Paris is famously known as the city of light (or love), and for good reason. It is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. But it also has a darker side if you know where to look. From famous cemeteries to guillotines, Paris can suddenly seem very eerie with the right locations. If you are visiting in the fall (or anytime, really), here is an itinerary for a spooky Paris!
Call me basic, but I love all things fall. Pumpkins, autumn candle scents, cozy sweaters, and that cool crispness in the air that just can’t be properly described – I can’t get enough! No longer boiling hot, tan lines long gone, but not yet so cold that my face hurts. It’s my favorite time of the year! It is also the perfect time of the year to travel. And where better to travel in the best season than to my favorite city – Paris! Autumn is arguably the best season to experience the enchanting French capital. Paris in the fall should be on everyone’s travel list!
Kruger National Park is one of South Africa’s largest game reserves, with a high density of wild animals populating its grounds. I spent one day driving through Kruger during my time in South Africa, and although I definitely recommend spending multiple days here, I was amazingly able to see the Big 5 all in one day!
Rhinos are still unfortunately being poached in South Africa. Their horns are sold on black markets because some people believe they have medicinal properties, when in fact the horn is simply keratin – the same substance that’s in our fingernails. Poachers brutally shoot and kill them, cut the horn off, and leave the dead animal behind. They’re magnificent creatures, and it’s horrible they’re being murdered…for keratin that has no use. The population of rhinos is dwindling, and they will soon be extinct if poaching continues.
I remember the first time I saw a “wild” animal. I was in kindergarten at the Tyler Zoo in Texas and my most vivid memory was watching the giraffes from a balcony. I wanted to get closer so badly! I ate my lemon Popsicle and imagined what the long-necked creature would feel like if I could touch it. That feeling never went away, and largely inspired my desire to become a veterinarian. So imagine my excitement when I signed up for a course with Wildlife Vets during my second year of vet school in none other than South Africa!
I first came to Chicago around 2 years ago with my little pup Roxy tagging along. She is the first dog I’ve had on my own, and it’s been fun discovering the city with her. Having a dog is great when you move to a new city, since there’s so many things you can do with a dog – and they’re great ice-breakers to meet new people. I recently brought my puppy Jack home to Chicago, and Roxy’s been hard at work teaching him the ropes of being a city dog. Here are a few dog friendly spots around Chicago that we enjoy on a regular basis!
In my third year of vet school, I went to a seminar during lunch. There was free food, and if you know any student, especially a vet student, then you know free food cannot be passed up. Anyway, it was a group of students giving a PowerPoint presentation on their volunteer experiences with World Vets. I was immediately intrigued. Hot off my veterinary trip to South Africa, I was just itching to travel somewhere new on my next semester break. Insert World Vets. What could be better than gaining surgical experience in an exotic location while helping local animals? I thought, “Sign me up!”
I woke at 3am and staggered, dreary eyed, down to the bus stop. It was a cold morning but I had my newly purchased alpaca sweater to keep me warm. I was first in a line that grew to over a hundred people, all clamoring to make it up the mountain before sunrise. At 5am, I took my seat in the first row and sat back as the bus made its way along the dirt road, wondering with each switchback if the large bus could make the turn, surprised every time when it did. The gray light of morning had begun to show as I made my way through the gates and bee-lined up the stairs to the lookout. I took a seat on the ledge and watched the sunlight break over the mountain and shine down onto the mountaintop Incan city of Machu Picchu!
This article is part of my “New 7 Wonders of the World” series. The New 7 Wonders were voted upon worldwide in 2007, and include The Great Wall of China, the Colosseum, Petra, the Christ Redeemer, Machu Picchu, and Chichen Itza. While it’s certainly not a complete list of places I want to visit, it is my goal to travel to each location.
Saturday Snapshot is a weekly snippet of something on my mind – inspiring words, a new food, a great book, reminiscing on past travels, or really anything that happened to me during the week!
This week was pretty boring in general. It was my long week at work, which means five days in a row of 12 and 10 hour shifts – ugh. I did make it to a cool little pop-up bar in Logan Square, though, on Sunday after work. It’s based on the Netflix show Stranger Things, which I loved!
The bar is part of Emporium Arcade & Bar – which is like the arcades you went to as a kid – but with alcohol. My co-workers and I played a round of air hockey before heading next door to their pop-up space. It was transformed into 1980’s Hawkins, Indiana – complete with Wynona Rider’s Christmas lights wall, the Upside Down, and the AV Club playing the hit show on a big screen. I especially enjoyed their drink selection. The most popular is Eleven’s Eggos, a bourbon slushie with an eggo on top. Others include the Demogorgon, the She’s Our Friend and She’s Crazy, and my favorite, the pineapple-y Mouthbreather. It was a cool spot for an after work drink and photo op. A must-see for any Stranger Things fan!
Isla Mujeres is a small island in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. It is a short 20 minute ferry ride from the popular city of Cancun. Many people take day trips from Cancun to Isla Mujeres, but I say, why stay just one day?? The island is a calmer, more relaxed sister to Cancun, and arguably has better beaches.
