Skip to content
Alyssa Writes

Alyssa Writes

Alyssa Writes

  • My Story
  • Travel
    • Relationships & Travel
    • Travel Stories
    • Travel Tips & Advice
  • Musings
  • Hire Me

Travel

Pyramid outside the Louvre, Paris museum
Europe, Travel Tips & Advice

How to Work in France: Get a Working Holiday Visa

6 January, 2020

So You Want to Work in France? If you want to work in France and you’re between the ages of 18 and 35, you’re in luck! The France working holiday visa is easy as pie to get. Why should you listen to me? Well, it appears that I have come to be known as the ‘youth…

Read More
Alyssa 137 Comments
Morocco, Travel Stories

On Finding Serenity in the Chaos, Chefchaouen

25 September, 2018

Beep! Beep! The sharp honk of a white scooter pulled me out of my trance. Monday in Chefchaouen: it’s a market day. Traders set up stalls or lay their wares on tarps along the sidewalks down Calle Zerktouni, a short street off Avenida Hassan II, and continue into the residential areas.  Outside the blue and…

Read More
Alyssa 1 Comment
fort de france, martinique, feel like home, what is home, street art, colourful houses
Life Abroad, Musings

What is “Home” When You’re In Constant Motion?

1 August, 2018

  Home It’s an elusive term, isn’t it? It’s why we have so many aphorisms about it: “Home is where the heart is.” “A man [sic] travels to figure out what he’s looking for and returns home to find it.” “Home is where I can look and feel ugly and enjoy it.” Okay, maybe not…

Read More
Alyssa 4 Comments
Honest Ed's at dusk
Musings, Toronto Francais

Toronto, je t’aime

6 July, 2018

  En sortant du métro vers le remue-ménage du centre-ville du samedi soir mon coeur sursaute. Parfois, je marche dans la ville juste pour voir ce qu’elle fait, Toronto. Est-ce qu’elle est bruyante ? Est-ce qu’elle rit ? J’aime ses quartiers, sa diversité, et le fait qu’on puisse sortir chaque soir pendant un an sans…

Read More
Alyssa 4 Comments
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Gaudi, Spanish History
Europe, Musings

On Spain: An Unfinished Country

16 May, 2018

I sat quietly among the flurry of languages on L2 on the Barcelona metro. We were heading west towards La Pau, but few would go that far. At 2:30 in the afternoon, it was unlikely that these were commuters. I looked around and tried to guess who would be getting off at the same stop…

Read More
Alyssa 4 Comments
rose de porcelain, porcelain rose, flowers in Martinique
Musings

Break-Up Letter # 1

22 March, 2018

I would really like it if we could stay friends. There are so many things I love about you, parts of you I find charming, and I put so much into our relationship: trying new things, meeting your friends and family, but it didn’t fulfill me. I waded in the deepest rivers of your soul…

Read More
Alyssa 15 Comments
Life Abroad, Musings, Toronto

When Home Isn’t Home Anymore

13 February, 2018

I stood in front of the red double doors of a Toronto subway carriage, holding on to the silver stanchion and staring at the reflection of myself in the window pane. It wasn’t the same reflection I saw seven months ago, before I had moved to the Caribbean. My skin was tanned and my hair…

Read More
Alyssa 4 Comments
Centro Centro, Plaza de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain flag
Travel Tips & Advice

How to Get a Youth Mobility Visa to Spain for Canadians

31 January, 2018

If you’ve been trying to figure out how to get the Youth Mobility Visa Spain, you’ve come to the right place! This is going to be your in-depth, step-by-step guide to getting the visa, detailing everything you need to get and do for a successful application. What do I know? I just received my working…

Read More
Alyssa 198 Comments
Europe, Travel Tips & Advice

7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Prague in the Winter

23 November, 2017

I woke up earlier than everyone else, determined to make the most of our short trip to Prague. It was around this time in January last year, so I was expecting sub-zero temperatures. I bundled myself in a white chunky knit scarf, hat and a matching grey sweater, my warm duffle coat, and thin black…

Read More
Alyssa 8 Comments
Street art in Vienna, FAQ
Moving to the UK, Travel Tips & Advice

UK Youth Mobility Visa for Canadians – Frequently Asked Questions

24 June, 2017

Hi there! I suspect if you’ve found your way to this Frequently Asked questions, it’s because you’re planning on applying for your UK Youth Mobility Visa – welcome! If you haven’t read YMS visa application guide yet, read this first. Just as for the application guide post, the same applies for the FAQ: If you…

Read More
Alyssa 324 Comments
  • « Previous Page

Who am I?

alyssa james, freelance writer, content marketer, alyssa writes

I’m Alyssa — PhD Student and Freelance Writer based in New York City! I write about Travel and Social Justice. Words in MSN, Bustle, the Globe and Mail, Porthole Cruise Magazine, The Local, Matador Network, and more.

About | Hire Me

Where Am I Writing?

Where I Was:

Aix-en-Provence | Thailand | Bali

Where I Am:

New York

Where I Will Be:

Colombia | Martinique | Japan

What Am I Reading?

Click on the book to get a £3/$5 credit on your first Kobo book purchase!

Need to Send Money Abroad?

Click below to sign up for a new TransferWise account and your first transfer of up to £500 is free!

Planning a Trip?

Click below to sign up for a new Airbnb account and you’ll get $50 off your first booking over $95!

About This Site

© 2013-2020 Alyssa Writes

Terms and Conditions

This site uses cookies.

© 2023 Alyssa Writes | Designed by: Theme Freesia | Powered by: WordPress