Oh, Mackinac Island. Is it wrong if I call you a step back in time? I’m sure many travel writers would cringe at that phrase, but seriously, where else do you see Clydesdales clopping down the street, not a car in sight? Like many Michiganders, I have fond memories of visiting Mackinac Island as a … Read more
People in Colorado love the outdoors with a fervor I’ve not seen elsewhere. My company, Sovrn, is particularly outdoorsy; my coworkers enjoy everything from bouldering to rafting to high-altitude scuba-diving. Which I love- not only do I have built-in hiking buddies, my coworkers also inspire me to see new places in Colorado. One morning at the office, I … Read more
Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve dreamed of seeing Petra, the Rose City that was lost to the western world until 1812. The ancient city almost seemed mythical, about as real to me as the Lost City of Atlantis. I honestly never thought I’d get to visit Petra- after all, when would I ever be … Read more
Figuring out what to pack for a summer in Spain was daunting. Historically, I’m a huge over-packer. On this trip, I wanted to pack stylishly but not bring too many clothes. One trick that was completely new to me until recently is to use packing cubes. These will change your life and make packing so … Read more
I don’t know about you guys, but for me a comfy bed is a must after a long international flight. Which is why I was so glad that when Amanda, Jessica and I landed in New York, we had a bed at The Library Hotel waiting for us. I had read about The Library Hotel a while back on … Read more
I don’t think I’ve ever over-eaten as much as I did while in Jordan. But looking back, I’m not even upset with myself- Jordanian food was absolutely delicious. At one point the girls and I were so sick of over-eating we asked our guides if there was any way we could order less food at … Read more
As any reader of this blog knows, I absolutely adore history. But despite seeing Roman ruins like Palatine Hill in Rome and the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, I was never terribly interested in Ancient Rome. Jerash, Jordan, changed that. Jerash is the most impressive Roman ruin I’ve ever seen; a 2,000-year old Greco-Roman city complete with a chariot-racing track and an Artemis temple. What … Read more
Over the years I’ve become an increasingly adventurous traveler. I’ve gone canyoning in Vietnam, hiked the most active volcano in Bali, dived with sharks in Indonesia, paraglided in the Swiss Alps and endured a ten-day trek in the Himalayas. Not bad for a girl who used to be terrified of swimming pools. So I was pleased to … Read more
I have a confession. Despite its iffy reputation, I love backpacking. And what do I mean by “backpacking”? Backpacking, by my loose and unofficial definition, is independent international travel on the cheap, typically done by young people from all over the world. Backpacking has a lot of negative connotations- namely drunk teenagers partying on beaches. But I … Read more
After living in France with a host family and then backpacking the world for a year, I was ready for a place of my own. After all, I hadn’t had my own space in two and a half years! So I’ll admit- I got a bit, um… carried away. I spent way too much money on my … Read more