This piece was originally written for Pilgrim Magazine and published on April 26, 2022 with formatting as close to the original publication as possible. It was a warm July evening just past 9:30 p.m., but the sky was still a bright blue as we sat on the restaurant’s patio. Following a four-hour drive from Germany,…
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5 Things I Learned About Myself In 5 Places I’ve Lived
Originally published on July 16, 2020 | minor edits made March 25, 2024 A couple of weeks ago, I revealed that after spending four years in South Korea I want to move abroad again; this time to Germany. If you follow me on Instagram, you also probably know that I’m stuck (but gratefully, safe) in California for…
I’m Filipina-American, but I’m not a nurse. Am I a failure?
Originally published on July 30, 2020 | minor edits made January 17, 2024 I’ve tried to write this piece at least 5 times. Talking about my non-traditional journey in life as a Filipina-American is something I WANT to share. Highlighting more BIPOC stories and experiences of our travels and lives abroad, because I don’t know…
Solo Travel Escapades in Colombia and Panama
GUEST POST BY: FLAVIA CORNEJO VARGAS A note from Avagail: I met Flavia, aka @LatinaTraveler, on Instagram a few years ago and after being online friends for a couple of years, we met in San Francisco in 2022 and Budapest in 2023!. On her own blog and social media, Flavia is working to inspire Latinos and…
A Family Trip to “The Most Magical Place on Earth”
GUEST POST BY: VERRONICA MITCHELL A note from Avagail: When Verronica and I spoke about her travels, she had so many to choose from. As a veteran and military spouse, she’s had her fair share of adventures and global experiences. For example, she told me about her time in Germany in which she spent time with…
10 Must Try Foods in South Korea
Before moving to South Korea in 2016, the extent of my Korean food knowledge was probably kimchi 김치, bulgogi 불고기, japchae 잡채, and KBBQ. *HELLA basic, right?* Luckily, there aren’t a lot of foods I hate, I ate school lunch while teaching, and I’m always down to try new foods. It didn’t take me very long…
Things I Wish I Knew Before Teaching in South Korea
Originally published August 16, 2020 Teaching English abroad sounds like a dream to most. For me, it was a dream come true. I followed my passion to South Korea and overall, I have no complaints about my four years as a Native English Teacher in The Land of the Morning Calm. This Thursday, August 20th at 9am…
What It’s Like to Teach English and Live in South Korea
When I left in 2016, I thought I’d be back in California come March 2017. Well…one year turned into four years because I fell in love with teaching English and living in South Korea. To be honest, the only reason I left is because I had the opportunity to live in another country and I…
