In her autobiography, Michelle Obama says she made it a goal to learn about a place as well as she could during her travels as first lady. For her, this meant breaking away from the political agenda and getting to know the people that lived there. Thanks to having family friends that are Ecuadorians, Kyler…
Exploring
Celebrating Eight Years of True Friendship in Chicago
Chicago recently soared to the top of my travel list for a long weekend trip. While video chatting with my two dear friends, we decided our two-year hiatus must be broken. It was time to get a reunion trip on the books! Myself in Oregon, one in Minnesota, and the other in Maine, we decided…
My Five Favorite Places to Visit in Florence, Italy
When October rolls around, my heart starts aching for Italy. Eight years ago, I lived in Florence during a study abroad opportunity. Two years ago, I returned with my husband and parents. Now, I’m scheming my return trip. Italy has always captured my imagination. As a middle schooler, I’d visit the public library and type…
Best Hikes of 2017 (So Far)
Moving from Mississippi to Washington to Oregon in the span of five months has brought the happy opportunity to explore new terrain. As we settle into the new season and our new home, I’ve found myself reflecting on the year’s adventures, especially hikes! Hiking is one of my favorite ways to connect with a new…
The Spirit of the Total Solar Eclipse
For the months leading up to the total solar eclipse, the air has been charged with excitement, wonder, and skepticism. The core emotion was belief. The belief that something so wonderful, so striking could happen and we could witness it first-hand. The promise of a rare and incredible event, that we couldn’t fully anticipate, fueled…
The Power of Community: Life in Hattiesburg, MS
After almost five years in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, we have moved back to the Pacific Northwest. Northwesteners and southerners alike greeted our decision to move to Mississippi with skepticism. They clearly doubted the compatibility of cultures and lifestyles. Despite perceived incompatibilities, we found you can be happy living anywhere if you have an open mindset. Hattiesburg…
Exploring Oregon: Three Days in Bend and Portland
When your best friends from Mississippi are exploring Oregon and want you to join – you go! We connected in Bend and caravanned to Portland. Hikes, city wanderings, good food and better company made for a phenomenal three days. Here are the highlights. Exploring Oregon: Bouncing Around Bend Bend, OR is an outdoor playground for…
Destination NW: Navigating the Bumpy Road
Traveling through six states and about 3,500 miles, we knew something would inevitably go wrong. Bodily injury, car trouble, fluke weather. Something. We didn’t travel with a sense of continual unease, but the clock was ticking. Sure enough, as we drove deeper into West Texas the road got a little more bumpy. Buckle up! It’s…
Destination NW: Arches National Park
The last leg of our journey took us through Moab, Utah, and Arches National Park. As much as we wanted to camp one more night, below freezing temperatures pushed us to stay in a hotel. Since we already bought camping food, we drove into Arches National Park, switched on our propane grill and cooked dinner…
Destination NW: Three Days in New Mexico
New Mexico is known as the “Land of Enchantment” and after one day we were spellbound. We visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Carlsbad Caverns National Park After going to the tallest point in Texas, we hiked a few hundred feet underground in New Mexico. The Carlsbad Caverns National Park is eerie…