Articles by brandy bell

Brandy Bell loves adventuring around the world. She's been a solo female traveler since 2006 and has visited over 25 countries, made countless international friends, and now writes to inspire you to travel in a sustainable and responsible way.

girl jumping at merind tombs fes morocco
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My Third-Life Crisis

25 years sounds like a long time as I sit here today and wonder where it all went. The first third of my life seems a constant struggle to get somewhere. To get to be old enough to go to school, to get to be old enough to drive, to get through college, to get a job, to get a better job, to keep moving onward & upward. Sure enough I got all these things, I could go places, anywhere I wanted. The hard part was realizing none of these things were what I actually wanted.

Salt travertine
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Flashback Friday ~ Pamukkale, Turkey

Most of my friends living in America (ahem, Pop, ahem) usually gasp or shudder at the thought of traveling to Turkey. Well, I’m alive, aren’t I? Beyond the media hype and misconstrued ideas of Turkey, what does the average person know about this country? I hope that by sharing some of the beauty of this place, I will be able to convince just one more person to visit this beautiful country.

Top 5 Things I Miss about California

I adore cuisine from all over this world, and there is nothing like home made tsatziki and a Greek salad with fresh bread to satiate my mouth, but damnit- sometimes I want to feel the fire of Mexican food in my mouth, and the cooling creaminess of an avocado… yeah, I want that. Specifically the best avocados FROM….

Don’t Drink the (Holy) Water

He says “oh good, this is holy water and my mother was afraid you would throw it away because you don’t understand what it is. We must bring this to her, it is very important!” Then I look at him rather sheepishly and tell him I drank the water, but refilled it with tap water- and would she know the difference?

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50 days abroad for $1056 USD – Part 1

It’s not glamorous or comfortable, but it happens. You are sore in the morning, you look like a train wreck, you wonder why there are bootprints on your face and pray the pile of drool on your shirt is yours (seriously, how did the bootprint get on my face?).

I’ve got an appetite for lighting dynamite…

I enjoyed watching the lightning display for 3 hours, until the thunder and lightning gave way to the first colors of the morning. Soaking wet, with the thunder above my head and the lightning bleaching the sky to a fluorescent white- I heard the beating of my heart growing stronger, the adrenaline pumping through my body from head to toe, I breathed in deeply, and even the air felt electric.
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Trust your Instincts -or- This is Why I Carry a Switchblade

Sure enough, he drives up to me “ahhh come- we will go for a ride, slowly slowly, I will not go fast!” I immediately make up my mind about him and decide that I 1) do not want to ride this joke of a moped 2) do not trust this guy as far as I can throw him 3) would be altogether happier if he never talked to me again. However, in a town of 1500 people, it’s best not to make enemies within two weeks of living there.

Why Am I So In Love With Greece?

The spirit of Greece is what keeps me coming back. The feeling in the air every minute of every day. I set foot on the street and feel the earth giving me life. I place my hand on the ancient marble column and there is an invisible umbilical cord, feeding my soul.

Round the World Packing List aka Everything I Own

43 days ago I heaved my Kelty Moraine 3200 on my back, walked into San Jose International Airport, and haven’t looked back. Life out of a backpack is different than any other style of life. The biggest triumph of a day (or week- let’s be honest) is a shower- a hot shower is just pushing it.

Thank you for stopping by, and please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions you have! Do you feel all pumped up and ready to hit the road? Go ahead and check everything off your backpacking list and live your dreams. :) Looking for more travel inspiration? Make sure to join our monthly newsletter which includes new travel resources, a photo essay and always something fun; even if you can't hit the road yet, I'll bring you traveling with me. Sign up now above! For all the legalese on the site check out My Disclaimer. Old Paper by ThunderThemes.net

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