Ellen Reinhold

The second I stepped off the train, I loved Nagano! Not far from Tokyo on the Shinkansen, it has a slower pace of life and doesn’t feel like a suffocatingly large city. The people are friendly and there is a wonderful food culture to explore. Even though it is not as large as some of the more popular spots, there are more than enough things to do and so many places to eat!

I can see why people love it here! There is so much to offer in the way of food and cultural experiences. I loved my time in Kyoto and it was much too short. Here is a quick overview, but I highly recommend adding a few more days for some more exploring.

Asheville was a wonderful surprise and I have to say I will be going back as much as I can! Nestled in a holler-up in the mountains, it has a small-town coziness, with the personality of a large one. The arts district was my favorite! I spent way too much time and money there, but supporting local art is something that I love to do. The amount of breweries in one location is absurd and so worth the visit just to hop around those as well. This is a wonderful location for a long weekend or a place to celebrate! Depending on where you are traveling from there can be some cool stops along the way as well if you want to make a small road trip out of it. Coming from the north/west you can drive along the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway and drop into both New River Gorge and Shenandoah National Park. If you’re coming from the east, check out Congaree National Park!

Okay: Kentucky, Lexington has to be the most underrated city here! I am so surprised that I love Lexington as much as I do. I never thought I’d be here for years, with plans to stay even longer. Lexington has so much to offer for a quick weekend trip or even a week-long stay. Some of my favorite things to do around town are listed in this guide and I can’t wait to share the city with you!

I love all of the national parks, but this one really surprised me. Most of it is underwater, so you have to take a boat or paddle out to really experience it. I loved that we were immersed in nature, but it was still beachy. It didn’t feel overly adventurous and was extremely relaxing to be out on and in the water.

Hot Springs, South Dakota surprised me. While it is a small town, it brings all the charm and the locals are all so friendly! The natural hot springs and ability to travel to other outdoor national monuments makes it the perfect place for a slow trip to indulge in nature. I loved my weekend trip here and would go back in a heartbeat.

My heart will forever belong to Dublin. I love this city! I stayed here for a few months and I call it my second home. Ireland in general is a place I will continue to return to, but Dublin itself is a city filled with history and wonderful people.

When I traveled to Germany, my goal was to avoid massive cities, but still get a historical perspective and that small-town coziness I’d always heard about German towns. In the northern part of Germany, I was able to get both of those things! Hameln is a quaint town filled with storybook sweetness. Hannover is just to the west by train, and while it is a larger city, it provides a deep historical insight into the World Wars and how the city has recovered since. Both offer a slower pace of life and time to recharge.

During my time in Southern Germany, I fell in love with Tubingen and Stuttgart. Just north of Stuttgart is this lovely wine country filled with vineyards and old castles to tour. Tubingen is this eclectic, vibrant town south of Stuttgart that makes you slow down and enjoy life. While it is filled with university students, the pace of life has a quiet energy to it. Stuttgart’s city life is bustling, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming or fast paced.

I absolutely fell in love with Boston. With its older architecture and deeply steeped history, it has a little bit of everything for whatever the mood is! While it is packed during the summer and nicer months, April was the perfect time to go. We missed most of the crowds and had a lot of the big name spots to ourselves. The Irish and Italian heritage comes through in the food and friendly spirit of the Bostonians!

Iceland has to be one of my top destinations to travel to! It doesn’t matter the season or what you’re looking for out of your trip, Iceland has it all. All the views are stunning whether blanketed in snow or vibrantly green. Summer provides a wonderful opportunity to see the lupine bloom and take in the 24-hour sun, all while soaking in a geothermal hot spring. Winter is a wonderland filled with blue, dazzling glacier ice and the northern lights.