After spending a week in Costa Rica with the family, I extended my annual winter trip with an additional week in Guatemala. I’d heard amazing things and knew it was time to give it a go. I invited my boyfriend to join and he met me in Antigua where our trip began. Antigua – Volcan…
On Visiting Every Country in Central America
I’m proud to say that as of January 2019, I’ve visited all of the Central American countries. The shortest experience was a mere 8 hours on a Honduran island, and the longest was 11 days in Nicaragua. Belize was also too quick as it was a cruise stop, and I didn’t get nearly enough Panama…
2018 in Review
Compared to my activity in recent years, 2018 had far less international travel and lot more domestic, especially in my home state of North Carolina. I’m still working on embracing the simple pleasures of home and s l o w i n g down, and I made some good headway on that this year. 2018…
Three Days in Exuma, Bahamas
What was once a Puerto Rican destination wedding had become Exuma, Bahamas after Hurricane Maria sadly decimated PR (and the wedding venue) during the fall of 2017. I’d technically been to the Bahamas twice, although both times while cruising, and to ship-owned islands… so, not the real thing. I had only heard of Exuma in…
8 Day Adventure in the Philippines
The Philippines may sound like a random destination to some, but after traveling there for 8 days, I can easily say that it’s now one of my favorite countries in the world. My interest in the Philippines was triggered by some incredibly beautiful beach images that started appearing on my Instagram feed. The scenes were…
You Have it Better than You Realize
Let’s talk about privilege. Privilege is defined as a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people. I recognize that because of the color of my skin, the socioeconomic class I was born into, and other factors such as my sexual orientation and educational attainment, I’ve…
What I love about Nicaragua
This past winter I opted for an escape to Nicaragua. I wasn’t sure what to expect and to be honest, I can’t remember what initially attracted me to the country other than it being a new destination (and one accessible with my reward miles). I most certainly wanted to explore some volcanoes, and it’s well known…
8 Days in Morocco: A Photo Essay
Let me start by saying that 8 days in Morocco is barely enough time to skim the surface. I’ve observed two different styles of travel: The leisurely traveler who has countless weeks to explore a country (maybe someone taking a gap year or a retiree)… or the “jump-hop-skipper.” I’m the latter of these two, or…
Six Epic Layovers: Turning Lemons into Lemonade!
Call me crazy but I actually enjoy a good layover. Note that I said good. If planned and executed correctly, a layover can be an excellent opportunity to both recharge and explore a new city! I often choose the particular layover destination because I’ve never been or I’m curious to learn more. If I really…
2017 in Review
2017 has been a busy and intense year with a lot of happenings. Let’s knock out the low points first. Needless to say as I imagine this is true for many folks, but following the November 2016 election, the divided political and increasingly-hateful social climate took a toll on my overall happiness. I was glued…