Scenes from Sofia, Bulgaria, my 43rd country and first new country visited this year. Due to lack of planning (which was my default back when I had a lot of time as a digital nomad), I only stayed 2 days here, which is NOT enough. So learn from me, and devote more time to this 7,000-year-old city! Picture 1 — At the City Garden, facing Bulgaria's national theatre, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. Picture 2 — The Statue of St. Sofia, which stands where a statue of Lenin used to be. Much controversy about this, as the statue was considered too erotic! Picture 3 — Street art in Sofia Picture 4 — Sofia's Central Mineral Baths, which is now the Sofia Regional Historical Museum. Picture 5 — The Church of Saint George was built in the 4th century as a Roman bath. It is the oldest preserved building in Sofia, as it was built in the time of Constantine the Great. Picture 6 — Inside the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the largest cathedral in the Balkans. It was briefly renamed Sts. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral, after the brothers who invented the Cyrillic alphabet. Picture 7 — Changing of the guard at the Presidency Building. Picture 8 — Original stonework part of the Road to Constantinople. Picture 9 — The Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church, or the Seven Saints Church. Can you see the contrast between the woman in pink and the black-suited men? Picture 10 — The beautiful metro station in Sofia. #sofia #bulgaria #sofiabulgaria #solitarywanderer #solotravel #solofemaletraveler #travel #solitarywandererinbulgaria

Given how rainy and gloomy the weather is nowadays in Belgium, I look back at the super warm and humid days last summer when I attended the @nos_alive Rock Festival solo in Lisbon. Definitely a dream come true to see Metallica live and sing aloud to their songs! Stood 9 hours right in front of the stage. Can’t wait to go my next music festival! #solitarywanderer #portugal #visitportugal #solotraveler #nosalive #metallica #lisboa #lisbon #solitarywandererinportugal

Twenty-two years ago, I made a drastic change in my life when I left my (relatively) high-paying PR job in Makati and decided to study Psychology and work in the field of counseling. The pay was decidedly much lower but the fulfilment was higher. In 2012, I left it, feeling burned out, and went back to my first love of writing/editing. What changed was that I started working from “home,” with the whole world as my home base. I became a digital nomad, location independent, enjoying what the world could offer while sustaining myself with small jobs online. Now, I’m again changing directions. I got stuck here in Belgium due to the lockdowns and have decided to settle down (goodbye nomadic life). I’m studying Dutch and pursuing a Bachelor’s degree that would qualify me to work with kids with special problems. It’s funny how I just cycle between being a writer/editor, and working as a counselor with abused/special kids. I wonder where I’ll be in another 22 years? Anyway, happy birthday to me! #birthday #solitarywanderer #namur #solitarywandererinbelgium #travel

It is All Saints Day. In the Philippines, people are going to the cemetery to light candles and prepare the grave of their loved ones for a memorial to be held tomorrow, All Souls Day. Last year, I went to Laeken Cemetery in Brussels, the city's oldest cemetery still functioning. It is where the Belgian Royal Family is buried. And because it’s the cemetery of choice by Belgium’s rich and famous, you’ll see a lot of funerary art. There’s even an original bronze cast of Auguste Rodin's Thinker. When you go, don’t just wander above ground. There’s hundreds more underground. Unfortunately vandals have destroyed some of the artworks. See the last pic for a detail of a marble statue. Such a pity it’s been vandalized! A fellow Instagrammer (@lipsticknletters) and I had so much fun checking out the graves that we missed the closing time and were locked in! We called the police and they asked us to climb over the gate. 😂😂😅 I love checking out cemeteries when I travel (I previously blogged about a cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Check it out.). It seems it’s called “thanatourism” or cemetery tourism. How about you? Do you also visit cemeteries? #solitarywanderer #belgium #visitbrussels #brussels #solitarywandererinbelgium #darktourism #cemeterytourism #thanatourism #laeken #laekencemetery

Autumn is definitely my favorite time of the year. It’s just a joy to go out and see the explosion of colors. Before winter comes, there’s also a brief period where it feels like summer (commonly called Indian summer, now known as Second Summer). It makes the incoming cold season more bearable somehow. I have been MIA for some time, busy with studies and life. How’s it going with you? All good? Could be better? Let me know. 😊 #solitarywanderer #guidetobelgium #solitarywandererinbelgium #autumn #leaves #belgium

For those who are interested in history, architecture, and nature, Blagaj is definitely one of the places to visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The white structure behind me is the Blagaj tekke, a Dervish monastery, built in 1520 at the source of the river Buna. It is a well-preserved national monument, fortunately escaping being destroyed by years of war. Inside you can see where the dervishes studied, slept, and ate. They had a Turkish bath, too, complete with facilities for hot and cold water. Pretty amazing for something built in the 15th century. There’s really nothing much to see in Blagaj aside from this, so I would recommend this to be part of a longer day tour to other parts of BiH. #solitarywanderer #bosnia #bosniaandherzegovina #bosnia #BiH #solitarywandererinbosnia #visitbosnia #visitBiH #travel #solotravel #solofemaletravel

When there is chaos somewhere else in the world, it’s so tempting to just bury our heads in the sand and ignore what is happening. After all, it doesn’t affect us directly, doesn’t it? Then we just continue to do what we usually do, eat, work, travel, sleep. But events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine do affect all of us. It can be a huge wave, like for those who are living in the country, or just a ripple, big or small. We really have to do our part. Some offer their homes to Ukrainian refugees, others send medical and financial assistance. Quite a few take to the streets to protest. Will what we do have an impact? I don’t know. But every little bit helps. — Photo shows the artwork in front of the Mandal, Norway Cultural Center. The artist, Maria Koolen Hellmin created a giant salmon egg, since she thought the cultural center resembled a fish. It’s called “Denne rogna klekkes snart” (“This egg will hatch soon”). #solitarywanderer #travel #solitarywandererinnorway #visitnorway #mandal #norway #solotravel #visitmandal

What’s your favorite season? I can’t decide whether it’s autumn or spring for me. While spring is a promise of growth and rebirth, autumn seems to fill the earth with fiery colors. I arrived just a bit late to see Krakow in its full autumn glory, but I’m glad I still caught a little bit of it. How about you? What season inspires your soul? #solitarywanderer #krakow #poland #solitarywandererinpoland #fall #season #autumn #solotravel #tram #visitpoland #visitkrakow

Just like that — I'm a year older. It's such a cliché to say time flies, but it really does. While 2020 sucked, 2021 was worse. We all thought things would be better by now, but in many areas in the world, cases are still rising and lockdowns are still being implemented. This year hit my family hard, too, with the loss of my brother in early August. My whole family was infected by COVID as well; we worried for our mother, a cancer survivor. Fortunately, they were all fully vaccinated and only suffered mild symptoms. So yeah, we are surviving, and for that, I am grateful. Here in Belgium, I'm dealing with issues all interracial couples face. There are major cultural differences I have learned (and are still learning) to address. None are deal breakers, but I never knew how hard it is to live with someone whose worldviews differ so much from my own. Thankfully, in more important matters, like money (he provides it 🤣), children (none of your business), and animals (we want to have more), we do see eye to eye. And while we have our own "things" (him with his music, me with my writing and others), there are a number of activities we do enjoy doing together, like diving and biking. I've been here in Belgium for over a year now, and I'm learning a lot about myself, my partner, and the country. While it is not perfect (because duh nothing is!), I'm perfectly happy with my life right now. I have my family, my partner, my friends, and my babies. (And I still get to travel solo, too!) At 43, that's all that matters to me. #solitarywanderer #belgium #solitarywandererinbelgium

Less than a week to go and I’ll be in Antwerp for a catsitting gig! As always, it will be unpaid, but in return, I get free accommodation and the cuddles of a cutie named Kitty. Of course, unlike during my digital nomad days, I don’t need a free stay and cat kisses now; I get those living with my SO and Poes. However, Antwerp is huge and beautiful and spending three weeks there means I get to explore it at my own pace. I’ve already met my host, @wandering_wikitraveller, and he’s shown me some highlights of Antwerp. I’ve been there before, in 2012, so what I’m looking forward to do now is walking around solo, like what I usually do on my travels. I would love to just meander along its small streets, seeing beautiful architecture along the way, sitting at hole in the wall beer bars, or just hanging out at the port, people watching. If you know any obscure places to check out in Antwerp, let me know! Want to meet up for a Tripel D’Anvers or coffee? Send me a DM. I can’t wait to spend time in the city! #antwerp #visitantwerp #anvers #belgium #visitbelgium #antwerpen #guidetobelgium #solitarywanderer #solitarywandererinbelgium #travel

So many reasons to love summer in Belgium. One of these is biking randomly with a friend and finding gorgeous views like this. And what’s a better ending than having ice cold beer at a café? How about you? What’s your favorite thing to do during summer? #solitarywanderer #guidetobelgium #visitbelgium #solitarywandererinbelgium #affligem #visitflanders #flanders #biking #jupiler #discoverflemishbrabant

Springtime is getting real now in Aalst, with cafes fully open. Indoor dining is not allowed yet, so most put out tables and chairs like this. Aalst is the closest city to us, and it’s where I take my Dutch classes twice a week. I just walk from the train station to the school, and passing by here is always a pleasure. Sure, springtime now in Belgium is a little wetter and colder than last year’s, so I really treasure brief moments of sunny weather like this. Seeing people eating and drinking in terraces (outside seating) gives me hope that the world is going back to normal. How’s it like nowadays where you are? #solitarywanderer #visitaalst #aalst #solitarywandererinbelgium #grotemarkt #guidetobelgium #aalstbelgium #belgium