I purposely booked my trip to Glacier NP the day after reservations were required knowing full well to still expect the crowds in mid September.

So my 6am wake up call was expected, but still rough nonetheless. The steady rainfall made for a stressful drive along the winding & narrow cliffside road, while the dreamworthy views were unfortunately non-existent. But I made it to the Logan’s Pass parking lot prior to 7am to grab a much coveted parking spot. However, the now steady downpour made me opt to take a nap prior to heading out to tackle the 3mi Hidden Lake overlook trail.

The clouds finally parted, so I donned my rain gear & slowly ascended the steep incline. And wouldn’t you know it, as soon as the path evened out, the storms started pounding us again…… but I kept plowing forward since I had already committed through the most difficult part of the trail. Upon reaching the overlook, I took refuge under a pine tree & waited for the fog to dissipate in hopes of getting rewarded for my efforts thus far. All the other soaked travelers gave up hope, but I stuck it out an extra 10 mins & got that view all by myself for ~8mins before it was swallowed up once again.

I enjoyed my favorite trekking snack, gummy bears, on the way back to the visitor center & continued my journey eastward bound descending into the Two Medicine valley. The 3.6mi hike to both St. Marys & Virginia Falls was a nice, quiet reprieve to end the day. The accommodations in East Glacier were scarce & pretty sketchy, so I barely took a shower & laid my head down for a few hours.

Then I was up early again to make my way to the Many Glacier entrance, historic lodge & numerous short trails with waterfalls, which was packed with very limited parking options.

With the lack of lodging options in this area, I begrudgingly made my way north over the border again to the town of Lethbridge for one night & actually beelined back to the Calgary airport at 3:30am a day early due to an impending Air Canada pilot strike.

And just like that, 10 days of complete silence & rejuvenation expired, and once again…..

I have no regrets!

I found a way to carve out exactly 5 days in mid October to be my brother’s family first visitor to Stuttgart, Germany & its was even more of a whirlwind than I had imagined.

Insert a catastrophic hurricane bearing down on the whole state of Florida just a day & a half prior to my departure, I was starting to panic that this perfectly planned excursion may not happen. But after being closed for 2 days (which is a rarity), Orlando Airport surprisingly opened on my travel day & I settled in for a brutal red eye and 8hr layover in London (on purpose). After expending 32k+ steps seeing my bucket list sites & lugging around my only bookbag, I was whipped but the fun was just starting….

To pull off this epic surprise, I arrived right before bed time on a Saturday night & walked in their apartment to lots of screams & hugs. Ooh how I have missed them!!!

With my birthday falling every few years on the Columbus holiday, we had 2 full days to go out & explore the local Oktoberfest festival and a few hikes to castle ruins. I love the old style buildings & quaint towns, while the pace of living is noticeably slower (which is such a blessing prior to my busy season).

I got to walk them to school & see each enjoy their extracurricular activities – Olivia horseback riding & fencing, Emma tap & cheer, and Carter karate & soccer. They still love playing at the park & bath time. Each night I even rotate whose room I sleep in because at their ages it always has to be fair! And while they sleep & due to the 6 hour time difference that I never adjusted to, I squeeze in some work nightly to hopefully lighten the load upon my return.

Needless to say, the days & hours fly by too quickly and I inevitably dread the final goodbyes. But they know I’ll be back in a mere 4 months, so that eases the sting somewhat this go-round.

After a quick flight back to London, I’m excited to try my first capsule hotel at Gatwick airport & catch some much needed zzzz’s prior to the long haul back to Orlando.

Wheels up!

Traveling at speeds of over 200 miles per hour, the bullet train is the only way to travel quickly between sightseeing cities in the massive country of China. Signage is flashing every which way & very intimidating amongst the thousands of locals all bustling about seamlessly.

Thankfully most are equipped with spacious seats & very clean. As we settled in for a 7 hour journey from Xi’an to Suzhou, I was stocked up with drinks & dinner of leftover pizza plus chips which I had stuffed into the back pocket of my seat. But in the blink of an eye, the train attendants had run thru the cabin & trashed all the miscellaneous stashes. OMG!

After realizing my misfortune, I took off in pursuit without much luck. So I resorted to ordering a bento box onboard, which actually turned out to be rather tasty. And also was surprised with a smorgasbord of items for the very apologetic staff.

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful, as I indulged in a few shows & movies that I had downloaded prior along with a couple of naps. Then it was off to explore another new city!

While it takes a lot to impress me, I find pure joy in reminiscing post trip. It is my way of locking in all the memories and endcapping another experience exploring this amazing world.

I rarely come back without a smile on my face and have some sure fire tell signs that indicate a successful journey:

• Boots are soiled – usually I’m happiest when finding a trail and/or a waterfall to hike to, so getting lost in the wilderness is an easy win
• Hair is a hot mess – I used to pull my hair up in a uniform half pony but over the past few years I just let it flow with the wind as I ease into my “everything doesn’t have to be perfect” years
• Camera is full – I absolutely love capturing pics from numerous different angles and playing with lighting. I’m nowhere close to being a pro but so thankful for the digital era so I can just have fun shooting
• Sunburn – I’m definitely an outdoor girl and will always opt for sunshine and not afraid of enhancing my darker skin tone
• Sore all over – while I’m not in my best shape currently, I still don’t shy away from a hard trek and usually end up paying for it most of the week after
• Dreading packing up – I abhor even the thought of merging back into every day life and put it off to the very last second

Never regret investing in yourself and taking the trip. Any escape is worth the extra effort.

To say I was looking forward to this scenic roadtrip is an understatement. And despite the recent wildfires devastating areas around Jasper NP, I enjoyed the quieter September shoulder season cruising this infamous highway and stopping at every roadside body of water just to take it all in. What a blessing!

I opted to drive to the end of the parkway & make my way backwards to all the stops, in hopes of avoiding most of the crowds that were still prevalent despite being in the mid September sweet spot. My goal was to hit lots of mini hikes & couldn’t have been happier putzing around. The ice tipped peaks in the background were instantly inspiring & calming…. exactly what I needed!

The piercing blue waters were unlike any that I had ever seen & all my anxieties disappeared effortlessly. My favorite waterfall was at Mistaya Canyon, where I could have sat all day watching the rushing waters pound & carve out the landscape.

I drove until the boundary of the wildfires recent footprint & was heartbroken to see the devastation in Jasper. But nature is resilient & has already begun the regrowth process for future generations to enjoy.

Peyto Lake was crowded but a must see, where you could literally imagine the glaciers melting & receding at a rapid pace.

My final stop was at the popular Bow Lake, adjacent to the parkway, while slivers of the sunset started lighting up the sky in cool pastel colors. I thought for a quick second about taking a polar plunge, but these glaciers waters were downright frigid to the touch. So I threw pebbles into the calm lake & just started to dream…..

It was a big year……

2024 marked the big 50th year around the sun of our college group of friends and an easy excuse for a celebratory get together.

My girls flew into Orlando and despite weather delays, we made it back to my house just in time for a special 1am rocket launch viewing directly across the Indian River.

After sleeping in a bit, we took off for some H2O & FL sunshine therapy at Cocoa Beach. We may or may not have found some Jell-O shots and went back for round #2 before hitting the road for a 2 hr trek down to the middle of nowhere & the FL version of a dude ranch. The Westgate Resort team really went above and beyond to make our weekend special. First up, our accommodations got upgraded from the ultra cool teepee to each having our own bougee old fashioned wagon.

I surprised everyone with an elegant dinner to close out day 1, as we all toasted to long lasting friendship and endless happy memories. We enjoyed some good old fashioned pool time, a cruise on a classic airboat through the swamps, actually missed our monster dune buggy ride prior to enjoying the longest running weekly rodeo in the US via our special viewing area. The icing on top was an eerily, perfect sunset popping out after a monsoon and roasting s’mores at the bonfire (even while walking through knee deep, murky water to get to the fire pit).

Breakfast boxes were placed on our porch each morning stacked with country favorites of cinnamon rolls, egg and cheese biscuits, fruit, yogurt, juices and coffee….. enough to feed an army! We enjoyed tooling around the vast property on our golf cart and even managed to learn how to trap shoot together.

We begrudgingly raced back to the airport with numerous flight delays and cancellations looming due to a massive weather system encompassing the entire state. But all the girls finally got out with some very creative airport swapping and a little luck between storms. Where there is a will, the LRU crew will find a way to power through!

The weekend was truly a whirlwind and a much needed reprieve (each in our own way) through all the ups and downs of life. I’ll be forever grateful for this amazing group of ladies, the unwavering support and everyone putting a priority on our yearly getaways. What a gift!

London baby!!!!

And my 59th country comes off the ticker board!

It’s seems like an easy jump from the US and really no reason that I hadn’t touched down here yet, but I always figured it would happen eventually. And nowadays it is the cheapest entry hub into Europe, so let’s go!

With 8 hours to explore & change airports, I’m an adventure girl on a mission. Over 32k steps were expended in this glorious city marveling over the history & grandeur around every corner. Despite unexpected & sporadic closures of “the tube” on my day, I wasn’t deterred in the least nor was I bothered by the light rain that settled in mid afternoon. On the contrary, it calmed & soothed my tired soul…. the best, natural therapy ever!

I was infatuated with seeing Big Ben for the first time peering off to the right of the infamous London Eye. The House of Parliament & Westminster Abbey were larger than life with fascinating architectural carvings on every spire, while I wasn’t prepared for the ornate beauty adorning the gates outside Buckingham Palace. Every street just oozed of stories bellowing out of every little coffee shop & pub, varied street performers and bustling weekend markets. And the fish & chips that I had been dreaming about for years was on point! Definitely sensory overload, but very freeing in the same breath.

The plentiful green spaces were packed with local runners & eager tourists alike, all co-existing in the organized chaos of life. What a glorious day to just be present & sink into the local British culture. I’ll definitely be back England!

A mid-August annual road trip is always a sweet blessing to officially end summer. And for the first time in 5 years and since the COVID chaos, we are headed back to the Fl Keys.

Let’s gooooo….

The only rule is that there are no rules:

• You want ice cream every day – go for it 🍦
• Need some H2O therapy – take off into the big blue 🌊
• Don’t want to be around people – grill out from our Oceanside haven 🚐
• Escape the sauna that is named August – float with a buddy 🛟
• Need a foot massage – plunge your toes into a natural fish pond 🐠
• Not tired – read under a sea of stars ✨
• Need inspiration – never miss a sunset 🌅
• Explore hidden treasures – dive into a ship wreck 🤿

This crew is such a blessing in this crazy life and I wouldn’t want to go through all the waves without them riding along with me.

What do you have to lose? How many times have you thought about just going for it and backed out at the last minute?

Well I actually don’t have that issue.

Never.

I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum actually, as I’m always game for a last minute road trip and ready on a whim for a crazy adventure. While I am a meticulous planner with numerous notes of bucket list locations and hikes just waiting to be completed, I thrive on the thrill of touching down in a new town and jumping out into the unknown.

This learned habit wasn’t always ingrained, as I have had to harness this need for extreme adventure after years of being so introverted and uncomfortable in my own skin. Now I see this as one of my biggest strengths and superpowers.

What’s the point of having big dreams but no intent to go after them? Be bold. Be brave. Fight for what you want and what you deserve. I hate when people comment “oh you are always so lucky”…. Really?! While I’ll take any four leaf clover when I see one, if you put in the work, I truly believe good things are bound to happen.

While I’m very critical of myself and always nitpicking every detail, I also live life with no regrets. What an empowering way to wake up every day!

Open every door that comes in your path and you will naturally have a wealth of experiences that will propel you forward into a beautiful and meaningful life. Make it count!

Everyone naturally has a different answer…. but have you really ever thought about it?

Occasionally on a long hike, I let my thoughts wander and this is a common topic I ponder. Over the years it fluctuates slightly; however, I am usually fairly consistent and in tune with my deepest desires.

LOCATION: A 3-5 mile hike is a must, preferably ending in a blow your mind cliff side overlook or cascading waterfall. Then I would take off on my jetski full throttle into a deep orange sunset!

HOBBIES: I am notorious for having a very healthy amount activities that I am passionate about. From racquetball, mountain biking, sunset seeking, National Parks, climbing via ferratas, baking, roadtrips, cruising, Duke basketball junkie, massages, movies, volunteering, writing adventure blogs, reading crime novels and (believe it or not) a guitar hero junkie!

FOOD: in no particular order, I would indulge in a Dunkin Donuts hot chocolate, 2 Bojangles biscuits (egg & cheese + Boberry) and an Island Green from Tropical Smoothie. For dinner, it has to be Pizza Hit stuffed crust cheese pizza. Dessert would be either Publix chocolate quarry frozen yogurt with Reese’s magic shell or Oreo pudding. OMG!

PEOPLE: any day getting to play with my 5 beautiful nieces & nephews brings an immediate joy to my soul. I’m fortunate to have my parents close by too. And my close group of best friends is such a comfort in this crazy world & I wouldn’t want to do this life without their undying support.

However you choose to spend your time, I hope you carve out for whatever is important to you and just go for it. YOLO!