Everyone knows 2016 was the “worst year ever” and we are witnessing the start of the apocalypse. But despite the celeb deaths and the captain of the lollipop guild we are now stuck with for 4 years, 2016 wasn’t entirely dire for me on a personal level. If anything, I’d say it’s been a year… Continue reading Review of 2016: One Wild Ride
Category: Travel
Dream Come True: Swimming with Wild Dolphins in New Zealand
People often ask me where my favorite places are or what my best experience was while on my round-the-world trip. Let me be honest: I hate those kinds of questions. How can I narrow down 18 months of mind blowingly amazing and diverse experiences into a single sentence?! But the truth is there was one… Continue reading Dream Come True: Swimming with Wild Dolphins in New Zealand
The Reality of Volunteering at a Refugee Camp
I wish I could share with you all of the stories bursting from my head. I wish I could make you understand the energy and heartbreak that pulsates from a single rocky encampment in northern Greece. I wish that I didn’t have to want these things, that it weren’t real, that helpless tears didn’t drip… Continue reading The Reality of Volunteering at a Refugee Camp
The Real Reason I’m Traveling Africa Alone
Crammed into the plane with hardly an inch of personal space, tears streamed down my cheeks. Heading to a new continent, I knew I should be happy, excited, and eager for this new adventure. But the feelings were mixed and a bitterness rested on my tongue. I never wanted to go to Africa alone.… Continue reading The Real Reason I’m Traveling Africa Alone
A New Zealand Road Trip
Life threw me a curve ball when I suddenly had to change plans and relocate to Queenstown—but at least the curve was a scenic one. On a few days notice, Dave and I packed our gear into “Frankenstein,” the old van he’d been restoring, and set out to see some sights on our way through… Continue reading A New Zealand Road Trip
Conquering Fears & Flying to Milford Sound
Considering I’ve traveled to 31 countries and only some of them via boat, it might surprise you that for the past few years I’ve dealt with serious plane anxiety. I sit in the chair staring out the window at the tarmac with sweaty palms and a racing heart, and as the plane takes off I’m… Continue reading Conquering Fears & Flying to Milford Sound
A Fashionably Late Review of 2015
I know, I know, it’s halfway into January and those new year resolutions are as far gone as that bag of cookies you I just demolished, but it didn’t seem fair to let 2015 pass without writing an ode to what was certainly the most exciting year of my life. I debated keeping with tradition… Continue reading A Fashionably Late Review of 2015
When Travel and Real Life Collide: A Story of Love, Chaos, & Change
There is a commonly held belief that long-term travel is not “real life.” After embarking on a round the world trip 10 months ago, I can’t count the number of people who have asked me when I’m going to return to “real life” or what my plans are when I come back to “reality.” It… Continue reading When Travel and Real Life Collide: A Story of Love, Chaos, & Change
Monthly Recap: October (AKA Couchsurfing Through Australia)
While friends back home were reveling in all things pumpkin and planning out their six Halloween costumes, I was finding Nemo and trying not to get eaten by things in Australia. On October 3 I finally left Indonesia; after two months in the country I was more than ready to leave, but it was emotional… Continue reading Monthly Recap: October (AKA Couchsurfing Through Australia)
Mother of Dragons: A Journey To Komodo Island
I do a lot of pretty crazy things: unusual, unorthodox, exciting, fun things. But occasionally I do something and then look back on it and think, whoa, that was actually REALLY crazy. My 4-day boat trip to Komodo Island, Indonesia was like that. To summarize, I spent four days on an old, old wooden ship… Continue reading Mother of Dragons: A Journey To Komodo Island
Drinking Bali’s Expensive Poop Coffee
You could say that poop and coffee are quite related. The color is the primary example that comes to mind, but we all know the after effects of coffee also create a satisfying morning, ahem… toilet session. But the connection ends there; even though some of that office coffee might taste like crap, never would… Continue reading Drinking Bali’s Expensive Poop Coffee
Monthly Recap: September 2015
Nervous excitement. Melancholy. Relief. These are the emotions dancing through my stomach this evening as I wait for my redeye flight out of Bali and into Australia. It’s hard to believe my two months in Indonesia have come to a close—and even stranger to comprehend that my time in Southeast Asia is ending. After living… Continue reading Monthly Recap: September 2015