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!

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I’ve become a master at planning last minute getaways and this one was a classic. Denver is an easy direct flight option for an adventure junkie. Added bonus – I get to visit my college roommate’s beautiful family.

For a quick weekend, I knew I needed to get back to Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs for a high adrenaline fix. I had heard there was a new via ferrata = I’m there! While clipped into steel rungs that are bolted into the mountain rock, you maneuver up the rock face. Sound fun? I assure you it is the biggest rush.

Next up was hiking to Pikes Peak, which is on the bucket list of many. I choose the midway trek as I was severely unprepared for the full, daunting challenge. But with a borrowed winter coat, I slowly made my way to the peak….. which was a reward in itself, as I tried the highest mini doughnuts made in the world & purchased some souvenirs.

My final frontier was trekking numerous trails in Garden of the Gods, which will always be free to visitors due to brilliant foresight by early settlers. This park is just stunning. A wonder of nature. I’ll be back again in the future and still continue to be delighted by new trails and things to discover.

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As I begin my third (and final) career, I find myself digging deep to mentally prepare for this new beginning. How do I merge the awesome learnings from previous roles to make this experience all positive? How has my style and approach evolved?

I’m a big believer in getting just a little better every day and never making the same pitfalls twice. Be relentless in preparation to hopefully avoid the rollercoasters and leave a legacy for others to make even better.

My extreme adventure trips were mostly for my personal pleasure and challenge BUT they also prepared me for anything ahead. Does anything really scare or intimidate me at this point in my life? Nothing compares to staring down brother bear in Yosemite on my last night of hiking & thinking I was dinner. Reaching Mt. Everest base camp on sheer willpower & grit against all odds gives me that edge back then…. and always. Crying uncontrollably upon reaching the summit at Mt Kilimanjaro for sunrise after walking straight uphill all night…..I got this!

Wherever your motivation lies, use it to propel yourself and others forward. Use it often. Anything is possible with a little extra effort, surrounding yourself with great people, a can do attitude and the overwhelming power of making a difference in someone else’s life.

Own your narrative and tell your story proudly. Be a game changer!!

How will you remember years 2020 and 2021?

My whirlwind was filled with self discovery and gaining back control of my life. I dug really deep and reclaimed my sense of purpose. I actually accomplished everything I had set out to do on my massive wanderlust list and exploded even beyond my wildest dreams.

I was frugal but didn’t hold back if I really wanted to experience something.

I lived very simply without much baggage and thoroughly enjoyed the spontaneous detours since I wasn’t held back by “stuff”.

I didn’t get caught up in any negativity or toxicity to actually find another layer within my personality that I can retreat to when threatened.

I set out to explore the unknown, conquer some new feats and found my inner peace again.

I had the perfect mixture of alone time and meeting up with some amazing friends along the way.

I truly lived out my motto of being FEARLESS!

And I recaptured my joy in taking pictures to document this amazing journey. I became a better storyteller and found a new outlet in penning my thoughts onto paper so that the memories didn’t fade away only in my brain.

After taking an astounding 4,176 good pictures and videos, I am closing this WONDERFUL chapter in my crazy life. I’m proud of my resilience and making things happen amongst all the uncertainty in the world. It could have been easy to retreat and be heart broken in not being able to complete my original 8 month international plan of Bali, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Greece, Norway and Spain. BUT I gained so much more by exploring our own beautiful country and found such crazy deals that I was able to extend to just over 10 months of nomad life.

What an awesome, life changing experience that I had the courage to pursue with all my heart. To quote P!NK…. “Dream BIG because what if it comes true”!!!

A quick recap:

• 4 continents 🗺
• 4 countries 🇪🇬 🇬🇷 🇹🇷 🇩🇪 = total 55 or 22%🌍
• 32 states 🇺🇸 = total 47 or 94% 🤩
• 30 National Parks 🏞 = total 42 or 67% 🥾
• 54 National Monuments = total 88 or 26%🏛
• 261 different stops 🛑
• 258 days traveling 🧳
• 5 scuba dives 🤿
• 14 bucket list destinations ✅
• Only 3 minor hiccups which is crazy considering all the prep & unknowns involved – flat tire, skateboard accident & took the wrong Covid test 😬
• Started my travel adventure blog, created my own logo & wrote 156 stories along the way ✍️

Leg #0 – took off immediately for our 3rd annual FL friends getaway, first timer to Mackinac Island & rolled into a relaxing week in Myrtle Beach with family to plot out my year ahead

Leg #1 – one way flight to launch 11 days touring the upper west states with my dad in all new territory for me

Leg #2 – most definitely my favorite month getting lost in the rugged and otherworldly landscapes that can only be found deep in the backcountry of Utah & northern Arizona AND my grand finale of conquering the Grand Canyon rim to canyon to rim hike on my birthday + bonus of just beating out all the crowds & had picture perfect weather

Leg #3 – 2 weeks of family time with both of my younger brothers’ beautiful families

Leg #4 – a thrilling week circling the Pacific Northwest with a great friend

Leg #5 – exploring the eastern national parks of California and culminating in Vegas with one of my best friends

Leg #6 – a chill week visiting amazing college besties in NC and dipping into the FL Keys

Leg #7 – 3 weeks looping around the arid Southwestern states with 2 stops in dreamy Sedona (New Years Eve sunset from the cliff top of Catheral Rock plus sunrise on 1/1/21 from the south rim of the Grand Canyon with 2 rad ladies)

Leg #8 – fulfilling a dream of 3 weeks in Hawaii (minus an unfortunate skateboard accident)

Leg #9 – spontaneous extension for a week of discovery in Northern Cali and culminating with a great friend’s family in San Fran

Leg #10 – Northern roadtrip covering 3k miles over 5 states

Leg #11 – caught the Amtrak train to Boston and took off to the Northeast to conquer 3 more states getting me up to 47 of 50

Leg #12 – another 2 weeks in Cali with family (have to take advantage of auntie time while they still want to hang out with me)

Leg #13 – international 5 week grand finale trio to Egypt, Greece and Turkey (1st tour to return to each in 15 months!)……… the perfect endcap!

My next professional journey begins now…… NO REGRETS!!

#myjourney #grit #relentless #noregrets #allin #detours #adventuregirl #makeithappen #shocktheworld #makeitcount #bigplans #progressnotperfection #whereintheworld #liveyourdream #spark #neversettle #elevate #embracetheunknown #rejuvenate #newbeginnings #conquertheworld #beinspired #staywild #wanderlust #adventureseeker #goexplore #awakening #mystory

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I am often asked how I had the means to resign from a great job, rent out out my house, buy a one way flight and just take off by myself to embrace the unknown.

My answer is always more geared towards mustering up the courage to go for it vs. worrying about money. Adventure travel is my passion and when I become laser focused on achieving a goal, I will stop at nothing to succeed.

Let me explain……I am not rich or a genius or overly lucky. But I believe in making things happen so that the right puzzle pieces just naturally fall into place. Force the hand to your favor and let destiny takeover.

I am notoriously a saver and very frugal. I made a choice early in life to prioritize experiences vs. stuff, so besides my Disney craze (when you are a cast member with great discounts you find yourself collecting trinkets and limited series in hopes of selling them later in life). I have always prided myself on being debt free except my house mortgage, so I purposely live below my means. I don’t eat out often by choice and cut out drinking in my early 30s as well. I’ve planned for retirement and push everything into savings, but (not to be morbid) I believe I will die young so I want to enjoy every last waking moment experiencing this wonderful world.

I had dreamt for about 8 years of taking a year off to travel but knew there was probably a slim chance of it ever becoming reality (much less irresponsible). But when the pandemic reeked havoc over most professions, I woke up one day and just knew my path was being illuminated in neon lights saying “go for it”. That leap of faith seemingly would have been the hardest decision of my life, but I felt it so deeply that I knew it was part of my future journey. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how gut retching it was to leave behind my amazing peers & colleagues when I still felt there was work to be done in my awesome community, but I for once had to put myself and my overall health first. For a servant leader, that line is often blurred and forgotten. And I wouldn’t have been comfortable leaving everything behind if I hadn’t spent years pouring all my heart/energy into my careers and nurturing relationships.

So my idea of fun is sifting through and pricing out new places to explore. On sleepless nights, I would research wild destinations and daydream often of the freedom of the open road. So I grouped bucket list items in notes and got inspired by like minded travelers on my previous group trips. It is insanely addictive.

So when it was “go time”, all my stresses melted away and I forged ahead jumping off the cliff with both feet. Most people ask why I don’t take a break and slow down, but to me exploration is invigorating and I would rather push the envelope to the max. I can sleep in my afterlife.

I’m in disbelief that 10 months have now expired, and I can’t help but smile…….really really WIDE & BIG!!! What a rush! This gap year has been the greatest gift I’ve ever given myself!

And the icing on the cake is that I had few progressive professional opportunities organically present themselves just like the universe’s plan for me was predestined. Time to return to the real world and make a difference.

So with a lot of planning, a relentless attitude, making tough life choices, and of course some luck, anything is possible. I hope you find your own piece of life to latch onto and, more importantly, have the fortitude to plunge ahead with no regrets.

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That 3:55am wake up call was brutal….

Twenty five minutes later, we were jumping into the wicker basket of a massive hot air balloon with fire scorching the top of our heads. The pre-dawn twilight glow was just starting to show the silhouettes of a sea of other like minded travelers all anxious to lift off into this mystical wonderland of Cappadocia.

Our pilot was the first out of the gates and we set the pace from high above. If the tears of joy pillowing in the corners of my eyes were any indication of my upcoming elation over the next 70 minutes, I had a feeling June 19th will forever be etched in my mind.

The sky lit up with the fire sparks from at least 100 balloons lifting into this new day, all at different heights in their journey. The color resonated against a rugged backdrop of cave like spires jutting out from this crazy topography below. Our pilot easily raised and lowered our vessel with the mixture of gentle breezes and the occasional fire torch.

That is until one of our dramatic gains in height was in direct line of another captain and we experienced a “morning kiss”. After bouncing off our nemesis and pummeling a poor cliffside bush, we rose to finally get our first glimpse of the sun gleaming off the horizon. Wow.

We glided towards the suns rays and I stopped counting after happily clicking away at over 100 pictures/videos. I felt the constant struggle of being in the moment and making sure to capture this glorious memory.

As we inched towards our final descent and inevitable end to this ride of a lifetime, we crouched as instructed to brace for impact. After three sharp bounces jolted us into the lap of the unlucky passenger behind us, we returned back to reality safely and as giddy as could be.

We toasted with champagne to an unforgettable ride!

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Detours.

I woke so excited to go exploring at 6:30am with the sounds of the waves crashing along shore just 1 block away & the wild roosters making a ruckus with the light of a new day. My 2nd stop took me to just past the northernmost lookout point on the Big Island of Hawaii – Pololu Valley & the 1 mi steep descent to the black sand beach below. The violent waves crashed ashore BUT there was an indescribable feeling of peace radiating in the crisp Feb air.

I hiked the winding single track trails hugging the coastline and even jumped on a rope swing to let off some steam!

And to think I wasn’t even supposed to be here….. after the rollercoaster year 2020, my plan was international travel for 3 months. Maldives. Bali. Australia. New Zealand. Greece. Egypt.

But staring out into the expanse of the aqua blue Pacific Ocean, there was no where else in the world I would rather be in this moment. How had I overlooked the beauty in really exploring our own country & being genuinely enthralled with US history? Looking through the rear view mirror in my mind, I stopped at this twisted piece of driftwood to appreciate the long, winding journey & unscheduled stops along the way – one of my greatest pleasures in life!

#detours #onelife #bespontaneous #myjourney #unpackourhearts #tellyourstory

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I hitched a ride on my first Alaska cruise in the early 2000s in my parents room on the foldout couch. It was my longest cruise to date at 12 days, which I absolutely loved disconnecting and having no connection to the outside world. In the moment for sure.

We arrived early into Vancouver (also my first time in Canada) and immediately went out to explore. I only remember totem poles and a port, then insisting we go to the monstrous Capilano suspension bridge. It seemed like we were in a fairy tale and I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost amongst all the connecting catwalks in this lush rain forest.

Every Alaska port was so quaint and I loved all the nature. Definitely in my element. We hiked to the Mendenhall Glacier, took the gondolas to cliff tops, went whale watching….. unspoiled and breathtaking.

I rappelled off my first real cliff and had the bow of the ship to myself one morning while more than 50 dolphins guided us into a one of a kind sunrise.

We had a day planned to watch the glacier from the top deck…. sounds boring. Quite the contrary. The ship inches along slowly pulling into a small bay, while small icebergs are bobbing all around us. What??!! I was sworn to that it was normal. Then we spend hours doing a 360 degree turn while bundled up in our winter gear. Then I finally understood – it is hard for me to sit still for any amount of time BUT I learned that day that silence is golden. Ice chunks occasionally peel off the glaciers and splash into the bay. JUST WOW! Only then can you understand the effects of years global warming and try to be sensitive to your own carbon footprint.

Another memorable note – I was the youngest passenger by probably a good 15 years. And being a night owl, I certainly wasn’t ready for bed so I hit the lounge for live music every night. I was infatuated with a young Filipino singer who had a passion for folk music. Just something about him was so calming and intriguing. I even bought his CD and stayed in touch with him for awhile, as he continued to sing on numerous ships over the years.

I ramble but Alaska is a true masterpiece and worthy to be on everyone’s bucket list.

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Once a year in the mid 2000s, our Disney Created sports fields team would attack the paintball fields in north Orlando for a day to let loose.

Our first year and one that I will never live down….. I put the outing together and wanted to find a restaurant close by the venue. Options were slim, but I found a sit down place that I kept secret until the day of. I had planned to arrive first to get a big table and settle in. I should mention that the guys were pleasantly shocked at my choice….. Wing House! How could I go wrong with wings and bar food? Since it was an official team outing and on the corporate card, no alcohol was on the agenda BUT I had no idea the place was similar to a Hooters!!! Geez. How embarrassing and a huge laugh. Food was decent from what I remember but the jokes were never ending.

We would dress in our oldest and rattiest clothes, all bundled up, so we would have some protection from the onslaught of shots inevitably coming our way. Typically we would start at the indoor warehouses and eventually migrate to the outside fields. The guys would always scare us females indoors (shots just too close for comfort), so we preferred the open spaces.

Rapid fire weapons would always run through the ammo so quickly and, after refills, we would get one last long run in before the onslaught of pictures and laughs ended the perfect day out with an extraordinary group of teammates. And of course the battered and drenched clothes would be tossed!

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I had always hated running growing up. It just wasn’t my thing. But I had a stretch for about 5 years where it was my coping mechanism and retreat from stressful jobs. I escaped and had time to think on my daily jaunts. Six days a week I made the time, so my weight and mental health benefited.

Racing didn’t really personally interest me too much, as I typically enjoyed my role as the biker behind all the walkers just listening, encouraging & keeping them safe. But I signed up for a few 5ks and kept getting better. I was proud of myself. As I got more addicted, I knew I had one shot to go hard core towards possibly completing a half marathon. (Just no desire to go for 26 miles) After all the abuse I had put my body through growing up in competitive sports every day and through college, I did ache all the time and my recovery time was starting to get longer with each year that passed by. But I committed. No regrets.

My friend Jamie and I trained relentlessly for months. I was ready. It was a non Disney race, as I wanted the challenge of the unknown. Winter in FL is hit or miss. As luck would have it, our big weekend was the lowest temperature recorded for that year at a brutal 33 degrees with winds hovering around 18-20mph for race start. Yikes.

Also I’m finicky in that I must wear shorts while running, so I’m literally shivering with blue lips even with my skull cap and running gloves on. But we suck it up and I start at a solid pace and get into my groove quickly.

Run your race.

13.1 miles to go – my only goal was to beat the 2 hr mark. And I must say I never ran more than 9 miles in a single clip during practice runs, but I knew adrenaline would push me through on actual race day. And it did….. I let my thoughts wander, so I don’t remember much else except what felt like a brick wall of wind when I turned onto the loop along the pier. It was insane.

But I felt invincible. I peaked at the exact right time and crossed that finish line in 1:46:29. I know I will never beat that mark and I’m ok with that. I went all out, as I always have to do.

I’ll never do another half but I’m so thankful that I became a runner that day. #rockit

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