Today is our five year wedding anniversary. As I reflect over the last five years of our marriage and it’s many ups and downs, I find myself crediting our seven month honeymoon for a lot of the success of our marriage so far. From the moment we met, like literally the first date, we planned…
Tag: adventure
#TBT: Travel Flashback Part 4: Paradise Found on an Island off Cambodia!
Our Cambodian long boat motored across the vast ocean passed lush green islands and black rocks that jutted out of the water. I stared into the distance as wind whipped through my hair, sharing short sentences on and off with a girl from Italy. Then our boat slowed to a purr and we pulled up…
#TBT Travel Flashback Part 2: Riding Motorbikes in the Thai Countryside and Learning the Importance of Enjoying Each Moment We Have!
We scaled over the rocky steps of the waterfall, as it rushed against our feet. The cool water felt so rewarding after our long ride up here. As people snapped their last pictures and a guard blew his whistle to signal the closing of the park, we swam on, ignoring everyone. We made it to…
My Next Adventure: Cooking!
It’s taken me several months to come back to this blog. In some ways it just symbolizes this part of my life that is over now. I used to think that a life of travel was all I needed to be happy. I wanted to abandon the 9-5 and be an adventurer for life. I…
Myths, Facts, and Tips for Backpacking Central and South America
Now that we have completed our 7 month trip from Argentina to Guatemala, I can speak with some authority on how to best prepare for a trip like this. There’s things we wish we knew beforehand and things that shocked us as well as trucks we learned along the way that I believe would be…
Don’t Skip Honduras
Throughout our travels in Central America, we have met a lot of backpackers who told us that they skipped Honduras or only visited the Bay Islands. As we headed north towards Honduras, we wondered why everyone was skipping around such a diverse country. Sometimes they even chose visiting El Salvador over Honduras. Having now visited…
Ometepe: An Island between Volcanoes
Ometepe Island sits in the middle of the largest lake in Nicaragua. The lake, called Mar Dulce or sweet ocean, looks like the Pacific Ocean with waves just as big as those lapping the west coast of Nicaragua. You can reach the island via a bus or shuttle to Rivas from San Juan del Sur…
Pura Vida and American Prices in Costa Rica
“Pura vida,” the older couple shouts over their shoulder at us as they walk away. We are starting to catch on that this comment is the popular tag line of Costa Rica and the white tourists are eating it up. Everyone ends and starts their conversations here by cheerfully spouting off the words like a…
True Paradise on the San Blas Islands
Ready to unplug, kick off your shoes, and take a dip in some of the clearest, most refreshing blue waters? Welcome to the San Blas Islands off the north east coast of Panama! Here you will discover a true Paradise. There are 365 islands and cays in the archipelago in total, but only 49 of…
Experiencing Colombia’s Coffee Region
When you mention Colombia to people, they immediately think about its dark history during the drug wars and Pablo Escobar. For those who have visited this incredible country though, a picture of rolling green mountains covered in coffee and banana plants, delicious arepas, and some of the nicest people on earth come to mind. Colombia,…
The Black Sheep Inn: Gateway to Quilotoa Lake
(This is not a sponsored post). If you are interested in seeing Quilotoa Lake in Ecuador either via the Quilotoa Loop or just on a day trek, you would be remiss if you didn’t stay a night at the Black Sheep Inn. This lovely, family-run hotel sits at 10,400 feet above sea level, in the…
How to Avoid Burning Out While Traveling!
My husband and I are at the halfway point of our trip and we are finally taking a much needed break. We are lucky enough to have seven months to travel, but even that doesn’t feel like enough time for everything we want to see in do. We’ve managed to crunch in a lot into…
Oops We Did It Again…Another Trek at High Altitude
Why are we such gluttons for punishment? It could be the wonderful rewards we receive for our efforts. Beautiful vistas tend to be our main temptations, but also the challenge in itself provides some great self-gratification for all the suffering. This time around we arrived less prepared and thus felt the punishment of altitude sickness…
Welcome to the Jungle: 8 Days at Tahuayo Lodge in the Peruvian Amazon
Our plane touched ground in Iquitos, Peru and we funneled out the doors down to the black tarmac. The humidity hit us like entering a steam room in heavy clothing. We wore the heavy air like an extra layer of clothing clinging to our skin. Welcome to the Jungle played in the back of my…
Peru Hop: aka The Gringo Express
In 2013, two Irish guys named Will and Conor had the idea to create a hop on hop off bus service for backpackers in Peru. This way backpackers had a safe, convenient and affordable way to visit spots in Peru that previously were missed on the backpacker circuit, but were worth visiting. Now they have…
Tips and Facts to Prepare for the Machu Picchu Inca Trek!
My husband and I just completed the Machu Picchu Inca trek this week. For months leading up to it, I was feeling anxious and scared that it would be too hard. A lot of people who have completed the trek tell you it’s doable, but difficult. Most people warn about the altitude and the infamous…
Overcoming My Limits: Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley
I’ve never been so challenged in my life! This trip has really helped me see past my self-imposed limits and know that we truly have no limits. I was terrified about climbing Rainbow Mountain, but this trip is all about facing my fears. So we went for it! We had a 3am wake up call…
Salar de Uyuni: Well Worth the Height
If you have the money and the time on your South America tour, don’t miss Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. You can take the tour directly from Uyuni, Bolivia or enter from San Pedro de Atacama. For Americans you must pay for a visa to enter Bolivia for $160 US, but I promise you it…
San Pedro de Atacama: Desert Tourism
San Pedro de Atacama sits at about 6,000 feet above sea level and is home to the driest desert in the world. There are so many beautiful landscapes in this area that San Pedro has become a hotbed for desert tourism. It attracts Chileans and foreigners to its small outpost in the desert, an hour…
Mendoza is More than Just Malbec!
For any wine lover, Mendoza, Argentina falls under destinations to visit for wine tasting. It is the capital of Malbec wine. They are the main grower and exporter of this delicious red wine. So, you would be remiss to not take a wine tour in Mendoza if you love Malbec. Once you finish wine tasting…
Valparaiso: Artist’s Paradise
We arrived in Valparaiso after a very uncomfortable and exhausting overnight bus trip from Pucon. Our weary eyes struggled to take in the sights out the taxi windows, but we already had a sense for how unique this city would be. When the taxi screeched to a stop at our hostel, the crooked smirk of…
Chile’s Lake Region
After finishing up our adventures in Bariloche and Bolsón, Argentina’s Río Negro lake region, we crossed the border back to Chile. The drive from Bariloche across the border provided spectacular views as we snaked through towering mountains of green and white. We climbed in elevation, passing over the mountains. Trees wore white cone hats of…
Mountains floating in the Clouds
We continued our upward climb along the gravel road with what felt like no end in sight. Our destination: Piltriquitron, a mountain refugió seated atop the closest mountain to El Bolsón, Argentina. The name comes from Mapuche Indians who inhabited the area originally and it means the mountains that float in the clouds. The description…
Patagonia: “The Mountains are Calling and I Must Go!”
Patagonia has always called my name. I’m a mountain person. Don’t get me wrong, I love the beach, but I much prefer a good hike in the mountains. Just seeing mountains with their snow caps in the distance makes my heart warm. One of the main reasons I moved to Portland, Oregon was for that…
Rosario, Argentina: A City for Hippies, Expats, Artists and Students
A lot of tourists believe the name of the game is checking off a list of tourist attractions that you can brag about seeing when you get home. Of course, if you travel to Paris, you’d be remiss if you didn’t see the Eiffel Tower. Or if you visit London, you shouldn’t miss Big Ben….
Agua, Agua y más Agua
We arrived in Puerto Iguazu after a very tremulous plane ride that had Ethan and I both praying to survive and clutching eachother and our armrests for dear life. Luckily, we did land in this humid little town on the border of Brazil and Paraguay in one piece. Thank god for that, because Iguazu Falls…
Miami: Before the Hurricane
It is always strange when you are planning something for a long time and it feels like it will never actually arrive and then all of a sudden the moment is here. For what seemed like years, Ethan and I planned this trip. It existed in our minds and on our google searches. For all…
Travel isn’t All Umbrella Drinks and Selfies with Monkies!
I was inspired to write this after a friend posted a blogger’s post about how travel isn’t always fun and easy like people think and that we are made to feel bad about complaining when travel gets hard. I completely related to this post, because after years of traveling, I know it isn’t the vacation…
We’re Not Settling Down, We’re Saddling Up!
I’ve never liked the idea of settling down. To me it sounds boring and like the end to a fun life. People always speak about marriage and committed relationships as finally settling down. To those who always looked forward to meeting the one, settling down, and having kids, this concept is accepted as an end…
Be a Weekend Warrior: Get Active on Your Days Off.
It is Friday, and the week has finally wound down and you are ready for the weekend, what do you do? Do you look forward to sitting in your pjs all weekend watching Netflix, or do you have a list of chores and errands that need attending to? How about some social events or adventures?…
15 Things Only Backpackers Understand
If you have backpacked through Europe, or Asia, or South/Central America there are certain truths you understand that those who don’t travel or just take vacations won’t. I’ve been backpacking since I was 19 and studying abroad in the Netherlands. I loved filling up my pack and taking off for five days each week to…
Women Can and Should Travel Alone
Women are not encouraged to do things alone. We are seen as fragile and at threat by the world and dangerous men. As a result, women are left to live in fear instead of feeling the strength to do things on their own. When a woman wants to travel alone, she is strongly discouraged from doing…
An Active Relationship is a Happy Relationship
It is easy when you are in a long term relationship, to settle into a routine. You get up each morning to the dinging of an alarm, one of you hops in the shower while the other prepares breakfast, you kiss good bye, and then each evening you make dinner and stay in watching your…
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…
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…
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…
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…
#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…
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….
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…
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.
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