Lightroom Presets

Colin Bielckus (@ColinABS)

It can pay to engage professionals to prepare a good website and for SEO. An effective professional will pay for themselves giving the owners time to do what they do best. Another idea worth exploring is BBX, a virtual currency that allows businesses to exploit spare capacity. BBX works in a good portion of the world with China franchises currently being let.

Hans-Christian

There is a alternative tip for Berlin: A very special christmas market in Prenzlauer Berg called “Lucia Weihnachtsmarkt”. A scandinavian type of christmas market in the historical sorounding of the “Kulturbrauerei”. For me the best christmas market in Berlin.

GirlAstray

I would add that you can also get to Budapest very conveniently from Bratislava, the train fare costs around 10 euros (it´s a return ticket) and gets you to Keleti station in about 4 hours. Bratislava is also on the Danube and is one hour ride from Vienna. 🙂

voyaging vanessa

I usually stick to public transportation, because I am terrified of a cab experience such as yours! But it happens, sometimes it’s late, we’re tired, and only have taxi’s as an option. Good for you for standing your ground! Even though they tried scamming you, at least it was all they did. Good for you, #Girlpower

Rob

I once planned to transit through Skopje, as it happened there was a delay. I have now visited 5 times and I love it. One of Europe’s best. Enjoy!

Gabi @ Books & Trips

I should definitely visit one day, it’s so close by! Thanks for the inspiration!

Cynthia

I’ve never heard of Skopje but it looks and sounds amazing! Thanks for the interesitng read!

Dave (Silverbackpacker)

This post has come at exactly the right time. I am planning a trip to Prague and Eastern Europe soon. That hostel sounds ok if you are female….. not fair they left out the lads though lol 🙂
I really like the fact that the city is walkable. You see so much more when walking around than using public transport all the time.

Arzo Travels

That is crazy 🙂 I am never lucky to find flight that cheap! Would go if I were you 🙂

Catriona

Wow! Great deal! So jealous ha ha.

Colby

Oh my gosh! I’m the same way! I always miss fare deals. When I do see them posted it’s like “Posted 8 hours ago”. So, yeah…they are good and sold out by that time lol. And am I the only one that sees a fare deal and want to travel to the place of origin JUST so I can take advantage of the deal? lol

Heather Ditmars

Omg! Such a great deal! Thanks for sharing!

Jo

Well it wasn’t on my bucket list….till I read this article. Amazing pics and for 2 pounds..I would fly out right now if I could.

Michael

As a resident of Gothenburg, I have to say that you definitely visited some of the best places in town. Brewers Bar is my personal favourite. Well written and fun to read! Keep it up!

Ellie

Great article… Wish I had the space on my phone for any of the apps haha!

Linda

I like Duolingo. Really liked Live Mocha too, but unfortunately that no longer exists. 🙁

Laura @ Grassroots Nomad

Great list! Love the look of that vegan chilli – mmmmmmmm!

GlobalMary

This is a great selection, thank you! Berlin has so many options that sometimes it is impossible to choose and decide. I am bookmarking your list!

Jenn Flo Taylor

Awesome list! I’m a huge coffee fan! Can’t wait to try some out in Berlin.
Might even have a few pints just for good measure!

Alex

I definitely relate to most of this post! I get stir crazy after a couple of months in a new city (I’m already trying to plan my next adventure from NYC) and I get really bad post-travel blues. It happened after I spent a year of university abroad in London and then had to return to small-town North Carolina. There are just too many places to see to be stuck in one place forever 🙂

Kim

Love your story. I can definitely relate! Since I starten my business there is no way back. I could never work for a boss again. Unfortanetely despite that, travelling as a start up (without money) is a huge Challenge. Have you got any tips?

anna

I totally agree. A relationship issue has been solved, but the life plan thing? Well, I have to use my imagination twice as hard.
anna recently posted… Potatoes, coca and baby alpacas: the beauty of Cuzco.

Jane Clements

Yes, yes, yes. This article is spot on – on all counts.
I have been travelling for more than 3 years now for all of the above reasons.
Maybe we will bump into each other somewhere along the way

Antonio

Me gusta♥

Sarah

Completely agree with the Instagram thing… haha, I’m always trying to find photos that I haven’t posted before.. it’s a real life struggle!!

Crazy Travelista

Wow, this article really speaks to me. I relate to each and every one of these points! In a way, I feel like it has ruined me as well! I don’t take pleasure in things i once used to and I’m always looking for the next place to visit (sometimes I cant even enjoy where I am because thats always in my head!). And forget about my life plan haha. But ya, glad someone else can relate! So where to next? hehe 🙂

Georgia

Great article and so true. I can especially relate to #1 and #5! They can suck at times, but aren’t they all totally worth it… 🙂

http://www.bohemianbythesea.com

Jurga - Full Suitcase

This is so true, Penelope! I also have the ‘after-travel blues’ once in a while and a luxury problem of not having the time to plan next year’s trips because I’m traveling now.. And yes, you do have to plan in advance when traveling with 3 kids during school holidays…
When I read your post, I am just glad I caught the travel bug AFTER my studies and after I met my husband. Otherwise I would have probably ended up without a degree and no kids… 🙂
You’re still very young – don’t worry about making plans for the future. Enjoy the moment – it will all work out just fine!
Jurga – Full Suitcase recently posted… Our 2016 Summer Vacation: Fun, Crazy, Unforgettable

Fee

i’m not a full time traveler so can’t relate but it is refreshing to see the ‘real’ downside to long term travel and how you can try and overcome! most travel experiences are enriching after all. 🙂

Lauren

I know what you mean with dating.

I’m going through such a crisis about that one. Is there a support group for us?

Perrisha

Iceland is on my bucket list! With all this info, I’m definitely bookmarking this post. 🙂

Jaye Shields

This past year almost all of my friends have gone to Iceland! Guess I better jump on the wagon 😉

Nicole Janeway

This is a fantastic comprehensive review!! I love your detailed take on everything from language to literature. Thanks for the recommendation of Yrsa Sigurðardóttir – you can never have too many crime novels 🙂

I’m glad you enjoyed your time with Greyline but I have to admit I had the opposite experience. Our tour guide was TERRIBLE!! She was the least charismatic person I’ve ever met and she was saying things on the tour that we knew to be untrue – like the fact Icelandic horses have four gaits when in fact they are famous for being the only breed to have five

Also, I liked your picks for museums and things to do on Day 2. I recommend adding Einar Jónsson sculpture garden (maybe on a future trip ❤️). It’s right by Harpa, free, and breathtaking.

Adrienne Justine

Wow Iceland is so beautiful. I really hope to go there one day 🙂 Your photos are incredible. I had no idea that GOT was filmed there. So cool !

Alex

Yum! These photos are divine, and I knew literally nothing about Lithuanian food prior to this post. It’s fun to learn about “unknown” cuisines like this, thanks for enlightening me!
Alex recently posted… Getting an Indian visa in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Susanna Kelly

I read this first thing in the morning and I’m starving. I never thought of Lithuania as a foodie destination, but all this looks really unique and tasty! I enjoyed the recipe at the end and the pancakes sound so good!

Rob Taylor

I love the menu I could make from these. Having tried a few of them already, I know I’d be quite happy eating my way across the country.

Marita Stenersen

Thanks for sharing this! I’m a real foodie, but had no idea Lithuania had so much nice food! Just another reason so visit I guess 😉

isabella

sounds Yummy indeed! I’ve often heard about lituania and really want to see it. thanks for the post.

Anne

These all looks so good, I can’t decide which one is my favourite. I guess I’ll just have to visit Lithuania and try them all (especially tinginys) to decide 😉 P.S. I love that you included some of the pronunciations because it made this awesome post even cooler.

Matas

Your parents did a good job !

Claudia @Zeebalife

This is such a grey and mysterious area in the blogging world. I have been there and believe many are aswell so thank you for sharing this very useful info with us!

Karin

Thank you for sharing! it’s so hard to get an idea about this stuff, but thanks to bloggers groups and people like you it gets easier 🙂
On the SEO sharks: recently i got a few generic emails like that – they didn’t even bother writing my name or adding their website. I didn’t bother answering in turn.
Karin recently posted… No, you can not travel for “free”. Here is why.

Dinah

This was an interesting lengthy read, but also not giving me much hope for the future! I think you must really just love blogging to keep at it
Dinah recently posted… Top 3 Glam Hikes around Cape Town

Hannah Stein

Absolutely loved this! It’s so important for bloggers to discuss their earning potential because it puts everyone on the same page and it’s important to know your worth both for yourself and so you don’t undervalue yourself and thus create a company mindset they can charge bloggers so little.

Maria

Really nice collection of destinations! I love northern Europe due to Northern Lights and dog sledding. I’ll be adding some of them to my bucket list 🙂

Meg

I found this to be extremely helpful. I’m just getting started, but my numbers area steadily increasing and it’s important to know your worth. I really like the bit about Instagram going off of engagement. I have around 2.5k followers – but my engagement is around 30%. I’ve wondered if that’s enough to be going after anything. Seems like it might be if the fit was right with the brand!

Thanks!

Maria

Great post and break down of the price. I made a classical rookie mistake and overcharged a company once (they offered a free camera and asked how much I’d like to get paid for a review. I could keep the camera). So I offered them 100$. They never wrote back 🙂
Next time this happens I’ll consult with your post

Jurga

Great tips, really really useful, Penelope. It also reminds bloggers that their work is worth more than many companies actually offer. Pinning this as I’m sure I will be needing those formulas again.
Jurga recently posted… Affordable Family Skiing in Switzerland

Rachel@Tidy&Teal

This was a really awesome post! Thank you for all the specific numbers that you gave – that is definitely more what I was looking for. I really appreciate the help! 🙂
– Rachel

Madeleine Barón

I’m so happy to read this about my country! :), I’m really glad you had a really good time in here! come back anytime!

LC

Great round up Penelope! Thanks for the inclusion. 🙂
LC recently posted… What to Wear in Svalbard – An Illustrated Guide

Lauren West

Oh this is incredibly helpful, chica!

Fee

Great destinations on here, I’d definitely love to visit Jordan (for Petra!) and Lebanon one day.

457 Australian Visa

Lovely read! after reading your article some of it has been added on my bucket list this year. Thanks for sharing.

Bilyana | OwlOverTheWorld

Yey! Super nice to found out that you liked Bulgaria even though your short stay. I’m sure that if you visit Bulgaria again and have more time to explore the country you will love it!

Ryan Biddulph

Wow stunning shots Penelope! I spent a month in neighboring Qatar last February and see many parallels between the 2 places. Little country or city in the middle of nowhere. Then oil/natural gas is found and look out! Money money money. The buildings, city engineering and overall vibe seems super duper similar to Doha, in Qatar. Like its next door neighbor.

Leigh

WOW. I know it isn’t easy sharing something so personal on your travel-based blog but i think it is so brave and could help so many others a similar situation. I am so sorry you had to go through this! And on top of that, all the things that went wrong afterwards! I’m glad you’ve continued travelling even after it all. Sending loads of love and support! Cant wait to see where you travel next.

Nikki

This is a great guide for photographing Paris. You took some amazing shots!

Missy

These spots are great, both instaworthy and places you’d want to check out anyway! And sign me up for the wine and views!

Joanna

I have never been to Paris so I can;t tell about how touristy the locations are, but your photos are so beautiful! You have definitely found Instagramable spots and angles in the city of love that make it look so romantic.

Christina

This is such a comprehensive yet creative post – well done! And you look so happy in these pictures. I mean, no surprise considering those gorgeous spots. Oh yeah and the shopping centers… #thestruggleisreal

Marvi

I must admit I’ve never heard of Riga until now. It does look like a nice place to visit though.. It even looks pretty charming despite the not-so-sunny weather that you captured on your photos. Or is just my eyes? haha. Anyways, the food, history and affordability is good enough for me to be convinced to visit Riga! 🙂

Brianna

Man, I had the chance to go to Riga this year, and now I’m bummed I passed up on it! I can’t get over those views! Guess I’ll have to give it a chance another time.

Monica

I am so glad you started this website. I was attacked for over two hours in a foreign country 28th of Feb 2017. Two teeth missing, broken nose, brain injury, rape…all leading to months of many surgeries and having to relearn how to read, walk, cook (a total passion for me), sing (another total passion), brush my teeth, etc. Still having seizure-like activity now almost 8 months later and have adjusted my life to trying to fit in all of my activities of daily living like showering (ugh lol I’m gross, but thankfully do not come from stinky genes), but I’m back at work.

Taking back the night has been a beautiful thing for me. I live in a relatively safe neighborhood and being able to enjoy the starry sky whether here or wherever planes take me is something I definitely do not take for granted. EMDR Therapy has been a way to regain my ease in this world. Another way has been to draw everyone in. My therapist has told me that most people in my situation hide away from the world and never really adapt. Scary.

When I returned to the US, friends asked what they could do. I asked them to make sure I was fed mainly, a very difficult task at that time. From one friend, I asked her to throw a party to make sure everyone was on the same page. That party and my attack started many conversations about self-defense courses and what we, as travellers, can do to protect ourselves and/or how to wrangle the court system abroad. The guy who attacked me got 22 years.

As for travelling again, I went for the court case a few months later and don’t remember packing. (The brain is a fascinating organism.) Thankfully, months before, I had bought a cheap ticket to Iceland with a few friends, and the trip came due in May after the courts. I hedged on going but was egged on by friends and doctors alike. As I was packing, I asked a roommate for help, and immediately had a huge brain glitch. Last image: my roommate leaping on my suitcase, trying to zip it up. Another girlfriend who was going on the trip, leading me to the car and gently placing me in the seat. :). Since then, I’ve been to Seattle a couple of times, B.C. Mexico, Houston, and the Caribbean. Hawaii and St. Croix are next.

Love, support, being gentle to yourself (total yes on the yoga, walking, and meditation!), and letting people hear your story and allowing them to tell you theirs or their fears about it. Definitely EMDR Therapy, although in my past life, I would have never in a million years think about going to a freakin’ therapist. And tickets. Keep them tickets!! Keep buying them. Keep forcing yourself to leap out the windows of your world to see others.

Thank you ladies. And thank you Penelope for sharing yourself with us.

Vania

Interesting information for us to try these coffee shops Penelope, thanks.

Tajinder

Loved this post, thanks for sharing some great spots around London. I want to visit more hidden gems of the city so this is awesome!

Tx. // MusicGeekOnline.

Venna JS

Beautiful photos! And I totally agree with the Bahia Palace. I was so enchanted with it when we were there last year, My boyfriend had to literally drag me out of that place. There’s also a great restaurant outside this palace which serves great kheema. Don’t know if you check that out and don’t remember the name, but it was fantastic. Made my day on our 3day trip to Marra.

Joanne Smith

Great review of the year and you have visited so many places. these are awesome and so stunning photos you just shared on your trips. Can’t wait to see where you are off to in 2018. Anyway, I will travel to London next month!

Lorna

Wow, Riga looks amazing! I really enjoyed visiting Vilnius and have always had an interest in Riga, but will definitely add it to my list now…

Disha Singh

Dubai is the famous place for sharing Instagram photos. There are many hidden treasures which you might not have known before. You are sure to visit luxury hotels, artificial islands, and beautiful sculptures.

Miranda| Migration Expert UK

There are some gems in London, enjoy and happy snapping !

aFabulousTrip

Wow a lot of beautiful pictures, why don’t mine look as good … And reading this article, I swear I want to go back to Marrakech and try out your adresses !

Emma Megan

It seems like a good luck for me that I’ve got your awesome guide before visiting the badlands. I really appreciate your hard work, you’ve put a lot energy to make this happen for your readers. And thanks for introducing me to the app “Roadtrippers” I’ll give it a try!

Yolanda

As beautiful a vista as a person can experience. The adjectives wild, rugged, untamed, majestic and beautiful all apply. In the fall the weather proves unpredictable. You must have clothing for warm or cold weather. Dressing in layers is preferred. The most difficult element is the Dakota winds. They can just over 30 mph. Bring a camera! We saw deer, mountain goats, rams, buffalo, and hundreds of cute, active prairie dogs.
An entry fee is charged because it is a national park, but driving the loop is worth the fee.
Yolanda recently posted… Best Lightweight Sleeping Bags for Backpacking 2019

Jess

I’m visiting Morocco & Montenegro this year and cannot wait!

xoxo
Jess

Linnea

I’m going to Kotor this year! Georgia and Greenland really caught my eye from your list! Do you have any of these places you’re looking forward to?

Anna

Istanbul is one of the most beautiful cities. I went there last year, but I would love to go back for more.

Valenica Abbott

Excellent article. Dubai is on my to do list – like Vegas a place I think I must do once.

Rashel Ahmed

Really excellent blog, I really appreciate.

Helen

Great post, I didn’t know about the Seaplane harbour! I’d also really recommend the KGB museum at the Hotel Viru, it’s really interesting and there’s a great view from the top floor.

Eve

it’s so beautiful! How unfortunate that this is the first I’ve heard of Tallinn. It looks like a mix of Russian cultures from the architecture and some eastern European from the villages.

Tiff

This post is so well written. Really interesting, I had never even considered the term could be derogatory! Thanks for sharing! Stumbled across your blog on Instagram and have been low-key stalking since haha! I’m from Southampton too and entering the world of blogging, so it’s inspiring to see how your blog has grown! Also, love the hometown insta-highlight – best shopping centre!

Sharon McKenzie

Hi Penelope,

Hawaii Big Island has to be my choice. Been there before, last time we were on a cruise and saw the lava flow from the sea at night. What a site that was.

Cheers Sharon…
Sharon McKenzie recently posted… The Best Hawaii Snorkeling Tours – Bring your Full Face Snorkel Mask!

rustysofa

You missed a couple of stunning places: Stewart Island; Paparoa National Park, especially that coastline down highway six is fantastic (either on par or better than highway one between chch and Picton) with the mountains and rain forest meeting the oceank or the Catlins where you can see Hoiho and go on many short walks; or banks pensiula with all the bays. Other islands in the gulf are much prettier than Waiheke and have more wildlife. There are nicer places than the Coromandel up north, such as Tongariro crossing. Also zealandia in Wellington is worth a mention, it’s a great opportunity to see quite a few native birds.

Yep I’m a kiwi and these places I have taken people or other kiwis have travelled and enjoyed thoroughly and more often than not enjoyed these places than the standard tourist tick boxing places (apart from Aoraki Mt Cook, which is always stunning). If one really wants stunning landscape, then one really needs to go hiking, I recommend routeburn for a great introduction to multi-day hiking, that second day is a stunner. It’s really when you’re surrounded by dramatic landscapes and all you can hear is your breath (and maybe a few birds) that you see the beauty of the country.

Katy | Photospired

Thanks for putting together such a wonderful list! Georgia looks amazing with so much to do! I especially love the quirky clock and the bazaar 🙂