Hey there. My name is Ann-Kathrin. I am a German-born cisgender female (she/her) currently living and working in New York City. An explorer at heart, I have been plagued by “Fernweh” aka far-sickness or wanderlust for as long as I can remember. (Read more)
Welcome to my blog, wanderingexplorer.travel. This blog is dedicated to my thoughts and memories relating to travel and life in general and hopes to make you smile and think. Please have a look around and feel free to like or leave a comment.
Mentioned Blog Posts
Travel Favorites: Taking in the scenery (Nature and Landscapes)
I used to say that I am a city girl through and through. When it came to travel, I was focused on city trips and architecture, the idea of the country side and nature bored me. Until I made it to Vietnam… and was convinced otherwise.
Around Europe in 30 days #25: The end of the road (Vienna)
My 30 day interrail trip around Europe had taken me to amazing sights, enabled me to meet fascinating people and forced me to face myself and grow in the process.
Around Europe in 30 days #23: With hand and feet (Istanbul)
And even though I did not speak Turkish and they did not speak German or English, we ended up having a full fledged conversation with a mixture of basic words and body language.
Around Europe in 30 days #22: “Carpet, madam?” (Istanbul)
After Athens, I took a train to Thessaloniki (Greece) and from there a night train to Istanbul where I arrived on Sep 20th. And honestly, even though the weather was grey and gloomy, the city and its people were amazing.
Around Europe in 30 days #21: Lost in translation (Athens)
Athens confronted me with a problem that I had anticipated earlier but had been spared: Language barriers
Around Europe in 30 days #17: All roads lead to… (Rome)
Due to the early starts of fall, my first day of exploration in Rome was mostly grey and drizzly, but I was still fascinated. Rome feels like an open-air museum and has so many different styles of architecture to offer. You can just walk down a street and suddenly be faced with ancient Roman ruins…
Around Europe in 30 days #15: Stepping back in time (Venice)
Heading into Venice with a train is kind of fascinating in itself. There is nothing but water around you for miles, but you can see the lagoon city growing in the distance. And once you actually step out of the train station, it is like your stepped back in time and into a different world.
Around Europe in 30 days #12: Falling in love with a city (Barcelona)
Barcelona is truly a city I fell in love with. I can’t pinpoint it to one thing. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the vibe. Maybe it’s the architecture. Maybe it is the international scene. Maybe it’s being so close to the seas and the beach. Maybe it is the laidback attitude of it’s inhabitant.
Around Europe in 30 days #11: Rosemary twigs and fairy tale palaces (Granada)
After my breakdown the night before, I felt peaceful for the first time in months. This gave me the opportunity to wander around Granada while waiting for my actual day to visit the Alhambra. It was lovely exploring the streets, but it was especially memorable to climb up the hills and get an amazing view…
Happy New Year!
I wish you that the upcoming year brings you all the best of life.
Around Europe in 30 days #9: The long way round (Granada)
When I arrived at the train station, I was surprised that I could not find any free city maps, something I was pretty much relying on to find my way around in that pre-digital age. I had the address of the youth hostel I wanted to stay at, but I did not know how to…
Around Europe in 30 days #8: Would you like to join us? (Madrid)
On August 31th, 2008, I boarded the first actual train ride of my Interrail journey. Switching trains in Bordeaux and Irún, it took over 12 hours to get from Paris to Madrid. I remember being slightly nervous at the first ticket control.
Around Europe in 30 days #7: Wrong place, wrong time (Paris)
My last day in Paris came with gorgeous blue skies and amazing August weather. Perfect to visit some of the spots that were still on my list across Montmartre and the northern shores of the Seine. But for better or worse, that day came with a bit of a damper.
Around Europe in 30 days #6: Making a dream come true (Versailles)
The Château de Versailles may be considered a masterpiece of baroque architecture and was the blueprint for Central European palaces for decades to come. Every time I heard about the palace or its creator, I dreamed of seeing it for myself.
Around Europe in 30 days #5: Starting the journey (Paris)
I was feeling lightheaded and weak even though physically I should have been fine. Regardless, once I had secured myself a bunk bed in the youth hostel and freshened up a little bit, I felt way to exhilarated to stay put.
Around Europe in 30 days #4: Getting cold feet
And suddenly, I got cold feet. Planning the trip had been the easy part. But when the plan was finally about to become reality, I was afraid of my own courage.
Around Europe in 30 days #2: Money, money, money
I did some additional research to figure out what would be a reasonable budget. I figured that some countries (e.g. Italy) would require a little bit more daily allowance while other’s would be cheaper (e.g. Turkey).
Mindfulness: Focus on the present
Sometimes it’s hard to be present. We think about the past and dream about the future. We get lost in previous hurt and misunderstanding and get carried away by worries and fears about what might happen. You can pull yourself back to the here and now and realize all the blessings that you have been…
Life in a pandemic #4: Where do we go from here?
This year has been a grind for all of us. The ups and downs in short succession can feel like the ocean is tossing us all over the place.
Life in a pandemic #1: The start of a crazy year
I was still optimistic when COVID-19 started picking up speed back in March and thought that we would be back to normal within 1-2 months.
Travel: Who to travel with
Whenever you plan a trip, one question might pop up sooner or later: Who (if anyone) do I take with me?
Travel advice: How to be a good traveler (and not an obnoxious tourist)
Whether at home or while abroad, we have all run into tourists that stuck out like a soar thumb and made us cringe at their behavior or inappropriate attire. Here are a couple of thoughts on how to be a good traveler (and not an obnoxious tourist).
Travel advice: What to pack (my basic essentials)
My dad ingrained in me that there are a couple of bare essentials: Passport, banking card and (nowadays) your smartphone. If need be, you can figure out anything else along the way.
Travel: Why I travel
There are countless things that I love about traveling. Here are the main ones for me personally.
Travel: Where I have been (so far)
So far, I have been to a total of 28 countries and 83 towns, cities or places on 4 continents. And I can’t wait to see what still lies ahead.
Who am I?
I am a German-born explorer at heart and have been plagued by “Fernweh” aka far-sickness or wanderlust for as long as I can remember…
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