travel Archives • Page 2 of 5 • Life With Leila

How I Spent My 24th Birthday in Denver, Colorado

January 7, 2020 No Comments

The itch to travel has not shut up ever since I took my first major solo trip to Montreal, Canada in May 2018. Since then I’ve done several trips, big and small. I decided last minute to take a plane to Denver, Colorado to spend my birthday. Like my trip to Portugal, it was last minute (even more so) and I just went with my gut. I didn’t want to spend hundreds on an international flight and there are still many places in the U.S. I have yet to explore.

Since I’ve never been to that side of the country before, I thought visiting Denver would be a great choice. So I booked my plane ticket, a bed in a hostel and began putting together a Google Doc of my intended itinerary. If you’d like to read about my time in Denver, Colorado for my birthday, keep reading.

travel

Porto or Lisbon: Which City in Portugal Should You Visit?

December 17, 2019 No Comments

In April, I took my first trip to Europe by visiting the amazing country of Portugal. While there I visited many cities, but based myself in Porto and Lisbon. These are the two biggest cities of Portugal and thus extremely popular with tourists. I was lucky to have over two weeks to explore. However, others may not have as much time and could be faced with a tough choice: Porto or Lisbon?

Hopefully, after this ready this post, you’ll be able to decide which city is better suited for you. Both cities were great and are worth a visit. But if you’re interested in finding out if Porto or Lisbon should be next on your travel bucket list, keep reading.

travel

Winter in Europe: 2019 Bucket List

December 3, 2019 No Comments

Almost one year ago I made a list of the cities I’d love to visit specifically in the winter. Most of the choices involved spending winter in Europe. However, I was in a very different place in my life during that time. First of all, I wasn’t living in Europe! Now that I am, I can stop saying “what if” to many of the cities I’d like to spend my winter in Europe, and actually start planning!

Here is my list of what I’d like to do and see this winter in Europe as I continue my expat journey in this part of the world. If you’re interested in finding out, keep reading.

travel

Halloween Travel Destination: My Bucket List

October 29, 2019 No Comments

Halloween is without a doubt my favorite holiday. I look forward to October every month. Without fail, I binge watch Halloweentown I and II (sometimes Halloweentown High, but never Return to Halloweentown because this blog supports Kimberly J. Brown) and Hocus Pocus. Besides movies, there are also certain places that just exude the spirit of Halloween. Thus, I put together a list of places I’d like to spend Halloween in.

Interested? Keep reading.

travel

Exploring Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver, Colorado

October 15, 2019 No Comments

While in Denver for my birthday, I went to the Tattered Cover Bookstore several times. When I travel, I enjoy checking out their most well known bookstores. I went to Livraria Lello while in Porto, Portugal – an alleged inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels. I knew I’d be visiting Tattered Cover as well. Unlike Livraria Lello, it did not disappoint and I went back several times during my trip.

If you’d like to know more about my experience visiting Tattered Cover, keep reading.

travel

Sintra, Portugal: Day Trip from Lisbon

October 8, 2019 No Comments

If you’ve seen photos of Portugal, there’s a great chance you’ve come across the gorgeous castles in Sintra. Sintra is a beautiful town near the capital city of Lisbon. This makes a great day trip for people staying in Lisbon, which is exactly what I did during my Portugal trip. If you’d like to read about how to get to Sintra and how to make most of your trip, keep reading.

packing, travel

Packing for Portugal – What I’m Glad I Brought

August 13, 2019 No Comments

Before reading this post, check out my vlog as I prepared packing for Portugal by buying some new travel goodies!

If you are a chronic over packer, please raise your hand! For even small 3-day trips I have trouble not stuffing an entire suitcase. So when packing for Portugal a few months ago on my first trip to Europe, I tried to go easy on what I brought with me. Traveling carry-on only is becoming more popular and people often say what they could have done without. However, I thought I’d mention what I am glad I brought with me when packing for Portugal.

So if you’d like to find out the travel items that I think deserve a spot in your duffel bag, carry-on or checked luggage, keep reading.