After braving through the Drake Passage with incredibly strong headwinds to catapult us ahead of schedule, an extra early 5:50am wake up call jolts me out of bed to start one of the top 10 days of my life.
We start crunching through the sea of icebergs dotting the narrow Lemaire Channel at a snail of a pace. And yes, everyone is thinking about the fate of the great Titanic in this surreal moment.
Nonetheless, we escape unscathed into an iceberg graveyard. Easily my favorite part, as the uniqueness, color refractions & sizes of these glorious forces of nature were mesmerizing!
Our zodiac boat exploration allowed us to explore numerous different crevices & islands, all while taking in the piercing stillness of the wild & getting a glimpse of the wildlife that brave these treacherous parts.
The anticipation of our shore landing was in high gear & many of us seasoned travelers couldn’t wait to step foot officially onto our 7th continent. What an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment!
And we were immediately greeted by a colony of penguins desperately looking to get onshore to begin their month long molting process. To be responsible stewards of this pristine locale, we hover around 5m away to not disturb their home and snap tons of pictures to remember this glorious moment in time.
And just to think….. this was only day 1 of 4 landings!
The most extreme continent on earth is also the coldest, windiest, driest and most inhospitable to forms of life. Pristine and practically untouched, no one lives in Antarctica full time, apart from seals, penguins and marine life. It’s as remote as one can get.
And I couldn’t resist the opportunity to visit. My quest to conquer all 7 continents was finally going to be complete.
The once in a lifetime journey actually started almost 10 years earlier when I penned my bucket list wish for my 50th year on this beautiful planet. So March 2024 was my shot to find my way to the end of the world in Ushuaia, South America.
Cramming warm layers into only a new rolling carryon & my trusted bookbag, I braced myself for a long 35 hours travel day from Orlando to Miami to Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. And it didn’t disappoint….. starting with misplacing my car keys & a 3 hr flight delay (that part of the adventure will be a separate blog post just in itself!).
But nothing could dampen my positive vibes & the anticipation ramping up for a 2 week much needed escape.
So I eagerly boarded this 134 passenger polar expedition with eyes wide open & bracing for a smooth voyage thru the “Drake Lake” (or I have a big bottle of Dramamine & extra patches just in case). Over 2 days & 800 nautical miles are ahead of us before reaching the white abyss of the frozen continent.
Last minute opportunity to see a game at the legendary Doak Campbell Stadium against your favorite team in blue? Yes please!
The only stipulation is that I make it to Jacksonville by Sat 2pm to hitch a ride the rest of the way. So on a beautiful fall day, I put the windows down for an rare road trip up to northern Florida. I was warned upfront that if Duke pulled off the major upset that I would have to fend for myself getting home. Duly noted…..
I was the lone “devil” at a late lunch in the local dive bar but I was steadfast in my devils fandom. Not too painful and only one snarky comment from the waitress. Then we made the 1 mile trek into Seminole territory and the biggest tailgate I’d ever seen.
Our seats were exactly on the 50-yard line 26 rows up – just wow! Before I settled in as a sardine in enemy territory, I easily found the Duke supporter section….. not joking, out of a sold out crowd of 79k+ Florida State diehards there were less than 300 royal blue brave souls = .03%!!! My extended family of course was there too to cheer on #3 BJ and we enjoyed pre-game from their end zone.
And the twilight glow over Tallahassee was a mesmerizing shade of pink as the flyover ignited the crowd. Play ball!
The first half was a BLAST! Not only did Duke score first but they caught an interception to really rub it in to a stunned sellout crowd. I couldn’t be too obnoxious, as I knew it was way to early to be celebrating victory against the higher ranked and undefeated Seminoles.
And as the minutes ticked off the game clock, Florida State ended up dominating most of the second half (as expected). We even had to brave the start of a crowd brawl between the 3 young cowboys next to me who bought their tickets that morning and the 2 drunk regulars who were a little too friendly with their high fives. Testosterone was in high gear!
Fireworks capped off a hometown victory and we joined the massive herd ready to get on the road back home. The miles added up and thankfully the uneventful road trip finally expired at 3:55am and the hope of sleeping in without an alarm.
Forever a blue devil fanatic, but I’m a new believer in the power of the garnet and gold.
Do you have those memories that instantly bring a smile to your face? Those epic moments that are etched in your frontal lobe?
There are an infinite amount of blow your mind places to visit in this lifetime, so what are you waiting for? Even after visiting 58 of 198 countries so far, I continue to be amazed at the sheer vastness and diversity of each continent.
While I tend to lean towards escapades out in nature and exploring the most remote corners of the wilderness rather than city tours, my joy actually comes from starting any new journey.
The anticipation is palpable.
A bunch of my top moments that no one can ever take away from me:
Waking up at midnight to attack the 5.5hr summit push to reach the top of the world…. Kilimanjaro sunrise 🏔️
Car camping on the cliff edge of Capitol Reef NP & opening my van door for the perfect sunrise 🌄
Hiking 10mi into Havasupai canyon AZ & swimming in the majestic Havasu falls 💦
Alaska cruise watching ice chunks fall from the glacier, hiking on Mendenhall Glacier, sailing with a school of zealous dolphins & rappelling down snow covered cliffs 🥶
Visiting Alcatraz prison on my 30th birthday & riding a bike over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran 🌁
Only a 5% chance of winning the Wave AZ lottery, hiking in the freezing cold prior to sunrise & being the only soul at this once in a lifetime spot for 2 hours 🥾
Conquering the treacherous Angel’s Landing hike in Zion NP & enjoying lunch on top for hours + sloshing thru the best hike in the US via the Narrows towering walls 🤯
Seeing Old Faithful geyser & the crazy colors at Grand Prismatic hot springs in our 1st NP Yellowstone 🏞️
Being the first group to visit the pyramids post COVID (only 3 tourist buses vs. typically 1k+) & sailing down the Nile River on an overnight felucca boat 🕌
Sleeping in my hammock at Goosenecks SP overlooking the gorge at sunset, driving down the crazy Moqui Dugway into Valley of the Gods & enjoying every second in the Monument Valley area 🏜️
Getting up at 3am on Maui to get to the top of Haleakala NP for an inspiring sunrise & biking down the volcano full speed 🌋
Tubing leisurely down the Toccoa River with the best of friends & frozen margarita pops, enjoying the Blue Ridge Mountains ⛰️
Getting out of my comfort zone on a singles, predominantly Spanish cruise & loving every second 🚢
Driving thru the tunnel & first sight of Yosemite Valley & El Cap – hiking the incredible Mist trail to Vernal & Nevada falls + a bear scare 🐻
Walking thru the (gold plated everything) Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand & getting a delicious foot massage 🦶
Seeing the beauty of Horseshoe Bend AZ & finding a loophole to enter the majestic Antelope Canyon slots via launching a SUP at Lake Powell 🏄♀️
The majesty of Arches NP – hiking the fabulous Devil’s Garden trail (sections have only slivers of rock to traverse), Delicate Arch is an absolute MUST do, mountain biking down the slick rock trails & finishing just outside the park at Fisher Towers 🥾
Helicopter fly over of the impressive Iguazu Falls separating Argentina & Brazil, hiking to the falls & finally experiencing the power of water up close via boat 🇧🇷
Long hike in Canyonlands NP to the crazy amazing Druid Arch 🏜️
Hiking thru the magnificent & longest slot canyon in the world at Wire Pass/Buckskin Gulch 🥾
Day ferry to the Hawaiian island of Lanai & finding a remote beach via scaling volcanic rock & reaching the Sweetheart Rock vista for the perfect day 🌺
Holding out to do my only hot air balloon ride in the iconic Cappadocia Turkey for sunrise 🇹🇷
Driving the entire Road to Hana on Maui & stopping at every bridge & waterfall + hiking the remote Pipiwai trail thru a bamboo forest & finishing the circular route via a sketchy, washed out southern island road 🏝️
In the dead heat of summer, scaling the terrifying Rattlesnake canyon arch & running out of water 😱
Iceland backcountry hiking adventure, geysers, lava tubes & ending at the amazing Blue Lagoon 💙
Solo trip to the remote Big Bend NP – staying in a perfect 100 sq ft tiny home, fantastic hiking, walking Santa Elena Canyon separating the US and Mexico & a top 10 sunset silhouette over the distant mountains 🌄
Flying to the end of the world in Argentina to hike the remote W trek in Patagonia 🇦🇷
Visiting the remote Great Basin NP in NV & exploring the underground Lehman Caves 😱
8 hr layover in Dubai & exploring the city with a mall I walked for 3 hrs and never passed the same store twice 🇦🇪
Car camping in Death Valley NP with a bleeding sunset over the painted hills & subsequent stunner of a sunrise 🌄
Being the 1st off the Disney Cruise at their private island Castaway Cay & beelining for my fav hammock near the bar overlooking the crystal blue waters 🏖️
Conquering ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) & being above the clouds for an add on 4am hike to Poon Hill 🇳🇵
Four hidden gems are Chiricahua NM (AZ), Goblin Valley SP (UT), El Morro NM (NM) & Colorado NM (CO) – all have stunning hikes & pure joy to get lost in 🏞️
Finally achieving EBC (Everest Base Camp) thru a nasty bout of food poisoning after the 1st attempt being thwarted due to adverse weather conditions & crossing the infamous Hillary suspension bridge 🙌
Trekking into the jungles of Ecuador for a week, sleeping in a hammock overlooking the volcano & hiking a different direction from home base every day 🇪🇨
Witnessing a perfect sunset over Badlands NP with bison grazing nearby after completing the crazy cool Notch trail 🦬
Reaching the overlook to the magnificent Machu Picchu after 4 days trekking & camping en route 💪
Climbing ancient pyramids in Guatemala 🇬🇹 & Mexico 🇲🇽
Purposely arranging a 15 hr layover in Athens Greece to visit the Acropolis post COVID with only 10 other souls 🇬🇷
Visiting Madeira island to take on the challenging Pico do Areeiro to Pico do Ruivo trek 🔥
Drive a high adrenaline ATV route to the top of the Azores highest volcano edge & Sete Cidades 🌋
First trip to Europe via a Disney Cruise to explore the fascinating history of Rome (my fav the Parthenon), Naples, Palermo, Pisa, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, the quaint town of Eze & Marseille 🇪🇸 🇫🇷 🇮🇹
No expectations visiting Jordan & being blown away walking down the Siq at Petra & first look at the infamous Treasury, enjoying every step of the day’s exhausting 45k+, walking in the history of the Jerash ruins & speeding thru the Wadi Rum desert in an open air jeep to see a mind blowing sunset while watching wild camels running past us 🐪
Ahhh everything Bali…… renting a moped on Nusa Penida island & climbing down the terrifying cliffs at Kelingking to a secluded beach with only 25 other brave souls 🏝️
Hawaii island hopping – hiking the colorful & intimidating Napali coast cliffsides on Kauai and splurging for a helicopter the next day to see it from a different angle 😱
Car camping & grilling dinner in Deadhorse SP Utah with the most amazing views 🤯
Bucket list hike on Oahu the hard & legal 10mi trek along extremely narrow ridges to the Stairway to Heaven 🪜
Getting lost in the maze of the stunning Angor Wat temple in Cambodia 🇰🇭
My birthday gift to myself Oct 2021 hiking the ridiculous Grand Canyon 16mi rim to rim challenge in one day 🥾
Snagging a last minute spot on the inaugural Disney Cruise thru the Panama Canal & enjoying all day on the top dock while maneuvering the locks 🚢
En route to 3 weeks in New Zealand, scheduling a 32hr layover in Tahiti & renting a moped to explore the island of Moorea 🇵🇫
Night diving with manta rays on the Big Island of Hawaii 🤿
Ice climbing on a glacier in Norway & the thrill of jumping over ice crevices 🧊
Visiting & diving into the history of Mt Rushmore & Devils Tower with my dad to start my nomad adventure year off 🇺🇸
Everything Sedona is my happy place….. sunset over Cathedral & Bell Rocks, Fay Canyon & Hangover trails are my own personal favs, Boynton Canyon scrambling after the end of the trail & soooo many more 🏜️
Our bucket list Tongariro NP hike in New Zealand being cancelled due to weather & then miraculous clearing for only 1 day for us to conquer it 🇳🇿
My long-standing dream of visiting a dude ranch – skeet shooting, rodeo, swamp buggy, mechanic bull & learning to line dance 🤠
Colorado Springs is magical – Pikes Peak & Garden of the Gods are must sees in this lifetime! ⛰️
Taking the overnight train from MN to Boston then driving all night to hit Acadia NP for sunrise at the iconic Cadillac Mountain & hiking the iron rungs of the Precipice & Beehive trails 🌅
Annual best friends trip to the Fl Keys to camp, kayak, bike, jetski & chill 😊
Hut to hut trekking in the gorgeous Swiss Alps & crossing over into 3 countries 🇨🇭
Powering thru the Trolltunga multi day trek up a treacherous cliff hanging via ferrata, reaching the famous overlook 5 mins before sunset & glamping under a sea of stars 🇳🇴
Riding a snowmobile after dark up Vail mountain at full speed to stop at the top for stargazing 🔭
Multiple visits to Valley of Fire SP – Fire Wave & White Domes trails are must dos 🔥
Struggling car camping in Bryce NP overnight in below freezing temperatures to wake up to the most stunning fireball in the sky at Sunrise Point & thoroughly enjoying the Devil’s Garden loop trail 🌄
When I mentioned to friends and colleagues that I was heading to Madeira for my fall “holiday”, most had never heard of it…..
This under the radar island is called “the Hawaii of Europe” and a wonderful alternative to the hustle & bustle of the European mainland. And seeing that there are direct flights from Newark, you can even save 2+ hours in the air along with a cheaper price tag.
With over 100 miles of aqueducts built into the dramatic cliff sides, there are more than ample trekking paths to get lost in. Did you know the highest cliff in all of Europe is located on Madeira? It’s called the Cabo Girau cliffs towering over the sea at 1932 feet.
Be ready for a heart pounding adventure, as you will be destined to be sucking wind along the endless amounts of stairs that will be staring you down. Our travel group set out to tackle 4 of the laundry list of recommended trails on this oasis.
The quaint town of Santana was our launching point along the north coast, as we conquered the 6.75 mile Larano trail weaving high above. The weather and views were spectacular as we easily slid into full-on vacation mode. Ending in the beach town of Ponta de Sao Jorge, it was a no brainer to take advantage of one of the rare black sand beaches in the world.
Day 2 was a brutal test. The “Pico to Pico” trek is bucket list worthy, as this 6.8 mile path connects Ruivo & Areeiro peaks through an equally inspiring & daunting maze of tunnels, cliffsides, valleys and the steepest steps you will encounter in your life. (For reference, I clocked 125 floors ascended & another 100 floors descended.) And they are seemingly never ending! The dense fog comes & goes in waves keeping you guessing what is around the next bend.
Next we focused on the easternmost point and traversing the “Dragon’s Tail” – 7 miles along the Sao Laurenco trail and another hidden swimming hole. The striking colors of the rippled cliffs were carved from the thrashing of the ocean waves, and truly one of the top 10 landscapes I’ve ever seen.
We ended with an easy 5 mile jaunt along the most important waterway on the island, Levada do Norte, which carries water high up in the mountains of the north to the more populated southern shores. And finishing at Cabo Girau was a sweet ending to cap off another unique trekking adventure!
We’ve all done it….. begging people to let us creep to the front of the plane even though we paid for the cheap seats in the back. Then make the mad dash through an unknown terminal, weaving through the other travel happy tourists and try to hopelessly beg the gate agents to let you squeeze on your connection so you aren’t stranded somewhere obscure to start your trip off on a sour note.
The anticipation of day 1 is always a rollercoaster in itself. Now add in the rampant delays that have become more the norm than the exception, unfortunately, and you have the perfect recipe for undue anxiety.
A quick week escape in September is typically my last reprieve before crazy event season, so I’m overly zealous. Begging a friend to drop me at the airport, I arrive a few hours early due to her schedule needs. No problem. So I try to go standby on an earlier flight & stave off more stress on my already tight connection on a Thursday late night in the always crazy Newark hub. I’m #9 on a long laundry list. Then a northeast ground stoppage starts the domino effect. Due to the delay, everyone is jockeying and I miraculously move up to #2 BUT of course, everyone checks in.
So I’m back on as originally planned. Well, we naturally get delayed too. So my brain goes into proactive mode, since my layover was only originally 1 hour & 5 mins anyways PLUS the kicker is that my connection direct to the coveted Azores was the only 1 for the next 2 days. So I feverishly scour my trusted google flights site and get moved to row 8 near the front of the plane. The game begins….
I had avoided the extra 3 hrs to Europe and thought I was an absolutely brilliant planner. Jokes on me of course…. So do I now transfer via the closest airport in Lisbon? Or is it cheaper thru Paris? Or is it less time to fly thru London? After being disappointed that I would have to find a quiet, clean corner in the Newark airport for the night, I miraculously found an 11:59pm direct line to Lisbon. SCORE!
So I conspired with the awesome attendants as we closed in on our arrival how to navigate the gates. Should I beeline for my original flight or cut my loss to hit up the alternate plane that still had first class seats? BUT all was squashed when I found out our gate was still occupied.
Not even 3 mins later, I get the alert that my original connection is delayed 10 mins due to a refueling issue. OMG!! As we creep in, we get another refuel 10 min reprieve & 3 of us in the same predicament decide to run for it.
The plane started cheering for us, calls were made ahead and we take off in a sprint as soon as the cabin doors eject. A supposed 4 minute jaunt is excruciating, as my usual 2 carryon book bags are an extra 40 lbs weighing me down. Wish I had trained just a wee bit harder!
Regardless, our worst fears are realized when we roll up (completely dripping & gasping for air) to a closed gate. We are dumbfounded and rightfully disappointed. Five minutes later, as I finally am regulating back to a normal heart beat & with the plane still sitting at the gate (plus begging the staffer to make an exception), we got on that plane!!
Crisis averted…. and the plane was only half full so we got our own rows, immediately changed clothes, watched 2 movies and 4.5 hours later landed on the small (emphasis on tiny) airstrip in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Welcome to the Azores & a week of R&R! Well for me, that means a lot of hiking, adventure and maybe even some beach time tacked on the back end to recover.
So I had 10 hours to explore the capital city of Ponta Delgada prior to my 8:40pm puddle jumper to my final destination of Madeira island. Of course, there is another delay so I arrive at 1am and am FINALLY ready for this new adventure to begin!
Always down for a “hell yeah” moment? Then we can be friends.
I definitely don’t live on the safe side of the mountain and, more often than not, am the problem. But….. I also know my limits and have no regrets. None.
Being a walking contradiction, I thrive on the seemingly impossible feats. The ones just outside the comfort zone that push every button in my psyche. I love the safety of routine and structure, but equally get jazzed over the spontaneity and risk of a new adventure. It’s a constant struggle.
Every trip is a new chapter just waiting to be written. Take a walk along the edge of a cliff or go spelunking deep into a lava tube and you will understand the undeniable lure of the adventure life….. a crazy addiction that captivates one’s core and is impossible to curb.
Bring on a new year of checking off those ridiculous bucket list quests!!
It’s been 2 years since our last girls summer getaway, so we are severely overdue for a new adventure. Within driving distance for everyone but me (because I’m the most mobile & up for anywhere), we pin Gatlinburg on the map & take off for the quiet TN mountains.
I scour for quaint but bougey cabins just outside of town. A hot tub & porch with a view are a “must have” for this group. There is just something about sitting on the porch in the cool mountain breeze with a cocktail in hand & surrounded by some of your favorite people to reminisce over the last 30 years of friendship!
Night one our tradition is making our very own charcuterie board with a colorful array of veggies, fruits, crackers, nuts and anything else that we were craving during the grocery run. The hot tub is fired up and we laugh the night away until the wee hours of the morning.
I was super stoked the girls were up for a couple of short waterfall hikes in Great Smoky Mountain National Park to stretch our legs and enjoy the mild summer temps. Tourists crammed into Gatlinburg in droves, so we stuck to the outskirts in Pigeon Forge for local farm fresh meals and scouring the outlet malls for deals. We even checked off a bucket list item in braving one of the many alpine coasters, despite our other zip line excursion being cancelled due to severe thunderstorms.
The peace & serenity around the cabin was just what my soul needed, including several sightings of local black bears (including 3 babies scaling a tree to stay safely away from us peepers). We even sported a few cleansing face masks for extra rejuvenation.
We ended our weekend at a highly rated tavern “The Local Goat” and a subsequent visit to the outlets. After exchanging our inevitable goodbyes, I fortunately got to enjoy one extra night in the cabin and thoroughly enjoyed finishing some work on the balcony listening to the gentle pitter patter of another rain storm.
And we vowed to go big for all of our 50th birthdays in 2024…… girls all-inclusive trip to Jamaica!
If you are not only courageous but lucky enough to find your way to the remote, southwest Texas backcountry, savor it.
Twenty miles down a rocky, unpaved road that leads to the US/Mexico border, it is so freeing to keep the windows down & radio blasting on a late March weekend getaway. The road dead ends at the underwhelming Rio Grande river, where a trailhead awaits to transport you to the literal edge of our country.
Fork in the road…. wade across the shoulder deep water 30 yards or hike up the side of the cliff? I opted for the later and enjoyed yet another memorable rock scramble to get further into the high walled canyon. The relatively easy 1.6 mile trail weaved along the green tinted water, illuminating numerous kayaks floating along this popular gateway and creating a serene, yet awe inspiring landscape.
I enjoyed lunch overlooking the Mexico cliffs and really took some time to appreciate this hidden gem that most people don’t have the luxury, time or patience to ever see. It was truly a beautiful blessing!
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