#travel

#jolenegoes

I am a Southern California native with a taste for adventure. When I was younger, I was privileged enough to travel with a sports team. This opened my eyes to all of the different places just within the United States. In the early 2000's, I fell in love for the first time - not with a person, but with a city. Boston stole my heart. Then in 2008, I visited Europe for the first time. This, partnered with the realization that I could love a city, began to fuel my desire to see the world.

As a working person in my thirties, I try my best to balance a normal life - work, friends, love, art - with my adventures.

Keep following along to see where life takes me next.

Oct 26, 2019

Jolene goes to Copenhagen (Again)

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller After one of the hardest years of our lives, Jennifer and I were off yet again, on another adventure abroad. This time, we began the first half of our 10-day trip revisiting one of our favorite cities: Copenhagen, Denmark. The last time we visited was two years prior, almost to the day, at least according to our passport stamps. As I stepped off the plane onto Danish soil, I felt something sp

Mar 2, 2019

Jolene goes to Costa Rica: Brasilito, Conchal, and Tamarindo

After our very adventurous time in the cloud forest, it was time for us to make a trek to the Pacific Coast. Even though I am a Californian, I am seriously not a beach person, so a big part of me was sad to be leaving such a magical place. I had plenty of reservations and, if I'm being honest, expectations of disappointment. I booked a private shuttle to take us from Monteverde to Brasilito, where we were staying. After our rough beginnings, both Melody and I were concerned a

Feb 25, 2019

Jolene Stays in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Monteverde, Costa Rica is a high-altitude region known for its luscious cloud forest, adventurous activities, and plentiful wildlife. Perched in the Puntarenas Province, Monteverde is the cloud forest equivalent of an oasis amidst a mountainous horizon. When approaching where we were going to stay, I used trusty booking.com, one of my favorite resources for accommodations, mostly due to their flexibility in cancellation. I skimmed the options available for our dates, and ulti

Jun 8, 2018

Jolene Eats in Portland (Oregon): Part 1

If you read my Portland travel blog, you already know I became completely enamored with the quirky city of Portland and its Pacific Northwest charm. What I didn't include in that blog was my absolute surprise when encountering the incredible culinary scene Portland has to offer. By no means did we extensively experience the majority of what is available, but our experience was still unbelievable nonetheless. Please note: This blog is going to be long and filled with photos! W

Jun 6, 2018

Jolene goes to Portland (Oregon)

Note: All food and drink will be reviewed in my "Jolene Eats in Portland" blogs, Part 1 and Part 2! A number of years ago, I started my love affair with the city of Seattle (Yes, I swear this blog is about my trip to Portland): drinking obscene amounts of coffee, enjoying the waterfront and breathing in that wonderful Pacific Northwest air. There's something about the landscape, the trees, the lifestyle, that has always captured me. Maybe I'm drawn to the the sheer contrast t

Jan 19, 2018

Jolene goes to Amsterdam

STAY: Hotel Ibis EAT: Bulls & Dogs GO: Anne Frank Huis NOTE: I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THE LENGTH & WORDINESS OF THIS POST. I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS ONE QUITE PERSONAL; IF YOU'D SIMPLY LIKE TO READ ABOUT WHAT I DID, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN. If you've been following along with my Europe posts, you've probably noticed the long gap between this one and my last. The truth is, I've been struggling with how to approach this blog, how to write about my short experience in Amsterdam. I alwa

Dec 24, 2017

Jolene goes to Seattle

EAT: Mora Ice Cream STAY: Greenlake Airbnb (Use my referral link if you book!) GO: Seattle by Foot Coffee Crawl SHOP: Churchmouse Yarns & Teas Although my instinct is to meticulously plan trips far in advance, occasionally I make minimal arrangements, purchase flights on a whim, and see what happens. This was the case with my most recent weekend in Seattle, WA. I've been to Seattle about 7 times in the past 3 years, so it's safe to say that it's one of my favorite cities. Tha

Nov 24, 2017

Jolene goes to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour London

**THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS** During my recent fall trip to London, I made the Potterhead pilgrimage to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour London, which ended up being more than appropriate since I recently visited its American sister tour in Hollywood. Just like many millennials, I grew up glued to the Harry Potter books, long before there was ever a thought of films. I looked forward to every release, buying my book at midnight and staying up as long as I could to read as f

Nov 12, 2017

Jolene goes to Copenhagen

For the past couple years (or at least close to 2 years), I've had an uncanny desire to visit the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. I'd seen Copenhagen mentioned on a travel show that I don't even normally watch, and I was hooked. There was something about the colorful buildings in Nyhavn, Dutch royalty, and overall look of the city that peaked my interest. Everywhere I went, it seemed Copenhagen popped up! So of course, you can imagine my excitement when we were actually on a fli

Nov 12, 2017

Jolene goes to London

"It is difficult to speak adequately or justly of London. It is not a pleasant place; it is not agreeable, or cheerful, or easy, or exempt from reproach. It is only magnificent." - Henry James Almost 10 years ago, I stepped foot onto European soil for the first time, but I did not visit the UK until about 4 years ago. That is truly when my love affair with the land across the pond began. After a year of planning, one entire trip cancellation, countless hours of research, and

Sep 24, 2017

Jolene goes to Philadelphia

I was invited to my dear friend's wedding in Philadelphia, the weekend of 9/16/17, so I decided to go for a quick weekend in the city. I stayed with friends and the wedding ceremonies (yes, there was more than one!) were my priority, but I still managed to do a bit of exploring! This weekend getaway was not my first time in Philly, but I hadn't been since around 2009, and that first time I didn't' have a hand in the planning whatsoever. This time, I made sure to have at least

May 16, 2017

Jolene Goes to the Queen Mary

Being a Long Beach native myself, the Queen Mary has always been a familiar site. I've been going there as long as I can remember, but as I've gotten older, I've realized that I've taken the Scottish landmark for granted. Spending special occasions at the Queen Mary has been somewhat of a tradition in my family, especially amongst the women on my mom's side. This past Mother's Day was no different, but I found myself approaching the outing with a set of fresh eyes. I took it

May 7, 2017

Jolene Eats in Albuquerque

It is time to address one of my favorite parts of any trip: the food. I don't like to think of myself as a picky eater, but I do have several food allergies with fairly severe long-term symptoms, making it difficult to eat certain kinds of foods. Even a small bite of something I'm allergic to can leave me with many internal ailments for up to a month. For instance, I have a tomato allergy, so I have to stay away from traditional pizza and pastas. In particular, this allergy w

May 4, 2017

Jolene goes to Albuquerque

Welcome to my first official #jolenegoes travel blog! I will do my best to put readers in my shoes so to speak. I would like to share my personal experiences with you all, related to my trips. Food and lodging blogs will be written and posted separately, so keep an eye out! Trip dates: 4/27-4/30 Departing: LAX Arriving: ABQ Trip purpose: My cousin's wedding LAX to ABQ Honestly, I should have foreseen how the weekend would go. A series of seemingly insignificant obstacles aros

Apr 27, 2017

Jolene Goes: A Beginning

Hello all, and welcome to "Jolene Goes." For a while now, friends and acquaintances alike have encouraged me (with quite some enthusiasm) to begin a kind of travel blog. I always found that to be a romanticized notion, with implications of limitless time and wealth. However, over the past few years I've made quite a reputation for myself amongst my peers for traveling and going places. I grew up with parents who always encouraged me to try new things and go new places. I feel