I’ve talked before on the 9 to 5 Wanderer about how to make your airport experience smooth or how to survive your long haul flight, but what do you do when you’ve prepared for everything, and things still goes awry? In honor of July 4th weekend, a big travel weekend, I’d like to talk about…
An Honest Guide to Visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza
I’ve now been to Egypt twice in the last 6 months and not written a word about it, so I think it is time to start unpacking my adventures in my beloved country. Egypt holds a special place in my heart, and each time I go, I find myself wanting more, already looking forward to…
Sad Thoughts with Istanbul Today
I woke up this morning aghast to hear that Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport was devastated by a terrorist attack, with scores killed and hundreds injured. My heart is heavy for the city and country I fell in love with, which has been rocked by terrorist attacks and violence far too many times this year. I am filled…
Sniffing Through Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar
Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar is a foodie’s dream come true. The covered market is lined with vendors selling spices, teas, dried fruits, and Turkish desserts. Mounds of jewel colored spices and teas line the walls of the market, and dried clusters of herbs and loofahs are strung up from the ceilings. The different aromas create an…
Attack of the Pigeons: Taksim Square
This is my fake smile of fear because I hate pigeons. While in Taksim Square, a sweet old man thrust a plastic cup of bird seed into my hand. I resisted…because I hate being mobbed by a gazillion pigeons, nightmare scenario, but he was relentless. I said no at least four times, but eventually…
On the End of Vacation and Reluctantly Getting Back to the Grind
Hello wanderers, I type this while waiting at the Daytona Beach airport for my flight back to Boston. I’ve spent the past week in Philly with my closest friends for the weekend, and then soaking up the Florida sun for the rest of the week, instead of pounding out spreadsheets under the unforgiving fluorescent light…
Weekend Wanderings: Washington, DC
I’d like to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming, namely, me slowly but surely completing my recap of my travels to Istanbul and Cairo, to pause for a moment, and update you on a little weekend wandering I’ve done recently! It has taken me quite a long time to get around to writing about it (more…
Baklava For Days at Mado Pastry
Let me start out by saying that I don’t really like baklava. Growing up in a Middle Eastern family, there was no shortage of baklava, kunefah, basboosah, etc, but as more of a savory than sweet kind of girl, none really held much appeal for me. My tooth has gotten slightly sweeter with age, however, even…
Free in Istanbul: Sultan Ahmet Mosque
The past few sites I’ve highlighted in my slowly trickling out recap of my trip to Istanbul have been museums (Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cisterns) which cost between 25-30TL (less than $10) to enter, are well worth the price. However, what’s even better than cheap? That would be free. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also know…
On Cutting Back and Seeking Balance
The 9 to 5 Wanderer has been pretty quiet lately, and my long list of blog posts and plans for the blog have remained untouched for some weeks now. I have to admit that lately I have been feeling quite burnt out. The cold winter weather and short dark days, simultaneous malaise and stress at…
How to Fly Round Trip to Europe for $350
Stalking flight deals is one of my favorite hobbies. I do it on an almost daily basis and have at least 6 flight alerts running for hypothetical trips for me at any given time. I check Skyscanner like most people check Instagram. When you’ve got a lot of places on your travel bucket list, and…
Liebster Award!
One of my favorite financial literacy blogs, Stacking Twenties, nominated me for the Liebster Award a while back, and I am so thrilled (albeit incredibly tardy) to receive it. She gives great advice to the twenty-somethings looking to get their financial lives in order, and shares stories about her own path to financial stability. She…
The 9 to 5 Wanderer 