Paid 22 euros for a “short scenic shortcut” tunnel last month—nobody warned me until I was already awkwardly hunched at the ticket kiosk, holding up a line and butchering the local language. Found the warning later, taped to a lamp post, scrawled in angry marker by some local who probably got fleeced even worse. Locals […]

Alright, so here’s the thing: I tried to set up a currency swap at the bank and, wow, it was like I’d asked for the secret recipe to Coca-Cola. Nobody would just answer. “Have you checked with the central bank?” they’d say, as if I had the governor on speed dial. The guy next to […]

So, my cousin—dead serious—once tried to get through security in San Juan with a library card. “It’s a U.S. territory, right? How strict can they be?” Spoiler: very. TSA agents don’t care if you’re on vacation or not, and they will absolutely roast you for expired student IDs. But yeah, Puerto Rico and the U.S. […]

Staring at those crime maps again—yeah, I know, I’m that person. “Danger zones” everywhere, Willowbrook supposedly sketchier than 74% of cities, at least if you believe the stats: 34.16 crimes per 1,000 residents. But honestly? Every actual local I’ve bugged about it just kind of shrugs and says, “It’s not bad, especially if you know […]

Is it just me, or does nobody in my family actually pay attention to exchange rates until someone’s already over budget and grumpy in the group chat? I mean, everyone’s busy arguing about which hotel points to hoard, but meanwhile, the USD is stomping all over the Yen in Japan. Suddenly, I’m daydreaming about endless […]

I keep thinking there’s gotta be a way to dodge the Instagram mobs and still end up somewhere worth the airfare, but every “secret” getaway is just another parade of identical cocktails and lobster-red tourists. Is there an actual hidden spot left? I mean, I’ve scrolled through so many “expert” roundups my thumbs are sore, […]