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About Me

Nicole L

Nicole L

Hiya! I'm a 35 year-old native Arizonan, who started traveling around the US and Mexico as a child, and haven't stopped. I've been to 23 countries in a wide range of travel styles, writing about my personal experiences and sharing travel guides and tips (including teaching abroad in Thailand), with a little history thrown in. Hope you enjoy!

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  • 7 days in el salvador
    Central America,  El Salvador,  Mapless Adventures,  Travel

    How I Spent 7 Days in El Salvador (March 2022)

    January 13, 2023 / No Comments

    Do you want to know how I spent 7 days in El Salvador all because I found a ridiculously cheap airline flight? I’d love to tell you. First let me share a little back story before sharing my 7 days adventure in El Salvador. Flights to El Salvador Since I work in a school, I typically only have a few opportunities to travel extensively: spring break (March), summer break (June-July), fall break (October) and winter break (December/ January). I typically start looking early for the best deals on flights about 6 months in advance. Thankfully, I live in Phoenix, AZ and can easily jet over to Los Angeles, which is…

    Read More
    Nicole | Mapless Adventures
  • Ha Giang Loop Flipside Header
    Featured,  Mapless Adventures,  Southeast Asia,  Travel,  Vietnam

    Ha Giang Loop with Flipside Hostel (now Flipside Adventures Vietnam)

    January 3, 2023 / No Comments

    Original Travel Date: March 1-5th, 2020 (pre-pandemic) Getting There Leaving Thailand was one of the hardest decision, but I was ready for my next adventure. I was about to embark on a 3-week Vietnam adventure. My first stop was Hanoi, Vietnam, where I decided to go on a 5-day Ha Giang Loop motor scooter adventure with Flipside Hostel. I left the morning of my flight to get to the airport. This was one of the most difficult car rides to date as I wasn’t alone. My volleyball coach, Kru B, 11 of my players and our team mom drove me all the way to Chiang Mai for one final goodbye.…

    Read More
    Nicole | Mapless Adventures

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    What to Eat in Thailand

    May 29, 2020
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    One Week in Luang Prabang, Laos

    January 30, 2022

    5 Questions to Ask Yourself if Teaching English in Thailand is Right for You

    June 26, 2020
  • one week solo Luang Prabang
    Featured,  Laos,  Mapless Adventures,  Southeast Asia,  Travel

    One Week in Luang Prabang, Laos

    January 30, 2022 / No Comments

    Saying Goodbye After an amazing 18 days with my parents traveling around Thailand and Siem Reap, Cambodia, it was finally time to part ways. However, this wasn’t the end of my traveling. I still had one week left to my school break. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to head to a new country and a city that I was eager to explore; Luang Prabang, Laos. Here is how I spent one week solo in Luang Prabang, Laos Why Luang Prabang? To be honest, prior to arriving to Southeast Asia back in 2018, I didn’t really know much about Laos. Fact is, I probably couldn’t have pointed it out on…

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    Ha Giang Loop with Flipside Hostel (now Flipside Adventures Vietnam)

    January 3, 2023
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    4 Days in Chiang Mai with the Parents

    June 23, 2020
    What to Eat in Thailand

    What to Eat in Thailand

    May 29, 2020
  • Mapless Adventures

    It’s been hard to write…

    October 17, 2021 / No Comments

    Time flies when you’re having fun, right? In all reality, time flew by because I’ve been so busy. It’s been a challenge to want to write on my travel blog. Since returning home from Southeast Asia back in March 2020, I feel like time has just escaped me. In all honesty, returning to America came with a price. I had to start working full time again and traveling really didn’t exist. Without the ability to travel, heck, even without the thought of travel, continuing this travel blog wasn’t really exciting to me any more. I couldn’t find the words and I couldn’t even process what had happened in Vietnam (until…

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    Nicole | Mapless Adventures

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    January 30, 2022

    Thanks COVID-19 | An Account from a Heart Broken Traveler

    March 18, 2020
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    Ha Giang Loop with Flipside Hostel (now Flipside Adventures Vietnam)

    January 3, 2023
  • Mapless Adventures,  Story Time

    Thanks COVID-19 | An Account from a Heart Broken Traveler

    March 18, 2020 / 2 Comments

    What a bittersweet and semi-horrible end to an amazing 3 weeks in Vietnam, and my year and a half adventure in Southeast Asia. I’m beyond thankful that I’ve been able to travel through Vietnam for the past three weeks; two of them with two amazing British blokes (that’s the British term right?) It was nice having others to share this turmoil with in the end and the “adventures” we had since the day we met.  Like disembarking our Ha Long Bay cruise to find out that Cat Ba Island is closing and there’s only one bus off the island. And the time we were half way on our bus journey…

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    Nicole | Mapless Adventures

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    January 3, 2023
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    How I Spent 7 Days in El Salvador (March 2022)

    January 13, 2023
  • Mapless Adventures

    #RoadTripFromSEAtoDESERT

    August 20, 2016 / No Comments

    The reality of my next unmapped adventure completely hit home, Sunday night as I laid my head down for the final time in Seattle. I know in my heart it might just been for a year, but reality is, I don’t know where my life is going to be when the end of the school year roles around. If these mapless adventures have taught me anything, it’s that nothing can be planned out. Unforeseen events can happen and life can change quickly before realizing they’ve changed. It’s one of the exciting aspects of life, knowing that things aren’t mapped out perfectly. Those unmapped adventures are what brings excitement into our worlds. Doors…

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    January 3, 2023

    Thanks COVID-19 | An Account from a Heart Broken Traveler

    March 18, 2020
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    30 Years on Planet Earth

    July 21, 2016 / No Comments

    30 years. 30 years is how long I’ve been blessed to be alive and healthy on planet earth. 30 years, I’ve been blessed to be apart of a growing family, who have done nothing but support, love, cherish, and guide me through this crazy thing called life. 30 years, I’ve spent my time growing, learning, becoming, and loving. 30 years, I’ve enjoyed exploring, searching, and trying new things. 30 years.

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    A date to remember…

    February 2, 2016 / No Comments

    December 11th. December 11th. A date I wish I could take back. A date I wish I could change, but not sure I really would. I’ll explain why. This date will forever hold a special meaning to me. It came at the right moment, though not the way I would have like. It will be a date to remember, but not the good type of “date to remember”. It was a date of change, a date of “slap into reality” and a date of shame. I made a decision that night, a poor decision indeed, and chose to have a few drinks then get behind the wheel. I know what…

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    How I Spent 7 Days in El Salvador (March 2022)

    January 13, 2023
  • Mapless Adventures

    A Runner’s Log: Marathon Edition

    October 29, 2015 / No Comments

    Wow oh wow those words still feel strange to say or type- I am a MARATHONER!!! I cannot believe I ran and finished a marathon. But this race report really doesn’t mean anything unless we start at the beginning, and no I don’t mean back to 2009 when I ran my first (untrained for) half marathon. Let’s start with the decision… It was a rainy May afternoon…JK. It was in May, but I don’t remember the weather,  when I decided that I just needed to bite the bullet and register. Since I joined Seattle Green Lake Running Group, it’s kind of been on the back of my mind, that one…

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    A Runner’s Log: Ragnar NWP Worst Pace Scenarios

    September 8, 2015 / No Comments

    When I started running with Seattle Green Lake Running Group back in 2014, I honestly had no idea what my life would become. The amount of great friends and lifetime of memories that have came from this group are limitless, but this particular weekend topped my list- Ragnar Northwest Passage weekend. Do you know what Ragnar Relay is? Well, let me explain. Ragnar is an overnight 2000ish running relay consisting of 12 team members broken into two separate vans. Each runner runs 3 legs ranging from 2-13 miles per leg totaling approximately 10-24 miles over the course of 24-36 hours (depending on how long it takes your team). I was…

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12

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About Me

Nicole L

Nicole L

Hiya! I'm a 35 year-old native Arizonan, who started traveling around the US and Mexico as a child, and haven't stopped. I've been to 23 countries in a wide range of travel styles, writing about my personal experiences and sharing travel guides and tips (including teaching abroad in Thailand), with a little history thrown in. Hope you enjoy!

View Full Profile →

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No Map. No Plan. Just Life. | Stories, Guides and Tips from a Solo-Female Traveler exploring the world through Mapless Adventures

Nicole | Travel Blogger
Next little town along lake Atitlan included a lot Next little town along lake Atitlan included a lot of hammock life and cat life!
•••
#sanpedro #sanpedrodelalaguna #sanpedroguatemala #lakeatitlan #lakeatitlanguatemala #guatemalaadventures #travelguatemala #travellife #hammocklife #hostelsublime #guatemala #exploreguatemala #maplessadventures
Midday stroll from our hostel to the town center o Midday stroll from our hostel to the town center of Santa Cruz de la laguna. It was hot and sweaty and a massive hill but we sucked it up and ended at a really cute cafe with a view.
•••
#santacruzdelalaguna #lakeatitlan #guatemalaadventures #lakeatitlanguatemala #guatemala #traveladventures #travellife #traveling #lakelife #maplessadventures #middaystroll #exploreguatemala #travelguatemala
In order to move between the towns on Lake Atitlan In order to move between the towns on Lake Atitlan, you have to take boats. It’s GTQ 25, or roughly $4 USD. It’s truly a special lake and I can’t wait to spend two weeks living on the lake learning Spanish!
•••
#lakeatitlán #lakeatitlanguatemala #guatemalaadventures #guatemalatravels #guatemala #sanpedrodelalaguna #lagodeatitlán #boattravel #travellife #travelling #transportation #maplessadventures #traveladventures
Free Cerveza anyone? Made the move from the city t Free Cerveza anyone? Made the move from the city to the lake and boy oh boy is this lake stunning! Got dropped off directly at our hostel which is called Free Cerveza. They host family dinners every night and if you join you get two free hours of beer before dinner and usually includes some type of bar games like beer pong, trivia, bags, and more! It was a prefect and relaxing couple of days!
•••
#lakeatitlan #lakeatitlanguatemala #guatemala #guatemalaadventures #lakelife #travellife #traveling #freecerveza #freecervezahostel #santacruzdelalaguna #maplessadventures #traveladventures #traveler #summertimeadventures
The reality and aftermath of Volcán Acatenago hik The reality and aftermath of Volcán Acatenago hike. It’s roughly 3:30pm, I’ve eaten, showered, had a quick beer and now laying down to go to sleep. My body has officially shut down at this point and all I wanted/needed was this bed!
•••
#exhausted #travellife #realtravel #traveling #hikeacatenango #hostellife #hostelworld #traveladventures #maplessadventures
Waking up in pitch black with nothing but the near Waking up in pitch black with nothing but the nearly full moon shining at 3:45am to complete another 2.17miles with what felt like another 900+ feet of elevation gain ending at 13,045ft above sea level for sunrise is an experience unlike anything else.
•
In the wise words of my dad: “It is better to be DFL then to DNF”
•
If you don’t know what that mean, then I’ll explain. I WAS DEAD F***ING LAST in the group that made it to the summit with less than 5 minutes until sunrise! I made it at least though it wasn’t pretty and I honestly cannot move my legs (48 hours later)! WORTH IT THOUGH
•••
#acatenango #volcánacatenango #volcánacatenago🌋 #sunrise #sunrisehike #volcanosummit #hiking #guatemala #guatemalavolcano #guatemalaadventures #traveladventures #maplessadventures #travellife #traveling #traveler
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