First day in Stuttgart, Germany & the day before my 50th birthday….. where would you go to? Oktoberfest of course!!!

Little did I know, but the family had traditional dwindles (long, lacey dresses) for us to wear & I was absolutely mortified. But I was a good auntie & “sucked it up” only to find out that MAYBE 10% of the crowd followed suit. Not happy….

So we enjoyed the rare sunshine, live music, watching locals dancing on tables, burgers & rides even though we couldn’t read or understand a darn thing. The kids loved the bumper cars even though I was clueless that the tokens had to be inserted in the hood to start up.

But the highlight of our adventure was without question the Euro Coaster. With four seats across, the girls all loaded up & I got scolded in German because I was crossing my feet (due to my flowing skirt) so the big, burly attendant had to reach between my legs to buckle me up. Oops! The ride was jerky & the photo snapped proves Emma was absolutely terrified, but the real entertainment started at the exit.

We all jump off the elevated seats & my stupid dwindle gets stuck on the seatbelt. So of course, I tumble over head first & walking on my hands to move with the cars while my ass is straight up in the air. Between sheer terror & laughing hysterically, I’m seriously stuck & took 3 guys to get me back upright. Definitely a top 10 GDC moment!

The family then attacks the Big Bamboo, which was a fun obstacle course themed like a Hawaiian beach party. Well….. Carter freaks out on the moving rope climb & we get to the top deck with a huge wind tunnel so all of our dresses are now flying above our heads. Nothing like mooning the entire festival! Then Belinda falls right thru one of the fake floor boards into the water hazard & I get drenched while filming the crew exiting the final plank challenge. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time!

Our final adventure was a haunted house roller coaster, which Emma dramatically disliked. Overall, it was a fun outing & core memories made!

There may or may not be a tear (or two) in my eye & a semi-permanent smile on my face. This dreamy, elusive location has held the #1 spot on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. Euphoria has suddenly taken over my body & transported me to another world.

Altogether there are 1,192 islands in the Maldives, of which only 198 are inhabited. They are grouped into 26 atolls (chains of islands grouped together where the volcano rims caved in) and seemingly endless places to explore.

I had the best of both worlds…… 6 days by sea & 3 days on land:

• Sunbathing & letting my thoughts wander on deck
• Snorkeling to my hearts content amongst the breathtaking coral reefs
• Reveling in the beautiful & abundant wildlife below shorelines
• Enjoying my nightly dose of sunsets
• Walking aimlessly on random sandbars that popped up at low tide
• Wading in my own overwater bungalow pool
• Paddleboarding slowly & without a care in the world
• Floating in the beach bay for hours
• Strolling along the tropical grounds of the beach resort at night
• Sipping a freshly made, different tropical juice every day

A dream? Absolutely.

Dreams are meant to be slightly out of reach, but also attainable. Some may be big, while others could just be simple things. Keep dreaming……

My #1 bucket list location for years, just over the Canada border, finally became a reality in Sept 2024. I had planned a massive 10 day roadtrip loop through Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Revelstoke, Kootenay and (dipping back into the US) at Glacier National Parks.

I was very overdue for a backwoods adventure & disconnecting (on purpose) for a bit…..

My list of researched hikes exceeded 50, so I had plenty of options to happily get lost in. Day 1 was a crazy caving adventure above Canmore & enjoying a few of the local favorite trails in the Policeman’s Creek boardwalk & Upper Grassi Lakes (amazing).

Day 2 was another jolt of craziness in tackling the Mt. Norquay via ferrata, which was half a day of climbing the cliffside rock faces (highly recommend). Then I enjoyed all the downtown Banff sights, including Surprise Corner, Tunnel Mountain hoodoos, Bow Falls, Art in Nature trail, Cave & Basin and the massive Fairmont hotel.

Then it was off to stay for 3 nights in a quaint cabin in the centrally located Johnston Canyon area. Silverton Falls was a quiet 2mi trek without the crowds, while the main attraction was a nice reprieve meandering 3.5mi through the peaceful boardwalks built between the towering cliffs.

I even dipped into adjoining Kootenay NP to visit the majestic Marble Canyon prior to hitting the crown jewel – Lake Louise (I had to unfortunately pass on seeing adjacent Lake Moraine this time around). To skip all the madness & reservation confusion around the shuttle system needed to access the lake, I opted to arrive at 7pm sharp when cars were actually allowed to park at the base so I could enjoy sunset. The aqua blue water looked fake but mesmerizing. I settled into a quiet rock perch to enjoy a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and peacefully waste the evening away.

I could have used a couple more days to attack more nearby trails that had been recommended, but I wanted to forge deeper into the Canadian wilderness. So I continued north & west through Golden with the impressive Takakkaw Falls & the pounding Wapta Falls (two must sees), while also pushing further to hike numerous short trails in both Revelstoke & Glacier (Canada) NPs.

And I found the perfect, quiet Airbnb mountain retreat just south of Golden for a full recovery day prior to my long drive back into the US to the elusive Glacier NP in Montana.

And the adventure continues…..

Every hour on the hour between 9am & 11pm, a spectacle takes place in Prague’s Old Town Square as eager tourists all have their phones aimed at this medieval clock. It dates back to 1410 and got severely damaged during the second World War, but has had numerous repairs & been back in operation since 1948.

For 45 seconds, two windows open up while the 12 apostles pass by while the grim reaper rings the death bell while holding up an hour glass.

Did you know the clock actually has 3 hands – sun, moon & the current zodiac sign the sun is in? The lower round of the clock is actually divided into 365 steps serving as a calendar.

The local legends states that upon completion, Master Hanuš had his eyes gouged out so that he couldn’t replicate this creation. Then guided by the resounding chimes, he forced his hand into the clock’s movement & shut down its operation for 100 years until the next repair could be completed.

So eager onlookers eagerly crowd around to witness this special occurrence & I can honestly say I came back 3 times just to partake again and again and again!

Deep in the countryside between Agra & Jaipur is a Dhula Village that is the perfect hideaway for a dose of relaxation. 

Our adventure group arrived via a long pothole infested backroad to a quiet oasis outfitted with glamping tents. 

We all made a beeline for the unexpected luxury of an aqua blue swimming pool, nestled underneath the ancient temples of 3 fallen royal family members. The drinks were flowing, music pumping & water games rocking with plenty of laughter in the air. 

We didn’t even care that the sky unleashed her fury during our self care session, since the previous few sightseeing days had been scorching in late August.

Our home for the night was basic but welcomed. With 2 singles cots, attached bathroom, fan & locker provided in each tent, it was a great reminder that simplicity can be a wonderful escape & needed every so often for just a personal reset. 

A traditional Indian dinner was served in the beautifully acquainted main house & we even learned the delightfully addictive card game of $@&?head to keep the laughs rolling. What’s the odds that my first game I pulled out a crazy win?!? 

With the downpours coming in periodic waves, we all finally retired to our own beds & got serenaded to sleep with the sweet sounds of nature. What a blessing to be here in this moment & totally disconnected to the outside world!

Just four months since my first visit and I’m again boarding a red eye en route to England. I barely skated through bag weight checks (literally at the max 22lbs max) plus a sling bag, so thankfully didn’t get hit with a painful $75 feet this go around. And my luck continued, as I drew a cozy window seat near the back of the plane with my middle seat partner finding an alternative prior to actual takeoff.

After catching a few zzzzzs, I was semi ready for 7 hours of exploration during my layover. I had researched two unconventional options – navigating the complicated bus system on the outskirts to Stonehenge or take a combo of trains/busses to Pooh Corner to indulge my childhood fantasies.

The other challenges I faced were transferring from Gatwick to Heathrow airports, so storing my bigger book-bag wasn’t an option plus there were limited options open on Sundays. And I should mention the bitter cold (~10 degrees less than usual) February weather reminding me how spoiled us Floridians have become.

I quickly determined that my first choice was going to be a bust, as it was almost 2 hours one way & the bus schedules weren’t conducive to an American on a very specific mission.

So I took a combo of trains to the end of the line in southeast London, in hopes of catching the bus route to Hartfield in East Sussex. My lunchtime arrival didn’t help, as the lack of options forced me to call an uber with hopes of getting me the last 10 miles to my destination. But after waiting for 3 different drivers and ultimately being cancelled by all, I unfortunately had to abort this mission.

Sidebar……If you know me, my birthday is shared with Winnie the Pooh so as a child I was obsessed with Pooh and friends rather than dolls. Can you believe I still have my very first oversized stuffed animal & it is even sporting an ash stain on its forehead from a church special day that I wanted to share? And working for Disney for 15 years, I spent way too much money on collecting anything and everything I could find of this chubby little honey loving bear. My home office even has 400+ Pooh beanie babies all dressed in unique outfits!

So I missed out on a cup of hot chocolate in my very own Pooh Bear mug at the Team Room, shopping at the on-site store, prancing through the 100 Acre Woods near the Ashdown Forest and walking through the Pooh’seum showcasing the life of author A.A. Milne.

To finish my journey, I rode the complex networks of trains and finally made it to Heathrow without really accomplishing much but chowing down on some ramen noodles.

Moral of the story – I don’t have too many travel blunders along my wild journey of life, but every now & then a plan doesn’t come to fruition & I’ve learned just to shrug it off!

After a week visiting family in Germany, it was time to explore a couple new countries! The train from Stuttgart to Salzburg was an easy 4 hour trek, despite a rather tight 15 min connection window navigating the monstrous train hub in Munich.

The seemingly infinite countrysides & quaint towns whizzed by as I tried to catch up on some zzzzzs prior to my whirlwind 3 days in Salzburg, Vienna & Prague.

We rolled into the city center at 1:21pm and I strolled down to the Mirabellgarden (heavy book-bag and all) for my 2pm tour through the iconic Sound of Music filming locations.

The nostalgia hit immediately as we were serenaded along the van ride with perfectly timed theatrical songs as we pulled into each historical point – the majestic fountain the kids all joyfully pranced around, to the lake where they splashed in after falling out of the boat, to the pavilion Rolf & Liesl fell in love, to the tree lined street where Maria first walked with her guitar en route to the Von Trapp mansion, to the hotels where the stars stayed during filming, to the abbey cliffside that only has 14 nuns left and finally perched high above in the quaint town of Mondsee was the wedding chapel of Maria & Captain.

The not overly impressive yellow church on the outside instantly took my breath away upon entering, as it was garnished with over-the-top tapestries & ornate fixtures everywhere. I could subconsciously hear the processional sung by the nuns & walked in the same footsteps as Maria did 60 years ago (almost to the day March 2, 1965). A truly special experience!

Dreams do come true….

This one has been on my bucket list for a while, so my quick European jaunt in October 2024 led to a 9 hour bunk session in my very own capsule room.

While there is nothing glamorous about the whole ordeal, it is quite an experience being able to hunker down in a quiet, dark, cushioned bed. I have suffered through numerous nights on cold, hard concourse floors, but this wasn’t one of them.

So en route back home via a whirlwind four days to visit my brother’s family in Germany and admittedly groggy after minimal sleep, I opted to splurge (not really) on a good night’s sleep. Upon arrival to the behemoth that is Heathrow at 11:30pm, I actually had trouble locating the specific elevator leading to my 100 square feet temporary home. It was literally off the main thoroughfare, within minutes I was checked in & found my room first on the narrow corridor. The bed wasn’t anything flashy, but my own private bathroom with a hot shower was much needed and I crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow (which is a rarity in itself).

Lost in my dreams, I awoke to a sharp knock on my door at 9am and had to remind the attendant that they had granted me a late checkout since I had arrived so late. Another quick shower to jolt me awake and without a hairdryer, it was very strange to walk out into the terminal in complete wetback mode!

Nonetheless, I emerged only 100 ft from the security line and easily traversed through to hit my gate in a record time of 15 mins since waking up!

GAMECHANGER….

Our new, yearly January girls BFF retreat is an easy trek up to Daytona Beach for some sunshine & much needed post holiday recovery mode.

Beachfront is the only way we do it! Breakfast is whipped up every day, much to my delight. I have some pop-up work calls to wrap up, so they take some leisurely walks on the beach and even catch a rocket launch.

Everyone gets to pick out their own must do activity and we go out exploring. Hitting up the Buc-ee’s is always a hoot and this time the ladies both wanted to get some practice in at the local gun range. I opted to watch the Duke game during, so everyone was in their own element.

We find a botanical garden that (surprisingly) none of us have ever seen, so are content hiking to the sugar mill ruins and through nature. Then we also found a quaint art show prior to crashing the hotel’s glow in the dark bingo and karaoke.

Back to the room for dinner and game night shenanigans. Each night wouldn’t be complete without a soak in the hotel tub too. And I even shocked myself by jumping into the (heated) pool, which was still a big shock to the system at a measly 78 degrees! Then we end with finding the cheesiest movies to cuddle up on the couch with, until we can’t keep our eyes open anymore.

Sunday inevitably awakes and we say our goodbyes before parting ways to head back home. These getaways rejuvenate my soul more than I can ever express in words. I’m eternally grateful for their positive energy, joyful conversations, playful banter and being each other’s biggest cheerleaders!