Being married to a Londoner, I’ve started to get more familiar with this upbeat, global city. I’ve collected a smattering of my favorite spots from over the years that live on my recommendation list for friends. My London to-do list revolves around some of my interests like parks and green spaces, tasty food, and the …
9 Days in Rajasthan, India: Biking Between Luxury Hotels
Published December 2023 This November, I took the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bike across India in luxury. What? Yes, you heard that right. And with 430 of my coworkers from Backroads! Each year, the active travel company where I work offers an all-staff bike ride in a different part of the world. Last year, I missed the …
How to be a Socially Responsible and Sustainable International Traveler
Socially responsible and sustainable travel is imperative to making the world a more equitable, culturally accepting, and better place. A few small actions go a long way. For the past 10 years, I’ve explored and questioned the identity of the tourist through collegiate studies, living and studying abroad in various capacities, literature, film, media, and …
6 Days in The Algarve: Sun, Sea & Sand
6 Days in the Algarve for Sunshine Lovers and Outdoor Enthusiasts When dreaming up the surf trip we’ve always wanted to make a reality, we set our sights on Portugal’s Algarve. With tickets booked to London to see family and one week of time set aside for the next outdoor adventure, we were amped up …
A Thanksgiving Adventure in Austin, Texas
I’ve been dying to go back to Austin since the summer of 2019 when I first visited. The only thing I could think was love at first sight. It was truly heavenly. For Thanksgiving, I knew I could get a few days off around work and jumped at the opportunity to head back and visit …
The Ultimate Fall Day Trip to Yosemite
We took a fall day trip to Yosemite this year right before the Tioga Pass closed. This past weekend, we drove from Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite National Park for a day trip. Knowing the Tioga Pass would close sometime in October, we saw that the weather was going to be warm and sunny and made …
Returning Home From Abroad: Tears and a Big Reunion
“Returning Home from Abroad: Tears and a Big Reunion” is part of a month-long series I am doing on my readjustment into the US after living in New Zealand for 2 years during Covid-19. I had a pretty big weekend. I moved continents and countries. I left New Zealand and went long-distance with my boyfriend …
Jumping Out of a Plane at 15,000 ft in Glenorchy
I had the opportunity to go skydiving in Glenorchy, New Zealand, recently, and for some strange reason, I went. Before jumping out of the plane, a wave of calm ran over me and it felt like I was mindlessly grocery shopping or driving a route I know really well. Nothing was going through my mind. …
Living On The Other Side Of The World
When I left the shores of the United Kingdom to travel to the other side of the world and settle in New Zealand, I will admit that I was petrified. I had never been to the country before and my only knowledge was information that I found online and from bloggers’ YouTube videos. If you …
Six Weeks in New Plymouth: A City Where You Can Ski and Surf All in One Day
I can never find the words to describe living in a new place/city/country. I always freeze up. Rather than saying living in NZ is “good and I’m having a great time!” to everyone who asks and wants to hear more, I have crafted a few specific and relevant bullet points that explain the aspects of …