Currently in Lisbon, PortugalNext stop: Morocco

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Currently in Lisbon, PortugalNext stop Marrakech

Slow travel, honest stories & real budgets.

I’m Maya — a former Denver teacher, three years into a slow trip around the world. Here you’ll find what it really costs, where it’s worth going, and the stories in between.

Read the stories
Where should I go?
54Countries
182Cities
312,400Kilometers traveled
1,180Nights on the road

Featured stories

Stories worth the long flight

Hand-picked from three years on the road — the trips that changed how I travel.

All stories

Where I’ve been

12 places, 10 countries, one very full passport

Tap a pin for the stories and trips from that place. Shaded countries are the ones I’ve called home for a while.

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14 places12 countries6 continents
  • United States 3
  • Indonesia 1
  • Canada 1
  • South Africa 1
  • Iceland 1
  • Japan 1
  • Portugal 1
  • Peru 1
  • Morocco 1
  • Greece 1
  • Australia 1
  • Chile 1

Destinations

Pick a continent, find your next place

Every guide comes from time on the ground — no copy-pasted lists.

All destinations

Bali

Indonesia

Temples, rice terraces and surf towns

3 stories$$$$

Cape Town

South Africa

Table Mountain, two oceans and the wine country

1 story$$$$

Kyoto

Japan

Temples, gardens and slow tea mornings

3 stories$$$$

Lisbon

Portugal

Trams, tiles and custard tarts

3 stories$$$$

Latest trip · Apr 20 – May 1, 2026

American Southwest Loop

Salt Lake City → Moab → Capitol Reef → Bryce → Zion → Monument Valley

See the whole trip

Trip budget

What it cost

Total$3,400
  • Stay$1,18035%
  • Food$72021%
  • Transport$94028%
  • Activities$38011%
  • Other$1805%
Total$3,40012 days
Per day$283everyone together
Per person$1,7002 travelers

Two travelers, van rental included. Flights to Salt Lake City not included.

Itinerary · Apr 20 – May 1, 2026

Day by day

  • 7 days
  • 21 places
  • $525 on the ground

  1. Day 1 · Mon, Apr 20

    Salt Lake City to Moab

    8:00 AM – 2:30 PM$85
    • Salt Lake City
    • Green River
    • Moab

    Pick up the van, stock the cooler, sunset at Dead Horse Point.

  2. Day 2 · Tue, Apr 21

    Arches National Park

    6:00 AM – 7:00 PM$35
    • Delicate Arch
    • Windows Section
    • Devils Garden

    Timed entry is required April to October: book the 6 a.m. slot.

  3. Day 3 · Wed, Apr 22

    Canyonlands: Island in the Sky

    5:45 AM – 4:00 PM$30
    • Mesa Arch
    • Grand View Point
    • Shafer Trail

    Mesa Arch at sunrise is worth the alarm. Bring 3 liters of water each.

  4. Day 4 · Thu, Apr 23

    Capitol Reef & Scenic Byway 12

    9:00 AM – 6:00 PM$60
    • Fruita
    • Hickman Bridge
    • Boulder

    Pie from the Gifford Homestead; the byway is one of the best drives in the country.

  5. Day 5 · Fri, Apr 24

    Bryce Canyon

    6:30 AM – 3:00 PM$35
    • Sunrise Point
    • Navajo Loop
    • Queens Garden

    Hoodoos glow orange in the first hour of light. Layers: it is cold at 8,000 feet.

  6. Day 6 · Sat, Apr 25

    Zion & the Narrows

    7:00 AM – 5:00 PM$120
    • Springdale
    • Riverside Walk
    • the Narrows

    Rent canyoneering boots and a stick in Springdale; check the flash-flood forecast.

  7. Day 7 · Sun, Apr 26

    Monument Valley

    10:00 AM – 8:00 PM$160
    • Kayenta
    • Valley Drive
    • Forrest Gump Point

    A Navajo-guided tour reaches the backcountry arches the self-drive loop misses.

Estimated on-the-ground cost$525

Photo story

Two chapters from the far north and the far east

More photo stories

Iceland · February

Waterfalls before breakfast

Seljalandsfoss at 7 a.m., when the path behind the falls is still empty and the light is pink.

Photo: Unsplash

Vietnam · March

Slow boats on Ha Long Bay

A night on a junk boat, kayaks at sunrise and 1,600 limestone islands.

Photo: Unsplash

Know before you go

Two guides I’m asked about every week

Best time to visit, what it costs, visas for US passports — plus the local time and weather right now.

All guides
Woman in a kimono walking a lantern-lit Kyoto lane toward a pagoda

Destination guide · Japan

Kyoto

Temples, gardens and slow tea mornings

Local time
Weather now
Best time to visit
Late March to May, October to November
Daily budget
Pricey
Visa for US citizens
Visa-free up to 90 days
Language
Japanese
Currency
Japanese yen (JPY)
Time zone
Asia/Tokyo

Read 3 stories from Kyoto →

Yellow tram 28 on a sunny Lisbon street

Destination guide · Portugal

Lisbon

Trams, tiles and custard tarts

Local time
Weather now
Best time to visit
March to June, September to October
Daily budget
Moderate
Visa for US citizens
Visa-free up to 90 days (Schengen)
Language
Portuguese
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Time zone
Europe/Lisbon

Read 3 stories from Lisbon →

Travel quiz

Not sure where to go next?

Answer four quick questions — season, vibe, budget, region — and I’ll match you with a place I’ve been and loved. No email required.

Travel quiz

01When do you want to travel?
02What kind of trip are you dreaming of?
03What’s your daily budget?
04Any part of the world calling you?

Packing & resources

Everything fits in one carry-on

Tick it off as you pack — this list remembers your progress — then print it for the road.

0 of 21 packed— ready to go!

Documents & money 0/5
Clothes 0/6
Tech 0/5
Health & toiletries 0/5

Resources

Tools I actually use

Some links are affiliate links — they never change what I recommend.

Booking picks

Stays and tours I’d book again

Honest ratings from my own stays. Prices are “from” and change with the season.

Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Hiker with a yellow backpack in a green mountain valley

Hi, I’m Maya

I traded a Denver classroom for a backpack — and never looked back.

In 2023 I sold my car, rented out my apartment and bought a one-way ticket to Lisbon. Three years, 54 countries and one very patient credit card later, I’m still going — slowly.

This blog is everything I wish I’d had on day one: real budgets, honest reviews, routes that work, and the stories that made the hard days worth it.

Maya Collins

My story
Every trip so far

Fresh from the road

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