Being out on the open trails is my therapy of choice. I wish I had explored more in my youth, but I’ve definitely made up for that 100-fold in the last 20 years. Whether I’m planning a group outing or winging it on a solo excursion, you won’t find me more giddy & light hearted than the days leading up to a getaway.

It is addictive. The more you find yourself peering off the summit of an elusive cliff top with the biggest grin imaginable & a much needed celebratory snack, the more you crave it.

But why do we do it? My thoughts:

Discipline – would I go for a walk in my neighborhood? Rarely. But send me out to a trailhead & I could walk for days. It is truly one foot in front of the other & the places it will take you can be so inspiring!

Resilience – just like the peaks & valleys of the actual route, the physical & mental battles are a test for even the fittest of adventurers & always a learning experience. Power thru!

Endurance – you hike so you must be in shape? Not exactly. It is humbling to stare up a steep incline & equally as satisfying to conquer the seemingly impossible. Slow & steady wins the day….. your pace, where there is no right or wrong!

Escape – there is nothing like the adrenaline rush of the first steps on a dirt trail & the promise of a new experience to get lost in. Knowing that you don’t have to answer to anyone or be rushed into any decision, to me, is such a wonderful relief.

Serenity – finding joy in simplicity & freedom. With each step, fears and doubts slowly start to disappear. The deeper you trek, the more liberated you feel & more connected to all your surroundings. It’s a beautiful wave that washes over your soul.

Creativity – the opportunity to disconnect completely & let your thoughts wander is such a welcome treat. I truly get some of my best ideas in the middle of nowhere where I can just let loose without distractions & be my true self.

Did any resonate? Everyone has their own spin on how this outdoor hobby has impacted their own lives and I just can’t get enough.

My travel routine starts weeks prior to departure with commencing packing, as I have to be very strategic with typically only wanting to lug around two carryons. Add in a polar region, and trimming the packing list is exponentially harder with numerous layers necessary. I accomplish my mission with my signature vacuum bags and even pack my car early to have one less stressor on “travel day”.

And this one to the elusive Antarctica was a long standing bucket list trip, with numerous variables to navigate.

First off, I planned to work all day and inevitably it is organized chaos trying to close out all projects successfully. I also had to squeeze in a workout to release all those jitters, shower and get to a friend’s house to drop my car prior to hitching a ride to the airport. But, for the first time ever, I wasn’t flying but testing out the new Brightline train that now connects Orlando with Miami.

Blow up Plan A!

I had a client lunch meeting and left my keys in his car. By the time I realized my misfortune, he had already driven 2 hrs to Sarasota and panic sinks in. He was ready to turn around when I remembered that my best friend had a spare and was actually my ride to the airport. So she Ubered to the stadium, I was able to grab my travel clothes to change and we took off with only an hour until my train departed (and the last of the evening).

In the meantime, my international flight also gets delayed the next morning by 3 hours. This is a major dilemma because the only reason I was making the 3 hr trek to Miami now was due to the fact that the first train of the am arrived 30 mins too late. Do I still go as planned or change tickets to depart the next am?

Reason being, there are surprisingly no sleeping pods in the major hub of Miami so I was willing to suck up semi-sleeping on the cold, hard airport floor for 4 hrs but not 7 hrs. Plus all the close by hotels were ridiculously overpriced and would end up costing me a fortune. But the other factor was waking up my friend to try drop off again at an ungodly 3:30am the next day, and I opted to plow forward and figure out my next plan of attack while on the train.

She assists in finding a reasonable La Quinta within 2 miles of the airport, which also ensured I would start with a complimentary big breakfast. Score!

The next challenge is that I didn’t realize the final station didn’t terminate at the actual airport, but down near the shores of South Beach. Rookie mistake…. but an easy Uber ride on the fly had me pulling up to the hotel at 12:50am to crash.

Ooh but the saga continues…..

I try my door electronic key twice to no success, so have to return to the lobby multiple times to finally close my eyes.

Then I have to set multiple alarms and debate which hotel shuttle to board, as they only run on the hour. Of course, I settle on the tight connection and drift off to sleep.

With a semi-restful few hours, I’m showered, fed and checked my flight times one last time. And what do you know, another hour delay was tacked on and I’m overwhelmingly thankful for all the decisions thus far. And now my extra long 8 hour layover in the always brutally warm Buenos Aires international airport was cut to a reasonable amount to grab a good Outback dinner and transfer to the domestic wing.

Now the real adventure to the end of the world in Ushuaia, Argentina really begins!

The heartbeat of the Antarctica experience lies in the ship’s mud room. Located on deck two, our daily routine to get ashore started with a cattle call by group after the initial zodiac safety boats were deployed to scope out the ever-changing landscapes of the white continent.

Our heavy weather gear is already stashed in our own numbered bench spot #73. We were issued waterproof bog boots, along with a rugged keepsake parka. It was required to bring waterproof gloves and pants, plus warm headgear. I packed my flat, never used frog toggs as they were big and easy to slip over any gear for protection.

After fully layering up with 4 layers on the top and 3 on the bottom, you get funneled through the prep station to swipe your card, walk through a vat of pink disinfectant water, get checked by a staff person and then step off the gangway into the waiting zodiac boats that are your extension to the harsh landscapes in this polar region.

And a hilarious moment ensued just after taking my first steps on my 7th and final continent. The snow pack was thick and I mistakenly sunk in between premade footprints. While pulling out my foot, the entire crotch of my thin frogg togg pants ripped out. Seriously?!?!

We didn’t know how fortunate we were in the moment, but we achieved all 8 of 8 planned excursions to see a wide diversity of landings during our spectacular journey.

Upon return to the ship, we rigorously brush our boots while spraying warm water over any gear that happened to touch land. This process is critically important to eradicate any contamination or spreading of diseases between numerous colonies of species. We swipe back in and also step back through the pink pool. Then it’s on to undressing, hanging all your wet gear and prying off your boots with a specially made board.

Typically after that excitement, we head to the lounge to indulge in rich hot chocolate and biscuits with honey. And if you’re lucky, you don’t get called out to participate in the “walk of shame”, which means you didn’t clean your boots to the staff’s liking and had to try again (yes I had to comply only once, but it makes it worse that it is was our final excursion where I still had sand pebbles imbedded in my soles).

I was actually very sad to leave after our last outing, as this area was truly the launching pad bringing all those preconceived thoughts and dreams to life. Now my 475+ pictures and videos stand as living proof of this amazing journey!

Have you ever gone to the airport with just a bookbag and a dream? Why not?

Nothing is more exhilarating than the anticipation of travel day to start a vacation. And then throw in the unknown of a spur of the moment location….. that’s a recipe for adventure in my book!

I remember my 3 week epic trip to the Big Island in Hawaii and honestly not being ready to go home yet. So while in the air back to the mainland via San Francisco (and no return flight booked to FL), I made the decision to tack on an additional week road trip to Northern Cali and untravelled territory thus far in my quest to explore every corner of our beautiful homeland.

The only wrinkle was my lack of winter clothing, which was easily solved by a quick trip to Walmart for some cheap sweats. Best decision ever! I enjoyed a stress free 9 days weaving along the harrowing pacific coastline amongst the plentiful wine groves, beach towns, hidden waterfalls and historic monuments. I even had a few unexpected detours when butting up to a freak snowstorm while trying to catch a glimpse of the stunning blue waters at Crater Lake National Park.

And I purposely scheduled my route to extend a loop towards Lake Tahoe (my first time) and an unexpected highlight trekking in Pinnacles National Park (my 37th of 63).

My trip was end-capped with a meetup in the craziness of San Fran with my good friend Diana’s beautiful family. It’s crazy that our paths just happened to cross on the complete opposite side of the country, as it was truly meant to be.

So the morale of my story: don’t be afraid to change directions and get swept up in a new, unplanned adventure. For a control freak, it is amazingly freeing to be open to the unknown and just wake up with no plan. Some of my craziest adventures have resulted from embracing this mentality.

Let’s do this…..

Finding a $1,000 better flight out of the international hub in Miami to my once-in-a-lifetime voyage to the elusive 7th continent, I opted to catch the latest train from Orlando on a chilly February evening (leap year actually!). And as my long flight overseas leaves at an uncomfortable 7:30am the next day, the earliest train wouldn’t get me to my boarding gate in time for departure.

Pro: cheapest fair arriving at 12:45am

Con: no cheap airport sleeping pods in the Miami airport with only a 5 hour layover

Nonetheless, I get dropped off at the new Terminal C after a busy day at work with literally only 10 mins to spare before boarding. With only my 2 carryons, I settle in for a 3 hour journey (facing forward of course, no need to chance motion sickness already, as I’m sure the Drake Passage will kick my ass soon enough).

It’s an uneventful trip, as I catch up on emails, snack, last phone calls, changing my out of office notices & reading up once again on arrival details. And in typical form, I had no idea the final train stop wasn’t actually at the airport so I quickly pivoted to get an Uber driver. GDC!

And then I fully intended to scope out a clean and quiet(er) corner in the behemoth of MIA to call mine, and plop down. But the uncertainty of flight delays had other plans for me. My plane was updated to include a 3 hour delay, so in theory, I could have taken the first train of the day but now had to wrestle with braving no sleep or finding a cheap hotel near the airport. I chose the later, thankfully, as another 1 hour delay was tacked on too so I grabbed about 6 hours of sleep & a full La Quinta breakfast.

Vamanos ✈️ 🇦🇶

Do you know what makes you tick? What makes your soul come alive? That otherworldly force that just makes your heart sing?

Find it.

Channel it.

Own it.

After a 36 hour travel day to reach “El Fin del Mundo”, we touch down at 7:15am between snow capped peaks and the port town of Ushuaia, Argentina. Despite being groggy, I dropped off my bags at my cute hostel & knew exactly where I was heading to explore.

Luckily my daily Spanish lessons over the last 3 years paid off, as I was able to exchange for the local currency in pesos & buy a quick 7km bus ticket to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. I chose the furthest drop point at Bahia Lapataia to enjoy 3 easy hikes along the extreme border of the Chilean mountains & the icy waterways pointing toward the vast, nothingness of Antarctica.

One of my favorite pastimes is to pick an epic lunch spot where I can enjoy a quiet snack & just soak it all in. I found just that in a multi-colored volcanic rock ledge overlooking the expansive bay.

It’s amazing what you can notice in your surroundings, if you purposefully take the time to just be:

• Soft ripples in the quiet lagoon
• Ducks flapping away chasing each other
• The mesmerizing crunch of the sand between the tourists’ hiking boots
• Splash of the birds diving down to catch dinner
• Wild horses grazing in the tall grass just offshore

I let my mind wander about the journey that lies ahead & slowly release my everyday worries (at least for a couple of weeks).

Bon voyage to the frozen tundra & to joining the 7th continent club!!! 🚢🇦🇶🧊🥶

What’s the odds that our college girls group had decided three months earlier to reconvene in Durham, NC the last weekend in September to watch the Duke vs. Notre Dame football game AND it just happens the infamous ESPN College Game Day Show picked the Duke campus to broadcast from for the 1st time in history?!?

With all the added hype and buzz all-around, it wasn’t even a second thought that we had to partake in the festivities. Even though I wasn’t too happy after only 3 hours of sleep that our alarms were blaring at 5am, I was determined to keep my promise.

We pulled into a baron parking lot and made the half mile walk to the campus hub to find hundreds of blue devil crazies already piled into a mosh pit in front of the main stage. So we post up just to the left of the main stage.

Alanda gets interviewed multiple times by local newspapers and radio stations, as she is proudly sporting her #3 BJ player jersey. We also have a plethora of homemade signs that we desperately try to catch the lenses of all the hovering TV cameras. And we are in direct eyesight of the famous commentators and numerous crowd giveaways.

A local DJ keeps the tunes pumping all morning and we thoroughly enjoy all the festivities. There is even a field goal kicking challenge, where one of the new commentators puts up his own money for any college student that can kick a regulation snap. The chosen one hilariously wiffed his first attempt and then the redemption kick went about 5 feet hitting a cameraman. Everyone was absolutely rolling in laughter on live TV!

The show always ends with a celebrity guest picker, who is charged with revealing who they think we come out victorious. As a Duke alum, comedian and actor Ken Jeong makes a grand entrance and literally starts twerking on stage! Meanwhile, icon Lee Corso leaves the stage suddenly during the middle of the final segment only to return in a full on green elf outfit signaling his allegiance to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The crowd boos resonated loudly as the cameras faded away and we joined in on the all day tailgate nearby.

Awesome, priceless experience in Durham, NC to kick start the second half of the 2023 football season! (Update: the blue devils did end up losing the game in a nail biter that came down to the last minute of play).

I purposely planned a 60 hour layover in the middle of the Atlantic on the tiny island of Sao Miguel, which is part of the Azores. Why? Because why not?

Starting off my 10 day early September getaway, I had 10 hours to decompress from a busy summer and chose to explore the harbor front area after stowing my bulky clothes book-bag at the airport lockers. So I meandered through old cobblestone streets lined with quaint cafes, reveled at lavishly ornate churches, indulged in the prevalent gelato stands and eventually even enjoyed a nap under a charming shade tree.

Before I could blink, I was off and ready to tackle numerous hiking trails on Madeira island (which was an easy additional 2 hours on a small jet plane further). After walking +145k steps or +52 miles throughout our adventures, I’m so thankful I built in time on the back end of my trip to revisit the Azores to recuperate.

Before the sun arose, I was already landing back in the capital of Ponta Delgada and joyfully sat along the rocky coastline to enjoy the first rays of light. After dropping my bags at the hostel, I made my way to the ATV operator to explore the top tourist destination of Sete Cidades. We zipped up to the highest point on the island and breathtaking views of the volcano caldera. Five uniquely colored lakes flanked the shore side, quaint town and we thoroughly enjoyed weaving around the single track trails crisscrossing the cliffs. Best excursion ever!

Day 2 is a blur of napping, reading, blog writing, pool time, leisurely walks and vacation wind down.

Not ready for this adventure to end BUT no regrets…. I love this adventure life and start planning to bring the next dream to fruition!

For a few years in the early 2010s, I seriously dove into becoming a runner and entered my share of local races.

Growing up, I admittedly hated running with a big passion and would do any type of training instead of putting one foot in front of the other aiming endlessly down the road. It also didn’t bode well for me that I abhor getting up before the crack of dawn on weekends, so racing was never going to be sustainable competitively for me.

I wasn’t breaking any records but I religiously made time 6 nights a week to make the loop around my neighborhood into my own version of therapy. My preferred distance was 4-6 miles and the consistency in my regime also helped me get in really good shape transcending into accomplishing my dreams of conquering Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Everest Base Camp.

And for four straight years I was the reigning female overall champ of the local Give Kids the World 5k in November. It wasn’t much to boast about but for me it was that elusive goal that I never thought I would be destined for. It was also an important lesson in branching out of my comfort zone and totally committing to something new.

After my last victory so close to eclipsing the 20 min 5k goal, I had to immediately head to my new job as the Associate Executive Director at the Dr. Phillips YMCA for a special Veteran’s Day salute to our heroes. Smiling ear to ear, I slipped in the back doors to take a quick shower and that is when my life literally turned upside down.

As I was drying my hair, I started losing my balance and became extremely lightheaded. I barely managed to finish getting dressed and sluggishly dragged myself down the long hallway to my new office by holding onto the walls to keep me upright.

Once inside the break area, I collapsed onto the floor and violently started puking. I faded in and out of consciousness while my head felt like it was exploding. The rest of that ridiculously embarrassing day is mostly a blur, but I’ll never forget my new boss calling 911, me only agreeing if the ambulance crew took me out the back door to avoid making a scene, then being wheeled smack through the middle of the service looking like a disheveled ghost. Completely mortifying for this introvert!

After 2 nights in the hospital and stumping the doctors with my severe symptoms, it was finally determined that I had been struck with a viral vertigo somewhere in the finish line area that had attacked my entire system. Then for a week, I slept on the couch and couldn’t do anything but stare straight ahead. Complete torture for this active nut!

• No reading
• No watching TV
• No running
• No work

I tried to return to work with restrictions, but I drove just 2 miles to the closest gas station to fill up and the world was still spinning. Definitely not safe for me to be anywhere near the highway, so I turned around and barely made it home safely to assume my familiar position on the couch.

After another 2 days, I attempted again and slowly gained my life back even though running on a treadmill didn’t resume for +2 additional weeks.

So over the last 9 years, I’ve only had one major relapse temporarily sidelining my adventures but live with the distant threat it could flare up anytime or anywhere. My biggest fear is still when approaching a 14K+ mountain summit or the anticipation of my Antarctica cruise through the hairy Drake Passage that I will be paralyzed by this uncontrollable phenomenon.

But I’ve also learned not to let any fear stand in the way of my goals and aspirations in life.

Journey on!