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 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

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

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