Oftentimes, our travels take us to powerfully moving places, carefully sought out for their beauty and joy, or even spontaneously stumbled upon in good fortune. On the other hand, we sometimes find ourselves in areas with much darker sides. But one thing is for sure, they are no less powerfully moving.

In fact, these places tend to be of the utmost significance, because it best draws out the very essence of the travel experience; emotion. Moreover, we hold the memories from these experiences with us most closely because of the perspective that they bring.

I haven’t yet made it to every corner of Europe. I do wonder however that if that day comes, I’ll have ever found a place quite like Budapest.

This city seemingly has it all; history, sights, food, and for us budget travellers, affordability. It’s a place I would be hard pressed to pass up even at the expense of having the chance of exploring somewhere new.

If there is a place in this world worth going back to, it always ends up being Marin. A county in which I called home for three years of my life, I’ve yet to find an area on this globe that offers up so much.

I’ve been blessed to visit many incredible places both before and after my trip to Iceland in 2019, but this adventure may always be one of the more important journeys of my life.

I found clarity in Iceland- a sense of direction that had evaded me not matter how hard I tried to find it. Looking back on it today, I’m thankful for the journey.