Balabanova All Over
#TakeYourTimeOff
About Nadya
Hi there! I am so glad you found me! My mission is to empower you to #TakeYourTimeOff and explore the world. I started this blog as a way to keep family and friends in the loop when I went on a 3-week trip to Asia in 2011. Although I’ve always enjoyed traveling, it wasn’t until a trip to Peru in 2012 that I started to think about ways to make travel a… Read More
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Top Posts
[Lima, Peru] Despite all my nervous energy about this trip, I got to Lima with no hiccups whatsoever. I got to LAX just after 6 am this morning, proudly parading around with my backpack but secretly hoping I did not forget anything that I would kick myself over later. I managed to get some shut-eye on my first flight to El Salvador, partly because I lucked out with a seat right behind… Read More
[Los Angeles, CA] I haven’t even left for Lima yet, and I have witnessed something extraordinary already. This contains my luggage for the next 10 days (I can hear the collective gasps of all the women reading this). When I first showed this to my friend Monika, she said “You know, for me, this would just fit skincare.” I am surprised myself, honestly, that I was able to pack this light. To… Read More
[Austin, TX] It is Sunday morning. I’ve set my alarm for the obscenely early hour of 7 am because I have a task – run 8 miles!!! As part of my half-marathon training (I am hoping to complete the San Diego rock-and-roll half marathon in early June), I am building up to the 13.1-mile distance over a series of long runs, each one a couple of miles longer than the other. Sunday’s… Read More
[Austin, TX] After our afternoon of sight-seeing in San Antonio, we headed back to Austin. We checked into the AT&T Hotel and Conference center, which was on the fringe of the University of Texas at Austin campus and was actually owned and operated by the university. This was where our conference would be over the next three days. After checking in, we touched base with my former boss Martha. She used to… Read More
[San Antonio, TX] A few days before my trip to Texas, a few friends filled out a Travel Challenge survey on Facebook. It entailed a list of 100 world attractions and the goal was to see how many of those you’ve visited, and how that compares to your friends. #1 on the list: The Alamo in San Antonio, TX! 🙂 I am in Austin, TX for a few days for the Higher Education Data… Read More