travels – Winta Solstice

European Reboot Adventures: Starting with Ireland 🍀

January 14, 2024May 25, 2024 Winta1 Comment

My husband and I decided to take a Europe trip to visit my sister while she was studying abroad in Ireland. It was especially exciting because it would be my husband’s first time in Europe. It was great timing because I was in a rough patch emotionally and physically – feeling stuck and overwhelmed with work and life. Without completely intending this, I was able to experience a lot in Euope that refreshed my mind and soul.

Ireland holds a special place in my heart as I have always felt connected to Ireland. Maybe that it was because I was born on Saint Patricks day, or that I love Irish music/accent/people. In any case, after visiting in 2020, I couldn’t wait to return.

🍀 Ireland trip highlights

✈ visiting the lovely sister in Cork. My sister and I travelled together to Ireland in 2020 and it was only right for me to visit while she’s studying abroad again.
🚙 road trip- driving on the left side on the right side of the car Pt2. green, green everywhere. Ireland has the most beautiful shades of green in nature. Looking at the greens is my favorite thing to do while driving across the country.
🍟 eating curry chips at Jackie Lennox
✨ Gap of Dunloe in Killarney is my absolute favorite place in Ireland. We are driving through a deep valley with high green mountains on both sides. There are sheep walking around everywhere. It felt like we drove through a scene from the Shire!
🧱cool old looking rock walls and buildings. I love anything old and medieval looking. Ireland is just the place.
🎵 Irish trad music in pubs is a great place to experience Irish energy. Irish people are not afraid to throw down some old tunes and party to it! Also, there are a lot of classic American pop being played in Irish pubs!
Lowlights: We need to learn manual to rent a cheaper car. Lots of cold, cold wind and rain.

Have you been to Ireland? What is a special place in your heart to visit?

Good old backpack from Central America days

Spending Christmas in Korea by Myself

August 22, 2022 WintaLeave a comment

This is a post I started on April 17, 2017.

Christmas in Korea is a couple’s holiday. And to make myself clarify, I wasn’t single. I was very much in a relationship. I was traveling through Southeast Asia during this festive holiday. I had just finished..

…Continued on August 14, 2022.

… my study abroad semester in Singapore. I can only imagine what I was trying to write five years ago (already 3 years after my travel in Korea). Now we are 8 years after my travels to Korea! It’s amusing to read my old writing, opening a window to my past self and seeing my life struggles.

Anyways, Korea was the next leg after my Japan trip with my then-boyfriend, now-husband (spoiler!), Cuong. We had just gone through 5 months of long-distance relationship, followed by 3 weeks of traveling together in Japan. I felt immensely attached, and then separated from him as I continued my travels while he went back to the United States.

As usual, I fail at saying goodbyes, and couldn’t function properly, moping around for days in Korea by myself (now in 2022, I am still the same way with anyone I grow attached to).

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Luckily, I had made plans to meet with a good friend I made while studying abroad in Singapore. His name is Timon (yes, I asked him about Timon and Pumbaa). It was an exciting time, with Korea bustling with festive energy. Compared to Japan, Korea is much livelier, louder, youthful, more colorful- kind of like a hipster little sister and Japan an older sterner big brother (with a kinky side- depending on where in Japan you go (ha!). Everywhere we looked, people traveled as a couple. Timon and I bonded over this and complaining about our love life. Neither of us with our couple, and are spending time with each other during the holidays where everyone else was lovey-dovey.

Timon introduced me to his friends Min Hui and Ayden. These three became my best friends for that week in Korea. We ate delicious food (tried cold noodles with ice in the bowl for the first time- opened my eyes!), drank together, karaoke-d all night, visited beautiful Nami Island, went dancing the night away at a gay bar. We had an incredible time!

Visited the famous location where Winter Sonata was filmed.

The scene with the perfectly lined trees.

Watching all the Asian dramas, this was the first time I felt like I had friends and part of a whole. Since Korea in 2014, I have seen Timon once more in Netherlands in 2020. We have both matured since we last met and are much different from our younger, wilder days. We reminisced about the past and looked forward to meeting each other again, perhaps in Korea??

I am fortunate to have him as a friend and rest in fate’s hand to decide when our next encounter will be.

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10 Reasons Why Didn’t Want to Leave Vietnam

April 17, 2018 Winta1 Comment

I remember arriving in the Atlanta International Airport after a 24+ hours long flight (with a canceled flight night in Seoul, Korea- an adventure I will write about next time).

In three words, it was: quiet, cold, and lonely. Where were the loud honkings? Where were the street vendors on every corner? The dozens of people trying to sell you tropical fruits? The motorbikes? I distinctly remember all those things being really annoying and obnoxious, but without it, I suddenly feel empty.

Reverse culture shock is a real thing. When I went home, all the trees were bare, the house was empty. The neighbors stuck to themselves. It was like I had never left.

I missed Vietnam a lot. I still miss Vietnam, and fondly remember all the people I’ve met and cherished. On this quiet night in a mountains of North Carolina, I want to dedicate a post on what I really wished I had right now.

Noise, Noise, Noise!!!

The grinch would have hated Vietnam. To properly pinpoint a specific noise is a difficult task since there are so many contributors to it. People. Motorbikes. Music. Cars. Honking. Dogs. Roosters (and their roosting). Cows. Cats. Machinery. Trucks. Boats. Noise is everywhere (unless you live in a really mountainous town or tiny village).

Yes, I realize I’m listing the 10 reasons why I didn’t want to leave Vietnam. However, I strongly feel that the cons were Vietnam’s pros. So hear me out.

Perhaps one of the most memorable traits of Vietnam is that 80% of vehicles on the roads are motorbikes. And 99% of the time, they are honking. I understand it’s something that could give someone deep migraines as a newcomer, but after awhile, I learned started to find it quite practical. See, with technically no constant enforced laws on the roads, motorbiking around will look reckless and dangerous.

Honking is a constant form of communication between drivers of automobiles and motorbikes. It’s a way of saying, “Hey! I’m here, just a quick reminder…”

Crowded

I miss being able to jump on a motorbike and go pretty much anywhere. Being on the road in Vietnam is like playing MarioKart in real life. Sure, there are pot holes on the roads and no room to ride between all the legit motorbike riders out there, but it’s the thrill of being in the open and riding next to your family members.

Haggling in the markets is a culture trait I despise taking part of while in Vietnam. However, I can’t deny that the markets would not be the same without the loud, and oftentimes intimidating, bartering back and forth. There is a beauty in it, once you listen for awhile. If you listen even longer and not afraid of being embarrassed, you could barter just like a local.

Dirt. Cheap. Food.

Vietnam is definitely in my favor as a vegetarian. The country is 70% Buddhist and vegetarian meat substitute are abundant and have stellar quality.

Not only that, I could get one big bowl of quality vegetarian stirfry noodles or pho (noodle soup) for less than $1!!

Kilos of tropical fruits with value of over $10 could be bought for $2. In my many posts in the past, I have divulge that I’m a huge fan of good cheap street food. Only in traveling to other countries do I get a chance to try delicious cheap street food (unlike the $5 for a tiny serving street food in New York).

Landscape

With three main regions in the long “S” shape strip of a country, Vietnam has everything to offer. It has beautiful islands, lovely ancient cities, famous plantations, undiscovered caves, and beautiful mountains.

Some of my favorite sightseeing moments are driving by rice fields and looking at dilapidated houses.

http://www.iwinta.com/2018/01/16/vietnam-hiking-ba-ho-nha-trang/

A picture speaks more than a thousand words. Need I say more?

Cheap Everything Else

Overnight buses cost $5-$10. Compared to overnight buses to New York, Vietnam buses are heavenly. Nice 3-4 star quality hotels costs range from $10-$20 a night!

Motorbiking

I’m addicted to being on the road. Cuong and I would often argue over who gets to drive first. We were like kids riding a bicycle.

Vietnam Transportation: To Motorbike or Not?

(I can’t believe I’m including this, but…. ) Soccer/Football

Soccer/Football, the one you play with your feet, is a huge deal in Asia. While we were in Vietnam, we were in the midst of a U23 international soccer competition. Vietnam supporters were very passionate about our country making it to the almost-top. I’ve never been a sports fan in my life, but I have found soccer to be the easiest to understand.

When the time and day arrives, all of Vietnam’s eyes were on the TV, no matter where they are. It’s amazing how even the people with the biggest differences all sit down and watch the same thing, cheer for the same things. If there’s anything I found out from soccer games, it’s that the Vietnamese are united and proud, not of the communist government, the the people and the country itself.

When Vietnam won the semi-final match, we all stormed the streets. Hundreds and thousands of people took their motorbike and rode through town with the flags in the air. “VIETNAM UNDEFEATED!!!” they chanted.

Enjoy Tet Celebration in Its Entirety

Something I got to do differently this year was take part in the searching and buying of flowers. We had a seven foot tall lime tree sitting in the back of our motorbike while one person drives and one person holds it up. The vase took 5 people to carry, and was huge! When in Rome, am I right?

Another favorite new experience of mine is cooking the traditional Banh Tet! We spent over 7 hours cooking outside with wood fire to completely cook a giant pot of banh tet. I wrote about the entire experience here!

Vietnam: Making Traditional Banh Tet for Lunar New Year!

Family and Communities

When my parents fled Vietnam in the 1990s, they had left behind their entire family. We’ve been back as a family a total of 3 times in 20+ years. I did not meet my extended family until I was a teenager. When I came back, I feel like a part of me was missing, because, well… they’re like family to me. Now, whenever I have problems with my parents, I can’t come running to my aunts for safehaven or advice anymore. Now, I have to deal with my issues like the adult that I am. /sigh.

See, Vietnamese people have a very special and close-knit bond with each other. Families live near one another and children often live with their parents in their old age. Neighbors come to one another’s house to play board games, eat, cook, party, and especially gossip on a day to day basis.

Way of Life

Vietnam is so different from the United States in so many different ways. Some for the better, and some for the worse. Cuong and I often mention how we were able to freely make decision in Vietnam.

Children wander around on their blocks and ride their bikes out to the beach (up to 3 miles from home).

We like living a minimalist lifestyle.

Vietnam is truly beauty in chaos. It’s hectic, it’s loud, it’s dirty, but it’s endearing. I’ve never felt so much at home. I understand everyone and everything, and can feel where my roots are.

Vietnam Transportations: To Motorbike or Not?

Motorbikes are riding within inches of each other, the loud whirring sound of the motor and fumes fill the air as everyone’s idling at the stop light, the crazy woman driving a 10 ft tall lime tree with the man sitting in the back holding it up (that was us), etc.

It’s easy to say, “I’m not doing that.”

March 30, 2018 Winta7 Comments

To Ride or Not to Ride

Looking at the driving conditions in Vietnam, it’s easy to say, “I’m not doing that.”

Then you settle in and realize that everybody does it.

It sure beats being stuffed in a giant bus that is taking passengers that is over the capacity it’s supposed to have. I have paid as much as everyone else for a seat on the floor between the aisles. There, my motion sickness gets real.

Pros of Driving a Motorbike

It’s the most convenient way to get around in the city. It’s also much faster. Motorbike riders can get up between cars and zoom off while cars gets between a sea of bikes.
Fun and free feeling of driving in fresh air. Everything feels real when you ride through the streets at night, feeling the sea breeze. Or if you go through villages that could best be experienced on a motorbike. There’s a freedom of being able to control where you go and go anywhere you want to.
Feeling cool. Being able to ride alongside family and friends is pretty fun. Whenever we go out, we would take at least 5 motorbikes and head on to the beach. One the way home, we don’t even worry about soaking up the bike seats.
Experience the authentic way of navigating Vietnam.

Cons of Driving a Motorbike

The chance of getting caught by the traffic police. In certain destinations like Nha Trang and Hoi An, traffic police generally let tourists alone. However, cities like Sapa and Saigon, there is low tolerance of drivers with no licence.
The chance of getting in a motorbike accident. Accidents happen day to day. It’s a result of drivers going so close to each other. Most of the accidents I’ve seen are small ones, where motorbikes run into each other at slow speeds. Most people just apologize and go on with their day.

Renting a Motorbike

One of the greatest things about motorbiking is that you’ll get to rent a bike for under $5. Most places will try to take your passport, but I have gotten by with giving them my US driver’s licence. If you book your bike through your hotel, they will rent your bike without needing ID. Generally, I’ve found that hotels will charge more for a bike than a motorbike rental shop.

Don’t forget to haggle for your motorbike. Since motorbikes that aren’t rented out would just be sitting their anyway, you can use that to your advantage in haggling with the owner. We’ve rented motorbikes for as little as $2-3! Though don’t be surprised if they hand you a bike that is all out of gas. When that happens, just go to a local shop and grab a $1 bottle of gasoline to refill as you go along.

Driving Advice

If you do choose to ride in Vietnam, here are some useful tips that has helped me during our trip there:

If you’re scared of driving, then there are excellent moto taxi driver services that allows you to ride at the back of an experienced driver. Use the apps Grab or Uber to ensure you know exactly how much you pay before you get on the motorbike or car. Grab is a Southeast Asian “Uber” that includes motorbike taxis. In my experience, Grab is generally cheaper.

If you’re scared, drive slow. Other experienced drivers will go around you, nobody wants to get in an accident. On the other hand, don’t drive too close to other bikes, as they can change their direction at any moment.

Don’t be afraid of using your horn. Yes, actually, you should beep every 30 seconds, every time you turn a corner, every time you pass another driver, every time you feel like it’s been quiet too long. It’s not rude, it’s just letting other people know that you’re there.

There will be times where it makes sense to go down a one way road. Do it, everyone does. But if you see a traffic police, turn around and hope you don’t get caught. We’ve seen people get their bikes get taken away, and it’s not fun.

If you get caught by a traffic police without licence, you will get fined. It’s not personal, as they do it for everyone. Though get this, if you don’t have the ridiculously high amount of money they’re asking for, they will settle with whatever you have in your wallet. So just don’t carry a lot on you, yeah?

Have I missed anything? How is motorbiking in other countries compared to Vietnam? Did you have a different experience?

Do check out my other posts about Vietnam here!

A Blogging Post to Get the Ball Rolling

March 28, 2018 Winta20 Comments

What is the definition of procrastination?

I’ll tell you later…

Ha, get it?

I saw that joke in a video on the internet, and related to it too much. Which reminded me of the blog posts I have not been writing and the endless list of things I want to put on there. It’s been awhile since my last post and I have not updated on my Vietnam trip.

It really is a lot easier said than done, while everything is a work in progress. The more things I do while traveling, the less time I have to write about it.

But as I am too familiar with it, all it takes is to get the first post out to get the ball rolling. I hope my readers will forgive me for my absence and understand that I also owe it to myself to have a good time on vacation. This post will be one that will hopefully kickstart my routine, so it’s really for me, not you.

As I get back into the groove of being in the United States again, blogging is not the only thing on my priorities (though it is, because I did decide to buy a hosting plan that costs plenty of monies). I’m once again making money by working from home.

A short version: Vietnam was awesome. We had absorbed so much during this 2.5 month trip with family. I’m in much more control and aware of myself and my surroundings.

Though I did not come up with as many posts as I’d like, here are some that I had written on Nha Trang. Please peruse and enjoy our photo adventures of Vietnam.

Day 0: Handling a 20+ Hour Flight to Vietnam

December 29, 2017 Winta6 Comments

People often dread long flights, I love it.

I love being at airports.

From the process of checking in, finding our flight terminal to watching hundreds of people anticipating their next adventure, I’m in love with the energy.

To save time, we checked in online and spent the night before at La Quinta Inn and Suites. It was great for us as we had a nice breakfast and a free shuttle to the airport early next morning.

The day before is always stressful with all the last minute packing for the trip. Not to mention, I have an innate fear of missing the flight and end up with a Home Alone situation.

We’re fairly used to traveling, but traveling with family is new.

Everyone, kids and adults alike, are excited for the flight. The difference this trip and our typical backpacking trip is evident. We have 8 people on this trip, and we have whopping 13 luggages, most weighting over 45 pounds!

Fortunately, it’s not because we each over pack to have tons of clothes. See, when Vietnamese immigrants (Việt kiều) return to Vietnam, it is customary to bring back gifts. Ours, prepared by my parents for the last few months), contain new clothes, USA branded shampoo/conditioners, chocolate bars, and various medications.

We were at our gate 3 hours early, which gave us time to explore the airport and relax a before the long haul flight.

Korean Air, well known for its good customer service and professionalism, makes us feel instantly at ease. Our vegetarian meals and seat changes were dealt with in a very friendly manner.

If there’s anything I’m sure of about an international flight, is that it’s bound to have a ton of in-flight services. I watched some brand new released movie titles such as Birth of the Dragon, Wonder Woman, and Megan Leavey. This gives me a chance to get my thoughts together and ready myself for Vietnamese food.

Looking out the window while flying over the arctic regions of Canada is one of the coolest sights. There were miles on miles of uninhabited ice. If we look really hard, there would be specks of towns in the distance. This is something we would never see otherwise. The sun in the sky is so beautiful and the treacherous icy slopes.

Do you have any quirks while traveling long haul flights?

Working From Home: Language Interpreting

December 1, 2017December 17, 2023 Winta29 Comments

As you know from my previous post, I have recently been working online with my second remote job (see my first remote job post here) with a language company.

As a lot of people are quite interested in what it’s like to work from home, I decided to make a post about what it’s like to be a language interpreter, why I decided to do this, and where I want to go from here.

Do you know a 2nd language? Do you care about helping people surpass communication barriers? Want to improve on industry specific vocabulary?

I found a company that had allowed me to pursue an interest of mine, and had taken me lots of efforts to pursue. The results were quite rewarding because I was able to work from home full time, improve on a language, and help people!

Here are some details I have compiled for those who are interested.

Hiring Process

Onboarding was a long and gruesome task to of testing my fluency in Vietnamese. I was required finish a 40-minute long recorded call, specifically regarding Medical and Insurance vocabulary. I was required to do a drug test and other phone interviews. The entire process of interview, waiting, and training process takes up to 3+ weeks.

The nice thing about this company is that their training on an entry level interpreter is very thorough. Though I rolled my eyes at a lot of the common sense customer service tips, I was learning a lot of how the company works.

A lot of interpreting companies still use the telephone as the means to interpretation. In contrast, LLS stepped up their game and uses an wifi audio/video call program to manage all their call flows. The interpreter can transfer calls, mark themselves as taking a break, or receive video calls.

Free Stuff, yay!!!

I was quite surprised the day LLS send me my equipment. I arrived one day to 2 giant boxes full of equipment for my home office, consisting of:

Dell Inspiron Intel Core i7 laptop
1080p webcam
Plantronics headset
A blue backdrop
2 desk lamps
2 work uniforms
and more!

When requesting replacements, they were very fast with their shipping. They even randomly send equipment that I may need in my interpreting work– for example: whiteboard, shredder, etc. So thoughtful, LLS! They don’t even require most of them back when the employment terminates!

5 stars for treating their employees nicely <3

Paid “Free Time”

Because I get paid per the hour I work, whenever I don’t have calls, I can work on improving other aspects of my life. I use a lot of my time to organize my thoughts, write, and plan out the rest of my day. Pretty nice, pretty nice.

Work in My Pajamas

One of the best things about working from home, however, is that I get to do it in my pajamas! I set my alarm 10 minutes before work, and when the time comes, I hope out of bed, brush my teeth, then get to work. Sometimes, I take quick breaks to go to the kitchen to whip myself up a hot meal.

I love this so much compared to the 2 hour commute in NYC. I certainly don’t missed the crammed subway and traffic in the city. I definitely don’t miss an opportunity to tell people what a comfortable life I’m living (for) now.

Flexibility

I have traveled with my equipments twice. All I need is WIFI, laptop, backdrop, camera, and headset. It’s been great in allowing me the flexibility to go somewhere new. Days off are requested through the Impact 360 portal online. I request the days off electronically anywhere I see an available opening slot.

Making a Difference

Interpreting work covers a wide range of needs. Calls for help include medical visits, EMS calls, court hearings, insurance, legal matters, and more. On some level or another, I feel like I’m contributing my skills to help those who need it.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve hit some rough patches while working with LLS. I’ve had emotional breakdowns because of people’s problems. Why are there so many problems in this world??

That’s not all, I’ve also learned of the many ways people treat each other. I’ve learned that nurses can be rude and disrespectful. Elders can be stubborn, hopeless, and depressed, and humanity can be quite selfish at times. However, I’ve also learned that parents are ultimately those who care about their children the most and vice versa. I’ve learned that certain people have a true desire to help others, and I’m quite happy to be a part of the process.

Slowly, I learned to detach myself to all the problems. Once I took a step back, I’m able to seamlessly direct the flow and do my job as efficiently as possible.

Educational Value

My initial reasoning of becoming and interpreter is to master my industry vocabulary in Vietnamese. (What better way to learn than jumping in head first?) I’ve never received proper schooling in Vietnamese, and have learned all that I can read and write on my own.

Though I am not even close to becoming as scholarly fluent as I’d like, I am happy to pursue the the cause that keeps my cultural identity intact. My parents have been a tremendous pusher to keep the Vietnamese language alive. That I can achieve the ability of becoming an interpreter is all thanks to them.

As I began my interpreting work, I have become more adept in many other skills.

Because the context of what I interpret can make a sizable effect, I learn to choose my words carefully. I’ve learned to deliver bad news, deal with impatient clients, to negate all the negative things that I hear and not let it affect my life.

Are you going to do this for the rest of your life, Winta?

Unfortunately, this is not my life career path. I never intended it that way. I’m doing this to make my life more meaningful. I’m learning my mother tongue, while getting paid. What can beat that?

My next steps are to actually discover my mother country. Yes, I’m taking a 3 month long backpacking trip through Vietnam for the first time in my life! I’m psyched, and hopefully, so are you. I will try to keep my adventures updated. <3

Thanks for stopping by! You might also like:

Top 10 Free Things to Do in Nashville, TN

November 23, 2017 Winta4 Comments

It’s no wonder that Nashville is considered Music City. The entire metropolis permeates with music and arts. If you are around or in town, be sure to stop by these top 10 free things to do in Nashville, Tennessee, put on a pair of boots, and go honky tonkin’!

“So honky tonk means white people hitting it hard?” – Dev, Master of None

To those who have seen this episode, kudos, I love this show! Master of None was where I first saw clips of Nashville, it seemed fun! I’ll be the first to admit that country music/living is not my style, and was unsure of how I’d feel about Nashville! But.. you never know until you try, right?

Turns out, Dev (Aziz Ansari) was pretty on point. Nashville has many, many things to do during the day. That aside, the city really comes alive at night.

We had so much fun discovering the quirks of our new home. As always, I’ve come up with a budget friendly list of things to do in this new city.

Things to Do:

#10: Opry Mills Shopping

If you’re into shopping, this beautiful mall has a huge inventory of places to shop. The store is definitely decked with Christmas decorations and music- point! Highlights are advertisement of leather boots for buy 1, get 2 free! Don’t forget to stop by the stalls, where they give out delicious free samples of chocolate fudge!

#9: Opry Hotel Gaylord Resort

Right across the parking lot from the Opry Mills Shopping Mall (or take the closest walk from the IMAX theater) is the Opryland Hotel. We were recommended this spot to check out from our AirBNB host.

The hotel features 3 magnificent domes, each one with their own special attribute. Upon walking in, we weren’t even sure we were allowed in there! The place was very beautiful, hotel rooms surround the artificial tropical environment.

Delta Dome – a manmade river, where you can pay to take a river ride through the hotel; a really cool water show fountain that comes every hour or two!
Magnolia – pool (outdoors) and bar
Conservatory – an indoor jungle; very cool exotic plants (I found this out when I poked at one that oozed sticky stuff on my hand)

This hotel is comparable to the majestic hotels in Vegas (just without the casino, hehe). If you’re in town, do check it out!

#8: Walk on the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

It is completely worth it to see Nashville lit up during the night. It takes about 30 minutes from one side to the other. We took fantastic photos of the opposing bridges and the Nashville skyline!

The nice thing about this bridge is that there are no cars allowed on it.

When you get to the other side, keep an eye out for a mysterious elevator that takes you to the Cumberland Park, there was live music as well! This is an excellent place to go to take a break from the loud music downtown.

#7: TN State Museum

Nashville’s Tennessee State Museum and Capitol Museum are free and pretty close to each other. This is a great place to learn more about Nashville’s culture and history. But look out, they’re shutting the state museum to relocate to a different location, so some of the artifacts are not in display.

While you walk around, also look out for this cool diagonal crosswalks, which were everywhere downtown! Reminded me of Shibuya Crossing in Japan.

#6: Parthenon in Centennial Park

Definitely come check out the full-sized replica of the Greek Parthenon. The closest thing to being in Athens itself!

#5: Radnor Lake State Park

After staying up an unhealthy amount the night before, you can recover the next day by taking a lovely stroll through Radnor Lake with its beautiful hikes.

Also a great opportunity for some photography!

#4: Bi-centennial Park

Don’t forget to visit this park in the middle of town, a beautiful stop for a day trip.

While you’re there, don’t forget to catch the bell towers as they go off! It rings every 15 minutes, but the hourly tunes are even more magnificent.

#3: Farmer’s Market

We loved the farmers market for its outdoors-y indoors feel. Visit to the Picnic Tap for the board games and a delicious Flight of Tennessee. There are also tons of other restaurants and an International Market, where I bought yummy persimmons.

#2: Nightlife: Live music!!

You can’t miss the Honky Tonk Highway/Music Mile/Downtown on your visit to Nashville.

It’s hard to imagine any other place like here, except for perhaps New Orleans, where bar after bar right next to each other plays live music through the night, every night. But there it is, on Honky Tonk Highway. The amazing thing is there are no cover fees anywhere! Let’s go honky tonk!

You can’t miss the Honky Tonk Highway/Music Mile/Downtown on your visit to Nashville.

The Big Bang Bar– this dueling piano bar is very popular among locals, and rightly so. We even got to hear some ragtime piano! The energy felt in the music is evident in the artists makes this top my list of favorite places on Honky Tonk highway.
AJ’s Good Time Bar – a 4 story bar karaoke spot with a rooftop bar! This place has great music and great energy. Love their karaoke DJ! <3 Do visit!
Ms. Kelly’s – located off of the Printer’s Alley, but completely worth the visit (only several blocks away) for a night of fun karaoke. A lot of college students and locals come here to let off steam.
Nudies Honky Tonk – frequently advertised as the longest bar in town. True to the fact, it is very long, with several floors of live music.

For a less touristy destination, visit the Printer’s Alley for some cool live music at night. For late nights, make sure to go with other people or take precautionary measures!

Literally every other person is a performer, a to-be performer, or incredibly musically talented.

#1: The Bluebird Cafe

If you’re in Nashville and skip everything else on the list, you must visit Bluebird! I have never cared too much for country music (though I’ve never hated it), but Bluebird had changed me. You’ll frequently hear that Bluebird was where a lot of singer/songwriters started off at.

The storytelling songs made me laugh, cry, and reflect upon life more than I’ve ever had while listening to music. These artists really knew how to tell a tale.

There is no cover fee to listen at Bluebird, however you must buy $10 in foods. We had a baked brie and a local dark beer, which were both delicious and completely worth it!

Where to Eat:

True to our budget oriented selves, we cooked almost through our entire trip in Nashville. Because we were vegetarian, it is a little bit difficult to find a place that served us dishes that weren’t sides.

However, we found a vegetarian restaurant The Wild Cow, which had 5 star quality foods! The portions were very large for its price, and we were very happy customers. Be aware that it is very busy and you might have to wait 30 minutes to an hour without reservations.

Where to Stay:

We stayed at an Airbnb with our lovely hosts Shuo and Ron. It was a great location!! It was only $40, way cheaper than all other options we had. The room was very neat and cute. He had left us free granola bars and water bottles. The kitchen and living room were very homey. This is possibly the best Airbnb I’ve ever had! If you’re interested in booking with him, here is is page link! I 100% recommend. 🙂

Get Around:

We primarily used our car during the day. Parking is free for most everywhere except for downtown. Parking downtown is free after 6pm.

While there, we found that even on a weeknight, bars were packed! Even more coincidentally, we were there during the CMA’s (Country Music Awards, as I found out). Streets were completely blocked, people pouring out, performers mingling with visitors in the glow of the night. It was a quite sight.

Should you go to Nashville?

Well, it depends. Do you love listening to live music? Meeting nice people? Having a good time?

I think there’s something for everyone in Nashville. You should at least give it a try and you may find that you like it as much as we did. <3

Cheers!!

Last Post: Travel Blogging Challenge Highlights and What I’ve Learned

November 15, 2017 Winta5 Comments

I made it!!!!!!!

For those who have never heard of this challenge, here is your opportunity to read it all the way ’til the end: 21 Weeks of Travel Blogging Challenge (feel free to do a challenge of yourself!).

After over three months of blogging, there are a few posts that I’m quite proud of for writing myself. Here are some of the best:

Challenge Highlights

As I approached this last post, I feel nervous and excited. Nervous because I feel as if I have exhausted my writing topics. What else is there to share aside from all the experiences I’ve had?

With the end in sight, I’m excited because I’ve stuck to this challenge through the end. There were definitely weeks where I did not feel like writing, but this challenge had motivated me to get back into my blogging grind. Furthermore, this challenge was born from one of my monthly goals list, and I’m quite happy about being able to finish it.

I’ve learned a lot from this blogging challenge. I have practiced determination by pursuing a hobby and passion of mine through long, lazy days. I have learned to flow my writing better. Best of all, I’ve made great fun blogging friends along the way.

Again, do check out my 21 Weeks of Travel Blogging Challenge, where you will find the rest of the challenge prompts!

What’s next?

Well, now that I’m out of a 3+ month long blogging commitment, I want to take a break from challenge prompts for a little bit.

I’m hoping to get an actual blog domain for myself in the next few months. This would be a great way to explore uncharted waters and take a dive in the deep blogging pool. Adventures ahead!

What are some of your goals and proud accomplishments?

Thanks for reading! This is a response to the 21 Weeks of Travel Blogging Challenge!

Here are some other posts you might like:

Read more of my posts from the Travel Blogging Challenge:

Week 1: A favorite travel photo of you and intro
Week 2: Little known travel tips
Week 3: Funny travel story
Week 4: Travel Misadventures
Week 5: Top Three Cultural Foods
Week 6: Unusual Travel Activities/Photos
Week 7: Inspiration for Traveling
Week 8: My Five Favorite Travel Blogs
Week 9: Gross/Disgusting Travel Stories
Week 10: The Most Unforgettable Adventures!
Week 11: What’s in my bag?
Week 12: Happy and sad travel stories
Week 13: Unique cultures encountered
Week 14: Top three favorite destinations
Week 15: Travel regrets
Week 16: Scary and cool travel stories
Week 17: Things to purge
Week 18: Humbling things learned from traveling
Week 19: My Travel Confessions and Regrets
Week 20: What’s in my Journal Entry?
Week 21: My Travel Bucket List

These awesome people are also doing the challenge!!! Click to see their stories!

Interested in participating in the Weekly Travel Blogging Challenge? Feel free to make your own today!

Life is Temporary

November 14, 2017 Winta6 Comments

Children. Sunset. Seasons. I can think of lots of things temporary about this photo. Not love.

@ Photo Challenge: Temporary