I’m not drowning, but I’m treading water. I’m not failing, but I’m barely succeeding. I’m not poor, but I’m just paying my bills. I’m not rich, but I’m grateful for all that we do have including a home, food, a car, etc. I’m not a gourmet chef, but I’m feeding my family (sometimes chicken nuggets…
Tag: life
Mothers Need Villages Not Judgements
This fall I gave birth to baby boy number 2. I had a mostly uneventful labor without drugs and welcomed a healthy 9 lb 22 inch boy. My heart, home, and life is now full of love. Time for myself is nil. They say when you have your second kid things don’t just get two…
Self Care for Mamas
Are you a new mom? Are you struggling to find time to take care of yourself let alone eat and shower when you need to? I know I am. I can barely keep up with eating enough to sustain myself while breastfeeding my son and now all my clothes are hanging off of me. Everyone…
Being a Mom is the Hardest Job I’ve Ever Had
In 2013, my sister and I worked on a cattle ranch in the Australian Outback. Our employers were cruel, verbally abusive, and unforgiving. I felt like Cinderella. We scrubbed floors, dusted rafters, and shoveled cow shit. Everything we did was scrutinized and we were oftentimes told to redo jobs that weren’t up to their standards….
You Can’t Plan Your Due Date
As you probably can tell from previous posts, I’m a planner. I like to have control over outcomes and to plan everything out meticulously. I’m definitely type A. So, when the OBGYN tells me your due date is Nov. 1st, I plan on it. I set all my plans around this date to make sure…
The Calm Before the Storm
I have 5.5 weeks to go if little man stays in there until his due date. I’m relatively calm at the moment. Part of me feels that feeling you get at the end of the school year right before the finals. You know this huge test is coming, but that as soon as you finish…
Thoughts of a Soon-to-Be Mother
Somehow I blinked and I’m 33 weeks pregnant. This sure has flown by. I have been so busy, I’ve had no time to write. Many many thoughts have crossed my mind that I wanted to write about, but I honestly haven’t made it my priority. As many women know, pregnancy is a whirlwind and before…
Abandoning Me to Become Mom
Lately, I’ve been grappling with the idea that in three short months, when I give birth I will no longer be just Melissa; I will also be Mom. It has taken me many years, travels, therapists to truly start loving Melissa and even now I’m not always sure of myself. So, accepting this other name…
I’m Pregnant and Scared to Death!
I have faced many fears in my 31 years of life. I’ve traveled to unsafe countries, backpacked alone across the globe, tackled public speaking, and jumped out of a helicopter over the Swiss Alps. Those were a cinch! Now I’m embarking on a new terrifying adventure: Pregnancy!! I am not scared one bit about being…
On a Quest to Heal Myself
Towards the end of 2018, I set out to find answers and to seek help. I was finally done with suffering and just accepting it as my reality. I wanted to feel happy and healthy again or in some cases for the first time. Healing isn’t easy though even when you finally have those answers…
Making Soup with Friends
I’m getting in the soup making mood. I love this time of year when you get to put on sweaters and scarves and make soup. Despite the freakishly warm weather we are having for mid October, cough cough global warming cough, I’m still feeling in the spirit to make warm cozy recipes like this delicious…
Reflections on Life at Age 31
Yesterday was my 31st birthday and I woke up next to my husband in a very comfortable bed in the Luxor hotel in Vegas. Although slightly hungover from having 2.5 drinks (I know right!), I felt good. I checked my emails and found a letter I wrote to myself in August 2013 sent through futureme.org…
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…
Having Gratitude Even When Times are Tough…
It is downright difficult to keep your head up when it seems like the world keeps kicking you when you are down. Sometimes we just go through tough times or tough years and it is hard to see beyond our troubles. One thing I always try to remind myself to do, even when I feel…
How to Beat the Unemployment/Post Travel Blues!
I’ll never regret quitting a job to travel, but it’s returning afterwards that is always super tough. It’s easy to get depressed when you go from traveling and seeing and doing new and exciting things every day to sitting at home applying to jobs and being broke. I’ve been in this situation twice and it…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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….
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…
Transitions are Hard, but Worth it!
It seems about every 2-4 years, I go through a big transition. Just when things get comfortable in my life, I either decide it is time to shake things up or the Universe does it for me. There is something about routine and comfort, that I just can’t handle. As soon as I start to…
To the Dad that Breaks the Mold!
Every year when Father’s Day is getting closer, you see commercials for Home Depot and Lowe’s advertising grills and tools to buy your father. Stores have sales on ties and belts. The card aisle is flush with cartoonish pictures of men in lounge chairs, playing golf, or fishing. But what about the dad’s that don’t…
Time Has No Pause Button, So Enjoy it While You Can…
Life is zipping by me. I swear each year time goes a little faster. One minute, I’m meeting Ethan for tacos for our first date and now we are getting married in 40 days. It’s been a whirlwind lately, between planning a wedding, working full time plus extra side jobs, attending multiple pre-wedding events for…
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…
Dear Worry: It’s Not Me It’s You…
Dear worry, We need to talk. I think I am finally ready to call it quits. No, this isn’t like the last hundred times when I pushed you away and then came running back to you when I couldn’t deal. This is for real this time. You’ve done nothing but bring me down and it…
Ways to Stay Positive When Life Gets Tough!
Life has not been easy the past two years. Last year, I discovered I had some health problems I needed to deal with. My partner and I also had a head on collision that caused a considerable amount of stress and pain for both of us. Finances have ebbed and flowed. We’ve tried our best…
How I Learned to Say Yes to Me!
We live in a culture that encourages us to always say yes. Yes to our boss. Yes to our partner. Yes to the salesman. But, does it encourage us to say yes to ourselves. In the United States, you are valued for how hard you work. If your boss asks you to take on an…
Happy New Year!
Going along with the age old tradition of making New Years resolutions, I would like to say Happy New Year to everyone and to list my resolutions for the year. I figure maybe if I write them down, I’ll do better at checking if I’ve kept up with any of them. This always serves as a…
10 Reasons You Should Quit Your Job and Travel for a Year!
This coming July, my fiance and I plan to get married and quit our jobs to take a 6 to 9 month honeymoon. We are flying to Argentina and working our way up to Mexico. When we tell people our plan, most people react with confusion and surprise. It is not a common concept in…
Reverse Culture Shock
So many people talk about the culture shock you experience when you leave your country and visit a completely different culture, but what about the culture shock you experience when you return home from a long stint of traveling. This culture shock has always been a lot worse for me. I love entering new cultures…
Take Time to Watch the Sunset
The common phrase is “stop to smell the roses,” but when my sister Mandie and I were traveling around Australia and SE Asia we decided to change it to “watch the sunsets.” We made sure to pause every evening and wait for the sun to set. We shared libations with new friends, propped ourselves on…
Give it a Year: So Much Can Change.
Are you struggling right now? Does it seem like nothing is going your way? Well, I’ve been there. I’m sure we all have. When you are dealing with the world crumbling around you, it is hard to see the light. We feel like there is no way things will get better, but they will. Every…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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