Screen name: 
Age: 
27
Gender: 
Female
Travel status: 
Traveling now
Hometown: 
Berkeley, CA
Currently in: 
Berkeley
 
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: 
A few months in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to spend some quality time. An extended road trip in New England and upstate New York.
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: United States  |  11/11/09  |  Pics: 0

I finally got an board and started my own blog. Check it out!

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By Valerie  |  Location: United States  |  08/17/09  |  Pics: 0

If someone had told me six months ago that I'd be traveling through the Midwest this summer, I wouldn't have believed it. I would have been open to visiting Chicago, but aside from that sprawling metropolis, I didn't have much interest in seeing flyover country. But in researching my itinerary...

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By Valerie  |  Location: United States  |  07/17/09  |  Pics: 1

Realizing I didn't have $12 in exact cash to pay my bus fare from the airport to Boulder, I knew I wouldn't have time to run back to the transit counter to get a pre-paid ticket. I slipped the $11 I had into the machine, and was about to dig into my change pocket to cover the remaining dollar, but...

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