How could I have forgotten how tantalizing the last weekend of October can be?

Through the eyes of children, this holiday takes on a whole new meaning. I’ve never really been a fan of the horror genre or found joy in dressing up. I would rather skip right over the festivities and have an extended Christmas season.

But I had a long weekend off that just happened to fall on Oct 31 and got sucked into a kids dreamland of never ending trunk or treats and sponsored parties. And nowadays, every kid has like 2-3 different costumes to rotate throughout the week. WTF? Growing up, we had one silly outfit like a crayon or a clown to be embarrassed about. Now the choices of Buzz Lightyear, the Hulk or a skeleton all sound pretty damn cool. The young princesses also can sport a Harry Potter robe or unicorn blowup.

Regardless of the scary vs the cool, chaos ensues while constantly changing outfits, maximizing the time left after crappy daylight savings time has gone into effect and chasing the “good candy”.

The night is over in a flash, as all the kids go into a sugar coma and the adults raid the massive stash of goodies after they fall asleep.

Swim in a glacial lake with visual icebergs?! If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I would never believe it.

Our last trek on a three week jaunt around New Zealand culminated at the base of the majestic Mt. Cook on the southern island. Much to our delight, we had the perfect summer day with abundant sunshine and minimal cloud cover. To see the peak of the highest point in the country is very rare and our cameras clicked away.

The Hooker Valley 7 mile round trip trail was an absolute delight with numerous suspension bridges, viewings of the glacier and lookout points to keep us yearning for more. The packed shingle (aka gravel) path was very well maintained and transported us to a glacial lake in the shadows of the stunning Mt. Cook (where Sir Edmund Hillary did much of his high altitude training prior to summiting Mt. Everest).

After savoring this masterpiece for awhile, our local guide Taz did the unthinkable by taking the cringe worthy jump into the icy waters. AYKM?!? He literally swam out to the floating iceberg and climbed atop in his bare feet.

After numerous cheers from our team and other random strangers, he had a few moments to himself to revel in the feat and truly enjoy the crazy experience prior to delaying the inevitable of jumping back into the icy waters to complete the journey.

I don’t know about you, but once the clock hits 5pm on the day before vacation I feel as light as a feather. Once it actually sinks in that a new adventure is on the horizon, I am like a kid in a candy store……

My music gets cranked up, smile widens to an obnoxious level and anxiety kicks into overdrive that what I packed 2 weeks prior is still sufficient.

I finish the email to my parents and BFFs with my crazy web of plans and can’t wait to push off from the runway to disappear…..

Ready to get out of my comfort zone.

Find a way to disconnect.

Meet new, like-minded travelers.

Relax.

Be fully present.

Get lost in my dreams.

Do you experience that feeling of invincibility and complete high of cloud nine?!?

#yolo #befearless #adventurelife #noregrets

Usually once or twice a year, Central Floridians get the joy of hunkering down as a natural disaster rips through the state. Locals and tourists alike go into a state of panic, as the nearby gas stations run out of petrol and the local supermarket shelves sit bare.

All houses near the coast come with mandatory shutters and the debate ensues on the threshold of wind in which you will finally succumb to break out the ladder. My neighborhood has gotten lax over the years and I don’t even flinch until 70+ mph. What people don’t tell you, is that shutters block all the natural daylight from existence and you are stuck in a dark dungeon to waste the hours away.

However, I thoroughly enjoy the downtime and quiet refuge. And I’m one of those that really dives into all those projects on the to do list that have sat for way too long. Plus I usually chose a new TV series to binge watch and loose all track of time (remember, I’m in a huge black box where time is irrelevant).

I obviously make light of the situation, but it is always fortunate when we don’t lose power or have any substantial damage….. the threat is always out there!

I get a lot of crap for this one, BUT I’m one of the proud few that can’t wait for Halloween to expire so that I can climb into the attic to throw down all my Christmas decorations.

That first week of November is my time to get in holiday mode and I rarely find an excuse to delay this tradition. It’s not that I don’t love Thanksgiving or the somewhat cooler fall temperatures (which can be questionable in central FL), but I’ve always worked most major holidays. So the season is significantly squeezed and I will find any excuse to enjoy the calming lights and fir scents as long as humanly possible.

So my winning combo is showcasing the start of college basketball season on my big screen, light up a few seasonal candles, heat up a quick dinner and tackle the onslaught of pine needles flaking off all the smashed tree limbs that are screaming to awaken. I inevitably get frustrated with finding the non-labeled branches and end up just haphazardly draping the four strands of lights after a few hours. I dive into original boxes of keepsake Hallmark ornaments, which are never ending and half of which don’t get used once again.

The star is the final touch and I always sit for at least 30 mins just reminiscing and enjoying my creation. And typically, I rest my eyes for a few…….. and realize it is now 3am & groggily move to the bedroom!

Mid October is a college basketball fanatic’s greatest joy, besides rumbling in the Final Four in early April. The squeak of high tops on the hardwood floors and the clank of the ball hitting the rim are welcome sounds after a long summer hiatus.

On certain years, my birthday falls on the eve of Duke basketball’s coined matchup called “Countdown to Craziness”. This event is the first time raging fans get a glimpse of the new team and all the preseason conditioning is put to the test.

We showcase our new blue and white gear, along with fresh kicks ready to cheer on the boys through the ups and downs over the next 5 month schedule grind.

While most fans revel in an explosive dunk or wild fast break, I love picking apart all the offensive sets and dissecting the defensive formations. A former point guard’s mindset never changes.

Then you just have to buckle up for the wild ride while teams learn how to play together, the freshmen grow into their roles, injuries plague certain squads, coaches push the superstars to elevate and team loyalty runs at an all time high.

While it is just a game, the contagious school spirit is so invigorating and addictive. Fall is easily my favorite time of year!

Give yourself the gift of adventure and I promise, you will rarely be disappointed.

The trance of a new trip is so invigorating, and I do mean every step of the process.

About a month in advance, I start to gather my essentials and a pile builds on my bedroom floor. Then I squeeze everything into my tried and true vacuum bags and, inevitably, I need to scrap half my clothes and start over.

Then a week out, I am usually consumed with tying up work loose ends but avoid the last minute stress of packing. The countdown to 12:01am comes knocking and I frantically try to slip into a sleep coma so every ounce of energy is bottled up. Bring it on!

And the world tour begins….

Each adventure is equally riveting and a grand new story starts to unfold.

I love the suspense and the “what’s next”???

My adventure travel addiction is well known and this is the #1 question I get when seeing long lost friends or colleagues. And I always have an answer ready because I’m that passionate and committed to making my travel dreams a reality!

Dream big.

Dream often.

Let your curiosity pull you forward.

Be relentless in your pursuit.

58 countries down, 50 states conquered, 50 National Parks hiked, 6 continents set foot on & so much more to explore!!

12:01am is the start of the next dream, as today I take off to a bucket list exotic destination. Time to truly escape and wander into the unknown. Anything is possible with a little extra effort and the desire to make things happen.

Never underestimate the power of your dreams.

Have you ever searched for a long layover? Well I scored big time en route to my 3 week adventure in New Zealand by finding a 33 hour stay in Tahiti!!! AYKM?!?! The PERFECT midway point in my long quest to the complete other side of the world.

Let’s go!

The Fijian islands were where I always daydreamed my honeymoon would play out so this was a no brainer in starting off my big 2023 travel wish list.

Where is that elusive destination you have always had stuck in the back of your brain that you never truly believed you would conquer?

M. A. K. E.

I. T.

H. A. P. P. E. N!!!!

Why not start my Norway active vacation with a scenic train from Oslo to Bergen to really appreciate this majestic landscape?

I gambled a bit and for once it backfired…..

My direct flight from Orlando was delayed due to a tarmac issue so I missed my original train by 15 mins. Now what to do? No chance of getting a refund or transfer, so I opted to buy a ticket on the next train (or not since it was already sold out). There was only 1 premium seat on the second rail and I snatched it. A few hours to spare, so I enjoyed the comforts of pizza and a milkshake prior to exploring a few of the touristy highlights around Oslo Sentral.

The six hour trek meandered through countrysides and numerous lakes, including a beautiful sunset peeking out from beyond the distant islands. I managed to work a little, start a new pleasure book, took my first vaca nap, dug into my snack stash, made multiple cups of hot chocolate, relaxed with a brand new playlist and enjoyed the serenity of jetting off on a new journey.

With the six hour time difference, I was still wired when we rolled into the Bergen station at 11:30pm. I proudly travel light (with only one big backpack and my small hiking pack), so the four minute walk to my hostel was a welcome ending to day one of my last fall vacation.