My Week with Girl Gone International

Last week, I got a very exciting email from Bonnie Rose asking me to guest post for Girl Gone International's Instagram account. How could I say no to that?! I loved the user engagement on the account (people actually answered the questions I posed in my captions!), and I found a lot of great new wanderlust accounts to add to my personal feed. For today's Travel Tuesday post, I wanted to share with you my posts at @girlgoneinternational from the past week:

Greetings, #girlgi followers and travelers! I Instagram over at @mcstroup and blog at megancstroup.blogspot.com, and I am BEYOND thrilled to be taking over the #girlgi account this week! In addition to traveling as much as possible, I enjoy reading, listening to public radio, drinking sweet tea and collecting turtles. Pictured here: Being "kissed" by an elephant at #BaanChang Elephant Park in #ChiangMai, #Thailand, on my honeymoon in November. What was the most recent trip you took abroad? Until next time! 🐘😘

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 13, 2015 at 12:57pm PST

Winter weather has gotten me thinking about rainy (yet still beautiful) destinations, like #ZaanseSchans, a beautiful town outside #Amsterdam known for its windmills. When I visited one year in May, it rained every day! What's your favorite rainy travel destination? #Netherlands #Holland #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 13, 2015 at 3:58pm PST

Sometimes, traveling is difficult, like visiting this site, where 10 Belgian UN peacekeepers were shot and killed at the start of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The building is still riddled with bullet holes and is now known as the Belgian Memorial. Where is the most emotionally challenging place you have visited? #CampKigali #Kigali #Rwanda #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 14, 2015 at 10:48am PST

Despite the tragedy #Rwanda has experienced (see earlier post), it is still a beautiful country to visit, as evidenced by this #sunset over #LakeKivu, near the Congo border. The country is full of friendly people and tranquil scenery, and I would recommend it to anyone hoping to visit East #Africa! #girlgi #nofilter - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 14, 2015 at 3:49pm PST

One of my favorite photos ever taken in one of my favorite cities ever visited. What are your favorite cities in the world? If I had to pick just five, I would choose Prague, Budapest, Boston, Seville and Chiang Mai. 🌎🌍🌏 #Prague #Praha #CzechRepublic #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 15, 2015 at 8:42am PST

Happy Friday! Thinking back to these adorable flower-lined streets on the #Pico island of the #Azores in #Portugal today. Are you traveling anywhere this weekend? #Acores #islandlife #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 16, 2015 at 7:19am PST

The Alhambra in Granada is possibly the most well-known Moorish #palace in #Spain, but I think the #Alcazar in #Sevilla deserves a lot more attention. Just look at that detail! #RealAlcazar #Seville #Espana #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 16, 2015 at 3:51pm PST

The ceiling of the beyond-gorgeous St. Stephen's Cathedral in #Vienna, #Austria. A great destination for holiday travel! #cathedral #ststephens #wien #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 16, 2015 at 8:55pm PST

What kind of places do you frequent while traveling? I love exploring bookstores and libraries, like this teeny tiny #bookstore - Livraria do Simao - in #Lisbon, #Portugal. (It claims to be the smallest #bookshop in #Europe, possibly even in the world!) #lisboa #girlgi - @photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 17, 2015 at 10:02am PST

This is fun: The ceiling of the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in #Rome, #Italy, is painted to look like it has a dome, but it's just an optical #illusion! #roma #italia #catholic #church #stignatius #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 17, 2015 at 7:53pm PST

Watching the #sunrise at #AngkorWat is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but don't believe anyone who says there will be fewer tourists. There are ALWAYS a million tourists, even at 5 in the morning, as evidenced by the steps of the temple library in this photo. Gorgeous, nonetheless! #siemreap #cambodia #seasia #travelstoke #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 18, 2015 at 12:43pm PST

Snowy street in #Budapest over the holidays. What are some of your favorite #winter destinations? #hungary #snow #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 18, 2015 at 10:00pm PST

Sometimes, I get so caught up in places I want to visit around the world that I forget about the beautiful places in my own country (the #USA), like my favorite national park: #Yosemite. What are some of your favorite domestic destinations? #waterfall #california #america - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 19, 2015 at 11:24am PST

A beautiful summer day in #Ronda, #Spain. From the #Andalusia region to Madrid, Spain is definitely one of my favorite countries in the world. Other favorites include Cambodia, Austria and Rwanda. What are yours? #espana #andalucia #nofilter #girlgi - photo by @mcstroup

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 19, 2015 at 6:22pm PST

This is my last post for #girlgi. A huge thanks once again to @the_bonnierose for trusting me with this account over the past week! :) I've had a blast reliving my past travels with all of you. Be sure to hop over and follow me at @mcstroup if you would like to keep connecting! 😘 #sunset #railaybeach #krabi #thailand #seasia #travelstoke

A photo posted by Girl Gone International (@girlgoneinternational) on Jan 19, 2015 at 11:04pm PST

Thanks again for this great opportunity, Bonnie Rose! I had a blast.

Which is your favorite photo? Are we Instagram friends yet? (Personal account: @megtristao. I post lots of books, travel shots, coffee cups and—occasionally—wedding photos!)

P.S. — If you post travel photos, be sure to tag #girlgi and you could be regrammed.

Linking up with Bonnie Rose for Travel Tuesday and Ash for Two for Tuesdays.