Julia on Co-op

Oh, Airbnb—you gotta love it. It's my go-to for finding cheap yet comfortable places to stay when traveling. Hosts are usually willing to spill all their local secrets and seem to always jump at the chance to help you in any way they can. To me, Airbnbs offer a much more authentic way to experience a city you're visiting. Here's a ranking of all of the Airbnbs that are in my login (some others were booked by my friends—I've unfortunately lost those!) 9. Gran Canaria, Canary Islands This Airbnb was pretty overpriced and under-furnished—my bed had only one thin sheet without any blankets on top of it. That paired with the rainy weather and freezing cold shower made it a pretty uncomfortable stay! Plus, the kitchen was weirdly separated from the living room on the other end of the apartment.  8. Ibiza, Spain This apartment was in a pretty convenient location, close to the water, Ibiza's old town, and famous nightclub Pacha. However, it wasn't the th...

This weekend, I went all the way back to the U.S. to spend the long Easter weekend with my family! It was super nice to sleep in my own bed for a few nights and eat my weight in Cheez its. However, I had a bit of traveling to do to get here, though--19 hours each way, to be exact. Luckily, this wasn’t my first time at the rodeo in terms of long traveling days. These are the things I’ve learned thus far that will make an intercontinental flight seem to go faster than you can say “ laptops and tablets out of the bag, miss!” . Pack ahead of time (and lightly) It’s really important to not be running around packing your carry-on 10 minutes before you need to leave for the airport. Putting a little extra thought into your preparation can go a long way and make a world of difference when it comes to your overall comfort during your travels. I always make it a point to pack as light as I can so that I’m not stressed and scrambling when it comes time to get settled into my seat! Little thi...

Before moving to Europe for 6 months, I had no idea what tools were available to make my travels easier and cheaper. With the experience and resources I have now, I look back and cringe at the time I spent 300+ Euros on a flight from Seville to Barcelona. Don’t make the same mistake I did! Check out these useful websites that will help you not only save money but also find the best activities possible. Getting There 1. SKYSCANNER Skyscanner is seriously the holy grail of finding cheap flights. Sometimes when I’m bored I hop on to see what good deals are going on (also to daydream about future trips). My favorite thing about Skyscanner is the ability to search without having specific dates or places in mind. An added benefit is that it opens your mind to places you didn’t think about visiting before! 2. RYANAIR Definitely sign up for a RyanAir account and make sure to get their emails to your inbox—their deals are seriously unbelievable. To get that 9 Euro flight you’r...

Last weekend, I finally was able to make a trip back to where I lived last year for my co-op in Spain! I had been waiting for this moment since the moment my plane took off from Seville in July. Knowing how much fun this city was led to me having some high expectations for the weekend, and unsurprisingly, the weekend was even better than I imagined it to be. Besides being able to visit my old co-op workplace and saying hello to my old co-workers, I got two for the price of one because my best friend Laura is currently living there for her co-op. It was super fun to catch up, exchange stories, and hear about how she's livin' la vida loca. What made the weekend perfect was that it was the perfect combination of my favorite things I used to do there (mostly eating food) and a handful of new and amazing memories! Partaking in my favorite Friday afternoon tradition - having lunch and lounging by the river at the phenomenal Mercado Lonja del Barranco Northe...