living proof of God's grace & living free to share hope, encouragement & adventures
Why We Chose St. Lucia ICYMI, John and I visited St. Lucia back in July 2021. And, for those of you who didn't miss all my social media posts during our trip—yes, I'm three months behind on blogging about it. This is where that "better late than never" cliché comes in handy. Okay, but get …
Continue reading St. Lucia Travel: All-Inclusive Resort + Gros Piton Hike + Castries Tour
After seven solo international trips, I decided to spill my guts on what it’s like to travel solo. As an introvert, I rarely mind being alone. I’m also fiercely independent, good with navigation, and a cross between MacGyver and Nancy Drew when it comes to figuring stuff out on the go. Basically, I was born …
Solo travel is a polarizing topic. You've either done it / want to do it / applaud folks who do. OR, you think they're crazy. And if you're in the latter group, I'm not mad. In fact, I think it does take some level of crazy to embark on a trip by yourself. Especially an …
Continue reading Why My Travel Personality Isn’t for Everyone
I’ll admit, I am not a foodie by ANY stretch of the imagination. In my everyday life, I tend to keep it pretty basic—as in, I rarely spend money eating out, and if a recipe has more than 5 ingredients, I start to lose interest. Not exaggerating. Now, I will say that travel me is …
Continue reading Best Local Foods to Try in Australia & New Zealand
I spent an entire week in Switzerland back in May 2018, and put a whole lotta effort into creating the perfect itinerary. But, the perfect itinerary also includes time for spontaneity—which is why I’m not surprised that my list of favorite Swiss experiences includes both planned and unplanned things. These are the highlights of my …
Continue reading Best Places to Visit in Switzerland: Lucerne, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, & Zurich
Wanna discover your travel personality? Travel solo. After traveling to Europe solo three times this year, I certainly proved that I am the ideal solo traveler. But, more importantly, I learned just what sort of traveler I am—which is really good to know for those times when I actually do travel with others. And, you …
Continue reading How Traveling Solo Makes Me a Better Travel Partner
All those picturesque photos you see of the Amalfi Coast? The real thing is at least 100x more unbelievable. Trust me. I spent four days of my Italy trip here in 2017, and my eyes and brain were at odds the entire time! Every millimeter (go metric system!) of that coastal road had me questioning …
YOLO or FOMO? I randomly asked myself this question the other day. Not even sure why. But random thoughts pop into my head so often that it doesn’t even phase me now. So anyway, YOLO vs FOMO. This prompted me to ponder the deeper idea behind each one—beyond following a trend or using culturally cool …
On September 27, 2005, I fell in love. It was that madly, deeply, head over heels, at first sight kinda love. And today, nearly twelve years later, I’m more madly, deeply, fallen in love than I was that first day. That day. That fateful fall day marked the first time I laid eyes on Ireland. …
If you’re just tuning in, this post will make a LOT more sense if you read about my first day in Barcelona first. But, if you’re ready for Day 2, read on! With a full day ahead, I woke up at 8 am and was out the door by 9. (But first, selfies in this so very Spanish …
adventure and the girl 