Author: Maddie Kramer

what i loved and hated about santorini

In the summer of 2025, I did a 3-island solo trip ending out with 2 nights in Santorini. I had incredible experienced in Mykonos and Athens prior! While I enjoyed my time in Santorini, I definitely made a few mistakes with my trip that impacted my experience.

While I would definitely go back, I would certainly do a few things differently. Read on to prevent making the same mistakes as me on your trip to Santorini.

loved: watching mamma mia on a cliff

Anytime someone asks what my favorite part of Greece was, I always say it was watching Mamma Mia on the side of a volcano as the sun set. This experience is priced really well and so worth it. It is hosted by Volkan on the Rocks in Fira and they provide headphones, blankets, and light bites as you watch.

I would recommend the earlier sunset time for views and vibes. However, it is important to note that if you are planning on using public transportation to get back to your accommodation (anywhere outside of Fira), the earlier time ends too early to make it for the last bus, which brings me to my first hate…

hated: the public transit scene

The big reason that I struggled in Santorini was the location of my hostel. I did not do my research ahead of time, so I figured booking in Perissa on the East side of the island would be no problem.

While it technically isn’t that far from the main cities of Fira and Oia, what I failed to take into account was the giant volcano in the middle of the island that meant getting from one side to the other was a 1-2hr trip. Ubers were faster, but very expensive.

Perissa was a nice area to maybe take a day trip to, but I just found myself frustrated with how much time I was wasting getting places each day.

If you are interested in using the public transportation, be super attentive to the bus schedules BEFORE booking anything in advance. Even getting from Oia to Fira is about 30 mins. While it is very cheap to use the bus, my best recommendation would be staying somewhere that most of your activities are centered from with Ubers for daily excursions.

loved: my hotel experience

In case you didn’t put the two and two together above, I booked Mamma Mia before realizing I wouldn’t make the last bus back to Perissa. Thankfully, I realized this the day before and also had stayed under-budget for my entire trip.

I decided to splurge on my last day by booking a closer hotel to be able to watch the full movie. I stayed at Sole d’Oro Luxury Suites solely because it was the cheapest I could find. I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with a welcome cocktail, bottle of wine, private rooftop hot tub, and a beautiful room.

I typically prefer hostels while solo travelling to make friends and save money. However, as my last night in Greece, this was the perfect way to relax and unwind. I think if you are staying in Santorini, the best route here is to go for the hotel versus the hostel.

loved: getting lost exploring the streets

I think one of the biggest appeals of Santorini (and maybe Greece as a whole) are the beautiful white buildings and winding stone streets. I loved spending my time wandering down alleys and around corners.

You don’t need to have plans booked out to the minute in this city. I highly recommend saving at least a full morning or evening to just shop and explore. Some things I came across without a plan included: handmade necklace of my name in Greek, dozens of cutie cats, a really cool lookout point at the northern tip of Oia, and lots more.

hated: cruise dumps mid-day

The one barrier to having your Greek explorer girly moment down the streets is when the cruises dump thousands of people onto the island mid-day. I’m not being dramatic, it is CRAMMED in the little streets, bodies on bodies. You can tell they are cruise people because they will have a little colored sticker on them (and hot take, they’re usually rude…).

I tried to focus my planned excursions to be during the time the cruises were dropping people off so I wouldn’t get stuck in the crowds. It also may be a good idea to plan your trip here during shoulder season (late spring, early fall) for a little bit less people.

loved: hiking to the cliff jump

One of the ways that I avoided the crowds was by trekking all the way down to Amoudi Bay and cliff jumping here. This hike was long and steep so bring a LOT of water. You could pay for a donkey ride down, but the donkeys looked really sad so I felt bad and opted to walk.

Once I got to the bottom it’s about a 10 minute easy hike to the left of the restaurants to get to the jumping areas. I would be a bad physical therapist if I did not remind you to always be cautious cliff jumping and ensure the water is deep enough before swimming.

This was a great way to cool off and avoid crowds! And feel like I was exercising while otherwise stuffing my face with tzatziki and pita…

hated: rainy weather

My view of Santorini may also be tarnished by my first day experience. Let me set the scene: I had just partied in Mykonos for 12 hours straight, slept for 4 hours, hopped on a choppy ferry, arrived in Santorini to a torrential downpour, and had to wait outside in the rain for 2 hours with all of my luggage and no rain jacket. Then as soon as I ate I got food poisoning…. lol

Of course, controlling the weather is impossible. However, it is important to know that there really is not much to do in Santorini when it is rainy. Pretty much everything revolves around being outdoors. So just be forewarned, if there is a rainy day in your forecast, get ready to spend a lot of time at your accommodation!

loved: catamaran tour

Finally, one of my top experiences I had in Greece was booking a day-long catamaran tour with Vista Yachting. I love myself an all-inclusive and this was absolutely perfect in every way.

The cruise includes hotel pick-up/drop-off, unlimited wine, snorkeling, swimming, REALLY good food, and the perfect Instagram-worthy sites and photo-ops. I thought it was a really great deal for everything you get!

If I were to go back to Santorini, I would just book one of these cruises every day and not worry about any of the details 🙂

January 20, 2026
my last day of work in cape may, nj

From June-August of 2025, I was on my first physical therapy clinical rotation in Cape May, NJ. I was working in an outpatient physical therapy clinic treating orthopedic conditions (think joint replacements, strains, broken bones, etc.).

I had a really mixed experience at this clinic. I enjoyed my patients, the location, and the autonomy I was allowed as a student. On the other hand, I was lacking in mentorship, had an extremely busy schedule, and was frustrated with the experience I was having with my advisor.

In an outpatient clinic you see each patient 2-3 times per week. I was only there for 8 weeks, so most of these patients I had been seeing the entire summer and developed great relationships with. I don’t know what it is about goodbyes, but for some reason I always cry. This day was not excluded from this pattern as I was given thoughtful gifts and said farewell to patients.

I think I may have even been loud enough about wanting a grand farewell that a patient I didn’t even see that often brought me an ice cream cake. I was gifted books, gift cards, and very sweet notes of appreciation. I was having a really great day and looking froward to an even more fun evening. As my farewell gift, the staff were going on a booze cruise in Wildwood, NJ together at sunset.

I was on top of the world and feeling so proud of my time here. One of my last requirements to finish clinical is reviewing the rubric students are graded on by their clinic advisor that is sent to their school, which determines if we pass or fail.

We sit down in this meeting and my ego is instantly popped. I see the words “decreased in competence and initiative” in the very first box. WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!? I felt every single human emotion in the span of 5 seconds, but landed on rage as the winner. You’re meaning to tell me, after a summer of teaching myself, this is how you’re summing up my experience to my school? BUT, you still like me enough to pay for a booze cruise to send me off?? Honestly none of it makes sense to me to this day.

I held it back as best as I could and stayed professional. I let it roll off my back and knew that the patient’s didn’t share his opinion and that was what mattered to me. I also knew there was no way I could fail this clinical. I finished the day quietly and let a single tear creep out as I headed to my booze cruise.

Flash forward about an hour as I watch this same man shotgun a White Claw on the side of a boat in a mildly-offensive golf shirt with a lei on. We only booked an hour, so he wasted no time pouring drinks. I just kept asking myself what the hell was going on. But hey, I will never say no to a free boat.

As we finished our trip, I promised I would come back the next week before officially leaving NJ (I didn’t…) and Irish goodbyed that man and my strange strange experience.

Leaving confused, tipsy, and with really mixed emotions about the experience, I found myself in Stone Harbor. Something about everything going on told me I needed to take myself out to dinner and specifically for a margarita.

Some people have a really hard time asking for a table for 1 at a restaurant. I don’t have whatever gene that is. I would take myself out to dinner every single day if I was rich. This night, I had a coconut margarita, chips & guac, elote corn, and fish tacos at Agave. YUMMMM.

Once I finished my meal and reset my vibe, I was ready to celebrate. I texted my friend living in Philadelphia and asked how soon she could be here. I was DETERMINED to have a damn good last day. Once she said 2 hours, I knew I had just enough time to run into the ocean in the dark, get home, shower, and be ready to party.

So anyways, that was the weird story of my weirdest last day of work. The moral of this one is that it really doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of you, so you should probably just do whatever you want all the time. You’re the only one that can fix your own vibe!

January 15, 2026
the most perfect day in sea isle city, nj

Spending a summer living on the Jersey Shore was one of the best choices I have ever made. I loved absolutely every second and daydream often about the next time I will be able to make it back to Sea Isle City.

While I was officially living in Ocean View (the mainland counterpart of Sea Isle), I spent the majority of my time in Sea Isle, Cape May, Avalon, Stone Harbor, and Strathmere. I have collected a few options to mix and match to create the most perfect day ever in this really special place.

coffee

Talk to any Sea Isle lover and they will tell you THE spot is Sidney’s Coffe & Eats in Strathmere. If they have it on the menu, I recommend the chocolate covered strawberry latte. I loved this spot to sit and cram out some work on their covered porch. I don’t even have a second coffee recommendation because I felt like I was cheating on this place going anywhere else.

breakfast

For breakfast I am giving you two options. If it’s raining, I’m sending you to Avalon Coffee Co just a few minutes down the road. The bagels here are the best I had on the shore and I dream of the fresh orange juice. This is a good spot for a rainy day because it is surrounded by a lot of shops to spend your time exploring in when the beach isn’t an option.

If it’s a nice day, why are we wasting time getting breakfast?? Get up early to find a good parking spot. The paid spots may look enticing for convenience, but take the extra 5 mins to drive just a few blocks North or South for the free street parking.

Then, while you are walking towards the beach, take a pit stop at The Juice Pod on the promenade for something quick and fresh. I loved their acai bowls to start my beach day on a hydrated, cooled-off note.

lunch

Because I was driving in from Ocean View each time I had a beach day, without fail I would be stopping at the Wawa right on the corner of Route 9 and Sea Isle Blvd. It will be packed 24/7, so come in with a game plan. I would build my own hoagie and pick up fruit, chips, and a gatorade (perhaps to be enhanced with a little Malibu rum later down the line…..). BYO cooler and watch out for overzealous seagulls.

My other recommendation would be to take a break from the sun and walk to Panzini’s Pizzeria. This was the best slice I found and they have decent lunch deals. The seagulls love Wawa, but they ESPECIALLY love swooping down on an unassuming pizza slice, so be extra diligent!

to do

Obviously I will always recommend spending every second you can on the beach cycling between a good book, swimming in the ocean, and absorbing as much sun as possible. Keep some cash on you for the beach tags. Memorial Day-Labor Day, Sea Isle beach tags are $10 daily by cash. OR you could drive up to Strathmere where the beaches are free hint hint.

Some other areas to check out for shopping and bites are the Sea Isle promenade, Dune Rd from 20th-26th st in Avalon, and Washington St mall in Cape May. Skip the kitschy tourist stores and opt for Shop Local (Cape May), Victorious (Cape May), She Be Surfin’ (Avalon), and Sessoms’ Gifts and Candies (Sea Isle).

If you have especially a lot of time on your hands, I HIGHLY recommend going to the Cape May Zoo. I cannot believe this zoo is free for everything it has to offer and you could definitely spend a full day here no problem.

If all else fails, take the time to start in Cape May and head north on Ocean Drive with your windows down and favorite music on.

dinner

My favorite way to end a day in Sea Isle is with sushi, edamame, and miso soup from Sushi Ocean View. You MUST get the sunset roll, no debate. Note that the entire show here is run by one baddie, which means sometimes the wait is a bit longer. I recommend ordering ahead then picking up takeout and enjoying it on the beach while watching the sunset. Thank me later.

If you’re looking for other sit-down places to eat, I was very impressed with the famous Mike’s Seafood. It is BYOB, pretty busy, NOT cheap, but worth the hype if you can swing it!

Some other favorites included La Dona in Cape May (get the elote!!!, byob), Tuckahoe Inn in Ocean View (great sunset and great drinks), and The Watering Hull in Stone Harbor.

sweet treat

You’re on vacation, you deserve a sweet treat! My pick will always be an ice cream cone. The best I found were at Yum Yum’s right off the promenade and Custard King conveniently across from Sushi Ocean View.

Honorable mention to the fried oreos that I tried for the first time from Drifter’s at 2am while very drunk.

nightlife

Surprisingly, I didn’t spend much time out while on the shore. This was primarily because I didn’t know many people my age in the area and I think you’re considered to “have a drinking problem” when you’re clubbing alone like that. However, my favorite spots to take friends who came to visit were Shenanigan’s and Ocean Drive.

I liked Shenanigan’s because sometimes they have a bubble machine with fog-filled bubbles. Ocean Drive is a bit more of a younger crowd and gets busier. I HIGHLY recommend going to Ocean Drive when they have dueling pianos going on. Both are cash only and have ATM’s outside.

If you’ve never been before, I HIGHLY recommend making the roadtrip to Sea Isle City 🙂 <3

January 13, 2026
my second time moving across the country

Currently, I am typing this from an airplane to Atlanta. Once I land, I will seek out either a slice of cheese pizza or the impossible burger from Burger King. Then I will make my connection and head to my new home for the next 3 months: San Francisco. Poignantly, I am reflecting on the last time I moved across the country in 2022.

In 2022 I was wickedly depressed and freshly broken up with. All I could think about from my snowed-in dorm room was how much happier I would be living somewhere hot. I liked kids, I liked Florida, and I liked doing things seriously out of my comfort zone, so I applied for a job at a summer camp in Palm Harbor. I assumed the name “Calypso” and became the pseudo-mommy of fifteen 7-9year olds weekly.

I LOVED this time in my life. I was the head of the zipline course and spent my days encouraging girls to face their fears. When I wasn’t on the zips, I was paddling in the Gulf of Mexico, lounging on a beach, making the BEST banana boats over a campfire, and consoling little girls with splinters (there were a loooooot of splinters).

When I look back, I wasn’t afraid whatsoever to leave my home and dive into this. I live for that tingly feeling in your stomach when you step into the unknown.Traveling for leisure versus traveling for escape are very different things.

So now, nearly four years later, I am once again packing the same luggage for another trip across the country. Instead of tiny crop tops and bikinis, I now have scrubs and lab manuals. Thankfully I have left the depression in 2022. Once again I know not a single soul living in my accommodation or pretty much anything about the job I am walking in to. My only line of defense against the anxiety of it all is leaning into how exhilarating it is to be able to do what I do.

I love my home and I love my family and I will ALWAYS cry hugging my mom goodbye. That doesn’t change the fact that I silently cringe when my peers tell me they are choosing to do all of their clinical rotations at home (or even worse staying in Ithaca!) I feel so lucky!

If I hate it, it’s only 3 months. When I love it, I will be begging the days to go slower and time to freeze. And then in a few years the cycle will start all over again. Maybe Hawaii? Arizona? Australia 😉

January 8, 2026
is sunrise at haleakala worth it?

If you’re planning a trip to Maui, Haleakala is likely coming across your research as a MUST SEE WORTHWHILE EXPERIENCE!!! Personally, I was a bit skeptical. My mind was changed once I experienced it. I break down below how we did it and some tips to make the most of your experience.

ahead of time:

First, you will need tickets. We booked our tickets about 2 months in advance. I don’t know how much in advance they typically fill up, but I know there were none available day-of. NOTE: this is different from the park admission fee. We have annual national park passes, so this was free but otherwise would be paid at the entrance.

Secondly, you will need a method of traversing up the volcano. You can either book a tour with a shuttle or drive yourself. The third option would be hiking, but why would you EVER want to do that?!?! We chose to drive ourselves since we had a car and wanted to be on our own timeline.

Finally, you will need to be prepared for the elements. Because the peak is higher than the clouds, it is FREEZING and WINDY all year long. Most people do not pack winter wear for their Hawaii vacation, so consider making the trip in your PJs and bring lots of blankets. Additionally, if you are sensitive to altitude (lower oxygen levels, altitude/motion sickness, or difficult-to-pop ears), take the proper precautions ahead of time!

day of:

If you are driving yourself, you should plan to be at the base of the volcano 60-90 minutes before the sunrise to allow for time to make it up, parking, and finding a spot to watch the sunrise from. Maps it ahead of time, it may be a lot further than you expect (it was 2.5hr from Kihei, meaning we had to leave at 2am to make it in time). Follow the crowds to know what side of the peak the sun will be rising from (try to find a spot near the gift shop). We were wrapped in blankets and in multiple layers and still pretty cold. A warm beverage and folding chair would be great additions if you plan for them!

why we loved it:

Let me set the scene here: I am freezing cold, my ears still haven’t popped, and I am SO tired. This seems like the perfect storm to be having a horrible time. However, I was smiling and laughing like a little kid with the wind whipping my face.

This experience really is magical. Because the clouds are below you, you are guaranteed a beautiful sunrise no matter what the weather is. There are also local Hawaiian singers performing sun salutations as the sun rises. And truthfully, the whole thing is pretty quick to be braving the elements for. From start to finish it was about 30 mins. It felt very spiritual and connected to nature, especially for someone who doesn’t necessarily reach for the nature excursions while traveling.

After you’ve been amazed by the show, there isn’t too much to do on the peak. There is a cute little gift shop worth stopping in. I guess you could hike…. not me though. We took a bunch of photos and then made our way driving back down. In the area, we stopped in Makawao to grab a bite and bev at Espresso Mafia. Waking up early was rough, but meant we started the day on a magical foot. We spent the rest of the day surfing and catching up on sleep on the beach!

So long story short, yes you should definitely add a trip up Haleakala to your Maui itinerary!

January 6, 2026