Reading the news these days or going on social media, makes me depressed. I’m tired of waking up to hear about yet another mass shooting or black man being shot by the cops unprovoked. It happens so often that we have become desensitized to it. We are all up in arms for at least a…
12 Signs You Have the Travel Bug
I have been afflicted with the same disease for 16 years. I can’t seem to shake it. Nothing seems to make it go away. I’m of course talking about the travel bug. The only cure for this disease is more travel. And even then, while I’m traveling, I’m dreaming of more travel. I fear I…
The Rapist is Not the Victim
This weeks top news story, besides the sad primary election, has me really fired up. Reading about the outcome of the rape case at Stanford infuriated me. How is it that again and again, we worry about the future of the rapists’ lives over the victims? It worries me that we still live in a…
Unplug and Rejuvenate!
It is so easy these days to become addicted to technology. As much as I personally hate how people are glued to their screens, I too suffer from this addiction. If I’m waiting for anything, my phone comes out of my purse and I’m aimlessly scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or emails. It is scary how…
No Regrets Bucket List
Most people have a bucket list; a list of things they want to do before they are a certain age or before they die. Sometimes they are wild things they wouldn’t normally do or things that force them to overcome their fears, but a lot of times they are just life goals they hope to…
Chronic Illnesses: The Silent Sufferer
I’m going to talk about a topic that I’ve never written about and I barely ever bring up to people, but that has impacted my life for some time. A chronic disease “is one lasting 3 months or more, by the definition of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. Chronic diseases generally cannot be prevented…
What is Your Passion?
“What is your passion?” my 8th grade English teacher, Mr. Batt, asked the class, before handing out our new assignment. We all looked around the room at each other with confused wrinkles on our foreheads. What does passion really mean, we thought. Mr. Batt read our expressions correctly and decided to explain. “The next book…
Climb That Mountain!
Life is not easy! Do not be fooled! Life is beautiful, exciting, challenging, troubling, but not easy. Life is like the mountain I climbed this past weekend. And by climbed, I mean hiked, because let’s be serious I’m no rock climber. Anyway, on Sunday, my boyfriend and I decided to climb (hike) Dog Mountain. Dog…
My Top Travel Experiences!
Whenever I tell people where I’ve traveled, I always get the same question: what was your favorite place? This is quite possibly the hardest question to answer. How can I select one place out of 25 countries, 100 cities, 1,000’s of experiences? It is impossible. For anyone who has traveled a bunch, you can probably relate…
Weekend Getaways: A Great Break from Stress
The last few weeks my boyfriend and I have been feeling overwhelmed with stress about work, money, the future, you name it. Our lives always seem to be so busy, running from one thing to the next. Then my best friend came to town last Thursday to visit with her fiance. They wanted to visit Seattle…
Best Friends Forever
Having friends in your life is important; having a best friend is essential. When you are growing up you learn that it isn’t really important to have tons of friends or acquaintances. Sure, when you are young it seems like the popular kids are the happy ones. They have so many friends surrounding them and…
10 Things I’ve Learned From Traveling
A lot has been said about the importance of travel. There is a reason for that. People who travel learn more about themselves and the world. It is hard to gain an understanding of the world if you never leave your hometown. Mark Twain said, “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many…
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others- Just Be YOU!
It is so hard these days to be content with our own lives. Every time we sign on to social media we see photos of people getting engaged, getting married, announcing pregnancies, having babies, parading their babies around in a cute manner, travel photos, and on and on and on. People have been comparing their…
#TBT Travel Story Edition: Learning Spanish in Ecuador
Once upon a time…just kidding. This is a story about learning Spanish. In highschool, I decided to take four levels of French, because French seemed like the sexiest language. Due to block scheduling, I was able to squeeze in three levels of Spanish in my last year and half. By the time I graduated though, it…
Fear Part two: The Barrier Between You and True Happiness
Not only does fear cause xenophobia and racism, but it also stands in your way of happiness. Our fear of the unknown, prevents us from ever realizing our true potential or taking that leap towards greater happiness and opportunity. Fear acts as the silent kidnapper, tying you down to a chair and preventing you from…
FEAR is the Enemy
fear ˈfir/ noun 1. an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. “drivers are threatening to quit their jobs in fear after a cabby’s murder” 1. be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening. “he said he…
How to Travel on a Budget
Do you want to travel, but you are worried you won’t have enough money? I’ve started to lose track of the amount of times people have told me they don’t travel, because they don’t have money. People always think I must be rich if I’ve traveled to so many places. This assumption is wrong. I’m…
Top 10 Things I Did Before 30
Everyone has their running lists of what to do before 30, or at least it seems that way when they continually popup on Facebook or Buzzfeed. For most people, 30 seems to be an end to one way of living and a beginning to another. Thirty is when you become a true adult, or so they say….
Happy International Women’s Day
In honor of International Women’s Day, I want to encourage all my lady friends to look in the mirror today and tell yourself all the amazing things about you. I feel like for women, the mirror is oftentimes an evil contraption, which forces us to belittle ourselves and nitpick everything we don’t like. I wish…
Stop Waiting for Friday!
“Is it Friday yet?” is probably the most common question asked in offices. Most of us know that feeling, when the weekend ends and we have to face the most dreaded day of the week: MONDAY!! Monday is the day, you have to wake up early and realize the weekend is over and you have a…
Cherish Every Moment…
Cherish every moment, because it could be your last. We oftentimes hear this statement made by older people and inspirational cards and in speeches. Do we truly grasp what it means, though? Up until this Saturday, I’d say I’ve done my best at being present in my own life and trying to enjoy every moment….
Money, Money, Monnneeeyy!
If you can afford to meet your needs and still have money leftover, you are faced with two options when it comes to spending that extra money: material good or experience. Do you choose to buy that bigger television set or do you buy concert tickets? Do you take a nice vacation or buy a…
It’s All About the Timing…
I recently met the love of my life, but I’m still in shock about it. Everyone who is single or was single for a long time, like me, has heard their friends and parents say to them, “it is all about the timing.” When you are single, this is hard to understand. Of course, it…
Be Here Now
Be Here Now. One of my biggest struggles in life is being present in the now. I am always daydreaming about my future travel and adventures.
melissathewanderer 