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A street food meal in Hanoi.
January 12, 2012
in Asia, Dalat, food, Halong Bay, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Hue, Nha Trang, Round the World, travel, Vietnam

I didn’t pho-get: what I ate in Vietnam.

I ate a lot of amazing food while traveling and I made sure not to pho-get to show you what I ate in Vietnam! I ate a lot of Pho, which is a Vietnamese soup made of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. It's perhaps one...

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What I ate in Cambodia
December 17, 2011
in Angkor Wat, Asia, Battambang, Cambodia, food, Koh Rong Island, Phnom Penh, Round the World, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, travel

Cambodia cuisine: what I ate in Cambodia.

I really liked all of the Cambodian cuisine I tried, from traditional foods to bbqs on the beach in Sihanoukville to vegetarian food in Battambang to pizza on Pub Street. I ate spring rolls, beef lok lak, pork lok lak, dumplings, cashew shrimp, fried shrimp, noodles...

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Penang, Malaysia
November 16, 2011
in Asia, food, Malaysia, Penang, Round the World, travel

The most interesting man in the world.

I forced myself out of Kuala Lumpur. I was having an amazing time with some awesome people. But kind of doing shit. And if I was going to do shit it should be in a much nicer place. Like with a beach. And cheaper booze....

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What I ate in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
November 14, 2011
in Asia, food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Round the World, travel

I didn’t eat any of the kualas

I like Asia because I can eat how I want to eat and not feel weird. I can eat Chinese food every day. Here it is called food...

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Chicken in Singapore
November 7, 2011
in Asia, food, Round the World, Singapore, travel

Singapore Sling: What I ate in Singapore

Back home I would get Asian food at least twice a week, probably way more. I'd order Thai food for dinner from that place down the block or I'd grab a quick Whole Foods sushi when I needed something quick or I'd get fast food...

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Turkish delight on a moonlit night. What I ate in Turkey including an amazing meal at at Haci Abdullah restaurant in Istanbul, doner kebap on the street (surrounded by cats), stuffed eggplants, traditional Turkish breakfasts, and even some Turkish delight on a moonlit night... or, at least, at the market.
November 1, 2011
in Cappadocia, Ephesus, Europe, food, Istanbul, Izmir, Pamukkale, Round the World, Selcuk, travel, Turkey

Turkish delight on a moonlit night. What I ate in Turkey.

In Europe I always felt like I had trouble finding a place a to eat, that no one took a single diner like me seriously. In Turkey, I had the opposite problem. I couldn't walk by a restaurant without someone handing me a menu and...

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All the cats in Istanbul want my doner kebab...
October 8, 2011
in Cats, Europe, food, Istanbul, Round the World, travel, Turkey

Why you can’t eat your doner on a park bench in Istanbul…

I'm eating a lot of doner kebabs in Istanbul. It's a good meal, cheap, and can be eaten on the street, which is a plus for a solo female traveler like me. But you can't eat your doner on a park bench in Istanbul. It's just...

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Bubo in Barcelona, Spain
October 4, 2011
in Barcelona, Europe, food, Round the World, Spain, travel

Barcelona Bites: What I ate in Barcelona, Spain.

In all honesty, I did a pretty pathetic job of eating in Barcelona. But I ended up making a lot of salads in the kitchen of my AirBnB because, after two months of almost exclusively eating out while on the road, it was just nice...

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Mac and Cheese in Barcelona, Spain
October 2, 2011
in Barcelona, cooking, Europe, food, Round the World, Spain, travel

I made macaroni and cheese in Barcelona…

Sometimes when traveling you crave foods from home. And what do I crave when I'm away from home? Macaroni and cheese. Since I was staying in an AirBNB and had access to a full kitchen, I decided to make macaroni and cheese with the finest...

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Learning how to make Tortilla de Patatas - Spanish Tortilla - in Barcelona, Spain
September 21, 2011
in Barcelona, cooking, Europe, food, Round the World, Spain, travel

How to Make Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish Tortilla)

While renting a room in an AirBNB in Barcelona, my hosts taught me how to make tortilla de patatas (or, tortilla española, or Spanish Tortilla). Here is how we made them and a story of how the recipe came together for us...

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Hi, I’m Val. I spent most of my 20s in a standstill, unable to pick which path in life I wanted to take. I wanted the nomadic life of a traveler but also wanted the husband, the condo, and the teal couch. Unable to decide which life I wanted more, I did nothing. I lived my life in limbo. When I turned 30 I’d had enough of putting my life on hold and decided to start “choosing my figs.” So, I quit my job and bought a one-way ticket to Europe. After 3 years on the road I’m back in Chicago, exploring the city, learning guitar, decorating my apartment in too much teal, cuddling my cats, and planning my next adventures.

            

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2006 –

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WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?


Feeling stuck? Sick of living your life in limbo? Want to finally do all those things you always say you're going to do? Sign up for the Choosing Figs newsletter now to get a FREE e-book with tips on starting your own life list, inspiration for things to do in life, and worksheets to get your life goals out of your head and into action!


Your information will be used to send you our Life List e-book and subscribe you to our bi-monthly newsletter. View our full Privacy Policy.



            


MEOW | Is Val in Chicago?