This summer has been one of the hardest I’ve ever experienced. Of course, I recognize that there are moms out there dealing with way worse and I want to acknowledge them now, because mama you are a warrior woman who has way too much on your plate. I, personally, am now 32 weeks pregnant with…
Tag: travel
How Taking a 7 Month Honeymoon has Helped Our Marriage Last
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…
#TBT: Travel Flashback Part 6: Culture, Tradition, and Ceremony in Bali
Balinese people hold strongly to their traditions. If someone dies and they must have a cremation, everyone in the community closes their business for however many days they need and they all attend the cremation. Their strong sense of community trumps their need to make money. This is something I love about the Balinese people….
#TBT: Travel Flashback Part 5: The Sun Rises Slowly Over Angkor Wat
Cold air beats against our faces as we fly down the street in our tuk tuk. Once again we are up before sunrise. This time our early rise is intended so we meet the sun not dolphins on the sea. We didn’t realize how cold it can be in Siem Reap this early in the…
#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…
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…
#TBT Travel Flashback Part 3: In Love with Pai
I know I’ve probably said this about numerous towns along my travels, but Pai stands out as one of my favorite places in the world. We arrived in the late afternoon, after a long winding drive from Chiang Mai. The town’s main road buzzed with motorbikes and backpackers, yet it maintained a silent calm only…
#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…
#TBT Throw Back Travel Memories Part 1: Volunteering on a Buddhist Monastery in Thailand!
Each Thursday, I will post a throw back Thursday post from my old website about my trip to Australia and SE Asia! This week’s is a post about volunteering on a Buddhist Monastery in Northern Thailand! During our last two weeks in Thailand we watched eight sunrises. You must be thinking, “wow, what partyers!” It’s…
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…
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…
Lago Atitlan has Something for Everyone
Lake Atitlan is the biggest lake in Guatemala at 50.2 sq mi. The lake was formed 84,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption that filled in with rain water. Atitlan means “at the water” in Nahuatl language. Three volcanoes now stand at its south end and are all active, named Atitlan, San Pedro, and Toliman….
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…
Responsible Tourism
When you travel are you aware of the impact you are having on the local communities? Do you visit towns known for their parties? There’s a lot of ugly tourism in this world and people ignorant to its impacts on the local cultures. Entire towns, islands, and even regions have developed reputations for party tourism…
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,…
Crossing Borders in South America
Crossing borders is never fun, but some countries have easier routes than others. Now that we are experts at this process, I can provide some advice on how it all works. Of all 11 border crossings we have made in South America, the Ecuador-Colombia border was by far the worst. Even though we read a…
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…
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…
Buenos Aires: The Beginning
We arrived safely in Buenos Aires on Thursday. Since then, we have kept ourselves very busy exploring this massive city. We started off our stay with a $100 cab ride from the Airport, because we forgot to negotiate a price beforehand. Then we discovered our hotel reservation wasn’t valid anymore and they switched us to…
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…
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…
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…
15 Tips for Preparing for Long Term Travel!
*Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post, I simply love these brands or websites and am providing the links but I get no kickback for providing them* Our big 9 month honeymoon is creeping closer and closer and being a veteran to long term travel, I have established a tried and true list for preparing…
Security vs. Freedom
I haven’t blogged in a while. Life has gotten in the way of my thought process. I try not to force writing, if I don’t have to. I would rather blog when I feel inspired to, not because I think I have to. Anyway, there has been a lot on our plate lately. Not only…
How to Shop for a Wanderlust this Holiday!
Buying gifts for people around the holidays can be fun or very stressful. If you want to buy something that they will not return or regift, you need to understand what type of person they are and what stuff they will like. As a wanderlust, I could care less for fancy jewelry, but I love…
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…
5 Reasons You Should Travel with your Sibling!
If you have siblings you understand that there is a very special bond there that is different than any other. No matter how much you fought as kids, your relationship remained in tact (for most of us at least). You depend on each other through hard times and celebrate the good times together. You share…
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?…
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…
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…
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