I am a few months back from one of the coolest trips I have ever taken: over two weeks, I went to Morocco, Spain, Turkey (or Turkiye, if you want to be super proper about it). I’ve just been thinking that I have not shown Istanbul enough love on my socials. So, today, dear friends, I will be sharing some of the fun that was had in Istanbul, Turkey and giving you some ideas for a quick trip there.
Day One
I flew from Barcelona to Istanbul via Turkish Airlines, of course, and arrived in Istanbul mid-morning. I traveled with my friend who will be known from here on out as “K”. K and I opted to take a taxi to the hotel, though there was a public transit option that would have taken about twice as long.
We stayed at the Doruk Palas Hotel in one of the terrace rooms which had a pretty sick view. After dropping bags, we set out to explore with no real agenda. K has been to Istanbul multiple times and knows the city well. We popped into a couple shops to check out some artisan goods and I ended up getting a bracelet. The real star of the walk we took was the Galata Art Gallery. We walked in and were immediately drawn to the work of one artist. It was so bright, colorful, and rooted in Istanbul. We picked up three pieces by this artist, including two originals. A snap of one of the pieces below (they’ll look so good in my new condo!!).
From there, we took a walk over the Galata Bridge for some wonderful views and grabbed a few snacks along the way. We had these little donuts that were dipped in honey and a wet burger (which surprisingly tasted pretty good despite its, uhhh, wet appearance).
This was our first full day in Istanbul. We started off with breakfast at the hotel, then walked to the Grand Bazaar. We explored the Bazaar for a bit and in a move totally off brand for me, I did not buy anything. Once we left there, we stopped by one of the restaurants on the water for a fish sandwich - it was kind of dry, but a good thing to try given how many restaurants were selling them.
We popped back to the hotel. I chilled while K. went out to an appointment for a tattoo. While traveling this year, we got super into fine dining, so our big activity for the day was dining at Mikla. The food was wonderful and there was a truly spectacular view of Istanbul from the restaurant.
Once again, we got a start to the day with breakfast at the hotel then made our way to Cağaloğlu Hamam. This place was gorgeous. I’ve pulled a photo from google below to show the actual space where the treatments happen, but the entire space is just wow. And so unassuming from the street. Highly recommend Cağaloğlu Hamam.
I picked up our art from the gallery while K got tattooed, then we reunited before heading to dinner at Nicole. It felt like an out of the way establishment that was at the bottom of a mighty hill. Not a problem going there, but I was surely out of breath after dinner walking up that hill. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner. This was another place with a great view.
We wandered back to the hotel and packed up to get ready to head back to Spain the next day.
I have so many more bits and bobs to share from travel this year!! So, stick around 💓
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About two months ago, I realized that there is a podcast for anything and everything. After simple Google searches of things like "top yoga podcasts," "top health podcasts," or, the topic of this post, "top travel podcasts," I found so much good stuff! Every once and a while (read: all the time) I just have an urge to go somewhere and experience something new. But, alas, commitments in Chicago keep me tethered for most of the year.
In my mind, travel podcasts would work to satiate my hunger for travel, but I'm sure you, the rational being that you are, know what really happened: it did the exact opposite. My silliness aside, I'm sharing some of my favorite travel podcasts for women below. I've been thinking a lot about solo travel and have been seeking out stories about women traveling alone to give me an idea of what it might be like, hence sharing about podcasts targeted to women. For me, it's always easy to take the leap and do the thing I've never done before, when I hear about someone doing it and loving it. While I don't know any of the women in the podcasts, their stories are real, raw and relatable. Throughout all of these pods, there's a theme of women overcoming, fighting through and sitting with fear when it comes to travel. There's something incredible about hearing what women gain when they push beyond their fear and head out the door and makes me want to have that experience for myself. I will say, lots of these pods are lacking in racial diversity and speak with mostly white women, but I still value the perspectives shared and am on the hunt for even more inclusive travel pods -- will keep you all updated on that front. And all of these pods foster community in some way, through Facebook groups, in person meets up or group travel -- how fun!
On She Goes
This podcast comes from the women of "On She Goes, a digital travel platform that helps women of color travel more confidently, more adventurously, and more often." Which is like heyyy, hello, that's meeeee! I love that this podcast specifically targets women of color and speaks about travel experiences that are unique to women of color travelers. The conversations are nuanced, entertaining and thoughtful. In particular, I am thinking about one episode in which the hosts were talking about backpacking and camping as black women and one woman mentioned the historical trauma that black people have with sleeping outside and being in the middle of nowhere. She also said once black people were able to own property (or even rent quality property) the sense of ownership and need to not sleep outside made the idea of camping seem all the more preposterous. These astute observations gave the phrase "black people don't go camping" a new meaning for me, and helped me begin to the answer the question of why black people might not go camping with some context on how historical trauma gets passed down and influences behavior. All to say, tune into this pod for even more astute observations.
She Explores
Big, big fan of this podcast. A major theme is definitely hearing from women who do things outdoors, like hiking, climbing, ski mountaineering, etc. But also approaches these topics from a number of intersections like physical ability, age, race, sustainability and many more. It's important to broker conversations at these intersections because one, it's super cool to hear a story from someone who is like you doing some crazy amazing feet outside like walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. It's also cool to hear from someone not like you doing that. There are also great conversations with women who are extreme outdoor athletes and amateur outdoor athletes, and all encourage women to own their title as hiker, climber, biker or whatever no matter their level of expertise. I've also learned so much about places right here in the US that sound absolutely beautiful from what the women describe and am working on a list of must-go places for right here in the States. Finally, I'm a big, big fan of this pod because it features diverse women in every sense and isn't afraid to call out the whiteness and maleness of the mainstream outdoor community.
In my mind, travel podcasts would work to satiate my hunger for travel, but I'm sure you, the rational being that you are, know what really happened: it did the exact opposite. My silliness aside, I'm sharing some of my favorite travel podcasts for women below. I've been thinking a lot about solo travel and have been seeking out stories about women traveling alone to give me an idea of what it might be like, hence sharing about podcasts targeted to women. For me, it's always easy to take the leap and do the thing I've never done before, when I hear about someone doing it and loving it. While I don't know any of the women in the podcasts, their stories are real, raw and relatable. Throughout all of these pods, there's a theme of women overcoming, fighting through and sitting with fear when it comes to travel. There's something incredible about hearing what women gain when they push beyond their fear and head out the door and makes me want to have that experience for myself. I will say, lots of these pods are lacking in racial diversity and speak with mostly white women, but I still value the perspectives shared and am on the hunt for even more inclusive travel pods -- will keep you all updated on that front. And all of these pods foster community in some way, through Facebook groups, in person meets up or group travel -- how fun!
On She GoesThis podcast comes from the women of "On She Goes, a digital travel platform that helps women of color travel more confidently, more adventurously, and more often." Which is like heyyy, hello, that's meeeee! I love that this podcast specifically targets women of color and speaks about travel experiences that are unique to women of color travelers. The conversations are nuanced, entertaining and thoughtful. In particular, I am thinking about one episode in which the hosts were talking about backpacking and camping as black women and one woman mentioned the historical trauma that black people have with sleeping outside and being in the middle of nowhere. She also said once black people were able to own property (or even rent quality property) the sense of ownership and need to not sleep outside made the idea of camping seem all the more preposterous. These astute observations gave the phrase "black people don't go camping" a new meaning for me, and helped me begin to the answer the question of why black people might not go camping with some context on how historical trauma gets passed down and influences behavior. All to say, tune into this pod for even more astute observations.
She ExploresBig, big fan of this podcast. A major theme is definitely hearing from women who do things outdoors, like hiking, climbing, ski mountaineering, etc. But also approaches these topics from a number of intersections like physical ability, age, race, sustainability and many more. It's important to broker conversations at these intersections because one, it's super cool to hear a story from someone who is like you doing some crazy amazing feet outside like walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. It's also cool to hear from someone not like you doing that. There are also great conversations with women who are extreme outdoor athletes and amateur outdoor athletes, and all encourage women to own their title as hiker, climber, biker or whatever no matter their level of expertise. I've also learned so much about places right here in the US that sound absolutely beautiful from what the women describe and am working on a list of must-go places for right here in the States. Finally, I'm a big, big fan of this pod because it features diverse women in every sense and isn't afraid to call out the whiteness and maleness of the mainstream outdoor community.
It is always a good idea to spend the weekend in Miami. Especially if it means escaping the Spring that can't decide if it wants to stick around in Chicago. This was a quick trip, but refreshing nonetheless. I got in just before midnight Thursday and took a 7am flight out Sunday, leaving me with 2 full days to soak up the sun.
So, if you don't know this, Miami is a moderately expensive city, especially when it comes to food, so heading into this trip I was not keen on spending lots of money on a weekend wardrobe refresh. I bought some new items, but focused on what I already owned to put together these outfits. Not buying new clothes freed up some cash to do more fun things in Miami.
My twin sister, Jeanette, and I spent this past weekend in Austin, Texas to celebrate our birthday. It was my first time in Texas and it was everything and nothing I expected it to be. The heat was overwhelming, the BBQ was hearty, and the nightlife was unlike anything I've ever seen.
As soon as landed, at the recommedation of our older brother, we headed to Franklin Barbecue. Franklin Barbecue is probably the most famous BBQ spot in all of the US right now and it has the line to prove it. We arrived a little after the 11am open time and were greeted with a three hour wait time. The first people to get in line that Friday arrived at 5:30am. Anyone that knows me well, knows that I don't eat meat often, let alone beef and pork. But, when in Rome. We went for the ribs, but they sold out as soon as we got to the counter to order, so we ordered pulled pork, brisket, and sausage -- we waited three hours, we had to try it all.
Look, I don't know much about meat, but you did not need to put any barbecue sauce or anything on this. It was all so flavorful on its own. Well worth the three hour wait.
So while Angelic is letting y'all know how you can get thick fit, I'm just gonna let y'all know how you can get thiiiick. Pick your poison.
Study abroad is great, but I think one of the greatest difficulties is acclimating to a new diet in a new place. This is especially difficult when you're doing a homestay and eating meals prepared by the family. Unless you're a total butthole, you eat what is given to you so as to not seem like the rude American, barring it's something you're allergic to, health reasons, etc. Even common dietary restrictions in America, like being a vegetarian, can put a relative strain on your host family for any number of reasons -- veggies can be expensive and sometimes not as readily available as they are stateside.
For me, it's been difficult transitioning to a diet that where meat is a staple. Back in Chicago, I just about never cook or eat meat -- the rare occasion is when I am cooking for friends and roommates, or eating out. But I'm a broke boy anyway, so eating out doesn't happen often. My host mom has been gracious enough to not serve me any beef or pork, and only makes dishes with chicken, turkey or fish. I also get lots of fresh veggies everyday, which is so great, but also not common when speaking to other students in my program.
This is my second time doing a study abroad program and along the way I have picked up a few things about living and eating in homestays. Oh, and some pics of what I've been eating in my homestay are included, too.
1. Eat all your veggies + fruit! And eat some more! This is the most elementary rule from when you were young. Bring it back and say it over and over again as your scarf down the broccoli and squash you haven't liked since you were six. Here in Mexico, the vegetarian options I have encountered in restaurants tend be dishes with mushrooms...mushrooms are great, but a diversity of veggies is even better and nutritious. So, when you get the veggies at home, just eat 'em. Fruit is easy because it's sweet, but eat that, too. It's rare to see fruit available at restaurants here; it's sold widely on the street, but as with street food anywhere, you have to be careful.
2. You can ask for more or less food. There is nothing wrong with letting your host parents know that they give you too much or too little food. Nobody is tryna waste food or go hungry. In Spain, I sometimes asked for more food, but here in Mexico, I asked for less food. My host mom here is like the grandmother who is always worried you're not eating enough, so she gives us *lots* of food. But, in the end, it's better for everyone when there's less food waste. It might seem weird to ask for less or more food, but your host family wants you to be well at the end of the day...so let them help you be well.
Study abroad is great, but I think one of the greatest difficulties is acclimating to a new diet in a new place. This is especially difficult when you're doing a homestay and eating meals prepared by the family. Unless you're a total butthole, you eat what is given to you so as to not seem like the rude American, barring it's something you're allergic to, health reasons, etc. Even common dietary restrictions in America, like being a vegetarian, can put a relative strain on your host family for any number of reasons -- veggies can be expensive and sometimes not as readily available as they are stateside.
For me, it's been difficult transitioning to a diet that where meat is a staple. Back in Chicago, I just about never cook or eat meat -- the rare occasion is when I am cooking for friends and roommates, or eating out. But I'm a broke boy anyway, so eating out doesn't happen often. My host mom has been gracious enough to not serve me any beef or pork, and only makes dishes with chicken, turkey or fish. I also get lots of fresh veggies everyday, which is so great, but also not common when speaking to other students in my program.
This is my second time doing a study abroad program and along the way I have picked up a few things about living and eating in homestays. Oh, and some pics of what I've been eating in my homestay are included, too.
1. Eat all your veggies + fruit! And eat some more! This is the most elementary rule from when you were young. Bring it back and say it over and over again as your scarf down the broccoli and squash you haven't liked since you were six. Here in Mexico, the vegetarian options I have encountered in restaurants tend be dishes with mushrooms...mushrooms are great, but a diversity of veggies is even better and nutritious. So, when you get the veggies at home, just eat 'em. Fruit is easy because it's sweet, but eat that, too. It's rare to see fruit available at restaurants here; it's sold widely on the street, but as with street food anywhere, you have to be careful.
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| Breakfast: Quesadillas filled with cheese and turkey ham, tomatoes, beans, and fruit cup of watermelon and pineapple |
2. You can ask for more or less food. There is nothing wrong with letting your host parents know that they give you too much or too little food. Nobody is tryna waste food or go hungry. In Spain, I sometimes asked for more food, but here in Mexico, I asked for less food. My host mom here is like the grandmother who is always worried you're not eating enough, so she gives us *lots* of food. But, in the end, it's better for everyone when there's less food waste. It might seem weird to ask for less or more food, but your host family wants you to be well at the end of the day...so let them help you be well.
I think a different sun shines on Oaxaca...like, the sun down here is something special. I have been in Mexico for almost a week now and it's been great. Mostly great because I have managed to escape the cold in Chicago.
I'm still getting acclimated to everything down here (s/o to the altitude...5,000 feet above sea level) and wanted to quickly share a few snapshots of my first few days in the sun. I am here on a study abroad program with about twenty other students from my University, so I've got lots of friends and *potential* friends to explore the city with. Our school is absolutely beautiful and, outside of the public parks, one of the few places I have seen with green space.
I'm still getting acclimated to everything down here (s/o to the altitude...5,000 feet above sea level) and wanted to quickly share a few snapshots of my first few days in the sun. I am here on a study abroad program with about twenty other students from my University, so I've got lots of friends and *potential* friends to explore the city with. Our school is absolutely beautiful and, outside of the public parks, one of the few places I have seen with green space.
There are these gorgeous, tall palm trees at our school and we warned not to sit under them because sometimes the branches fall off. Either way, gotta love nature.
It is also custom to eat large meals for breakfast and lunch, and coffee and bread or pastries around dinner time. I have taken a bit to the custom and have been trying iced mochas all over town.
Last, but not least...a photo of me! I'm wearing a dress from Zara, a denim Ralph Shirt from the 80s, Birkenstocks, rose gold Marc Jacobs watch, and a beaded bracelet I picked up on my second day in Oaxaca.
Keep up with my time in Mexico on Instagram @all_worn_out. And keep an eye on the blog...some new, new content will be popping soon!
I should 100% be writing a paper right now...but we all know college students thrive at procrastinating. In looking through my old pictures to find some for an outfit posts, I came across some pics from a trip I took to Granada with one of my best friends, Natalia.
Granada was definitely the prettiest place I visited in Spain. The city felt young and storied at the same time. We went to Shawarma King (more than once), stopped into small bookstores, and shops housed in caves on the side of mountains. It's a great city to visit as a student, it wasn't very expensive and all the kids from university fill the streets at night. 10/10 would recommend.
Granada was definitely the prettiest place I visited in Spain. The city felt young and storied at the same time. We went to Shawarma King (more than once), stopped into small bookstores, and shops housed in caves on the side of mountains. It's a great city to visit as a student, it wasn't very expensive and all the kids from university fill the streets at night. 10/10 would recommend.
I'm the worst when it comes to sharing pics from vacations and things. So, in typical Steph fashion, I'll be sharing some photos from, ohhh, ten or so months ago. While abroad last year, I went to Paris with two of my best friends and immediately fell in love with the city. It was definitely a mix of the romantic ideas of the city that I had gathered from movies and books, and the actual romance of the city -- Paris is gorgeous. When I went, I also think I was relieved to be in a big, busy, dirty, diverse city, which was in direct contrast to Toledo (where I was living in Spain). And, so, on this beautiful day in Chicago -- my big, busy, dirty, diverse city -- I'd like to share a few, well, more than a few, of my favorite shots from the city of lights.
Hey peeps! I’m back again to show you another sweater weather style, featuring two special items I purchased here in Spain.
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Today was chilly and cloudy, so I snuggled into my new deep maroon Pull & Bear turtleneck vest. Pull & Bear is a Spanish retailer based in Galicia that sells very hip clothing and accessories worldwide (though they have not yet arrived in the States) and I love their knits. This vest is soft enough to sleep in with a wide and high turtle neck—the perfect outer layer for a crisp autumn day.
I wanted the vest to remain the statement of the outfit, so I decided to go monochromatic beneath. I paired my Pull & Bear with a simple charcoal cotton sweater and a pair of steel Joe’s jeans. (Joe’s jeans run on the pricey side, but they are very worth it if you are willing to splurge or can find a good sale!) The side-slits in the vest revealed a smooth gray-on-gray transition from top to bottom, letting the vest stand alone as the star of the outfit. Vale!
The Spanish tile drop earrings I’m wearing were bought for me by my dad (who has impeccable taste) at an incredible flea market in La Latina, a bustling neighborhood in Madrid. The flea market is poppin’ every Sunday morning, and it seems to go for miles… the entire main street becomes packed shoulder-to-shoulder with locals and tourists alike, and along either side vendors sell everything from handmade leather goods to wooden children’s toys. The prices are very fair and many of the goods are one-of-a-kind; to any of you heading to Madrid anytime soon, I definitely recommend this gem of a market. 
I am a faithful customer to so many American brands, but I vowed to get out of my box and make purchases here in Europe that I couldn’t make back home, like today’s Pull & Bear vest and one-of-a-kind tile earrings. We are spoiled in America with the amount of quality brands available to shoppers of all price-ranges; here in Spain, there are only a couple quality chains that are not designer stores. The silver lining of this is that I’ve been exploring boutiques and artisan shops… Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll share some of my favorite artisan purchases!
Stay warm.
--Natalie
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