“travel isn’t always pretty. it isn’t always comfortable. sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. but that’s okay.
the journey changes you; it should change you. it leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body.
you take something with you. hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
Anthony Bourdain

Laura the explora: the blog

your unofficial travel agent and tour guide

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san gimignano, italy

I like to think of San Gimignano as somewhat of a secret. It is a lesser known medieval city in the Tuscany region of Italy near Florence but is such a lovely city to explore. They are apparently home to one of the “World’s Best” gelaterias! (But who really makes that call?) My parents always Read more

May 24, 2018
london, england

London was the first international destination I had an opportunity to explore without my parents. It is an absolutely massive city to explore and is great for new (English-speaking) travelers to get a taste of a new county and culture. While it is not particularly notorious for its food, it is notorious for bad weather, Read more

April 27, 2018
amsterdam, netherlands

Ah, Amsterdam. Such a gorgeous and fascinating city. What’s not to love about a place that welcomes marijuana and prostitution? Maybe that part’s not for everyone… Regardless, it’s reputation completely leaves out the fact that the entire city is a web of canals (similar to Venice), which is perhaps one of it’s greatest qualities. Another Read more

April 26, 2018
milan, italy

Milan is a heavily crowded tourist destination but in my opinion there isn’t a whole lot to do here. Known for luxurious fabrics and shopping, it has been referred to as the fashion capital of the world (although this is technically just an opinion and Paris is also notable here). This is definitely a more Read more

April 2, 2018
my worst flight-mare (story time)

Long flights aren’t the most exciting thing in the world. Usually one will board their plane, sleep, eat, watch movies and arrive at their destination with no major issues; myself included. This is a story about one time that didn’t go so smoothly. It started off bright and cheery and quickly turned into my worst Read more

March 9, 2018
a california girl in iceland (story time)

I have only been here for 6 hours and I’m already sopping wet and freezing cold. It’s truly comedic. And, quite frankly, a little sad. But here I am, sitting at the hostel recharging my phone and writing. I have already given up on trying to fake that I enjoy this fiercely windy 30F degree Read more

February 25, 2018

hey there!

i’m Laura

welcome to my little corner of the internet where i share my travel tips, stories, and photos of the places i visit. i’ve been fortunate enough to set foot in all fifty of the united states as well as nearly 20 different countries over the past decade. my goal is to make traveling affordable and accessible for everyone by giving you the tools you need to plan your own vacation for free. i hope these posts inspire you to get out into the world and see it for yourself! :)

[Note: I do not make any revenue from this website. If any of these posts helped you plan your trip and you’d like to support my work and website operating costs by tipping me as your unofficial tour guide, click the little black triangle to see my Venmo ID.] 😊

Venmo: @Laura-the-explora (#0324)