Like so many others, I became fascinated with the idea of setting off into the Alaskan wilderness to find the Magic Bus. The Magic Bus, where free-spirited adventurer Christoper McCandless aka. Alexander Supertramp found a tragic end in 1992. The Magic Bus was located just North outside of Denali National Park, along the Stampede Trail near a small town called Healy. In the Alaskan wilderness.
Chances are, if you are planning a trip to Alaska, you probably want to see some wildlife while you're there. Alaska provides important habitat for fish and wildlife and you can find bears, mose, wolves, otters, caribous, beavers, salmon and many more. Many travelers hope for a spectacular wildlife encounter.
Denali National Park & Preserve is a must see when visiting Alaska. A trip to Alaska requires thourough research in order to make the moust out of your trip. So should a visit at Denali National Park & Preserve. In my latest post I already wrote about 10 things you should know before visiting Denali. In this post I am giving you 5 tips for your visit - some of them I wish having taken more seriously before I went.
Denali National Park and Preserve is a US national park located in the State of Alaska. It encompasses 6 million acres od wilderness as well as the 20,000 feet high Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley), which is North America's tallest peak. The variety of the park is impressive, with tundra, glaciers, forests and wildlife such as bears, wolves and moose. Denali is a place you cannot miss on your Alaska itinerary. Here are 10 things to know before visiting Denali National Park and Preserve.
In this blog post, I share my Alaska itinerary for 14 days, which I planned and organized myself. Hopefully some of you will find this useful when planning your own trip. I went to Alaska in August, which might be helpful to know, since some of the activities you want to do (e.g. see Northern Lights) will depend on the season. If you want to know more details about my trip, check out my post about my Alaska Travel Diary!
In this blog post, I share my Alaska travel diary. Hopefully some of you will find this useful when planning your own trip. I went to Alaska in August, which might be helpful to know, since some of the activities you want to do (e.g. see Northern Lights) will depend on the season.
Are you thinking about traveling to Alaska? In case you haven't heard, The Last Frontier of the US makes for a fabulous travel destination. There are a couple of things you should know before making your way up North. I have written down 10 reasons you need to know before traveling to Alaska - some of them I only found out when I was actually there. So I hope they help you to plan your trip a little better!
If you are planning a trip to Alaska, you've got to do it right. I wanted to go to Alaska for years before I finally went and did a lot of research before my trip. I am not an expert, by all means, but I am happy to share all the knowledge I have so far.
While every Tom, Dick, and Patrick will tell you about what to do when traveling to Ireland and how they are actually 5% Irish themselves, not many people talk about what mistakes to avoid. If you are planning a trip to Ireland in the near future or maybe even think about moving there, you are on the right page. Here is my list of mistakes to avoid when traveling to Ireland - or how to avoid looking like a fecking eejit.
In my previous post about 10 Words You Need To Know As An Expat In Ireland, I already featured 10 words and phrases you should know when moving to Ireland. Even though Ireland is a predominantly English-speaking country, it sometimes feels like people here speak a different language due to slang and Irish phrases added into the mix. Have a look below if you feel like a feckin’ eejit when Irish people talk to you!
Being an expat is not always easy. You have to battle homesickness and culture shocks. Not to mention your family and friends, who - we know - love us and want what's best for you but keep asking when you are moving back because - let's face it - what is even the point of living abroad during a global pandemic? Yes, living abroad during a global pandemic is especially hard. When all things hit the fan, it is time to give yourself an expat pep-talk.
Is there anything specific you do every time you travel? Get a souvenir? Write postcards? Talk to a local? Many people have their own list of things they try to do every time they travel. Whenever I travel I try to check off some if not all things on the list below to make sure I get the most out of my trip. For me, they are the best way to be a traveler without losing sight of the fantastic time I have while traveling.
Ireland is also called the Emerald Island - with good reason. Ireland is famous for its weather - almost no week goes by without some sort of rain. Even though growing up in Germany I am no stranger to bad weather, I definitely realized I had something to learn when moving to Ireland - about the types of rain, the suitable outfit for each of these (a surprising amount still includes shorts and sneakers) and most of all - the attitude (‘Ah, sure look., we’ll be grand.’). Though I am not a meteorological expert, here are the 10 different types of rain that definitely do exist in Ireland.
I am a self-proclaimed expat. If someone asks a room full of people who is an expat, I raise my hand. I publish blog posts in an 'expat' category and use #expatlife on my Instagram posts. Unfortunately, the word expat has an image problem. I don't really have a negative association with the word expat, but some people do. I also sometimes get the question 'Why do you consider yourself an expat rather than an immigrant?' and sometimes I ask myself the same. This is my fourth year not living in my home country and I think it's time to peel back the layers and look into the expat vs immigrant debate.
How can I live in Ireland as an expat without writing a guide to Guinness? Exactly, I can’t. Guinness is the most famous Irish beer and I know quite a few people who are not the biggest fans of it. Speaking out of my own experience, however, I can say - it truly does taste better in Ireland. And since the Guinness Storehouse is one of the top things to do in Dublin, you should definitely book a tour and have a lovely pint of Guinness while you’re there.
I haven’t lived in my home country for three years now and recently wrote an article about the things I love about living abroad. And I do! I love living abroad (otherwise I wouldn’t still be doing it, right?) and I encourage everyone to give it a try if they are thinking about it. However, I don’t want to pretend that everything is all sunshine. Living abroad can be hard. I want to give a realistic picture of what it’s like living in another country, so I guess it’s time to shed more light on the downs.
Naturally, I would answer the question ‘Should I move abroad?’ with ‘Yes, absolutely, thank you very much!’ I have lived in the US, moved back to my home country Germany, moved abroad again, and have now been living in Ireland for almost three years. But is Ireland a great choice as an expat? There are many pros and cons regarding which country to move to and the answer will ultimately depend on what you want and what is realistic. Since I have moved to Ireland myself, the pros of this list have obviously outweighed the cons but I will try to give you a holistic view about what it is like to move to Ireland and what you should consider before making a decision.
For a year I have been working from my bedroom in an apartment in Dublin. I don't have many exciting things to report, because I have barely left the city due to the lockdown radius the Irish government implements during high lockdown stages. Being an expat during a global pandemic is hard. Here are some tips that helped me cope with >12 months of a global pandemic and several lockdowns.
I have been living the expat-life in Ireland for almost three years now. Ireland became a predominantly English-speaking country at the turn of the 19th century. However, it sometimes feels like people here speak an entirely different language. The Irish have managed to make English their own by using their very own slang words. This is actually called Hiberno-English (Hibernia is the Latin for Ireland). To unleash on all unfamiliar with the lingo, the Irish love to drop some actual Irish in between their sentences. So if you need to brush up on your Irish local skills. Below you find my favorite Irish slang words and expressions.
A global pandemic has been hitting the world for more than a year. Traveling - if possible at all - is a small nightmare with COVID tests, quarantines, and calls from local health authorities. Restaurants, shops, pubs, museums are still closed in many countries. The highlights of my day are the walk to the supermarket and a walk along the canal in my neighborhood. Over the past couple of months, I have lived through various degrees of lockdowns with a radius of 2 km, 5 km, curfews, and police controls. Don't get me wrong - I understand why all of this is necessary. But locked away in my shared apartment in Dublin is certainly not how I envisioned my life as an expat in Ireland.
I have the Big Day app installed on my phone, where you can count days up or down for a specific event. I realized last week, that I had moved to Ireland 1000 days ago. Wow, 1000 days, that’s quite some time - two and a half years. For those of you who don’t know my story, I left Germany in 2016 and moved to the States for a year. After returning to Germany, I lived in Berlin for a year before packing my bags again to move to Ireland. Of course, there are some things that are difficult when living abroad, but here’s what I love!
Granted, you could probably write a separate bucket list for each of New York’s boroughs and by just visiting the city alone, you will never be able to discover all the neighborhoods, bars, and restaurants (unless you take a New York gap year I suppose). I assure you, there are better, longer, and more detailed New York bucket lists out there. But maybe some of you don’t have the time or energy to read through all the 1000 New York bucket lists out there - or you’re looking for the 10001 bucket list from your average Bavarian girl. So here is my take on the New York bucket list!
When moving abroad, things will most likely not be all sunshine. In this post, I wrote about the 5 phases of moving abroad. Today, I would like to give you some tips on each of them and how to overcome feelings like homesickness or culture shocks. I have moved from Germany to the US, back to Germany, and then to Ireland. While I know, that some of these tips might not help everyone, they definitely did the trick for me and I hope that one or the other might find them useful.
There's a difference between people who travel to a country for a limited amount of time and people who actually chose to live in a foreign country. And while I absolutely encourage everyone to pack their bags and travel the world whenever they can fit it into their busy schedules, I salute all of you who board a plane and take the leap without having a return ticket in their pocket.
There's an emotional roller coaster coming with moving abroad and actually living in another country. Making that decision is always nerve-wrecking. You probably feel excited and nervous as the same time - particularly if you've never done such a huge step before. And it can drive you crazy. So a thing to definitely keep in mind when you are considering moving abroad is, that it won't all be sunshine. But another thing to keep in mind is that it is definitely worth it, because you will for sure learn something.
If you've never lived in another country you might never realize that you and your folks have some weird behaviors, other cultures think are weird. Of course, the specifics depend heavily on the cultures you are comparing. When I moved to the US though I didn't really realize that there are quite a few things Germans do that Americans would find weird. Mostly because I thought that the differences wouldn't be that big. After all - it wasn't Japan, Saudi Arabia, or the Congo - right? I grew up with American movies, TV shows, and music. I know stuff about American geography, climate, and history.
Even though I am huge Christmas fan and Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday, I actually also quite like New Year’s Eve. I know this holiday tends to spark a lot of controversies with people expecting the best party of their lives and sometimes a lot of pressure from family and friends to be all social and happy. What I do like about it though, is that this holiday is not about getting presents, it is all about new beginnings and chances. I also quite like that many cultures and religions do celebrate the new year in one way or another, so it feels like something a lot of people have in common.
You guys know that I am all about books. But sometimes I am all about movies too. It's probably no surprise that the Harry Potter movies are some of my favorites, but there are others I am a huge fan of, too. That is why I have some movie locations on my list, that my inner fan girl thinks are worth visiting.
Now that travelling is quite difficult, I can’t stop thinking about my previous trips and how badly I want to go to places. As a kid, I was no fan of road trips. At all. Maybe because growing up in the middle of Europe meant to my parents that you might as well drive everywhere since everything so close. Literally everywhere. We drove to Spain several times - through the ENTIRE country of France. It took us two days until we reached our campground. Being stuck in a car in southern France in the summer (and with your annoying little brother) isn't fun at all. But hey, I know the best parking spots along the way now.
Can you tell, that I cannot wait to travel after COVID? There is one undeniable advantage of living in Europe - traveling to many different countries is incredibly easy! Hop on a two hour flight and you are in an entirely different country. Or get in your car and start driving. Things aren’t just comparably close, they are also comparably open. Thanks to the European Union you can drive from Portugal to Germany without showing your passport once. Growing up in Germany, we spent our summer vacations exclusively in Europe. However, there are still many places that I would love to visit - or visit again! Below is my travel bucket list - Europe Edition.
It is probably no secret that the US has a soft spot in my heart. After wanting to move abroad for quite some time, I finally took the leap and packed my bags and moved from Germany to San Francisco and it was one of the best decisions I have made so far. Even though I have only been to Canada for a short visit, the country won over my heart instantly. And while I always support a good old trip to the US, here are a couple of reasons why you should definitely pay Canada a visit as well.
Unfortunately, not much traveling is happening these days and I don’t have any exciting vacation plans lined up. As the lockdown restrictions have lifted slightly, I will try to visit my family in Germany and maybe plan a little road trip through the motherland. That’s where I got the idea to write down my Great Germany Bucket List because after all, that’s where I grew up. So if you are ever around Europe, be sure to stop by!
What comes to your mind when you think about California? My guess is the sun, beaches, the Golden Gate Bridge, and something related to Hollywood. The Golden State is quite famous all over the world and the list of things you can do and places you should visit is nearly endless. Unfortunately, my trip to the Golden State earlier this year fell through, and due to COVID there isn’t much to do, so I came up with the idea to write a post about some interesting facts about California - and I might even make a series out of it!
Yes - again - a San Francisco post. How many can she write, might you ask. I can tell you - I could write so many! I am currently planning a trip to San Francisco for work (fingers crossed we can go with COVID), so today however you are in for a special treat! After already telling you about the top sights in San Francisco, some insider tips, and of course my favorite spots in the City by the Bay, I now want the share with you my Ultimate San Francisco Bucket List!
Dreaming about an epic road trip along the sunny coast of California like me? I was actually supposed to visit the Golden State with work this month, which was cancelled due to COVID. But look no further! I've got a list of amazing stops for your road trip down (or up) the Californian coast that you can't miss (once you’re allowed to travel). A road trip on the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) is an unforgettable vacation and the best way to see many things the state has to offer. Waterfalls, beaches, theme parks - name it and find it along the way.
Berlin, Berlin, you are every city’s queen - so goes a saying by German singer Nina Hagen. And a queen it surely is. Berlin is big, Berlin is wild and it would probably take a different bucket list for each of the neighborhoods. Even after having lived here, I can honestly say that I haven’t seen it all. After a while, you tend to stay in the area you live in, and checking out new places becomes more of an effort. So hands down, this is not a complete list - but it’s the list I personally have used when living in Berlin to keep exploring the city. So here it comes, my Ultimate Berlin bucket List!
California - the ultimate dream vacation of many with a variety of everything - landscapes, cities, cultures. You probably have heard a great deal about The Golden State, even if you have never actually been there. Of course - it's hella amazing! You can find sunny beaches, impressive deserts, rugged coastlines, big cities, charming villages, exciting mountains and so much more in this area. However, there are some facts that you might not know when you are traveling to California for the first time. That is why you can find a list of important facts for first-time travelers to California in this post.
Italy is one of the most beautiful countries to visit in Europe and quite popular on European Bucket Lists. Who wouldn’t get itchy feet when thinking about Cinque Terre, the canals of Venice, and don’t even get me started on Italian food. I love Italian food. Pizza, pasta, give me all the carbs, I feel no remorse and no reason to apologize. Here are some of my very own tips worth knowing before heading to Italy!
Once you have lived abroad and come back home to your country, you might start noticing some things you did not notice before you left. I find this a particularly odd experience, since when you live abroad, you tend to only miss the good things about your home country. Returning to Germany, I found there were some annoying things I did not notice before, but I also started to cherish some stuff that I used to take for granted.
Many people consider Berlin to be one of the most fascinating cities there are. Many young Germans think it is an exciting place you should have at least lived once in your life, with all its culture and many neighbourhoods. Many foreigners come to Berlin because it’s artsy, it’s cheap and you don’t need to speak any German in order to get along. I however, have struggled with this city and I think it will never be one of my favourite places to live. The city and I have a difficult relationship.
In my Ultimate Guide to Oktoberfest, you can find all the useful information you need when you visit Oktoberfest for the first time. In this post, I want to share my Oktoberfest Insider Tips with you, as it is that time of the year again!
Once you life in another country for a while, you start to develop some kind of routine and along with it come some new habits. First, some things might seem weird to you but after some time, you start to assimilate. During my time in San Francisco I adapted some American habits.
Berlin has the reputation of being cheap. After all, the city’s slogan is ‘poor but sexy’. Given the city’s history, this is probably not surprising. Berlin was a divided city in the middle of East Germany - meaning part of Berlin belonged to West Germany, but you had to drive through East Germany to get there. Being surrounded by a big wall on all sides didn’t particularly make the city very attractive - thus it was cheap and attracted artists and all sorts of alternative folks. While this has definitely changed (today, Berlin is one of Europe’s hot spots), it is still comparably cheap and there are tons of things you can do for free.
Salzburg for most Germans I would say, is a nice Austrian city conveniently located right across the border so perfect for a good day trip. Before going there I was actually not aware that it was such a famous location for The Sound of Music, too (I was thinking more…Mozart). However, you can visit many of the movie locations fairly easy so I would definitely recommend to watch the movie and then go on a nice movie location hunt once you are there. The locations are absolutely stunning, too, so definitely worth a visit!
It's really been time for another travel diary and since I am basically in love with writing about London, I want to share my travel diary with you guys! After all, it has been a vacation I was really looking forward to. Not only because I really love London, but also because I got the chance to spend time with some of my favorite people!
I already wrote a post about why Lake Tahoe is my favorite lake ever. In this post I want to share some tips that you might want to keep in mind when visiting this area, as I was probably quite unprepared when visiting Lake Tahoe for the first time. I since have been a few more times and always try to keep below things in mind.
Guys, if you ever make it to London, you definitely have to visit the Sky Garden! It was among my Top 10 Things To Do in London and after I received some questions about my visit, I want to tell you guys all about it! The best thing - you can go there for free!
Y'all know that I am a big fan of this quote and how wonderful is it that on certain occasions you can have both at the same time! When in London you certainly can't miss a full on afternoon tea ceremony and there is no better place for that. As I absolutely needed to go, it just so happened that it was my friend's birthday a couple of weeks earlier and what's a better birthday gift than an afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason?
Did you know I'm a huge Harry Potter fan? MASSIVE actually. Well, you probably did but it can't hurt to mention it again, does it? So after being MIA for a couple of months (which can happen, if you move countries), it can’t hurt to come back with a solid Harry Potter post. As soon as I booked my trip to London a while back I also set up a date to visit the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studios and casually forced all my friends to come with me, too (#skills). I immediately roamed the internet in search for helpful tips, tricks and everything else there was to know. If you find yourself in the same boat, this post is just for you!
After telling you about The Top 10 Things To Do In San Francisco and my Top 10 Insider Tipps For San Francisco I received a lot of questions about the city and where to go. That is why in this post, I want to tell you about my favorite spots in San Francisco and where I used to hang out while I was living there.
If it's your first time in San Francisco - you're in for a treat! Although, let’s be honest, if you are going to San Francisco, you’re always in for a treat. The city might be small (just around 500k people and some famous 44 square miles), but there is just so much to do and explore. From hiking to biking to eating and drinking. San Francisco is very cultural, artsy and liberal. Wanna walk naked down the streets? San Franciscans have seen it all. Just being in this city alone is an experience itself. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when you are going for the first time.
This post is about two of my favourite things - California and wine! Luckily enough you can get those two together quite easily. If you are looking for some good wine outside of Napa or Sonoma, I can recommend the Firestone Vineyard in Santa Barbara County.
Ahoi, Ahoi! A great thing about living in Germany is that a lot of other cities are in close reach. Or uper close reach. So why not catch a train for the weekend and go to Hamburg if the ride is not even two hours? Exactly. Why not? Our main excuse was a concert of one of my favorite German artists who played in Hamburg that weekend.
Sunshine, pizza, wine, history, and la bella vita. Italy is a dream destination for many travelers. Instagram is full of Rome's great architecture, influencers posing in Positano, and tourists strolling through Venice. A city that doesn’t seem to rank high on many bucket lists is Naples - for a couple of reasons.
There's no place like London! It is one of the world's most visited cities and also one of my favorite places in Europe. It is marvellously cultured and when two of my friends from San Francisco told me they were going to London, I couldn't say no (I might have played a more crucial part in the decision about where to meet). Thus, I got to spend a couple of days in this amazing city and would now like to share my top 10 things to do in London (as there are so many!).
I already wrote about the Top 10 Things To Do In San Francisco a while ago, which listed the most famous tourist attractions in the city by the bay. In this post I want to share some San Francisco Insider Tipps with you, that I've discovered during my time there. So if you don't want to do the typical tourist things there, this is the list you should stick to!
Craft beer in Germany is currently experiencing a boom - but compared to other countries - especially the US - it's just not quite yet there. If you are lucky enough to live in Berlin though you can still visit American breweries...okay one, you can visit one. In September 2016 Stone Brewing from San Diego opened their first European location in Mariendorf. Read about our visit at Stone Beer World in Berlin here!
Guys, I recently visited Pompeii! As the city is on a lot of people's bucket list, I compiled the most useful tips from my research as well as personal experience for a visit at the City of Ashes.
The ancient city of Pompeii in the Italian region of Campania is probably one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world. Even though I've heard a lot about it in history and also Latin lessons (yes, I actually studied Latin in high school), I've never made it to the ancient site until just recently!
As my last post about my Na Pali Coast experience in Hawaii received white a lot of feedback and questions about the hike, this post is all about tips for hiking the Kalalu Trail on Kauai. It is one of the things I would definitely recommend doing if you ever get the chance. as it was one of the best hiking experiences I've had so far. However, the trail can be dangerous and there are some things you want to know before you hit the trail. Here is my list of helpful tips for hiking the Kalalu Trail on Kauai - I wish I had known some of them before my jaunt along the coast!
I love street food and you would not believe how much excitement a good old food truck can evoke in me. A tiny disadvantage I often encounter is the seating problem, particularly when the food trucks don’t provide it and and you live in a place- say Berlin - that does not necessarily have the best weather for outdoor seating for half the year. Markthalle IX solves this exact problem while offering great high quality street food from basically all over the world.
While growing up in Germany where access to the sea is quite limited (but yes - we do have a coast line indeed), growing up I spend a lot of time at different lakes instead. However, my favourite lake so far is Lake Tahoe! During my time in San Francisco I actually got to visit the area more than once (which is another plus for the city - Tahoe is just reeeeally close!). In this post I want to share why I love Lake Tahoe so much. Feel free to share your favourite lake in the comments!
During out California road trip earlier this year we hiked the Lizard's Mouth Trail near Santa Barbara in the Los Padres National Forest. If you think a 101 road trip is all about the beaches you are absolutely wrong. Don't miss out on great opportunities a bit further in like the amazing hills and mountains of Santa Ynez!
The craft beer scene is big at the west coast so make sure to stop by at least one brewery in the Golden State. As there are several, I am sure you can find one that fits your taste, but one of my favorites is Port Brewing Company. Check out my post about them here.
Even though I haven't had the chance to explore all of Oahu's beautiful beaches, I would like to introduce you to my top 3 favorite beaches on the Hawaiian island so far: Pipeline Beach, Mokuleia Beach and Laniakea Beach. Find out more about those beautiful places in this post!
We've heard a lot of great things about Austin before we finally went there for the first time last November. As Nic got me into country music a few weeks earlier, I became a huge George Strait fan at that time and felt particularly prepared for my time in Texas.
Holy shit I swam with sharks! And it was my fault, actually. After getting an amazing trip to Hawaii for my birthday, I thought it was a very good idea to book a shark swimming activity for me and my boyfriend (what on earth was going on in my mind? That was the exact question my roommate at that time was asking me but somehow I still thought it was the best idea ever). And it was!
One of my other adventures during my Hawaii vacation earlier this year was a hike along the epic Na Pali Coast of Kauai. For an entire day I hiked the Kalalu Trail directly along the coast of Hawaii's "Garden Island" and it was definitely the most amazing trail I hiked so far. Naturally, this activity deserves its own post on here!
Hawaii's Garden Island is definitely worth a visit as it offers some of the most scenic views among the archipelago. That is the reason why Kauai has provided the backdrop of some serious Hollywood adventure movies. After already writing about my Oahu Travel Diary, I now want to tell you a bit more about my stay on the second island I visited during our Hawaii vacation this year. I know you've all been waiting for this.
It's almost that time of the year again so it's the perfect opportunity to tell you about my last birthday, for which I went to Hawaii. I lived as an expat in San Francisco at the time and there isn’t really a better place to take a trip to Hawaii from. During my trip, I stayed on two islands - Oahu and Kauai. This post is about the first part of my trip to the main island Oahu.
It's this time of the year! As a Bavarian, Oktoberfest is practically a must! In this post, I want to share my Ultimate Guide to Oktoberfest with you, so you'll know what to expect if you have never been. Find all the important information you need to know when visiting Oktoberfest!
On Kate Rebel, I am planning to write a lot about my adventures, but the first post in this category has to be about one of my favorite cities on earth: San Francisco. After living in this city as an expat for a while I might be a bit biased, but still - it's a great place and I would totally recommend visiting! Like...really!
Hi, I'm Kate - the person behind Kate Rebel! And I love a good adventure - whether on my next vacation, in my everyday life, or between the pages of a book. So why not write about it? I hope you enjoy this little space, where I share the adventures of my expat life abroad, at home, and from one or another book my nose is currently stuck into. Feel free to reach out, ask questions or give feedback!