I’ve now been to Egypt twice in the last 6 months and not written a word about it, so I think it is time to start unpacking my adventures in my beloved country. Egypt holds a special place in my heart, and each time I go, I find myself wanting more, already looking forward to…
Tag: #adventure
Sniffing Through Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar
Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar is a foodie’s dream come true. The covered market is lined with vendors selling spices, teas, dried fruits, and Turkish desserts. Mounds of jewel colored spices and teas line the walls of the market, and dried clusters of herbs and loofahs are strung up from the ceilings. The different aromas create an…
Weekend Wanderings: Washington, DC
I’d like to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming, namely, me slowly but surely completing my recap of my travels to Istanbul and Cairo, to pause for a moment, and update you on a little weekend wandering I’ve done recently! It has taken me quite a long time to get around to writing about it (more…
Baklava For Days at Mado Pastry
Let me start out by saying that I don’t really like baklava. Growing up in a Middle Eastern family, there was no shortage of baklava, kunefah, basboosah, etc, but as more of a savory than sweet kind of girl, none really held much appeal for me. My tooth has gotten slightly sweeter with age, however, even…
Worth the Ticket Price: Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
As a die hard budget traveller I am super skeptical of tours, tourist trap sites, and basically anywhere that charges an entry fee that I haven’t heavily vetted/weighed the value of the ticket price. I’ve mentioned before, if you’re travelling all the way to Istanbul, it’s worth it to set aside maybe $30-40 of your…
Happy 2016: A Mid-Way Update on 25 for 25
Happy New Year all! I hope you’ve had a good couple weeks of eating well and merrymaking. I certainly did. January 1st always rolls around and the cookies and eggnog are swapped for cold-pressed green juices and promises to lose 10 pounds by spring. While I could certainly stand to lose a few pounds after…
Istanbul’s Underworld: The Basilica Cistern
No, I don’t mean that during my four days in Istanbul I delved into the Turkish mafia (which I know nothing about, but I’m sure there is one). By underworld I mean literally under the city. Whilst you’re in the Golden Horn visiting the Hagia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmet, take some time to check out…
Is it a Mosque? A Church? A Museum? Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia
I wouldn’t necessarily describe my travel style as super sight-seeing oriented. I like to see stuff, but I usually don’t arrive armed with my fanny pack and maps, with a minute by minute itinerary and a list of 15 sites I want to cram into the day before lunch. As a budget traveller, I’m also…
Discovering Istanbul: Beyoğlu, Istiklal, and My Love of a Hotel with Free Breakfast
As you readers know, this was my first time to Istanbul, but my parents have been many times. As such, they did a lot of driving the itinerary, so I didn’t have to put a ton of research or effort into figuring out the main places to go and things to see. It made for a super…
Trip Recap: Istanbul and Cairo
I’ve got so much to say about my trip to Istanbul and Cairo, that I thought it would be best to start with a broad recap and then delve into some of the more detailed stuff I’ve been busting at the seams to share with you all. Literally dozens of blog post ideas on the…
25 Goals for Turning 25: First Quarter Update
Things have been quiet on The 9 to 5 Wanderer lately…I’m afraid the last month has been A LOT of 9 to 5 and a little wandering. A massive work project that dragged on for about a month and a half finally wrapped up today, and now I have a bit of room to breath, aka write….
“If You Have Savings in Your 20’s, You’re Doing it Wrong”…SAID NO ONE EVER
Except someone actually did, and that’s what we’re here to talk about today. It’s hard being financially responsible in your twenties. A lot of us in our first few years of work live paycheck to paycheck, come up against months where we have to eat PB&J for two weeks straight because we were stupid with our money…
The 9 to 5 Wanderer 