize your time because you can map your stops out so you don’t go to one side of a city for something and then have to go to another side for something and then be back in the middle for another thing. Image from Oxford Learning 4. Learn the basic phrases of the local language Okay, maybe this isn’t necessary but it can be very useful, especially if you’re going somewhere outside of a big city where not as many people may speak English. Knowing a few phrases can really help you get by and communicate during your travels. Not only is knowing how to say a few things helpful, but it also shows respect and appreciation for the country you're visiting.

Image from Contiki I hadn’t really heard of astrotourism until this year, and my first thought was “Oh so are people going to start being tourists in space now?”. No that’s not what astrotourism means at all, and thankfully, because I was worried. Astrotourism is a form of tourism based on nature, specifically focused on viewing stars, planets, and other celestial bodies in the physical universe. It’s predicted to become the next big travel trend and sounds pretty cool right? Let’s dive in a little deeper. Image from RMS What do you do on astrotourism excursions? As I mentioned before, astrotourism revolves around the concept of viewing celestial bodies or events. It could include astrophotography, looking through a telescope, observing constellations, etc. Typically groups will travel together to remote locations where the effects of light pollution are absent or minimal. This allows for the best view possible, as long as the skies are clear of clouds. Image from Forbes Where do you go to participate? There are many locations across the globe where you can escape light pollution, however, some areas are more popular than others. Here is a list of some of the best destinations for astrotourism in Utah, and here’s another list of the best places for astrotourism throughout the United States. You can also participate in astrotourism all over the globe, in places such as: Dubrovnik, Croatia Riviera Maya, Mexico Norway Rome, Italy Los Cabos, Mexico Image from The Australian Who should you go with? So now that you know what astrotourism is and where you can go to experience it, the final question is: Who do you bring with you? The answer is simple: anyone who would be able to appreciate the wonders of the sky with you. Dragging along a friend, sibling, or spouse who would complain the whole time is a bad idea. And from what I’ve collected about astrotourism, I would also not recommend taking kids under the age of 13. Astrotourism can take a lot of patience, whether that’s waiting for the clouds to pass, a comment to fly by, or your turn to look through a telescope. So maybe you just want to go alone and find a group trip online. No matter what you choose, it’s sure to be a memorable trip!

Protein-Packed Snacks Whether it is a protein bar, jerky stick, or trail mix, make sure you have a snack with healthy protein and fats in your bag. This will keep you fuller for longer! I often find myself unsatisfied with carbs, but these jerky sticks are my absolute favorite and easy to pack! Powdered Electrolytes Staying hydrated is essential in my book, and it probably should be in everyone’s. That’s why I love to bring electrolytes on the plane. They help me feel good while up in the air for so long! My favorites are from Aday. Aquaphor I don’t know about you but my skin always feels so dry on planes! So it’s important for me to remember to bring aquaphor. I use it for my lips and hands when they are feeling extra dry. One time I had a runny nose on a flight and had to blow my nose a lot. The tissues rubbing against my skin made it sore and the aquaphor helped so much! Neck Pillow Ok, I know a lot of us probably bring a neck pillow on planes but are you bringing one with the seat straps? I hope so because these pillows are perfect for falling asleep and waking up without a sore neck. The straps attach to the back of the plane seat which will keep your head upright while you sleep. It’s super easy to attach and so worth it! Minty Gum After having travel days lasting 24+ hours I definitely feel a little gross, even on the 5-hour travel days. Sometimes I don’t have access to a sink or water to brush my teeth and my mouth tastes terrible, having a minty gum with me at all times helps eliminate this problem. Wireless Plug-In Connector If you’re like me and don’t like getting tangled up in wires on a flight you need this connector! It makes it so you can connect Bluetooth headphones to the airplane screen in front of you. Headphones and a Playlist Music hits different on a plane, at least it does for me, so I cannot live without my headphones. Make sure you bring some, wireless or not, especially because the ones they had out on the planes don’t work very well and often fall out of your ears. Also, make sure to download a few of your favorite playlists before you leave. The wifi on flights is either expensive or not very good, so don’t make the same mistake I have, and remember to have a playlist ready to go offline.

Going to Nice but only for a day? These are the top things I would suggest doing in this charming city. Morning: Visit the Cours Saleya Markets One of my favorite things about Nice is the markets! There’s at least one every single day (excluding holidays), awesome right? I would recommend starting off your morning by going to the markets for some souvenir shopping (any day) and breakfast (as long as it’s not a Monday which is reserved for antique markets only). You can get a homemade pastry, freshly squeezed juice, fruit, flatbreads, or even the traditional nice food Socca (chickpea pancake)! I would also advise you to get some olives or olive oil to bring home, the flavor is phenomenal. And don’t forget to get some flowers to bring back to where you are staying! The biggest location for markets is the Cours Saleya in Old Town Nice. The schedule is as follows: Flower Market  – Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 6.00-17.30.  Wednesday and Saturday 6.30-18.30.  Sunday 6.30-13.30.  Closed Mondays. Fruit and Vegetable Market – every day from 6.00-1:30. Closed Mondays. Antiques/Flea Market – 7:00-2:00 – every Monday Evening Market – 6:00-12:00 am – June through September Mid-Day: Go to a perfume-making class at Marionard After you drop off your goods from the market at your hotel or Airbnb, I would suggest you go to Marionrd to learn about perfume and even make your own! The French Riviera is home to a town called Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, so they know their stuff here. This has to be booked in advance, so if this is a last-minute trip I would instead recommend shopping in Old Town and grabbing lunch at a bakery. Evening: Take a sunset stroll along the Promenade De Anglais Walking along the Promenade des Anglais has such a magical feeling, the sky lights up into magical colors, waves crash beside you, and the hills glow a warm green. I would recommend going about an hour before sunset so you can take the elevator up to the waterfall and lookout spot. The elevator is located at the east end of the Promenade des Anglais and is completely free. You won’t want to miss the view of the coast from the top! Night: Get dinner at Le Safari and grab a dessert afterward Le Safari is a lively restaurant in Old Town Nice they serve many traditional foods from nice such as the Nicoise Salad, a favorite of mine. When I was there I also tried the salmon and it was cooked to perfection. The food, environment, and service were amazing and it’s a great way to end a fun day in Nice. Then go grab a treat like some gelato from Amorino!

When I walked into Le Colimaçon for the first time I instantly knew this place was special. The raw stone walls and the worn wooden beams had a captivating character to them. It’s a small space, making for a very cozy feel. As I followed the waitress up the spiral staircase to the second floor I looked across the room to the most magical Parisian table (Pictured above). It was everything you would imagine about a nice brunch in Paris where you could feel a slight breeze on your face and peek your head out the window and watch people walk by on the street below. Aside from how memorable the feeling of the place was, here are three other reasons you should pay Le Colimaçon a visit next time you’re in Paris. The Ownership Le Colimaçon is locally owned and operated. Nicolas Thiery and Didier Jourdan are the owners and together have decades almost half a century of cuisine experience, from what I understand, they are both French natives. They also try to get their ingredients from nearby farms and vendors, on the menu it even listed the farm from which my duck was sourced. The Atmosphere As I previously mentioned, the atmosphere of this place was absolutely stunning in such a subtle and inviting way. Tucked away on a small street in the 4th arrondissement and rich with history, the building itself dates back to 1732, and the restaurant was opened there in 1993. The location itself is highly accessible and within walking distance from many popular sites such as the Sainte-Chapelle. The Food Last but not least, the biggest reason for visiting Le Colimaçonis is, of course, the food. They strive for the freshest ingredients, and you can absolutely taste their attention to quality. Aside from the delicious taste of the food, the presentation was stunning. The food was colorful and carefully placed to create a beautiful display. Which almost looked as good as it tasted. When I was there I visited with my family and we ordered the duck breast (magret de canard), rabbit leg (cuisse de lapin), duck confit (confit de canard), and a seasonal salad they offered. Being the curious foodie that I am, I had a taste of each dish and was blown away by how good everything was. Prices for the entrees ranged from €22-38.