If I thought a year ago that I would find some peace and my own therapy in writing out some of my favorite life stories, I would have laughed hysterically. It just wasn’t something that interested me in the least bit BUT I am super thankful for my tried and true circle of friends who pushed me over the ledge to be vulnerable and go for it.
That is a lot of fluff.
AND I accomplished this feat in just 1 week shy of one year on the road!
I keep thinking that it is a story for the 47 states that I’ve visited so far AND for each of the 55 countries I’ve been to too. Just a little perspective.
What do you own in quantities of 100? I have a few:
Winnie the Pooh beanie babies (504) 🐻
Disney car toppers 🚗
Shoes (I know it’s sad 🤷♀️) 👟
Basketball figurines 🏀
Christmas tree ornaments 🎄
Disney Cruise Line pins 🚢
RunDisney medals 🏅
Foreign coins 🪙
Photos, frames & scrapbooks 📸
Graduating into triple digits, I’ll have to step up my game. I had a lot to write about over the last 46 years, so it will only get tougher to think up new content.
I’ll just have to dig deeper and surprise even myself.
Cheers to pushing your own limits and venturing out of your comfort zone! 🥂🎉 💯
Sometimes the greatest gifts are following your gut instinct and leaping into the unknown. I did just that on my whirlwind 5 week international trip in June 2021.
After 2 weeks in Egypt basking on a Red Sea beach at Sharm El Sheikh and exploring all the ancient wonders around Cairo, I also had trekked for a glorious week in Greece on the island of Crete and had purposely scheduled 2 free days prior to my next tour in Istanbul, Turkey. I had thought maybe 2 recovery days would be beneficial. But 3 of my fellow travelers were extending for a few days in luxurious Santorini. Could this dream actually become a reality?
I jumped on a speed boat with Yvonne from Germany and landed in paradise 2 hours later. Ilana from Texas had already checked into a stunning suite in the town of Messaria, almost dead center of the island. The perfect hideout for 2 days of exploration!
We immediately hitched a ride on the bus to the town of Thira to wander the seaside cliffs and indulge in more gelato (double scoop of blueberry and cinnamon cookie). After a quick break in our hot tub, we walked to the top of the local hill to try to catch a glimpse of the infamous Santorini sunset. I took a chance following a private driveway that had its gates wide open, just beckoning us to sneak a peak.
And there it was in all it’s glory……speechless!
As we stood atop the chalk white colored cave houses, the sun blanketed the island with its fiery glow. My eyes welled up and the memory of that moment will never fade. After a few pictures, we just sat in silence to appreciate the journey that led us here. The concierge could have kicked us out, but he welcomed us down to get a personalized tour of the luxurious suites reserved for the elite at up to $2500 per night! (we even learned the Kardashians filmed one of their shows here) Each had its own private hot tub and massive balcony, plus this magical unobstructed view. Those 30 minutes in Santorini were without question my idea of paradise found!
We could have gone back into town to experience this nightly spectacle, but I’m so very thankful for off the beaten path adventures and stumbling upon an even better experience just because we took a chance to explore!
I always pack goodies on my adventures, partly because I’m a snacker but mostly because I know that I will have room to bring back some souvenirs.
For many trips, I shied away from buying anything plus most touristy locations all have the same crap. I now look for unique items that tell a story and won’t be just be out on a shelf to collect dust.
My main room has a travel theme. So for myself, I collect mini liquor bottles that have the destination on the labels. I also have a shelf now that has smaller pottery and local textiles. But my most prized possessions are the personal pictures that I have blown up or printed, along with my fav motivational quotes. Recently, I have also been looking for small destination stickers to adorn my new water bottle as I’m passionate about lessening our impact with single use plastic bottles.
What do you look for or like to bring back upon your journey home?
Little did I know in the mid 2000s that planning this adventure road trip would jump start a passion for crazy and unique road trips.
My middle school best friend Tracy and I lost touch for years, but reunited via a shared interest in outdoor recreation. We met up in Vegas to start a 10 day loop in the Southwest wilderness. I had spent numerous hours mapping out a route, finding cheap lodging, researching hiking trails and hoping it all came together smoothly. This was prior to Facebook social interest groups and outdoor apps that make planning in 2021 a breeze. I had a typed out plan and just a dream to explore.
Driving south from Sin City, we immediately hit up Red Rocks country for a few short hikes and bouldering/climbing on the massive boulders lining the cliff sides. A great start to warmup before we jumped right into the madness, as our first stop was a BIG test.
We drove into the desert expanse to get as close to Havasu country as possible (which was a cheap hotel & diner 45 mins from the infamous cliffside of the elusive Grand Canyon southern rim). The plan was to leave at 3:30am to arrive at the start of our adventure at twilight to escape the torturous May heat. A permit was easily achieved day of (not anymore) and I will never forget first sight of this natural wonder. Just WOW.
We started our descent down a winding 10 mi trail and it was awe inspiring around every bend. The canyon walls towered around us and it is hard to imagine how early settlers survived in the grueling conditions of extreme hot mixed with desert baroness. Fun fact – Havasu is the only remaining settlement in the US that still receives their postal mail via horseback. This was my first true multi-day backing adventure and I was hooked. Everything we needed for 2 days we had strapped to our backs.
Arriving to “base camp”, we actually lucked out in getting a reservation at the only lodge (as there was no way we could have been prepared to camp coming from the east coast & having no supplies). Our room was simple and rustic. We dropped our bags and a quick snack at the cantina, then needed to rush out to still have daylight on our quest another few miles to the main show – Havasu Falls! Everyone has seen the picture, as it is featured in every magazine, website and social media site. The pictures don’t do it justice. Between the vivid red rock cliffs, the baby blue waters glisten in the sunlight. It is truly magical like out of a storybook.
After a dip to actually enjoy the fruits of our labor, we heard you need to continue further to Mooney Falls. Anytime I see rock tunnels and chains necessary to descend, you know you are in for a gnarly climb. The aqua blue pools of water were mesmerizing and we walked until our toes turned into prunes. We hugged the river rocks and followed the canyon walls until darkness threatened, then headed back to our accommodations to crash from pure exhaustion.
The next day we had 3 options to find our way out of the canyon – hiking straight uphill for 8 hours, jump onto a donkey or luck into a flight on the one and only helicopter. Even though I’m scared to pieces of hovering in a small aircraft, it seemed like the best option despite the exorbitant cost. However, we weren’t able to grab a seat so we opted for a saddle. I don’t remember much of that painful ride, since I don’t wear pants hiking or in the scorching May heat in Arizona, but I can’t ever forget my horse getting spooked and flying off down an abandoned trail and skirting the cliff edges. I couldn’t get off fast enough.
After one last look over the magnificent, multi-colored cliffs, we took off down the dirt road to our next destination – Arches National Park and Moab – which is yet another story. 🚁 🥾🏜
Have you ever had the thrill of seeing a rocket launch? What a rush and it never gets old.
I vaguely remember my first night launch as a kid on a side trip to Disney World. The fire in the sky that gives you goosebumps. To see the plume of smoke filling up the horizon and the trail in the sky, it is truly a special experience.
So when I took on a new challenge in Titusville in late 2016, I was enamored with the comeback of space travel and built a house less than a mile from the “river”. After 8 years of inactivity at the space center which nearly devastated the local area economy, a new life was blooming. So much potential.
Most people head to Cocoa Beach to view a launch, but they don’t realize Titusville sits due west of the launch pad and the perfect viewing site. So when private launches restarted in 2017, I knew how special it was going to be and vowed to never miss one.
My favorite spot is an empty lot directly across from the pads and I typically ride my bike from my house to view the spectacle. Sometimes it is overrun with curious tourists waiting to get their one look at history, while numerous other times we wait in agony as the launch gets delayed or even cancelled. During normal business, I would run outside the Y’s front doors to catch a glimpse. BUT at the wee hours of the morning are the ones I loved the most, as many times I had the expanse of the lot to myself to just dream and marvel at history lighting up the star studded sky.
I booked 3 weeks on the big island of Hawaii towards the end of the global pandemic of 2020-2021. For a ridiculously low price of a $248 RT flight, I didn’t even think twice about booking.
My first week I rented a car and toured the island. From sun up to sun down, I explored every crevice of the island. My favorite hotspots were the famous Green Sands Beach, Pololu Valley, Captain Cook’s and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
I had a cute Airbnb single room for the first 2 weeks with my own side entry and patio. It was located 1 block above the beach and my nightly routine was to walk down to the beach to soak in the spectacular sunsets Hawaii is known for. I had actually bought a cheap skateboard to tool around, but had a bad accident one night on my way to the water so I spent the next few days recovering (that’s another story). But of all places in the world to slow down and regroup, I had hit the jackpot just chillin’ on Magic Sands Beach.
My 3rd week I decided to move places only because I found a cheaper option about a block away and my former place had been booked before I could extend. No biggie. This new spot didn’t receive my reservation but found a way to make it work with my own little “shack” on the corner of the garage. It was rustic but kinda kooky and chill. Neither place had AC, but with fans and being in March with highs in the upper 70s, it never phased me. Plus the addition of a salt water pool to help with my wounds worked out beautifully. The grounds had all types of soothing areas and sayings to get lost in. There were other tenants always coming and going. I used their bike to freely explore the Kona area (central west side) daily and hit the local snorkeling hot spots to my hearts content. And I could never forget how the stars lit up the sky nightly, with no light pollution.
I love to try out local cuisine, but am not a die hard foodie so I raided the grocery store for easy meals and tons of snacks. For 21 days, I spent $185 which equates to eating for $8.80 per day which I count as a big win (as the island is known for high costs for obvious reasons). Just for my 5 times indulging at local hangouts, I shelled out over $100.
All in all, I’m blessed to have made it to this tropical paradise as I had always dreamed of saving this location for my honeymoon. What are you waiting for?
When you work at the flagship location, you have more opportunities and new technology to take advantage of. I knew when this worldwide competition was floated by our leadership team that we could do something special. We had a killer team that we were beginning to put together and it would take all of us performing at our individual bests to pull off this humongous feat as the Dr. Phillips team.
The goal was to get people moving and focusing on their own health. As a facility, we would be competing with clubs all over the US and internationally to record the most moves over almost a month long grind. The reward would be winning new equipment for a sister facility. A bigger purpose.
The key was coming out of the gates strong and we had a great strategy on paper. But could we execute? Day 1 at 5am opening we came out on fire and were comfortably on the leader board in 2nd place in the entire US from the onset. We never looked back. Surging on day #2, we opened up a huge lead over last years’ winner and even had local leaders cheering us on knowing that maybe we had a shot. There was a crazy, new electricity in the air that was palpable. Members rallied together and staff felt a part of something bigger than themselves. It was refreshing. We bonded one and all.
My team were rock stars. We pulled 15-20 hour days, slept on my office floor, survived on jolts of caffeine and pulled off an unreal feat…..
#1 in the US
#13 in the world
19 days
21 countries
513 facilities
581 DPY participants
122,000 participants worldwide
3.9 million moves at DPY
402.5 million moves worldwide
DPY won $20,000 in equipment for the Blanchard Park YMCA
We were gifted a special ceremony as a thank you to our membership, where we catered a healthy luncheon, gave out surprises to our top 10 performers, were presented a check for new equipment and just celebrated this amazing turning point in our DPY history. I vividly remember sneaking away to the back of the room during a few of the speeches just to have a moment to myself. I started choking up just peering out over our room of supporters and had an overwhelming sense of pride in seeing how this challenge had changed us all for the better.
We then bonded one last time as a group loading the moving truck with all the new equipment that was heading straight to the BPY for installation. One last group hug sealed the deal and a special speech that I’ll keep secret and reserved just for that amazing group of individuals.
And guess what? We came back in year #2 to defend our title and won it again! And I’m most proud that for year #3, I had moved to my new home location and these tremendous leaders ran it back again all on their own, so I got to be their biggest cheerleader. #backtobacktoback
5 years ago the humidity was scorching as we started our trek to the Lost City. Three strenuous days deep in the jungle to reach a tiered paradise.
Revered as one of the best treks in the world, it is relatively unknown to most travelers. So I of course had to take on the challenge.
There was deep concern for me traveling to this once violent country in South America but I assure you my experience was all positive and extremely enjoyable. Day 1 I fly in via Bogota to Santa Marta and explored all over the city before meeting our adventure group of 16 – 2 🇺🇸, 2 🇳🇿, 2 🇩🇪 and the rest from 🇨🇦. We dined on local cuisine and were serenaded buy local dancers prior to disappearing into the wilderness.
As it was February (their summer), we took every opportunity to jump of the plentiful waterfalls to cool off. Night 1 we arrived into camp via an old rickety suspension bridges to our hammock city. (quick side note: did you know to sleep comfortably in a hammock, turn you body just slightly to the side and it is heavenly) And we ate fresh pineapple, watermelon, yucca and fish from the river.
Each day we got closer to the coveted city via strenuous treks and kept ditching more of our day bags (to pick up on the way back out) to ease the loads off our shoulders. If you can imagine 95+ degrees & 95% humidity, it was brutal.
Our group actually made good time & decided to hit this special location a day early. After an intense 15 mins having to scale 1,200 steps, we reached this sacred site and participated in a religious ceremony to truly appreciate its significance. After another 15 mins, heavy fog rolled in leaving us in an eerie cloud cover. It is hard to imagine there are numerous “lost cities” that tourists are allowed to visit and even more that haven’t even been discovered yet.
Have you ever been a band groupie? I didn’t think that was in me. BUT I admit in the early 2000s I was smitten with the local Orlando band Vonray.
Did you ever feel music deep within your soul like the lyrics where talking just to you? I was totally enthralled with their vibe and couldn’t get enough.
From dive bars to the exclusive Hard Rock Live, I was always raring to go and could be found front row just slightly to the left of the lead singer. I knew every song by heart and never got tired of it. From opening for the Goo Goo Dolls last minute to introducing me to other local talented musicians, the memories are plentiful. Our friend Mary’s now husband worked audio behind the scenes, so we even spent time behind stage and in dressing rooms. I was totally enamored with the whole scene, even though I admittedly can’t keep a beat or have even an ounce of musical ability.
Still to this day, my favorite song of all time is the soothing rock ballad “I’ll Show You”. Look it up in ITunes. I’ll never forget the July 4th surprise when listening to the local most popular rock station 106.7 and hearing this song hit #1 in Orlando. In addition, I won a signed band drum head with the song lyrics written on it from an online fan auction. It is my most prized possession hanging in my house. (Ironically, I was bidding against a good friend with a cryptic online name so I had no idea – but that’s another story). I still hope some day to have this song played live at my wedding.
Right on the brink of breaking through with a nationwide label, the guys disbanded to start families and live normal lives. An occasional show will pop up and I usually will drop everything to be in attendance. And I still hold out a glimpse of hope that a reunion will come down the pipeline in the near future. 🎶🎸🥁🎤
It’s hard to choose but I believe this was my fav cruise of all time. And it happened very last minute.
In the early years of Disney Cruise Line, cast members could book at severely discounted rates if you could travel within little notice because they would rather fill the empty rooms vs have them sit bare. And I took advantage frequently (23 times = no regrets). My travel obsession was definitely fed by seeing the world from these floating cities.
I had already done numerous eastern and western Caribbean ports, but this one took us further south. A new adventure. I’ll never forget “locks” day. We arrived super early to line up for our scheduled traverse. Being ridiculously humid and this being an all day activity, we dug out our own perch on the upper deck near the pool to get comfortable. The locks were a process – the ship would enter a lock then be flooded to raise up to the next lock and so on. Fascinating. After multiple locks, we glided along until we reached the Pacific Ocean. Besides occasional dips in the pool to cool down, we enjoyed the lush surroundings all day with a cold drink in hand. At certain points along the journey, the waterway was only a few boats wide until finally releasing into the Pacific Ocean. Can you imagine having to sail all the way around South America prior to this modern marvel being constructed?
BONUS: this was an inaugural voyage and tons of Disney magic was sprinkled in. We had cardboard hands that we could wave to all the well wishers at ports (we had huge turnouts of locals coming to see the first Disney boat & hopefully catch a glimpse of their hero Mickey who was periodically waving from the bridge overlooks). The massive, exclusive pin set encased in a gorgeous wooden box is still my fav gift from all my cruises. Plus individual pins were released daily and a commemorative map frame delivered to every stateroom (that still hangs in my pool room). Every menu had a special item. The wow factor was definitely achieved.
***And a fun, lesser known fact was there were only 200 big pins ever made so, as you can imagine, the Disney fanatics went totally bonkers. We even got caught up in the madness, as I remember taking our spot in line the night prior to its release and staking out our claim to this exclusive offering. Yep….. we spent the night on the floor just up from the guest services desk hugging the left corner of the first hallway leading to the clubs at #21 in line. Much to the horror of the ships officers, the line snaked all the way back to the restaurant Animator’s Palette. Can you imagine half the ship brought blankets and pillows down to the lobby to “camp out” while the staterooms they had all spent thousands of dollars on sat empty? Certainly a moment I can now look back on and laugh at the absurdity….and BTW we did secure a pin set!
Still to this day, nothing beats the special horn sequences blowing out your fav Disney songs as you pull away from port and ride off into the sunset. And at the biggest lock on the canal traverse, we proudly blasted our unique sound amongst the masses of onlookers and everyone had chills in that awesome moment!
FearlessAdventures 