Author Archives: Brandin Kreuder

Tonight’s the night I travel to Australia to begin my working holiday visa. I flew to San Francisco yesterday to crash with a friend from graduate school, giving me some time to explore and energize before the 15-hour flight. It’s probably a good thing I only stayed for a day, because SF is one ofContinue reading “My Packing List For A Year Down Under”

Like many of us, I’ve spent the pandemic waiting for life to return to normal. I waited for over a year to get a paid music gig. I waited for countries to reopen one by one, all with dizzying entry requirements. Perhaps most of all I’ve waited for a solid reason to move out of my parents house in the small town where I grew up. WhileContinue reading “I’m Moving To Australia”

Cape Town is a glorious collage of mountains, city, and ocean – a dream destination of mine for the past few years. While I primarily came for the hiking I will remember this nine-day trip for the warm social interactions that filled my days. I happily struggled to find alone time, and I welcomed everyContinue reading “New Years 2022: Cape Town – South Africa”

In the final days of 2021 I flew to Cape Town, South Africa – officially checking off my seventh continent in just under seven years. Before I launch into a sparknotes style synopsis of my journey, I need to mention that international travel is a privilege that many never experience – and I wouldn’t haveContinue reading “My Path To All Seven Continents”

When I tell people about Georgia they assume I am talking about the US state. Nope! The country. A former member of the Soviet Union, Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. I got the idea to come here from the owner of a hostel in Istanbul in 2020, and so in AugustContinue reading “2021 Travel Review – Part 2: The Republic of Georgia”

In 2020 I had three memorable trips to Colombia, Greece/Georgia, and the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Since I started this blog after the second of these trips, I am sharing belated reviews of the previous trips. I rang in 2021 at El Botanico Hostel in Bogotá, Colombia. Having spent New Years 2020 in Ushuaia, Argentina,Continue reading “2021 Travel Review – Part 1: Colombia”

Last December while backpacking in Colombia I met a traveler who raved of their stay in a Mexican town called Mazunte. Over the years I’ve learned to work the recommendations I get on the road into my own plans, and so nearly a year later this magical pacific coast town fit snug into my two-weekContinue reading “Mexico’s Pacific Coast Gem: Mazunte”

I planned a trip to Mexico during the week of Thanksgiving, but I didn’t realize I would be in the nations culinary capital of Oaxaca city for the holiday. This said, I did spend a considerable amount of time prior to the trip scanning the internet for restaurant recommendations for all my destinations, so IContinue reading “A Oaxacan Thanksgiving”

It has been a year since I first traveled to Mexico – with 11 days spent in Mexico City and then seven more in the state of Quintana Roo. I don’t know if it’s my craving for Mexico’s world-famous food, the colorful culture and architecture, or the classic backpacker experience this country offers – butContinue reading “Rock Boarding Down La Malinche”

On Sunday I am taking an orchestra audition. On Monday I am flying to Puebla, Mexico. For five years I have walked the line as a nomadic wanderer and a professional classical musician. In school I frequently took spontaneous and sometimes irresponsible trips to places ranging from New Orleans to New Zealand. The classical musicianContinue reading “Not Your Average Backpacker”