There’s just something about lush, overgrown landscapes and lost in time, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them towns that make me weak in the knees. I fell hard and fast for Isla de Ometepe in Nicaragua, and again for Palomino in Colombia, Ston in Croatia, and…
Dog-Friendly Guide to Sonoma County, CA
Rolling green hills, blue skies, free-flowing Zinfandels and Chardonnays, and…doggos? No, this isn’t heaven (although I suppose that depends on who you ask); this is Sonoma. Since adding our Cockapoo puppy Cooper to our little family in October of last year,…
Discovering Oakland: The Other City By the Bay
One of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2018 was to do some more traveling stateside; specifically, I made it a goal to take a new weekend trip within California every month this year. Since moving to the West Coast last…
One Perfect Day in Shanghai Itinerary
Alright, before we get into the nitty gritty details of this itinerary, there’s something that needs to be said: one day in Shanghai is just not enough. Again, for those in the back: ONE DAY IN SHANGHAI IS NOT ENOUGH!!
My Top Travel Experiences of 2017
I’m going to begin this blog post with something I normally try my hardest to avoid: a cliché. The thing is, it’s just too true…2017 went by SO. FREAKING. FAST. Does anyone else feel that way? For me, I think…
Stories from Shanghai: The Best of the City in 4 Vignettes
I always promised myself I would never write one of those sad “it’s been awhile since my last post” posts…but, well, here we are. In my defense, it has been a busy few months. Between the start of the holiday…
How It Feels to Be Homesick for a Place That Isn’t Home
Three years ago, I was preparing to graduate from Clemson University and head off on my first “real” adult trip: two weeks in Thailand. Two years ago, I had just returned from my first ever solo trip to Germany, and…
Smitten with Shanghai: 35 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit
It’s been two full days since I returned home from China, and I’m still reeling from the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes I experienced there. While this can easily be said about many countries, it’s certainly true in regard to China:…
I’m Going to China!
That’s right, I’m going to China…as in, right now! By the time this post is published on the blog, I’ll be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, on my way to a country that I’ve never before had the pleasure of…
What’s in My Suitcase: My Travel Style & Clothing Essentials
So, this is my first ever style/fashion-related post…um, frankly because I don’t consider myself to be particularly “in the know” about clothing trends or brands. Like, at all! But by some stroke of luck I’ve managed to impress more than…
A Seaside Stay at Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel
Perched on a coastal cliff along a rural stretch of California’s Highway 1, the Point Montara Lighthouse has protected sailors from the rugged, hazardous coastline for more than 140 years. …And for the last 37 of those years, it has…
Brutally Honest Safety Tips for Solo Female Travelers
Safety tips for solo female travelers are – thankfully – not a rare topic of discussion on travel blogs, forums, and websites. But as someone who has a fair bit of experience with traveling solo (especially in destinations in South…
