Take Me Back To: Machu Picchu

I have the travel bug real bad. Planning my upcoming European adventures is making me rather nostalgic for my escapades in South America. Specifically, I've got Peru on my mind.

Peru altered my life in many ways. For one: I can officially die happy now. Why, you ask? After dreaming about it for over a decade, I finally visited Machu Picchu. It was more incredible than I had ever imagined. The first sight of it absolutely took my breath away. I was even more enthralled as we explored it further, venturing through the beautiful and complex architecture. We were lucky enough to have a private tour, and our marvelous guide José took us to all of the most magnificent spots as well as the lesser-known sites free of the many hordes of tourists. From the sun temple to the astrology tower, to the Incan university and to the famous viewpoint in front of Huayna Picchu, I was in complete awe the entire day.

In the midst of the stunning Andes Mountains and lush jungle foliage, Machu Picchu epitomizes grandiose, mysterious beauty. Its entirety is simply majestic. I am so profoundly amazed at how advanced the Incas were, and how their innovative technology preceded their time. In Machu Picchu, we were shown how they had an exact compass made of stone before modern compasses were even invented, and how they had precise ways of determining the solstices without a regimented calendar. Their architecture was advanced enough to remain stable through earthquakes and tremors, and they even developed different styles of architecture for different ranks of nobility. Their technique of perfectly shaping enormous boulders astounds me. Everything the Incas did was an impressive feat.

Machu Picchu is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen in my entire life. My mind cannot even comprehend its divine exquisiteness and captivating history. Sometimes I feel like it was all a dream, because in those moments of soaking in its enchanting splendor, it all just seemed so surreal. The entire experience was eyeopening and spiritually invigorating. As much as I wish I could go back and experience it all again, I'm grateful enough to have experienced it once in my lifetime. I guess some dreams really do come true.

Take Me Back To: Scotland

Haggis, Nessie, bagpipes, oh my! In honor of my upcoming trip to London, I'm embracing all things UK. Thinking about all of my adventures to be had in England is giving me major flashbacks of my trip to Scotland in 2010.

Scotland is one of the most enchanting places I've ever visited. Being in Scotland made me feel like a princess living in a fairytale; Edinburgh is simply majestic. The regal castles, emerald volcanos and magnificent stone buildings emanate rich history and timeless beauty. We spent hours touring the city, visiting haunted graveyards, touring legendary memorials and learning about Scotland's dark & bloody history. History was always my worst subject in school - yet despite my natural ambivalence towards it, I found the history of Scotland to be absolutely enthralling.

We ventured into the Scottish Highlands by bus and saw the stunning, snow covered mountains and splendidly tiny Highland villages. We also traveled to the beautiful Loch Ness, where we hunted for Nessie. I had no such luck finding him, but I'm still quite sure he exists.

Some other highlights included: eating deep fried Mars bars (disgustingly delicious), trying Haggis, listening to bagpipes, drinking tea in the Elephant House Café where JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter, staying at Castle Rock (the coolest hostel in the world), drinking insanely tasty black currant juice every day, tasting authentic Scotch and visiting the world's largest Scotch Whisky collection, shopping on the Royal Mile, jumping out of bright cherry red phone booths, listening to sexy Scottish accents, spiking our coffee with Bailey's and eating delectable Scottish breakfasts.

It was an incredible trip to say the least, and I cannot wait to go back one day. Until then, I'm getting ridiculously excited to return to the UK and finally visit England!

Next to the castle that inspired Hogwarts is Greyfriers Graveyard, where a "Tom Riddle" and "McGonagall" are buried. 

Happy Bastille Day!

Happy Bastille Day, everyone! If you need to know anything about me, you should know that I am obsessed with all things French and undoubtedly belong in Paris. (So naturally, I'm moving to... Spain? Sometimes I don't understand myself.)

You know how everybody uncontrollably sobs during the first 15 minutes of the movie "Up" or the end of "Titanic"? Well, that also happens to me when I watch the opening scene of "Midnight in Paris".

My name is Courtney, and I'm a francophile. 

Three years ago when I was living in Spain, I took a spontaneous trip to Paris during my spring break because I knew I would be a fool to fly all the way to Europe and not visit the city I had been fantasizing about since I was a little girl. Visiting France had been a dream and an obsession of mine since I was a child; even my room was decorated with a Parisian theme. Needless to say, the minute I set foot upon the cobblestone streets of the Left Bank, I fell head over heels in love. I daydreamed about returning to Paris every day since I left.

Two summers ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to actually live in Paris for a month and study Surrealist art and literature. I could hardly even believe that I had the chance to fulfill my lifelong dream of living in Paris.

And you guys, it was perfect.

Our only homework assignment was to "get lost in Paris" and aimlessly wander through the city, documenting what we encountered and how it moved us. Every day was filled with adventure, art, spontaneity and literature. Every moment was inspiring. I spent my time wandering through the world's best museums, snacking on delicious macarons from Ladurée, strolling along the Seine, and channelling my inner Hemingway at quaint Parisian cafés.

Gertrude Stein once quoted, "America is my country, and Paris is my hometown." I couldn't have said it better myself. I've never felt such a genuine connection to a city before. I've come to the realization that I am undoubtedly French at heart. Much like myself, the French have a passion for enjoying gourmet food, place profound importance on literature and the arts, pursue intellect wholeheartedly, and take their time appreciating all that life has to offer. The embrace la joie de vivre, which entails living life to the absolute fullest. The are thinkers, creators, lovers. They approach life with a zealous passion that brings enlightenment to all perspectives. Their culture exudes class and sophistication, and by all means they are proud of their French identity. And who can blame them? It is a culture of greatness. 

Throughout all of my travels around the world, Paris is by far the most beautiful city I've encountered. I've ridden camels in Morocco, watched bullfights in Madrid, zip lined through the jungles of Mexico, basked on the beaches of southern Spain, skied through the snowy mountains of Whistler, climbed the rock of Gibraltar to play with wild monkeys, explored the Highlands of Scotland, and relished the sublime beauty of Iguazú Falls. And yet, nothing quite compares to the magic of Paris.