living proof of God's grace & living free to share hope, encouragement & adventures
It’s a given. No two people have the exact same recommendations for a travel destination. Naturally, there will be some duplicates, but we all just have our preferences. Before my O’ahu trip, lots of folks reached out with quite the variety of recommendations. Some recs I tried. Some I didn’t. But all were appreciated! They …
Continue reading My Top Recommendations for Oahu: Food, Beaches, & Hikes
Did you know that yesterday was World Tourism Day? I didn't… till Twitter told me. Those trending hashtags always keep me in the know! Sooooo, in honor of #worldtourismday (better late than never, eh?), I thought I’d write a quick post on how NOT to be a tourist – just to challenge the norm. When …
Continue reading How Not to Look Like a Tourist When You Travel: 5 Tip
Once again, Sarasota's Siesta Beach claims top billing as the #1 beach in America – so say Dr. Beach and TripAdvisor users via the Travelers' Choice Awards. Having lived just 14 miles from Siesta, I feel justified in giving my honest and humble opinion of this ranking. Is Siesta my favorite beach? Truthfully, no—but not because I don’t …
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. …
No one likes packing for a trip. (Right??) It has to be the least enjoyable part of traveling. And packing procrastination? That’s a very real problem. But waiting till the last minute also increases the risk that you’ll forget something. I am actually NOT a procrastinator when it comes to packing, but that doesn’t mean …
It’s inevitable. You spend weeks—sometimes months—anticipating a trip. Planning, dreaming, wishing for time to move faster. And then, it’s here. Departure day. Bags packed, you embark on your adventure by plane, train, or automobile. But then, time during the trip just. will. not. slow. down. Far too prematurely, the journey ends and it’s back to …
So far this year, I’ve taken two international solo trips—which is two more than I expected to take, well, EVER. Back in January, I traveled to Paris, then Barcelona in May; and, I’m happy to report I had no major hiccups during either trip, nor did I feel uncomfortable traveling alone. (Guys, I was born …
Whether you prefer #travelTuesday or #Tuesdayviewsday, today’s post is for you. As I’ve mentioned in past posts, I visited Barcelona back in May. It marked my fifth excursion to Europe, second solo international trip, and first time in Spain. To be honest, though, Barcelona wasn’t a high priority destination for me until maybe March—when a …
I broke up with winter in January 2014. It was a toxic relationship that should have ended long before that—but better late than never! Moving from Michigan to someplace warm was a dream I’d had since oh, about the age of four. That’s when palm trees and beach scenes became a recurring theme of my …
Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Florida’s Gulf Coast Beaches
How could you travel to a foreign country by yourself??!! It’s a question I hear a LOT. And, I’m not surprised. Intimidation definitely deters many from solo travel— especially international solo travel! Even seasoned travelers aren't exempt. Preference also plays a major role here. You may have no desire to travel solo, and that’s perfectly …
Continue reading Is Solo Travel for You? Take My Ultimate 7 Question Quiz
adventure and the girl 