photography – She Went Wear

Wednesday Women: Isabel

Meet Isabel.

I’m Isabel and I’m a freelance travel writer and travel blogger at Bel Around The World. I work full time at a digital agency specializing in social media. Pulling from my own world travels and lessons, I give tips on Bel Around The World about how to make use of student travel perks and stretch every penny while traveling experientially. 🙂

What inspired/inspires you to travel?

I got inspired when I set off on a one-way ticket to Europe through my school’s international exchange in 2015. This program allows university students to do a semester of classes abroad in any host country. Through exploring Europe on my own for 6 months, I’ve grown to love the idea of exploring the unknown and discovering new places.

Since then, I’ve only taken traveling in my own hands and begun seriously pursuing it, both with my blog and setting time and money aside to do it throughout the year.

Where is your favorite destination to date?

I usually go for scenic destinations since I’m based in a city. My favourite city is New York, beach destination is Maldives, and the best place I’ve been for a road trip is New Zealand!

How do you prefer to travel?

I love experiential traveling – trying new things and pushing my limits. This includes bungee jumping in Phuket, watching hot air balloons at sunrise in Cappadocia and trying out Couchsurfing in Europe.

Solo or With a group? Why?

Everyone should have an experience doing both. I enjoyed solo travel for the freedom it gives and how it opens more doors to making new friends. It’s an experience you will not get so readily if you are traveling with a partner. Traveling alone also builds your resilience and independence – both of which are very essential qualities in a person!

Yet, traveling with a partner or a group injects more fun in the trip. You would dare to do more things than if you were to travel alone, like going to a pub for instance. I wouldn’t dare to visit a pub alone in a foreign country, especially since I’m a girl! Having a companion also means an extra pair of eyes to watch out for you.

Do you think there is a difference traveling as a woman?

It definitely is much more dangerous especially if you’re traveling alone. That said, it can sometimes be easier also – you get accepted by hosts more readily on Couchsurfing and you receive help more readily by passers-by!

How do you plan your trips?

I will Google the places not to be missed for that particular area, and map it on Google Maps. Further to that, I will export it to an app called Maps.me so that I have easy access to it through my phone and offline when I’m on the go! More on this feature in How To Export Your Google Map Itinerary To Your Phone & Use It Offline!

When is your next one?

Bali in April and Hokkaido in May to catch the cherry blossoms.

Any advice you would like to give to your fellow travelers?

Yes! One of it is to be bold and never do anything (or the lack of) you would regret – you may only have that one chance to visit a place or try something foreign. More tips for first-time travelers in this post: 10 Tips For New Travellers.

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Cruisin’ the Eastern Caribbean

In the spirit of the holidays, I decided to share a post on my second most recent trip. To escape the cold and sweat off the calories from Thanksgiving (I’m American, I know) my family and I embarked on a Carnival Cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. We set sail from the Port of Miami two days after Thanksgiving and our itinerary was as follows:

Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas
Fun Day at Sea
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Grand Turk
Fun Day at Sea
Miami, FL

I think everyone should at least try a cruise once to get a feel for it. It’s the laziest way to see the world. Haha. All jokes aside, it’s great for those who want to have a stress free vacation that caters to your every need.

Below you will find photos from my week long voyage. I did not label each photo, as I will be doing individual posts on the islands later on, as well as my experience with the Carnival Cruise line.

If you are somewhere cold like me (Germany) I hope this warms your souls and gets you thinking about where to visit next!

Enjoy 🙂

Walk With Me: Yves Saint Laurent Garden

Words honestly fail me when trying to describe the vibrant garden dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent. While it is a small garden in comparison to others that you may be used to seeing, for example, Garfield Park Conservatory is much bigger in size. What YSL Garden lacked in size it made up for in beauty.

They do have a small museum located in the garden for an additional fee, but we opted out and just enjoyed the garden alone. Twas enough for me.

Wednesday Women: Ashlyn

Meet Ashlyn.

I am a twenty-something outdoor adventure traveler. I’ve been to 52 countries on six continents and fund my travels by freelance writing, speaking and shooting and editing videos. I also sell photography when possible as well.

I like to push my limits when traveling and you’ll most likely find me out hiking, surfing, scuba diving or trying out any crazy adventure activity an area offers – I’ve even flown a military jet! If it scares me, I can’t say no.

What inspired/inspires you to travel?

After five years completing two degrees in university, I decided I wanted to spend the same amount of time traveling the world so I designed a five-year travel plan. On my first six month trip, I was hooked and knew it was a lifestyle I couldn’t easily give up. I love how every day I wake up wondering how the destination I am in is going to change my life. It’s thrilling and educational – much better than sitting in a classroom to learn.

As for travel inspiration, my destinations are usually chosen based on photographs I’ve seen as well as recommendations from other travelers.

Where is your favorite destination to date?
It’s really difficult to decide but I loved spending a month in Madagascar. It’s not an easy destination to get to and there aren’t very many tourists so the locals are still curious yet friendly. The wildlife and landscapes were pretty spectacular as well and I spent a lot of time hiking and diving.

How do you prefer to travel? Solo or With a group? Why?
I spend most of my time traveling on my own but always seem to meet up with other people on the road. Admittedly, I prefer traveling with family and friends as I find the experiences more meaningful when I can share them with someone I care about. To date, I’ve managed to visit six continents with my mom as she enjoys meeting up with me around the world.

Do you think there is a difference traveling as a woman?
There are definitely differences traveling as a woman than as a man. Some of them are positive and some are negative. As a woman, I’m more likely to get picked up while hitchhiking, but I’m also more likely to be bothered, catcalled and stared at by men. I have to be modest in how I dress and very respectful of other cultures depending what area in the world I’m in. Men and women definitely get treated differently while traveling.

How do you plan your trips?
I’ve discovered that long trips are best left to planning on the go, while shorter trips it’s easier and less stressful to plan in advance. I prefer to plan as I go as I like to add in side trips that I didn’t know about until I arrived at the destination.

When is your next one?
I’m currently working on a book back at home in Saskatchewan, Canada so I don’t have an immediate trip planned. I recently flew back from British Columbia where I hike the 75 kilometer West Coast Trail. Next month I’m thinking of escaping somewhere warm in the Caribbean if I can find cheap flights.

Any advice you would like to give to your fellow travelers?
A scarf is one of the most helpful items to carry. It adds warmth, style, and additional coverage when entering mosques or temples. It can also be a towel on short notice.

Want to know more?

The Lost Girl’s Guide to Finding the World
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Walk With Me: Cologne Cathedral

While shopping in Cologne, we stumbled into the beautiful Cathedral. With the sun shining down on the Cathedral it made for a very colorful and picturesque interior ( with the assistance of the stained windows that told stories of Christ).

Even if you’re not religious, its nice to visit these building with such intricate design constructed all the way from the mid 1200’s. You get lost. Take a walk with me.

Walk With Me: Agadir, Morocco

I think visiting Morocco was the highlight of my travels for 2016! While on a completely unexpected journey, my friend & I visited the city of Agadir. Agadir appeared to be the Laguna Beach of Morocco. It was extremely interesting to go from sand surfing in the dunes with nothing but sand to being on the beach with your feet in the ocean. Agadir is definitely a surf friendly city where I encountered more expats than natives… But that still didn’t stop me from exploring. If only we didn’t have a bus to catch, it would’ve been nice to stay more than a few hours. Until we meet again Agadir. Walk with me 🙂

Walk With Me: Paris, France

So, I’m scrolling through my phone while on my flight to San Diego, and I stumble upon a plethora of images from my trip to Paris. Some are gems that I’ve never shared with anyone until today. Take a walk with me…