Visit Big Sky Montana
 
 
Screen name: 
Age: 
27
Gender: 
Female
Travel status: 
Traveling now
Hometown: 
Berkeley, CA
Currently in: 
Berkeley
 
Traveling Next: 
Tentatively planning on visiting Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Chicago, Philly, and NY this summer
Favorite places I've been: 
New York, Boston, Washington, DC, New Mexico, Zion National Park, Grand Canyon, Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, China, London, France, Spain, Berlin, Prague, Cinque Terre, Florence, Switzerland, Lisbon, Oahu, Australia, Slovenia, Budapest, Sarajevo, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso

Places I want to go to: 
An extended road trip in New England, a few months in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to spend some quality time.
Also on the list: New Zealand, Colorado, Chicago, Kauai, Maui, Big Island of Hawaii, Scandinavia, more of Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, India, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Israel, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Greece (esp the islands), more of the UK especially Scotland, more of Italy, more of Spain, more of Portugal, more of France, more of Germany, more of Australia... is there anywhere I don't want to go?

 
About me: 
I love to wander the world while writing about and photographing my experiences. I grew up speaking and learning multiple languages, a lifestyle that has continued into my adult life. My college strongly encouraged its students to learn about other cultures and to travel abroad, and even after I have graduated I could not put an end to it. I did an internship in London during a summer while I was still in school, and studied abroad in Madrid and Paris the year after I finished. From then on, I was hooked on travel and have been abroad every year since. I have also developed a taste for all sorts of exotic cuisines that I attempt to recreate in my kitchen at home. I try not to bring back any tacky, kitschy souvenirs from my travels, only ones that are practical, consumable and/or useful, such as clothing, food and pottery. My travels have so far taken me to four continents, including a few stints living in Washington, DC, London, Madrid, and Paris. I have a fairly low tolerance for mediocre food. I like meeting new people and am convinced that everyone has a story to tell. My passion is writing and my dream as a travel writer is to introduce others to new lands and cultures they would otherwise be unaware of. I have written for World Hum, Tango Diva, The Travel Channel, Hungry? San Francisco (restaurant guide), Not For Tourists, and soon to be contributor to GrassRoutes Travel guides (a new series of sustainable travel guides).

 
 
 
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by halamen | 2009/06/29

Thanks Valerie. Unfortunately, the weather here in Pucon is absolute crap right now--nonstop rain. Too cold and wet to walk about, too warm for skiing. Good thing I've got a lot of work to do...

by jesspaul14 | 2008/09/04

Thanks! Yeah, we are hoping and planning on going there in Feb. 2009. May I ask: did you fly to Europe and take a discounted European airline there or did you fly there a different way?

by jesspaul14 | 2008/09/01

Wow! I love your photos! You have some really great travel experiences and I look forward to reading your blogs!

by outsideobserver | 2008/07/01

gotta love Berkeley...lived there for 5 years...it kinda lit the fire under my ass to get the hell out of the states. good meeting you

By Valerie  |  Location: France  |  06/29/09  |  Pics: 0

I saw my sister off on her post-college travels the other night, heading off to do in 3 months what I did in 10 months 5 years ago. It will be her first time in Europe, and her first experience abroad on her own, and of course I'm thrilled for her.

She looked to me for guidance in planning out her...

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By Valerie  |  Location: Chile  |  04/20/09  |  Pics: 1

I was ready to relegate Santiago to the list of places I didn't like.

Pulling into the bus station surrounded by an industrial district of decrepit buildings, I wondered if I'd made a mistake in budgeting 4 nights here. I reminded myself that a similar setting had confronted me when I first...

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By Valerie  |  Location: Argentina  |  04/09/09  |  Pics: 3

I've been on the road for nearly 2 weeks now, just over a week of which I've been in South America. Time really has flown, and I'm just now posting my first blog of the trip.

Landing in the Microcentro of Buenos Aires right off an overnight flight from Houston was certainly overwhelming, and it wasn't...

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