When I first heard about Luray Caverns, I was intrigued. What are these imposing spikes coming from the ceiling? How did they form? How did anyone find this place? I had so many questions and wonders. So, when I was in Shenandoah this past summer, I made a pit stop here.

 I will discuss how the caverns were found, the formations, some of my favorite attractions, and my takeaways!

Over the years, I have explored my fair share of trails in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. Since it was my first national park, it holds a special place in my heart. The first time I came here, I hiked Old Rag with an ex and his two friends. Since then, this park has become the one I’ve visited most. Today, I will share some things you need to know about these trails, my favorite ones, and some personal stories about them.

Here, you explore with a boat or small watercraft instead of your feet! The American Canoe Association named Janes Island one of North America's best paddle trails since it offers over 30 miles of water trails that meander throughout the island's salt marsh. The great thing about most of these trails is that they are protected from wind and current, which helps if you are a novice paddler.

It all began with a guy named Captain John Smith. He led two Chesapeake expeditions in the early 17th century from Jamestown to document its geography and native peoples. He found his way to Smith Island in 1608. Then, throughout the 17th century, settlers came from southwestern England and Wales and established farms across the island group.

I am a sucker for hot springs and thermal baths, so when I researched Budapest, I was surprised to find that Széchenyi Bath is the biggest and most popular thermal bath in Budapest—and all of Europe, for that matter! How crazy is that??

Once I arrived at the Jo&Joe hostel after taking the train from Prague, I still couldn’t believe it was inside the same building as IKEA. You could look downstairs from the check-in/bar area and see people wandering the store's aisles. It really cracked me up.

But my amusement was short-lived…..

These are my top three tours you should do as a solo traveler in the Lake District, UK

I share my experience at Wateredge Inn and why you should stay here as a solo traveler!

I spent three nights and two full days in Vienna, Austria. Full disclosure: after Prague, I made this a rest point on my trip. This choice worked out perfectly since it rained a lot while I was there. The universe knew I needed rest.

The one tip I recommend you use while doing a food tour of Vienna is to pack your patience and go solo or make a reservation because it was packed everywhere I went. The average time you’ll wait to be seated is around 25 minutes.

Nowadays, travelers love coming to Budapest to see the beautiful Parliament Building and the Castel (Buda) during the day and enjoy the pub crawls and clubs (Pest) at night. While there for my three-day tour, I stayed on the Pest side, which felt slightly worn down than the Buda side. I believe it is like this because when Budapest was under communist control, the Pest side was hit harder than the Buda side.

Let’s examine the places I ate and drank and what foods I tried so that you know the best places to go when visiting Prague!

Quick Facts About The Shard

It is Western Europe’s tallest building (1,016 feet high)

On a clear day, you can see 40 miles

It has office space, restaurants/ bars, and a hotel, and it is a private residence that’s the highest home in the UK.

I was sold to have Afternoon Tea here because of it’s 360° views of London and is next to the Thames.

Have you ever wanted to travel to Germany or Thailand, or even both on the same day but couldn’t because you lacked money, time off, etc.? Well, my friend, I have good news. You can travel to 5 or 6 different countries in one day without even experiencing any jet lag!

How is this possible, you ask?

Come and experience the Embassy and EU Days!

In less than two weeks, I will fly to London and then make my way to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest for my birthday. It will be my first international birthday trip since 2017! I am super excited since I have been doing big camping trips for the past few years.

Anytime I travel overseas, I do my research and try to learn some key phrases. But before I even do that, I take this one very important STEP:

Before I took my first solo trip to Canada in 2011, I did an old-fashioned Google search. Yes. I had social media. But I had no idea I could use it to research trips . . .

Fast forward to 2023.

Half the time, I pick out the next place I want to wander via Instagram. I will still do my research, but it’s nice to see stunning photos of camping spots or little towns in a random country. But just like you, I have fallen victim to seeing these unique places with happy, wander-lusting people enjoying the “good life.”

But social media lacks one thing when it comes to traveling . . .

Rawness.

When I first started to travel, I didn’t know there was a community of travelers. I only traveled once a year if I was really lucky, and I made shit up as I went. All I knew was I wanted to travel and find somewhere I belonged. Fast forward to years later, and I finally found a place I belonged: my yoga and aerial community. I never had that level of support from a group of people before that.

Until I started to travel more…..

When I was writing 7 Lessons I've Learned Since Creating Wandering Bel, I needed to add one more lesson, so I turned to my cousin and asked him. A few days later, I got a text:

"You can't expect yourself from other people."

I loved his suggestion, but it was a bit late to add it. It got me thinking about adding that lesson to this series, though. I mentioned this quote briefly in the “Important Things I Have Learned from Solo Traveling: How to Date Yourself” post, but let’s go over it more in-depth now.

As I mentioned in my post, “Things I have learned from Solo Traveling: Hostels”, not all hostels are created the same. However, there are a few tips that work for me when I stay at hostels.

Are you on the fence about staying in a hostel? Read on for some tips that will help put you at ease.

I experienced my first hostel on my first solo trip to Canada when I was 22 and about to turn 23. I quickly learned staying in Canada was expensive, and the cheapest hotel was still $125, not including tax. I was 23, working two or three summer jobs in rural Pennsylvania, and paying for grad school, and I couldn’t afford the 400-dollar hotel.

My aunt suggested a hostel, so I googled to see if one was in Niagara Falls. Indeed, there was one. Sadly, that place is closed now.

And that’s how my love affair with hostels began! Even now, in my mid-30s, I still try to stay in hostels because they feel like home to me.

I love the concept of dating yourself because people typically need to spend more time with themselves to know who they are. We are so hyper-focused on other people that we don't give ourselves the time of day.