Jordan

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Moin (that's Northern German for "Hello")! I’m Jordan – the writer, dreamer, traveler, and photographer behind Wayfaring With Wagner! While my travels have taken me to 37 European countries, a German boy is the reason I now call Hamburg, Germany home. Thanks for joining me on my wayfaring adventures!

In Malta

The Memory of the Azure Window in Malta

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Before I jump into the bulk of this article, I just wanted to thank everyone for the supportive and kind words about my rebrand! It’s always scary when launching something new and the anticipation of readers’ reactions was weighing heavily on my mind…what if people didn’t like it?! And to all my subscribers who didn’t transfer over before I launched Wayfaring With Wagner (about 200 didn’t transfer over!), welcome to my new blog! You can find out more about my change from Beer Time With Wagner to Wayfaring With Wagner here.

Without further ado…

In Personal

Beer Time With Wagner is now Wayfaring With Wagner!

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Someone PINCH ME! I’ve been working on this new website for over A YEAR and am so excited to finally debut it to everyone!!! I have to thank the Prince, my parents, and my siblings for always being so supportive, looking over my new site, giving me advice, and overall just encouraging me. There was so much thought and attention to detail put into making Wayfaring With Wagner, and I hope you’re as excited as me for this next chapter!

In Germany

Operas, Baroque, and Destruction // Dresden

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It seems like an unlikely combination – operas, baroque, and destruction. Yet, the history of Dresden, Germany is complex, sad, and beautiful – a story of rising from the ashes. Before WWII, Dresden was the epicenter of German culture and art. As the seventh-largest city in Germany, Dresden was frequently host to Richard Wagner’s newest compositions and home to the Electors and Kings of Saxony. Hence the amazing baroque and rococo architecture of the Altstadt (old city). All of this came crashing down on the night of February 13, 1945.

In Fairy-Tale Destinations

Gingerbread Houses with a Side of Milk // Goslar

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I feel like my relationship with gingerbread houses is quite similar to one of my favorite childhood books If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. If you give Jordan a gingerbread house, she’ll ask for a fairy tale German town. And if you give Jordan a fairy tale German town, she’ll ask for blue skies. And if you give Jordan blue skies, she’ll want a snowy backdrop. And if you give Jordan a snowy backdrop, she’ll ask for mountains in the distance. There’s probably also a beer and a coffee and some chocolate thrown in there somewhere 😉

In Fairy-Tale Destinations

Brockenbahn in Winter // Harz Mountains

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Fairy tales, spying, espionage, and witches. These are just some of the stories that surround the mystery of the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains. I spontaneously booked a train ticket last Tuesday and got to take in this gorgeous view this past weekend! After staying in the quaint city of Goslar, I woke up early Saturday morning to catch the Brockenbahn (Brocken Railway). The snow, the scenery, the sunshine! This train ride did not disappoint.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina

10 Cities Not to Miss in the Balkans

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After living in the Balkans for about 8 months almost 2 years ago (how has it already been that long?!), I still can’t stop singing the praises of this amazing region. Still misconstrued as dangerous due to the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, this peninsula is now a hot spot for tourists looking for cheap, undiscovered, historical, outdoorsy destinations!

In Personal

Looking Back on 2016

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Wow 2016, what a year you’ve been! At the start of every year, I can’t imagine how the new year can possibly top the previous year…and yet, it always manages to do so. 2016, you’ve been the best year yet. I finished business school, graduated, started dating an amazing guy, moved to Hamburg, began a new job, and got a 3-year visa for Germany! Here are some of the (travel) highlights of 2016!

In Fairy-Tale Destinations

Rothenburg ob der Tauber’s Christmas Market

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It would be an understatement to say that I’m obsessed with the Christmas season in Germany. There really is nothing better than it! By the time the grey months of winter come around, the Christmas markets inject a bit of happiness and liveliness into my life.

To say that this has been a hard past two weeks in Germany is an understatement. The night before the terrorist attack in Germany, I was finalizing all the photos I was going to share for this post and editing them. However, it didn’t feel right to post such a festive article right after the attack. A day after the attack, I went to my local Christmas market and while I was sipping some Glühwein and hot chocolate, armed police with automatic weapons were standing next to me. It felt really uncomfortable that this is our new “normal.”

In Personal

An American + A German // Our Love Story

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One of the most commonly asked questions on my blog and via email is “Tell me your German-American love story with the Prince!” To understand my love story with the Prince, you have to go all the way back to May 2014! Remember that ball I attended with my best guy friend (see the post here)?! Well, our story together starts that night!

In Cuba

A Day in Cienfuegos

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Our day in Cienfuegos should actually be called our morning in Cienfuegos! After a night at sea, we arrived around 6 am in Cienfuegos. Unfortunately, in order to reach our next port of call (and arrive back in Miami on time), we only had about 6 hours to explore the city. Before leaving for Cuba, I had scoured the internet for blog posts, articles, and personal advice on what to do in Cienfuegos with such a short amount of time!