What I did and saw:
Playa de Castelldefels-
Castelldefels is located just outside of Barcelona, and can be reached on a zone 1 ticket.  The beach in Castelldefels is one of the best in the area, and although there are some beaches in the city of Barcelona, many Barcelona locals will make the trip outside the city to Castelldefels due to the difference in the quality of the beaches.

Right Side Coffee Roastery-
Many craft coffee shops in (and out of) the Barcelona area get their coffee beans from Right Side Coffee Roastery.  Right Side also sells coffee making equipment.  I bought an Aeropress, filters, a grinder, and coffee beans from Right Side.  Orders can be placed to be picked up or delivered.​

Where I ate and drank:
​MasMas++ -
A craft coffee store by day and a bar by night, MasMas++ is a cool place to get quality food and drink.  I stopped by for a coffee and a healthy breakfast that were both very good.

Café De Finca Coffee Shop-
​Café De Finca Coffee Shop serves high quality craft coffee.  However, their food selection was very limited when I was there.

Where I stayed and how I got around:
​As mentioned above, Castelldefels is easily reachable from Barcelona.  I took the train from the city center of Barcelona to Castelldefels.  I also had previously visited Castelldefels by train from Vilanova i la Geltru where I was teaching English as a foreign langauge.  While in Castelldefels I mostly walked to get around, but I did take the train from the center of Castelldefels to the beach area.

My favorite thing:
In my opinion the best thing about Castelldefels (and the reason most people visit) is the beach.  It is a very nice, large sand beach.
​
My least favorite thing:
The city of Castelldefels and the beach are almost 2 miles (3 kilometers) apart, but they are connected by train.

For next time:
Next time in Castelldefels I would like to spend more time on the beach and try out some Chiringuitos (beachfront restaurants).

Step one in taking a new trip is deciding where to go.  I will most often use sites like Google Flights to decide which city I would like to visit next.  Once I know where I am going to go, I like to have an idea what I want to see, do, eat, and drink when I get to a new city.  I also need to know where to stay and how to get around.  Here are the methods I use to plan out what I like to do in a new city:

See, do, eat, and drink ideas:

• Travel Blogs and newsletters-
  • Reading travel blogs (like this one) is great way to get ideas for things to do in a new  city.  When traveling in Europe I like to use the European Coffee Trip blog to find great filter coffee cafes.  I also subsribe to a variety of different travel email newsletters that offer great travel ideas.
• Travel shows/Vlogs-
  • I loved watching shows with the late, great, Anthony Bourdain, and got many good ideas from his shows.  I also like to watch travel blogs such as Attaché to get a feel for an area and good ideas for things to do.  I will also peruse GPSmyCity for things I am interested in.
• Rating sites-
  • I will usually check out rating sites such as TripAdvisor to see the top things to do in an area, or the top cheap places to eat.
• Google Maps-
  • Whenever I come across a place  I think I will want to try (through any of the methods mentioned above) I save it in Google Maps.  Then, once I get to the city, I can easily see what good places are near me.

Where to stay:

• Hostelworld and Booking.com-
  • I will usually check Hostelworld and Booking.com first in my search for accommodation.  They provide good search tools, and I will usually filter by price and rating.  Hostelworld displays mainly hostels, but Booking.com will also display accommodation types such as hotels and apartments. I will also occasionaly check sites such as Airbnb.
• Ultimate Rewards and credit card points-
  • I will usually check the Chase Ultimate Rewards site to check the cost (in points) of accommodation.  They offer hotel accommodation and will sometimes offer hostel accommodation also.  However, I usually prefer to use my points for travel as opposed to accommodation, especially when I can find good deals on hostels.
• CouchSurfing-
  • While I use the methods mentioned above more often, I will also occasionally utilize CouchSurfing.

How to get around:

• Rome2Rio-
  • I will often use Rome2Rio when I am planning medium to long distance routes.  I will typically use Google Maps or Citymapper for shorter distances, but Rome2Rio can give good options for longer distances.  It will also combine different modes of transportation to help you find the best route.
• Citymapper-
  • Citymapper is a very useful tool to use to get around a new city.  However, it is only available in select cities.  I used to use Citymapper more in the past, but now I will typically use it as a backup/check of Rome2Rio and Google Maps.
• Google Maps-
  • Recently I have begun utilizing Google Maps more than Citymapper due to the ease with which I can save and mark places I would like to visit or have already visited.

What I did and saw:
Egyptian Museum-
The Egyptian Museum in Turin was excellent.  It would be easy to spend days there, but I unfortunately only had a few hours.  Still, I got to see many interesting artifacts and learn more about Egyptian history.

Beautiful Plazas, monuments, and buildings-
​I saw many beautiful things during my short time in Turin.  I saw the outside of some great buildings such as the Royal Palace of Turin, as well as some beautiful plazas such as the Piazza Castello and the Piazza San Carlo.

Where I ate and drank:
Mollica-
​Mollica is an excellent sandwich place in Turin.  Their sandwiches are well priced and very high quality.  They also served quality, cheap Italian wine out of barrels to go with the tasty sandwiches.  It is one of the best sandwiches I have had, and the staff was very nice also.  I would definitely recommend grabbing a bite to eat at Mollica if you are in Turin.

Orso Laboratorio del Caffè-
While Italians typically favor espresso drinks over filter coffe, Orso is one of the few places in Turin that offers quality filter coffee.  I had my best cup of coffee in the Turin area at Orso.

Where I stayed and how I got around:
I was only in Turin for a short time and did not stay overnight there.  I got a ride into the city from my host family in Cirie, and I left on an Italo train for Milan (for less than €10!).  While I was in Turin I walked to get around.

My favorite thing:
The Egyptian Museum in Turin was excellent, and I wish I would have been able to spend more time there.

My least favorite thing:
Due to a problem on the train tracks in the Naples area, my train to Milan was delayed numerous times.  This meant I had to wait at the train station instead of exploring more of Turin or Milan. 

For next time:
Because I was only in Turin a short time, there are still many things I would like to do there.  My host family in Cirie did show me around many places in the surrounding area, but I would still like to explore some places such as the Mole Antonelliana (which is said to be the tallest unreinforced brick building in the world and the tallest museum in the world).

I have used Couchsurfing a couple different ways, and I wanted to share a few of my thoughts:

Couchsurfing:
CouchSurfing is a website/application that travelers can use to find free accommodation worldwide, or to host fellow travelers. First, you set up a profile (similar to Facebook) telling a little bit about yourself. Then you can offer to host travelers that are visiting your city while you are at home. When traveling to a new city, you can search for people to send personal requests to or post a general request to that city's page.

• The good-
  
  • ​I couchsurfed when I was in Washington DC. I wasn't sure how the experience would be, but overall I was pleasantly surprised. I had a great experience using Couchsurfing. Prior to arriving in the city I added in my request on the Washington DC page that I would be moving to Spain to teach English, and Alban (who is also moving to Spain to teach English) offered to host me. He was super nice and very welcoming. I was even able to exercise in the gym in his apartment complex! For those traveling on a tight budget (and when unable to use credit card points or find a good hostel), Couchsurfing can be a great option because the price is a sharing of culture, not a monetary exchange.
• The bad-
  
  • To be honest, I was hesitant to use CouchSurfing, and wasn't sure what to expect. When I first tried to use Couchsurfing it was initially difficult to find someone to host me. Most people either ignored or denied my requests to stay. I ended up finding a place to stay after posting on the Washington DC city-wide page.
• The ugly-
  
  • The vast majority of people I know that use Couchsurfing use it as a means of cultural exchange, affordable travel, or just giving back. However, I have heard stories of people (male and female) using Couchsurfing like a traveler's tinder app. Also, many females will offer to host only females, so I found it a bit difficult at times to use as a male. Additionally, everyone using Couchsurfing (hosts and guests) should be vigilant in regards to their own safety and act wisely in response to any bad or uncomfortable feelings they might get. While proper caution should be used, CouchSurfing can be a great resource for travelers.

Events:
On the Couchsurfing app there are also various events listed. Being on the Couchsurfing app, these events are geared toward travelers. They include things such as language exchanges, meetups, and tours. I have done a few Couchsurfing events (such as a language exchange in St. Pete and a meetup to watch fireworks in Washington DC) and have had a great time at each of them.

Hangouts:
There is also an option to meet up with other travelers through Couchsurfing hangouts. You can make yourself available and other people that are also available in your vicinity will be visible to you. This can be used to show someone around, to be shown around, or to do something together with a fellow traveler. I have not personally used hangouts, but I think (as long as proper caution is used as mentioned above) it is a great concept.

Hosting:
You can also host people through the Couchsurfing app. Although you will not receive money, you would be able to get a beneficial cultural exchange and would have the opportunity to help a fellow traveler. I have not hosted yet, but I would like to host sometime in the future.