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 Travel

An Afternoon at Sutro Baths // San Francisco (+ VLOG!)

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What happens when you take two bloggers, gorgeous weather, seaside scenes, and multiple cameras? Crazy photos (let’s be honest, us bloggers will do crazy things for photographs) and my first ever VLOG!!! I headed out to San Francisco a few weeks ago and ~~crashed at Annie and Justin’s apartment~~ became Annie and Justin’s pretend child for a few days 😉 Annie, the amazing photographer and writer behind MontgomeryFest, feels like an older sister to me. I met her in Belgium while she was still an expat and we hit it off right away: between our love of J.Crew, the same blogs, and everything in-between…this girl just gets me 🙂 So we decided to be as over-the-top as possible and take all our blogging magic to the Sutro Baths in San Francisco!

In North Macedonia

Skopje: The Strangest City in the World

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Oh Skopje, where do I even begin? You’re the weirdest, gaudiest, strangest, coolest city I’ve ever visited. Known as the mini-Vegas or the Disney World of the Balkans, Skopje manages to pack in more entertainment than I thought possible in a very small amount of area. And Macedonia, thanks for being country NUMBER 30 for me!

In Michigan

Great Lakes State of Mind // Michigan

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Hidden in the pinky of Michigan are some of the most gorgeous beaches with the bluest water you’ll ever see. On one hand, I don’t want to share the locations because I want them to stay hidden gems for as long as possible from all the fudgies (aka tourists. Because they come to Michigan for fudge so we’ve nicknamed them appropriately). But then again, how could you not share something so beautiful?!

In Travel

Is Eastern Europe Safe?

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Whenever I tell someone that I lived in Croatia and Bulgaria for six months, I’m immediately met with the same reaction: “But is it safe? Even as a female AND an American?”

My short answer: “Yes.” As a female and an American, I’ve never once felt unsafe in Eastern* Europe. I traveled throughout Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria by myself. Just like every other place in the world, it is about making smart decisions when traveling to minimize risk. I try not to arrive late at night or early in the morning. Furthermore, I let people know where I’m going beforehand in case something were to happen. I’m not a clubber so I avoid them when traveling and try to get back to my hostel or Airbnb before 9 or 10 pm every night. Nothing good tends to happen when alcohol is involved at night!

In Bulgaria

Stunning Beauty of Seven Rila Lakes

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There are some places that you visit in life where words and photos don’t even come close to doing it justice. Seven Rila Lakes in Rila National Park is the epitome of indescribable beauty. These photos can’t adequately capture the pureness, vastness, and overwhelming exquisiteness of this national park nestled a few hours away from Sofia, Bulgaria.

Seven Rila Lakes in Rila National Park are a group of seven glacial lakes. Not only are they the most visited lakes in Bulgaria, but they are also one of the most popular hiking spots in all of Bulgaria.

In Michigan

Fishtown // Leland, Michigan

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Tucked about 25 miles northwest of Traverse City, Michigan, the Fishtown district of Leland, Michigan is a throwback to life 100 years ago. The fish tugs and charter boats still line the docks of this historic neighborhood. While the district is now mainly a tourist attraction, it still serves individuals who want to go fishing. Many of the shanties are now shops, cafes, and restaurants but a few still cater to the fishing industry of Northern Michigan!

In Bulgaria

Rila Monastery

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Located high up in the Rila Mountains is the most famous Bulgarian Orthodox monastery. So famous that it is on the 1 lev note (their currency)! Founded in 927 AD by the hermit St. John of Rila, the monastery is one of the most important cultural and historical sites in the region. Ironically, St. John of Rila never actually lived in the monastery. He lived in a cave in the Rila Mountains near the monastery while his students lived in the monastery. Pope John Paul II visited Rila Monastery on a trip to Bulgaria in 2002.

In Michigan

My Home on Discovery Channel!

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Exciting news! My childhood home was chosen to be on “Ultimate Homes: Waterfront Edition” on the Discovery Channel! The episode airs TOMORROW (Sunday, August 2nd) at 3pm EDT. Our house was filmed due to the unique building challenges (we have a 300 foot bridge to our house that is covered and 25 feet above ground). Plus, how could you not love the gorgeous views!? The sunsets have been out-of-this-world amazing these past few weeks. I’ll leave you all with some teaser photos 🙂 Make sure to check it out tomorrow and let me know what you think!

In Greece

Tastes of Thessaloniki

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There’s no better way to experience a city than eating your way through it! On my first trip to Greece I knew I wanted to take a food tour (still don’t know how I haven’t been to Greece before now!). I reached out to Urban Adventures and booked the Tastes of Thessaloniki food tour. And man, did they pull out all the stops! I had the sweetest guide Tereza, who was my age. The only other person on the tour was also around my age so we were able to discuss much more than food. I was in Greece about a week before the referendum and given that I study politics, I nicely grilled Tereza about the entire situation. It was so fascinating to get her perspective!

In Croatia

Hiking Plitvice Lakes National Park

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I refused to leave Croatia without visiting Plitvice Lakes National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the oldest national parks in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. When my family visited Europe in 2012, we had Plitvice Lakes National Park on our itinerary. However, by the time we reached Croatia, we were all exhausted and decided to scratch Plitvice in favor of an extra day in Opatija, Croatia.