2017 Travel Recap

2017 was quite the year for me! While not a record-setting travel year, I still made it to 5 countries (4 if you don't include the U.S., where I live.) 2017 was a crazy year for me - I got married, moved across the country and had a blast exploring the world with friends and family!

First up was our girls' trip to the Bahamas for my bachelorette party! It was my first time on a cruise and it was a blast! It was much more structured than I'm used to, but overall it was still an awesome experience. I hung out with my sisters and my best friend in the sun, enjoying fruity drinks and light-hearted books. 

Next is the reason I included the U.S. in my travel list - we moved! We packed up our belongings and within a week of being married, my husband and I were settling in our new town. We are relaxing in a small town in Ohio right near the river and are loving life.

Next up was our honeymoon! What was supposed to be a quick layover in Madrid turned into a one-day adventure! We missed our connecting flight and were put up in a hotel. We decided to make the best of it and set out to explore some of madrid! We were exhausted, but we still managed to have a blast exploring Puerto del sol and the city center.

We did eventually make it over to Portugal for our actual honeymoon. Portugal is absolutely beautiful! We traveled from Porto to Lisbon to Luso to Lagos then back up to Porto. Portugal is absolutely amazing, and I can't recommend it enough!

Finally, we got to spend some time in Canada! We made a few pit stops in Toronto and Niagra Falls before visiting with family near Muskoka. The weather was lovely and the lake was just gorgeous. We had so much fun and will absolutely be going back soon!

I hope your year was filled with beautiful adventures. If you'd like help planning your next excursion (domestic or international), visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

Traveling on Christmas?

The holiday season is upon us, and for many that means traveling - either to spend time with friends or family or to capitalize on time off and see the world! I personally love to spend the holidays with my family, but as a professional tour manager, I've had to travel over holidays several time. With younger groups, they are often on vacation right over Christmas and New Year's so that's when we travel!

Traveling on Christmas Day
I've traveled internationally on Christmas Day twice - once from Baltimore to Spain and once from Holland to Spain. Both times were fairly uneventful. While definitely not as crowded as the days surrounding Christmas, it wasn't exactly empty either. Flights tend to be a bit cheaper on Christmas Day as opposed to the days leading up to or immediately following Christmas, which can be tempting for many flyers. For me, I was a bit sad to have to be out and about on Christmas. I much prefer a Christmas Day filled with family, naps and plenty of relaxing. If I didn't have work obligations, I probably would have opted to spend a bit more money and enjoy Christmas properly.

How to Make the Most of a Traveling Christmas
I've spent one Christmas abroad. I knew I had to be in Barcelona on Christmas day for work, so I decided to make the most of it! I have a family friends in Amsterdam (from when my family lived there), so I was able to spend the day with them! I enjoyed a dutch Christmas filled with tasty treats and plenty of laughter. I'm very lucky to have the friends and family that I do to make Christmas so special.

Vacationing on Christmas
Taking a trip on Christmas has become a yearly tradition for many travelers. Whether you are not close with your family or just want to take advantage of your time off, there's no shame in going on an epic adventure over Christmas! I know families who even take a trip together. Whether you want that perfect, snowy Christmas or you head to warmer weather, it can be fun to shake things up! And if you're going internationally, it gives you the chance to experience Christmas in other cultures! For example, I got to learn about the Catalan Tio de Nadal... AKA the poop log. Seriously, it's a thing. 
If you want to make the most of your holidays, I'd love to help! MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Trying New Food While Abroad - Fun or Disastrous?

When I travel I absolutely love to throw myself into the culture, that includes the food! Trying new food is always so tempting, but I've found it's incredibly important to play it safe sometimes. Finding the balance can be tough, so I thought I'd share some of my experiences.

Korean Barbecue in Downtown Singapore

While staying in Singapore, my husband introduced me to an AMAZING restaurant in downtown Singapore that served Korean Barbecue. I know it sounds odd to try Korean food while in Singapore, but Singapore combines the best of many asian countries' cuisines. I have to say, hands down that meal has been my favorite food I've ever had on my travel. I didn't worry too much about what it was I was eating, we just sort of went with it! Now, here I was staying in one city for a few weeks so if I did have a reaction to the food, it wouldn't be the end of the world. If I had to leave for an international flight, I probably would have played it a bit safer. Luckily, it worked out just fine! My husband and I had a great date night with some delicious food.

Streetfood in Malasia

This situation was a bit more high risk! My husband and I were going to be flying back to Singapore on the same day, but we really wanted to go for it! We had local friends who showed us around the Kuala Lumpur and brought us to their favorite street vendors. We had some immodium at the ready and decided it was worth the risk. We ate some pretty unique foods while there! We sampled some frog, ate a century egg (it was black and gelatinous!) and tried a bite of something that I have literally no idea what animal it came from - they didn't know the word in english. I must say my stomach did have a bit of trouble afterwards, but nothing disastrous. All in all, it was successful!

Portuguese Cuisine 

Finally, while in Portugal we finished off our trip with a classic portuguese meal in a lovely local restaurant. The restaurant was recommended to us by our hotel concierge, then we asked the waiter for advice on which local dish was best. I went for a pork dish (tasty!) while my husband took a risk and ate octopus! I originally considered a sausage dish, but those tend to not end well with me so I took that into account and went for pork chop rather than a sausage dish. Meanwhile, my husband threw caution to the wind (we had an international flight the next morning) and went big! I am no where near as adventurous as he is, but I still like to enjoy the culture.

Whether you are a foodie or like to play it safe,  I've found that dessert is always a decent bet. In Italy I ate gelato on the daily! Those dishes tend to use similar ingredients across the board and have some seriously amazing flavor!

No matter your food preferences, my company, Miles Into Memories Travel, is happy to organize a trip that suits your needs! Check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com to get started today!

Hiking the La Luz Trail - Albuquerque, NM

Now that we are back from Portugal, we've already started brainstorming ideas for our next trip. We are tentatively thinking about hiking the Grand Canyon which got me reminiscing about our hiking trip to New Mexico in 2015. It was gorgeous, and I don't think I properly shared photos from that, so here we go!

Our biggest hike was La Luz, which is a trail that goes up the side of Sandia Mountain. I believe it's roughly 8 miles, but it does go up a mountain so leave yourself plenty of time!  That elevation change will get ya. We took our time and enjoyed the views, so it wound up taking us about 10 hours.

But look at the views! So beautiful!

And here's a shot of the triumphant gang at the top of the mountain. Go team! If you're in New Mexico, an outdoor enthusiast and up for adventure, I highly recommend this hike! 

A Night in the Beautiful Bussaco Palace

On our road trip around Portugal, we made a pit stop at the GORGEOUS Bussaco Palace in Luso, and boy, was it beautiful! It is technically a five star hotel, but the accommodations aren't what you would typically think of as a five star hotel. It is literally a palace, which means it's old and it does show it's age a bit. Somehow, that only seems to add to the beauty of the place. 

It is honestly like a fairy tale! It's so beautiful!

You can spend literally hours hiking around the grounds. The palace was used as a hunting palace a long time ago so the grounds are expansive. There are so many fun walkways and path ways, I doubt you'd ever have time to explore them all.

You can even stay overnight in the palace - our room was darling! As I said, not a lot of fancy adornments, but it was very sweet. We thoroughly enjoyed the comfy bed, and the bathroom was very nice as well. No complaints there!

And finally, I don't have a picture, but I HIGHLY recommend enjoying a fancy dinner out on the terrace. My husband and I had a magical time. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was phenomenal! It's probably one of my favorite memories from the trip. 

Overall, the palace is a little out of the way (hard to access via public transportation), but it's worth the drive. We had a magical time and absolutely would visit again.

A Magical Day in Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is a beautiful city, and one that we were very excited to visit on our honeymoon! We originally planned to visit some of the museums but our schedule got bumped a day due to a delayed flight, resulting in us visiting the city on a Monday. Pro tip - don't visit Lisbon on a Monday. Pretty much everything is closed. Luckily, we were able to do a bit of research in our hotel room and come up with a new plan!

First up was our visit to the World's Oldest Bookstore!!! SO COOL. I have a whole blog post about our wonderful stop by this store, but to recap: it was beautiful, go visit if you can!!

Next up we decided to hike through the Alfama district to check out Castelo de Sao Jorge. It was a bit of a hike, but we didn't need directions. We just kept our eye on the castle and explored along the way. We weren't disappointed!

We had such a fun time exploring the castle! We got to walk along the parapets and explore the different areas within the castle. There was even a nice little cafe where we sat and enjoyed the scenery. There were even stray kitties and peacocks wandering about! Right next to our table! So fun!

And of course, we got an AWESOME view of the city. It was breathtaking and possibly my favorite part of the day. It was truly memorable standing above the city with my new husband just taking it all in.

Our final stop of the day was to the Oceanarium. It was really neat! I wasn't too excited about this stop initially, but my husband insisted. And of course, he was right. It was pretty fabulous and definitely worth the visit!

 Finally, just a note about Lisbon - don't expect prompt food service. We loved the city, culture and views, but man! It took forever to place an order, get served and PAY at every restaurant we went to. We waited 45 minutes just to hand them our credit card, despite asking the waiter for it twice! So weird! 

All in all, we had a tremendous time exploring the city, even if we didn't make it to the Carriage Museum like we originally planned. If you'd like us to arrange a tour of Portugal for you and your family or group, check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

Visiting the World's Oldest Bookstore

As a book lover, I'm constantly on the hunt for beautiful bookstores wherever I go. While researching our trip to Lisbon, I stumbled across the ultimate bookstore! The Chiado Livraria Bertrand is the oldest bookstore in the world! It even holds a Guinness World Record! This location opened in 1732 and has since become the largest bookstore chain in Portugal. I must say it was magical.

Here I am with the sign out front!

Tired, sweaty but excited! I had the time of my life wandering through the stacks of books and of course, came away with a few to add to my collection. The set up of the store was really neat! It had multiple rooms that stretched back kind of like a tunnel. It ended with a pretty gorgeous little cafe. As a book enthusiast, it was a pretty awesome experience. I highly recommend stopping by if you get the chance!

Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Lagos, Portugal

In addition to trying our hand at coasteering while in Lagos, Portugal, my husband and I went Stand Up Paddle Boarding for the very first time! It took a bit of getting used to, but we eventually got the hang of it. We started out on our knees and after making our way out toward the cliffs, we were able to stand up (with just a few minor wipe outs).

The cool part of doing our Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Lagos is all the beautiful caves! 

We had to go on our knees while inside the caves so we didn't hit our head along the way.

After a while, our knees started to hurt so most of us ended up just sitting down on the board.

And towards the end, I was really getting the hang of it! It was quite an adventure! We definitely had a blast and are so glad we got the chance to go on such a fun adventure. 

MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com

Coasteering and Cliff Jumping in Portugal

We spent a few days in Lagos, Portugal to relax during our honeymoon.... but of course we had to squeeze in some adventure! I found amazing reviews for something called "coasteering." If you're anything like me, you've never heard of coasteering. I really wanted to go cliff jumping (safely) so I started doing some research, and that's when I stumbled across coasteering! It's a combination of hiking, swimming, rock climbing and cliff jumping to make your way along a coastline. It's a lot more swimming and rock climbing that hiking, but it was amazing! 

We started by hiking down from the parking lot to the water and did our first little jump! For the first 2 lower jumps we were allowed to any trick we wanted, so of course I had to do a backflip! 

The views were beyond amazing! And the weather was perfect... but we were definitely glad to have those wetsuits.

Also, thank goodness for those life vests! That swim seemed to go on forever! My husband and I definitely had to take some breaks.

This is an action shot of the group making our way along some rocks. We even had a few times where we were in a cave and had to put feet on one side and hands on the other and kind of shimmy along. It was so fun!

This was one of our bigger jumps! They told us to put our arms out to stabilize before bringing them in tight for impact. I apparently turn out to be quite majestic when I cliff jump. #FallingWithStyle

All in all, cliff jumping and coasteering were AMAZING! We had so much fun and I 10/10 would do it again. In fact, if my husband and I travel near the coast (any coast) again anytime soon we are for sure going to be on the lookout for other coasteering tours. I would recommend going with a company who knows what they are doing. Our tour was very professional and we had the proper safety equipment which was reassuring. Be careful, do your research and get out there and enjoy the adventure!

A few Days in Porto, Portugal

We just got back from our honeymoon, and we had an amazing time! We had to deal with an unfortunate flight delay which scrambled our schedule a bit, but we still made the most of it! After an impromptu day in Madrid, my husband and I started our trip in Porto (we also circled back around and ended our trip in Porto).

Livraria Lello

Our first stop was the infamous Livraria Lello! This bookstore supposedly inspired JK Rowling while she was writing Harry Potter. To be fair, it was GORGEOUS! Unfortunately, anything touched by JK Rowling becomes an instant tourist attraction. In order to visit the bookstore, you had to buy a ticket. Not my favorite thing, but if you bought a book, the price of the ticket comes off of the book price. As it turns out, I actually kind of like this system. It keeps the crowd under control (though it was still a bit too busy to casually peruse some books) and helps keep the shop from feeling like a Harry Potter merch store. They did sell the books (obviously), but pretty much all other HP merch was sold in a store next to the ticket booth. A bookstore should focus on books, so I really enjoyed that aspect.

All in all, amazing bookstore, but still too touristy and busy for a genuine experience, in my opinion.

My husband and I really wanted to get out and enjoy the city, and there's no better way than going on a self-guided walking tour! We took the recommendation of the Lonely Planet guidebook and followed the tour they laid out. It was a ton of fun! It took us through some amazing places.

Sao Bento Train Station

One of the first stops on the walking tour was the Sao Bento Train Station! It was amazingly beautiful! The Azulejo tiles are a traditional form of Portuguese art. It was so neat to see a combination of tourists admiring the art and commuters just going about their day all in the same place. It was a nice, free stop and I recommend checking it out!

Igrejo de Sao Francisco

Another highlight from the walking tour was our stop in this beautiful church! It doesn't look all that impressive from the outside, but it's not very expensive to buy a ticket to see inside, and it's definitely worth it! The church itself is stunning, but you aren't allowed to take pictures. The pictures below are from the attached museum and catacombs! There is legit a pile of bones under the church which was a bit shocking but really cool!

Ponte De Dom Luis I

Finally, our last stop was relaxing in front of the Ponte De Dom Luis I, which is an iconic bridge in Porto. It was so nice to sit by the water and just take in the atmosphere!

Porto was a beautiful city and one I would totally visit again. I had an amazing time with my husband, and I'm excited to share more from our road trip soon!

Is Pisa Worth the Trip?

Every trip through Italy seems to include a classic "Holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa" picture (Guilty). But is it really worth it?

The long and short of it is - It's an iconic landmark, but a pain to get to! If you have a spare day to take the train out and back from Florence, I say go for it! I had a great time, but there's honestly not much to it. You get off the train, look at the worn map and follow the faded line to the tower. It is pretty incredible and definitely leaning! I just waited until I heard someone speaking english and asked if they would mind taking my picture. They were sweet, and I got a great picture out of it!

That said, there wasn't much to do beyond take a cool picture. You could pay to go up the tower, but I opted not to. I just didn't want to spend the money and wait in line - I was trying to still get back to Florence in time to do a few more things. While I waited for my return train, I sat in a cafe with a beautiful view of the tower, enjoyed an EPIC cup of hot chocolate and used their free wifi. It was a really nice way to kill time!

For me, it was worth it. I got to slow down for a little bit and relax, both on the train and at the restaurant. It was on my bucket list, so I'm glad I got to tick that off too. Honestly, take a look at your schedule. If you have a spare half a day, go for it! If you are more pressed for time and the picture isn't too important to you, you may want to skip it.

City Highlights - Rome

Continuing on in my city highlights series, today, I'm going to talk about my favorite places in Rome! Rome was my last stop on my solo backpacking adventure through Italy, and boy, was it fun!

The Spanish Steps

This may not seem like the biggest and fanciest attraction, but it was probably my favorite place! I found myself returning time and time again to rest, people watch and enjoy the sunset. I would post up along the steps (along the side, out of the way) and read my book at the end of each day. It was so fun to just be a part of the hustle and bustle of the city and unwind after a long day of exploring.

Enjoy this sub-par selfie in front of the Spanish Steps

The Coliseum

The Coliseum is obviously a must see! I highly recommend taking the time to go inside and not just settle for looking at the outside. The history is amazing, and I really enjoyed it! It is, of course, packed with tourists, so I recommend you go early and beat the rush!

Also, pro tip - your ticket for the coliseum will also get you into the Roman Forum right next door! Don't buy the additional ticket without asking if your coliseum ticket is still good! This may change year - to year, but it worked for me!

The Trevi Fountain

Anyone who has seen the Lizzie McGuire movie knows you HAVE to visit the Trevi fountain! Unfortunately for me, the Trevi fountain was hardcore under construction while I was there. Womp womp. It was a bit underwhelming, but I can still say I've been there!

The Villa Borghese

Finally, I highly recommend checking out the Roman gardens, the Villa Borghese! It was a very relaxing way to get away from the crowds and just enjoy myself. I spent the day walking around, exploring and enjoying the locals.

I found this mini Globe Theater for local theater productions! How cool!

These guys were amazing! It was a crew of guys rollerblading doing all kinds of fun stunts

Oh and did I mention the views?!?! 

Rome is an amazingly beautiful city with so much to see! These are just a few highlights from my time there. If you want help planning your Roman adventure, visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com!

My Dream Destinations

As a perpetual traveler, my list of places I'd love to go is ridiculously long. Instead of listing them all out, I decided to pick my top 3 trips Let's start with the upcoming trip - Portugal!

Portugal
At this point, my husband and I are just a few weeks away from our road trip around Portugal. We wanted a mix of adventure and relaxation and I think it will be perfect! We are spending a few days exploring some cultural sites and laying out on some gorgeous beaches. We're starting in Porto, going down to Luso and Coimbra then it's on to Lisbon. We are spending a few days in Lisbon before closing out the trip in Lagos. Neither of us have been to Portugal before, so we are ready for a brand new adventure!


Australia/ New Zealand

This has been on my bucket list for ages! I've been to this part of the world as a small child, but I hardly remember it. Both countries just look absolutely breathtaking and I hope to take a few weeks and do it upright sometime soon! I want to do the bridge climbing, I want to hike the hobbit town and maybe even go to the Sydney opera house! So many adventures await!

Iceland

And finally, Iceland. Oh, Iceland. I've almost gone on two or three trips to Iceland, but ultimately I've ended up going somewhere else. Iceland is relatively cheap to fly to, and who doesn't want to climb a glacier?! I have every confidence that I'll get there one day - probably sooner rather than later.

So many, so little time. If you want help planning your next adventure, check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com!

Best Trip Planning Tools

Big trips are incredibly exciting and rewarding, but they require a lot of work. Once you've selected your dream destination, organizing an itinerary can be daunting. There is so much information out there, and it can be hard to figure out where to start. As someone who has planned trips professionally, here are my best tips!

Don't Be Afraid to Use Guide Books
I know it can seem a bit archaic, but guide books can be a wonderful tool! While there are often new editions out each year, you can probably get away with using last year's edition to save some money - things don't change that much in just one year. However, I would maybe stay away from those guidebooks from the 1970's that always seem to be laying around.

Guide books are a reliable starting place and can have great insider tips. I personally love the Lonely Planet books - it's what I've been using to plan my upcoming trip to Portugal.  You can even check some out from the library as a starting place!

Trip Advisor
Next take advantage of some reputable online resources - I enjoy trip advisor! They rank the attractions (by category) and it's easy to get a feel of the city. There are even first hand reviews available that I've always found tremendously helpful.

Blogs
It's also a great idea to poke around  the internet for well-written travel blogs that discuss your destination. I love reading first-hand accounts of other people's adventures! It gives me an idea of what I  may want to sere and do while abroad AND tips me off to attractions that I may want to skip.

Social Media
Finally, I recommend posting on your social media account and asking for recommendations! You never know who will pop up with a great suggestion. These recommendations can be tremendously valuable because they come from people who know you and have no reason to lead you astray. It's also a great way to reconnect with friends from your past - bonus!

If you need help planning your itinerary, I'd be happy to help! MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Planning Our Road Trip Around Portugal

We are coming up on our honeymoon! We are so excited to road trip around Portugal this September and our plans are finally coming together! Ordinarily, I would have had this trip planned out long ago but we got married and moved so we've been busy! Here's our general gam plan:

Start our in Porto: We are pumped to fly into this city and spend the day exploring (especially the world famous bookstore!!!)

Move on to Lousa and visit Tomar. We are excited to explore some smaller towns on our way down to Lisbon. We are even staying in a palace!! It's going to be epic.

Spend a couple days in Lisbon living the good life! We are pretty excited to dive into the architecture and heartbeat of this city.

Next stop? The Algarve! We will be spending 3 days down in Lagos hiking, laying on the beach and enjoying ourselves. We splurged a little on the hotel and are excited to see what it offers. I'll definitely do a review once we've stayed!

Close out the trip by road tripping back up to Porto. We will be stopping a few local towns to explore along the way.

Lucky for us, Portugal is a relatively small country, so we will be able to cover quite a bit of ground! It's only 5 or 6 hours between Lagos and Porto so we are doing it up right! Hopefully, we've left enough time in our schedule for relaxing. Depending on how we feel, we may even bop over to Spain for a day! We shall see.

We are so excited for this trip,and can not wait to celebrate our new marriage and our new adventures together. Get ready for some Portugal-heavy content coming your way soon!

How To Be A Tourist In Your Hometown

If you love adventure but are still saving up for your next big trip, satisfy your wanderlust with a bit of hometown tourism! My husband and I used to have "Date Days" where we would pick a few major attractions in our town and make a day of it! We used to live in Raleigh so let's start there.

Visit the Local Museums
While it may not be NYC, Raleigh has its fair share of awesome museums - many of which are free! Each date day we would pick a new one to go visit - the art museum, history museum and arboretum to name a few!

Check Out The Best Restaurants

On these date days, we liked to shake things up! Instead of going to the same old restaurants for dinner, we ventured out! We went out of our way to the heart of downtown and loved to try some classic Raleigh hot spots like The Raleigh Times or Busy Bee. So good! You can also go on sites like Trip Advisor and see what other people and tourists have enjoyed. You never know what you'll stumble across.

My handsome husband at a local Brew Pub on our date day!

Get Out in Nature
Finally, check out the local foliage. We like to go on a little hike in Umstead park and have a picnic by the water. It's a great way to get exercise and get some fresh air. Even in the biggest of cities, a park or hiking trails are sure to be nearby.

The perfect picnic spot!

Make the most of your weekends and don't be afraid to try new things!

Malena

Tips on Hostel Life

Staying in a hostel is a wonderful thing! I've met some amazing people while staying in hostels, and I've had some truly memorable experiences. What's even better is through careful research, I've been able to avoid any bad experiences.  Here are my top tips for having a great experience out there in hostels across the world.


1) Pick a safe, clean hostel
This is far and away the most important aspect of ensuring you have a stellar hostel experience. No one wants to sleep in a sketchy bed full of bugs, dirt and much, much worse. I've heard of hostels with a "chess room" that was available by the hour - aka it had very little to do with chess, but had a locking door. Ew!

I've avoided these really gross hostels by doing a ton of research ahead of time! I like to look on hostelworld.com for the safety and cleanliness ratings. Generally I aim for AT LEAST an 80 percent, but preferably a 90 or above. These hostels are still going to be affordable but will be WAY safer than hostels that scored in  say the 50th percentile for cleanliness and safety. It's worth the few extra bucks per night to feel safe. Trust me.


2) Don't forget sheets, towel and lock (depending on the hostel)
Depending on where you're staying you may need to bring some of the basics with you. Believe it or not, some hostels don't even provide sheets! It's important to check on those sorts of things before you go. If you aren't keen on traveling with a full set of sheets and a towel, oftentimes you can rent them from the hostel for a small fee. I've done this in the past and it's been fine - just make sure you factor the cost into your budget!

And always always always bring a lock! Majority of hostels provide lockers, but not many provide locks.

3) Use a locker
My next tip is to use that locker! Even if your bunk/roommates seem like amazing, nice people you just never really know.  Locks keep honest people honest. I have never had anything stolen from a hostel (knock on wood), but I'm also very careful to always lock up my valuables, even if I'm stepping out for just a minute or two.

4) Don't be afraid to socialize
Finally, HAVE FUN! Hostels are a great place to meet people from every corner of the world. I personally love to hang out in the hostel's common room or bar. It's a great way to socialize with strangers while having a bit of a safety net - there are usually staff nearby that can step in if needed. A lot of hostels even have movie rooms, game areas or a communal book shelf. Take advantage of these! If you invite someone to play monopoly and they say no... who cares? You probably will literally never see them again. And if they take you up on it, you may just make a life-long friend!

Me with some new friends in a hostel in Florence, Italy

Hostels are a great option for travelers on a budget - just make sure you're prepared! If you'd like some help planning out your next trek, visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.