Honeymoon | Amsterdam, NL
On the second stop of our honeymoon, we explore the magical canal streets of Amsterdam.
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
The second stop on our trip was Amsterdam, a city neither of us had been to before. Being the middle of March, it was still chilly and hadn’t yet flooded with tourists (as we were told by every local we spoke to). One of the reasons I love to travel is to spot architecture. God, I love a good building. We were in awe of the gorgeous canals and the variety of facades, not to mention the efficiency with which Amsterdam streets flow. It was a truly unique experience to wander through town at our own pace, uninterrupted by stop lights. With my legs being what they are, I obviously can’t ride a bike. I’m proud to say I was not run over by one, either.
Turns out, I’m a huge fan of Dutch food. I’d gorge myself on bitterballen [pictured below] any day of the week. Deep fried potato? Yes please.
The couple of days we spent in Amsterdam were not nearly enough and I can’t wait to go back.
Honeymoon | Edinburgh, UK
Traveling back to where we met on the first stop of our honeymoon.
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
For the uninitiated, Alex and I met while studying abroad at The University of Edinburgh all the way back in 2011. At the time, we were bleary eyed literature students who desperately wanted an escape from our everyday lives. I think it’s safe to say that in each other, we found something new and exciting - a partner whose ideal life paralleled with our own. Eight years, five homes, and one courthouse elopement later, we decided we should return to the place where everything began. Our honeymoon started in Edinburgh.
We spent a day wandering around the city, hitting our favorite haunts, and attempting to take our own wedding photos. Long story short, I had accidentally changed a setting in my camera that I didn’t find until it was too late and most (luckily, not all) of the photos from that day are in a tiiiiiiiiny resolution. We live and learn, I guess.
Alex and I took my favorite wedding photo in the same spot where we took one of our very first photos together. Calton Hill Cemetery will forever be one of my favorite spots.
Since we didn’t have a wedding, we decided to send postcards to everyone that would’ve been invited to a hypothetical shindig. Each postcard was thoughtfully chosen for each person, which was a super fun puzzle to solve for me. Writing them out also gave us a great excuse to spend some time sitting in every coffee shop we saw.
Despite my severe jetlag-induced nausea, I found everything I’d hoped to find in Edinburgh - familiar streets, grey skies, and new memories in a favorite place with my favorite person.
I miss you already, Edinburgh.
De Nouveau Sur La Route | Montreal
This fourth of July, we decided it would be a great idea to celebrate our independence by getting out of the good ol' U.S. of A.
This fourth of July, we decided it would be a great idea to celebrate our independence by getting out of the good ol' US of A. Road trip snacks, spotify playlists, and vague ideas for points-of-interest in tow, we made the trip up to Montreal.
Kudos to Canada for having a much better fireworks show than I've ever seen in America, however unrelated to Independance Day it may've been.
Family Vacation, Pt. 2 | New Orleans
After returning from our impromptu international weekend, my parents and I took off for four days in good ol' New Orleans.
After returning from our impromptu international weekend, my parents and I took off for four days in good ol' New Orleans. As many of you know, my family travels a lot and figuratively collects states. Going to Louisiana was a first for us, which made it extra exciting. I don't have a ton to write on the subject, so I'll let the photos speak for themselves.
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN
THE FRENCH QUARTER
METAIRIE CEMETERY
HONEY ISLAND SWAMP
Family Vacation, Pt. 1 | Montreal
Being the child of two adventurers, it took almost no convincing to get them on an impromptu road trip to Montreal.
I was so lucky and got to spend the last couple of weeks hanging out with my parents. Being the child of adventurers has its serious benefits. While they were in Boston, we decided to take an impromptu road trip up to Montreal.
Bonus points to anyone that noticed the map my dad is holding in the third picture is upside down.
Up next, New Orleans.
China Pt. 2: 我是机器人
On today's episode of Where In the World is Alyssa, I have for you the second installation of Beijing photos
Trips as long as the one I just took are interesting because after a point, it doesn't feel like vacation anymore. You create routines, pick favorite restaurants and meals, get to be recognized in coffee shops, and know where the subways intersect without having to check the map. And then it isn't until right before you leave that you realize you're comfortable with where you are and what you've been doing.
I had that moment of realization; that voice in my head saying, "This is it. This is your life now." And I'll admit, I'm missing the little life I created. There's a feeling that comes with immersion into a completely unfamiliar culture and I'm not sure if I can quite put it into words. Things were difficult there, not speaking the language. I felt so helpless and a little scared and I was constantly trying to grasp onto something - anything - that felt familiar enough to give me a starting point. There was a learning curve I knew I would never surmount, but that was what made the little victories feel so good. The first time I managed to order coffee without help or without pointing at a menu provided this bizarre adrenaline rush. It feels like working towards something tangible and you can clearly see progress when it's made. I haven't figured out yet how to find that feeling in my real life.
I've been back in America for a week now and I have to say, this has been one of the longest weeks of my life. Between jet lag, illness, and reassimilating into the hectic day-to-day, I feel like I've been back a month (at the very least). Perhaps it's just post-vacation blues, but I've come back with a feeling of discontentment. I finally had some space and time to evaluate my life. The scary truth is that while I still have no idea what I want in the long run, I don't think I'm supposed to be doing...whatever it is I'm doing.
We'll just call this my existential crisis and move on.
On today's episode of Where In the World is Alyssa, I have for you the second installation of Beijing photos. This includes such locations as Dazhongsi (home base), Costa Coffee (on second thought, maybe this was home base), Wudaoying hutong, and the Summer Palace. The title of this post translates back to the most important sentence I could have learned to say: I am a robot.
China Pt. 1: 北京
My current adventure consists of twenty three days in Beijing, China.
I am someone who clearly has an addiction to traveling and despite my rather meager income, I've somehow managed to leave the country several times this year. This current adventure consists of twenty three days in China. I just concluded week one.
Adjusting has been interesting, to say the least. The jet lag was brutal and I think I'm just now getting over it. I've also never been in a situation where I was completely and totally inept when it comes to language. When I was in Istanbul, I began to catch on to Turkish pretty quickly. In Mexico, I understood/spoke enough Spanish to get by. Drunk Scottish was a little harder to understand but, hey, all we had to do was compensate with a little more whiskey and that brought us onto their level. But Chinese is an entirely different experience. There's no alphabet, no real connection between the written and the spoken language, and no reference points beyond memorization (which is one of my weakest qualities). I have a hard time accepting that I more or less constantly need help, even for something as simple as ordering coffee. At least Alex is patient.
Yesterday, we wandered around through Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and a temple called Beihai. These pictures are in no particular order. Also, I generally would change the color tone a little and try and up the contrast but the air pollution is such a staple of China, I felt I had to preserve it in all its hazy glory (particularly in that first photo). At least it creates an interesting natural filter effect?
Midwestern Road Trip
Road tripping with my parents through four states and two countries.
This August, I went on a road trip with my parents. I haven't seen much of them since I moved to Boston so this adventure was some much needed family bonding time. Here is some cataloguing of our adventures:
TROY, MO
My younger brother has been living in Missouri the past few months and I hadn't seen him in a year, so it was nice to get to spend some time with him and his adorable girlfriend.
CHICAGO, IL
Sci-fi themed coffee shop in Chicago
CEDAR SPRINGS, MI
Maternal genealogy in my great aunt and uncle’s house
BOYNE CITY, MI
This little town in northern Michigan is where my mom’s family comes from. We aren’t able to visit often but I’ve always found this lake to be so peaceful.
I found a treasure trove of old photos in my great aunt’s collection and knew I needed to save them.
TORONTO, CANADA
NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA
And a bonus collection of iphone pictures.
