Merry Christmas + Happy Holidays!

December 21, 2020

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Every year when I make our Christmas card, I usually have a plethora of travel photos of Nick and I to choose from in places all around the world. This year, our only trip off the West Coast was to Hawaii in March before everything shut down so when it came to choosing a photo, I wanted it to be of a place that we really “traveled” to this year. Hopefully next year will bring more travel, more exploration and more plane trips as well as a lighter year emotionally. Here’s to a wonderful holiday season and a beautiful year to come!

My Husband had COVID : Everything I Know, Learned and How I Managed

December 18, 2020

2020 sure has been a crazy year and up until December I was telling anyone who would listen that I felt like I have aged 10 years this year. After my December so far, I feel like I’ve aged 20. The first week of December, Nick tested positive for COVID and since then it’s been a whirlwind. We still have no idea where he got it and without patting my own back too hard, I really mean it when I say, we have been overly, extra cautious, since March when it comes to COVID. We wear masks everywhere, haven’t eaten inside any restaurants and wash our hands so much that mine are red and raw most days. Out of everyone in my immediate circle, we are probably the most cautious. So how did he get COVID? What was going to happen next after that positive result? And even now that he’s recovered, I constantly have to remind myself, my husband had COVID. It seems surreal.

The weirdest part of all of this is that I tested negative, twice, while he was sick. I tested the same day as him the first time, after he had already had probably close to a week of showing symptoms. I was negative while he came back positive. Then a week later, I tested again and got a negative again. To add more mystery to this weird virus, I 100% believe that Nick had COVID earlier this year as well in February. It was right when the large outbreak was happening in the Seattle area and we happened to be up there that week. Upon returning home, he got really sick for a week with a high fever and respiratory issues, as well as loosing his taste. At the time, testing wasn’t really up and running and we didn’t really think anything of it until later when all of his symptoms lined up. The weirdest part is, I didn’t get it then either. To add more mystery to all of this, I also got the antibody test after our quarantine ended and his symptoms were clearing up and I don’t have the antibodies which means that I haven’t had COVID recently either. Had I had the antibodies, I would have understood more how I didn’t contract COVID from Nick while he was sick, but since I didn’t, it seems I must have some sort of immunity to the virus. No one has the answers and the long and short of it is, after watching him go through a mild case of COVID (I say mild because he could recuperate at home), you do not want this, no matter how old you are or how healthy you are. It’s brutal.

Other than the weird thing about me bypassing COVID twice this year while he’s been sick, the main thing I’ve learned by going through this with him: this virus is scary and strange and it’s a rollercoaster.

Even though he had been symptomatic for several days before getting tested, he really only felt like he had a cold with congestion. It wasn’t until the nausea started that we decided to get tested. From there, the symptoms got more pronounced and weirder with every day that passed. From a crazy Friday afternoon where he broke out in hives and his entire body, from his face to his feet started swelling in front of my eyes to days and days of extreme fatigue where he could barely keep his eyes open and going downstairs was unimaginable, the symptoms were all over the place and often appeared with no warning whatsoever. Then, hours or days later, they would be gone and another symptom would appear. Our journey through COVID was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It wasn’t like a standard cold or flu where you’re sick and then you start to feel gradually better. COVID was a rogue monster and had Nick in bed for a solid 2 weeks and even then, it was a slow game to him getting back to normal.

Honestly, Nick had a minor case of COVID. Yes, the symptoms were strong and scary and it was a rollercoaster of a couple weeks, but he was able to get better at home. He required only minimal medications and he recovered. But with how careful we were being and having no idea where he was infected, it serves as a reminder for how horrible this virus can be and how you really don’t want it, even a mild case of COVID.

In the span of these insane last few weeks, I’ve had to figure out how to take care of him, get everything delivered to my house as we were both in quarantine and try to stay healthy myself. Here is everything I know, everything I’ve learned and some tips for how I got through this so that if, God forbid, a similar fate befalls you, you have what you need to be prepared:

Rely on Delivery

I’ve been relying on delivery for most things this whole year but some of the best delivery services that got me through this stretch while Nick had COVID were the following:

Amazon Fresh – I used this for groceries as well as medications that I needed last minute and delivered fast.
Instacart – Nick specifically likes the sparkling water by Safeway’s in house brand, so I used Instacart for some of my groceries – that way he could have the water he prefers. It’s a lot more expensive than Amazon Fresh FYI, but if you want a specific brand or grocery store, it’s perfect for that.
Vegetable Deliveries – While I did buy some vegetables here and there through Amazon Fresh and Instacart, I have relied on Organics to You here in Portland since March. It’s a weekly fresh vegetable delivery that includes produce from local farms depending on the season. It’s honestly changed the way I look at vegetables and being able to eat local, farm fresh and seasonal vegetables has been a game changer.
Thrive Market – Another way I’ve been getting pantry supplies since March, Thrive Market has been amazing this year. I’ve been relying on Thrive Market for pantry staples like Oat Milk, Chicken Broth and tunafish for months but I’ve recently been using their fresh meat delivery as well and have loved it for organic and grass fed meats delivered straight to my door.
If you need something delivered, just call and ask! I had a prescription at Safeway to pick up and a work thing that needed to be picked up while we were in quarantine and when I called to see if they could be dropped off or mailed to me, it was no big deal. Even things you didn’t think about that could be delivered, just ask and usually you can figure out a way to make it work so you don’t have to break quarantine!

Reach out to Family and Friends for Support

I said to my mom so many times through this, “I don’t know how I would do this if I were sick too!” Thankfully I didn’t get COVID through this even though Nick and I were in close proximity up until his positive test and in the same house the whole time but had I gotten sick, I’m not sure how we would have managed. I was constantly either cooking food for him or checking on him or talking to our doctor or figuring out what he could take for his symptoms. It was a full time job while he was sick and thankfully I was able to be home with him and help as needed but it was hard. You’ll need support, even if it’s just someone to call and vent too.

Have a Stockpile of Medications

We usually keep a medicine cabinet fairly stocked but there were things that Nick needed or potentially could have needed through this that I would never even have thought about beforehand. Here are the medications he took and things to consider stocking:

Tylonol – This is the only pain reliever that doesn’t make me nauseous so we always have this on hand and he used this for minor aches and one day when he had a fever.
Ibuprofen – He took this the majority of the time for aches and pains and to help relieve some puffiness/inflammation after his shocking episode of hives/swelling.
Sudafed – Nick took this early on in his COVID episode to help relieve his congestion.
Benadryl – When his hives started and his face started to swell, I had to race across the street to our corner market to buy Benadryl as we didn’t have any. It was the only time I broke quarantine and in the moment, it truly felt life or death and I’m glad I did, as the swelling stopped almost immediately after he took his first dose of Benadryl. He took this for 2 days while the swelling subsided.
Pepcid – While I raced across the street to buy Benadryl, Nick was on hold with our doctors office and they told us that you can take Pepcid with Benadryl and it will help the reaction stop even faster. He did that for a couple days and then took Pepcid for heartburn a couple times as well.
Excedrin Migraine – While he didn’t have too bad of headaches, he did take Excedrin a few times and it’s our go-to for headaches.
Dramamine – While he never took Dramamine, I did have it on hand for the few days he was nauseous.
Peptobismal – Nick only took this toward the end of his symptoms as he started getting really nauseous and dizzy when he would move around too quickly. He took the chewable Pepto tablets a few times to help with the nausea.

Utilize Your Doctor or Medical Professionals for Questions

We are lucky that we have a great general doctor who answers our emails very quickly so we utilized him a lot for random questions as they arose. We also were very fortunate that we went through OSHU for our COVID testing and they offered great support by phone as well. Upon his positive COVID result, an OHSU nurse called us and spoke to us for a half hour describing everything we would need to know about symptoms, medications, etc. She also laid out our quarantine and the dates that we would need to be home and not have any contact with anyone. I ended up quarantining for a full 10 days and then was able to end mine with my negative test result. Nick was in isolation for longer and was able to break his quarantine when his symptoms were progressively getting better – I think that ended up being a full 14 days. It’s also important to note that your quarantine can’t end if you test positive for COVID until after 10 days (this just changed so it’s a little all over the place), if your symptoms are progressively getting less and less to the point you are feeling better, AND you haven’t had a fever for at least 3 days without the help of any medication. Any question, we had, the nurses at OHSU were there. It’s so important to have access to medical professionals during COVID because it’s all over the place and such a weird virus so being able to ask questions is vital.

Get lots of Sleep

The one thing that was so important for both Nick and myself during this was that we both got lots of sleep. Nick was thankfully able to sleep a ton during the time he was sick and was able to really let his body rest. The days he did that, the recovery showed up so much faster. The days he pushed himself, each time ended up setting him back a day or so. Sleep is so important for the body to heal and with COVID, it’s even more important.

Sleep was equally important for me as well as I was taking care of him, trying to work and get everything done around the house so long nights were vitally important for my well being as well and one thing that carried me through this! I took NyQuil a few nights just to make sure I slept a long night and felt rested in the morning, especially after the rough days, as I function so much better on lots of sleep.

Travel Favorites of 2020

December 15, 2020

2020 was not the year for the travel industry and as COVID-19 spread through the world this year, travel was one of the first things that got shut down. We canceled so many trips this year that would have seen us in Europe and throughout the US. In the end, we went back to the basics of travel and directed our explorations to places on the West Coast of the US near our home base in Portland and near my parents’ new home in Southern California. We drove a lot more this year instead of flying and stayed closer to home. But the lesson I learned this year is that travel can still be amazing even when you don’t go super far. There are so many places to explore near where you live and anything that includes exploration can be counted as travel. So looking back on my travel favorites of 2020, there is nothing too exotic but I actually did end up having great memories of our travels this past year, even in the scope of everything that 2020 threw at us!

Favorite Travel Moment

Way back in January, which seems like 10 years ago now, before COVID overtook the world, Nick and I went to Las Vegas for the purpose of doing a long weekend dedicated to amazing food. We ate at so many amazing restaurants that have long been on our list in Vegas and enjoyed a long weekend, eating and wandering around and genuinely enjoying the best of Vegas. It was such a relaxing weekend and one of the last moments of the year that I remember before the pandemic became our focus. I look back on that trip as perhaps the last moment of a pre-COVID world and I’m so glad we did it when we did!

Favorite Reoccurring Travel Moment

After over a decade of spending a lot of time (and living for 2 years) in Hawaii, we went to Hawaii in early March before COVID shut down flights across the country. It was our last trip there before my parents moved to California in May and turned out to be our goodbye to Oahu, an island that has been in our lives for a long time. We didn’t know at the time but it would be our last time there for a long while as we’re not sure when we’ll back in the Islands and it for sure won’t be the same as my parents no longer live there. But after countless trips to Hawaii, our trip in March was a lovely goodbye to a place that will always be a large part of our story.

Biggest Travel Surprise

I’ve never been a big fan of Southern California and even though I’ve been a lot, it wasn’t until my parents moved to Pasadena and we started spending a good amount of time there this year that the area has started to grow on me. I was genuinely surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed spending time in Southern California and exploring new areas in that part of the state.

Worst Travel Moment

On January 1st of this year, I was actually traveling home from Myanmar and the trip saw me go through Shanghai and Beijing, which looking back now considering COVID was already spreading in China at that point is a little scary. To put it lightly, the trip home from Asia on the first day of 2020 was an absolute nightmare. Looking back, it seems a bit like foreshadowing for what was to come in 2020, but I’d have to say that day, traveling home was my worst travel moment of the whole year. It was struggle after struggle, including cutting my knuckle open and having blood spewing out all over my white luggage mid-trip, so yea, let’s just say I should have known what was coming based on that first day of the year.

Best Hotel Stay

We’ve barely stayed in hotels in year but before everything changed, our stay at the Vdara in Las Vegas in January was a delightful few days in a beautiful hotel with gorgeous views out over Las Vegas.

Most Emotional Travel Moment

When my parents moved to Southern California in May, most of their plans for the move had to change last minute because of COVID. They ended up shipping quite a bit of stuff to us in Portland beforehand and we planned to drive from Portland to LA to help them get settled while bringing lots of items for the move as it was harder from them across the ocean to bring as much. The weekend that we drove to LA for the first time was the weekend we were supposed to be in Iceland and of course that didn’t happen. It was also the first time we had really left Portland since the pandemic began. That day driving South, I’ll never forget the feeling of what felt like freedom. Barely anything was open on the I5 that first trip down and our car was packed to the brim and the drive was long but honestly, I remember feeling so emotional. We were traveling again for the first time in months. We were going somewhere and that felt incredible.

When we got to the Grapevine, the passes through the mountains and foothills just about an hour North of LA, we drove through in this sort of trance. The wildflowers were in bloom and the hills were awash with purple and yellow like I’ve never seen. It must have just been the time of the year or our awe in exploring again or seeing a new place where my parents would move to, but that section of the drive particularly I remember just feeling so emotional. Travel can still be beautiful, even close to home.

Most Beautiful Destination

In July, we took a day trip up to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. I’ve been wanting to get up to this area of Washington State for a long time and I’m so glad we made it happen this Summer. Driving through this area was breathtaking, from ocean beaches to dense evergreen forests to lakes tucked in between mountains. The whole peninsula is so beautiful.

Favorite Landscape

In August, after another trip to Pasadena to see my parents, we took the California Coast route North from LA instead of the I5 and it was truly so beautiful. The landscapes along the California coast are so unique and really has to be one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. From Santa Barbara to Big Sur, if you ever get the chance to drive this route, you most definitely should!

Favorite Country

As the US was the only country we explored this year, I guess it takes the top spot. I have realized this year that while international travel is always such an amazing adventure, seeing my own country more, especially exploring more in depth on the West Coast, has been really rewarding. It’s important to see the places near your home, places that might not seem all that exciting but that still have something to offer. The US is so diverse and even up and down the West Coast, there is so much to see and I can’t wait to keep exploring!

2020 in Review

December 11, 2020

Usually, these year in review posts are full of our international explorations and places in the US and North America that we’ve explored throughout the year. This year though, like everyone else, my travel was greatly limited due to COVID. Even though our travel wasn’t the same in years’ past and this was the first year in a decade that I didn’t step foot out of the USA, we still managed to see some amazing places and I’m so grateful that we were able to travel locally and spend so much time seeing more of the West Coast. 2020 wasn’t the year that we all hoped for, but in terms of travel, I still got to explore this beautiful part of the world near my home on the West Coast of the USA and I’m so grateful for that!

How to Rebook Travel with COVID Travel Credits

December 8, 2020

Ahh 2020, the year that everyone canceled every trip they had booked for the year. Believe me, I canceled more trips than I’d care to count this year and with each trip canceled, more airline travel credits came rolling in. While you can fight with the airlines a bit and get them to refund you, I actually like to have travel credits because they are dedicated to travel and when we do get to start traveling again, they are sitting there in my account and it’s basically like a free flight when I end up rebooking. The problem with travel credits is that you have to be diligent when rebooking your travel. So if you’re like me and have all these travel credits piling up, here is how to rebook travel with COVID travel credits when you want to start traveling again in 2021 as the pandemic comes to a (hopeful) close.

You may have to call to book.

Some credits can be booked directly from your airline accounts but others may require that you call to rebook. I have some of both, for example, my Alaska Airlines credits went right into my account which I can rebook online but others that I had booked through my Chase Sapphire card require that I call in to rebook. Check into what type of credits you have so you know how you’ll need to rebook them.

Have all your travel information ready.

Before you call in to rebook with your travel credits, you’ll most likely need to have all the information about the credits as well as the information about the previous booking that was canceled. You’ll also want to have all the information ready to go for the new flight you want to book: date, airline, flight number, destination, etc. As long as you have all the necessary information, the process should be fairly straight forward.

Sometimes you can transfer credit to the airline which might be easier to book.

Earlier in the Summer, I had some $300 worth of airline credit on Alaska Airlines but it was through my Chase Sapphire credit card. For whatever reason it was kind of a problem rebooking it so I asked if they could transfer the credit directly to Alaska Airlines which they could. Once it was transferred, it was easy to book directly through the airline. If something is extra difficult through credit card companies, ask if it can be transferred to the airlines and it might be easier to book that way.

Hold your ground if they make you pay more money.

When I was trying to use the Alaska Airlines credit through Chase as I mentioned above, they were telling me that the flight would be way more than I had with credit which I knew it wasn’t as I could see the flight cost on Alaska’s website. Hold your ground if they try to charge you more than what you know the flight will cost and then ask for the credit to be transferred to the airline. You shouldn’t have to pay more through a third party than you would with the airlines.

Know the Expiration dates of the credits.

In order to not let the travel credits go to waste, know when they expire and if it’s getting close to the expiration date and COVID is still not allowing you to travel, call and ask for an extension. They may or may not give it to you but it’s worth a shot. And if they won’t, then ask for your refund instead of the credits.

An Hour in Palm Springs : Explore California

December 4, 2020

In November, we ventured down to Southern California for work and had the opportunity one day to spend an hour in Palm Springs one of the days that we were there. Palm Springs has always been on my California wishlist but I wasn’t sure if I’d like it or not. After about an hour in this part of California, I can honestly say I loved it more than I was expecting to! The architecture, the landscape, the whole vibe… I loved everything about it. We spent our hour driving around the city, taking in the incredible mid-century modern homes and then spent about a half hour wandering up and down the main drag of S. Palm Canyon Drive, looking at the shops and restaurants. I think it’s safe to say that I’ll be back to Palm Springs in the future and can’t wait to explore even more!

More Explore California Posts

My Best Packing Tips for Traveling with Carry-On Only

December 1, 2020

As we near the end of 2020 and more people are looking at getting back to traveling a bit in the New Year, even if it’s more local, I’m feeling optimistic about traveling in the coming year. As learn more about COVID and understand how to take precautions, I think that in 2021 at some point, people will start traveling again even if that means that travel looks a little different than it used to. As we get back to traveling though, there are things we can do as travelers that will keep us safer and make travel easier in a situation that is already a lot more labor intensive because of extra COVID measures. One of those things is traveling with Carry-On only and bringing only what you can keep with you at all times. By traveling carry-on only, you limit the amount of people touching or being around your luggage plus it’s a smaller amount of luggage to lug around which means you can be more thoughtful on your journey of where you go and what you do en route to a destination. As we start traveling again while COVID still exists, here are my best packing tips to traveling with carry-on only and how to fit everything you need for your trip in just a carry-on.

Pick a great carry on bag.

For a long time, I used cheap luggage I bought at HomeGoods or TJ Maxx and eventually I found myself roaming airports in foreign countries with gouges in the side of my bags or wheels missing because the luggage just wasn’t all that heavy duty to begin with. I finally took the plunge and bought a great bag and it’s been with me now for about 5 years and still looks and functions amazing. When I bought “real” luggage for the first time five years ago, I spent a lot of time researching different luggage companies to fid the perfect carry-on bag. I ended up with Tumi and it’s been our go-to travel brand for luggage since then. The quality of Tumi luggage is incredible and my bag has taken a beating over the years and still functions perfectly. My Tummy carry-on is a hard-side, continental size roller bag in white and while the same bag isn’t available anymore, here’s some good alternatives:

Samsonite

Delsey

Swiss Gear

Combine your purse and your personal item bag.

I usually travel with my Tumi hard-side carry-on bag and then one other personal items which is usually a large leather tote. Inside that leather tote, I place my laptop, all my toiletries and anything else I’ll need on the plane or during travel, then my purse goes on top of the bag. By placing my purse in the tote, that creates just 2 carry-on items for me when I board the plane which is what the airlines require.

I actually use a leather tote I got at Old Navy a few years back that has held up surprisingly well but if you’re looking for one, Amazon has some great options!

Here are some of my favorites: Option 1, Option 2, Option 3

Pick a color family.

When you go to pack your clothes for the trip, try to stay all within one color family. This will allow you to mix and match pieces more and allow you to pack less. For example, I usually pick either blues or blacks as my go-to color on a trip. Then I can stay within that color family when I’m packing everything I’ll need and I know everything will go together.

Bring all your samples from places like Sephora and Kiehl’s.

I don’t know about you but I constantly have little samples that I get when I buy items at stores like Sephora and Kiehl’s. Those little lotions and eye creams are perfect for travel! If you don’t have to pack large jars of moisturizer, it saves a ton of room in your carry-on luggage. Bring all those samples and use them on the go so you don’t have to pack the larger containers.

Use the creases in the bag on one side for shoes.

Usually in luggage, there is one side of the suitcase that houses the handle bar when it’s retracted which creates sort of creases or raised sections making that side not totally flat. I love to use that side to pack shoes in between the raised sections. For a little bit more of a space saver, pack your socks inside your shoes to save more space in your luggage.

Be sure to use the side crevices for socks and underwear.

In the side of the luggage that’s flat, that’s where I pack all my clothes, folded tightly. Usually once all the clothes are in, there is room down the sides, top and bottom where a crevice is empty. That’s where I put extra socks (that aren’t in my shoes) and underwear, anything that’s small and can fold up in those small spaces.

Wear your heaviest items.

This note is particularly for when you’re traveling someplace in colder weather when you might have bulky items to pack and bring with you. Always wear your heaviest items instead of trying to pack them as they’ll take up the most space. For example when we travel to places like Iceland that we know is going to be cold, I always wear or carry my large heavy coat and I’ll wear one of the larger scarves I’m bringing on the plane. This also helps keep you warm immediately upon arrival somewhere.

Keep a pouch in your personal items with all the items you’ll need during the flight.

In my tote bag, I always keep a pouch ready to be pulled out during the flight that contains all the personal items I’ll want in flight. This includes things like my headphones, chargers and chapstick. This also is a great way to contain those small items in a small airplane seat and will allow easy access if those are all in a pouch to begin with that you can grab easily.

Pack a week before your trip so you can really organize and weed out unnecessary items.

I’m a big believer in packing early. By packing early, say a week before your trip, you can then add in other items throughout the week as you remember them. Personally, I’m not able to pack the night before a trip as that stresses me out way too much and I find myself much calmer on the day of travel if I know I’ve packed early on before the trip.

Don’t bring things you think you “might” need – you can always buy them there.

I’m a very straight forward packer and I only pack things that I know I will need. Anything that’s on the maybe list, like a hair dryer or curling iron, any extra makeup that I might wear, those all get left behind. I don’t travel with a hair dryer anymore as it takes up too much space and most hotels have them. And any extra items like makeup or things like that, you can always buy at your destination if you absolutely end up needing them. Weeding out anything you “might” need will allow you to make sure you have the space for the things you really do need.

Have a list of items that you’ll take out if for some reason you have to check your carry-on.

Sometimes, out of your control, you might have to check your carry-on bag. Some flights end up being full and need to check bags or gate agents will ask you upon boarding to check it. When that happens, know what items you might need to take out to keep with you on the plane so you can get them quickly before boarding.

The Big Trips I’m Planning in a Post-COVID World

November 20, 2020

I think that travel will be greatly different after COVID and personally, I think the way we used to travel is long gone. Like everything this year in 2020, travel was a victim of the pandemic and going forward, the way we travel, the places we can go, I think it’s going to be night and day different as we move forward in a post-COVID world. While I’m landlocked in the USA (and really trying to stay on the West Coast) for the time being, I’m mentally dreaming of what good might come from this period of light travel and all the places that I want to still see in the world once we emerge from this pandemic. So, let’s daydream together and look at the big trips I’m planning for a future post-COVID world.

Patagonia

Patagonia in South America has long been at the top of my list but it’s one of those trips that you need lots of planning and lots of days on the ground which hasn’t always worked well for our schedule. This area of the world though is breathtaking and I’m daydreaming of a big exploration trip to Argentina and Chile.

Photo by Diego Jimenez on Unsplash

Antarctica

While we’re at the bottom of the world in Patagonia, I would ideally love to work in a trip to Antarctica and check off the last continent that I have yet to visit. This would be a once in a lifetime trip and I’d soak it all up like I’ll never see it again, because I probably wouldn’t.

Photo by Long Ma on Unsplash

India

Before COVID, Nick and I were actually tentatively scheduled to do a return trip to India in Spring 2021. Now that trip looks like it will be pushed off by several years but at some point, I really want to go back and explore the cities that we didn’t make it to on our last trip like Mumbai and Jaipur as well as experiencing the Holi Festival at some point.

Photo by Maxime Bhm on Unsplash

Central + Eastern Europe

Before COVID as well, our Fall trip this year was actually going to originally be to Europe to explore Prague and Budapest. Estonia and Poland are also high on my list to see in Central and Eastern Europe and I’d love to do a big train trip through this section of the continent.

Photo by Anthony DELANOIX on Unsplash

Outback Australia

I’ve long dreamed of returning to Australia and doing a big trip through the center of the country to Uluru and the Australian Outback. I know this is a big trip to plan and a pretty intense one to experience depending on what time of the year you go, but it’s one of those trips I’d rather do sooner rather than later.

Photo by Photoholgic on Unsplash

A Swiss Winter

As much of Europe as we’ve seen, Switzerland is one of those places that I still long to explore and we have yet to step foot in. I’d love to do it sometime over a Winter break and spend a week in a Swiss chalet, watching snow fall outside and eating Swiss chocolate inside.

Photo by Arjan Janssen on Unsplash

Return to the Middle East

It’s long been a dream of mine to return to the Middle East as an adult with Nick and see the area of the world that I grew up in with fresh eyes. Jordan, Petra, Turkey, Egypt… they are all on the list.

Photo by Emile Guillemot on Unsplash

Singapore

The next city up on our Asia list that we’ve wanted to visit for a long while is Singapore. From crazy amazing street food to beautiful architecture, Singapore is my next stop in Asia for sure.

Photo by Swapnil Bapat on Unsplash

The Best Small Towns in the Pacific NW : Fairhaven, Washington

November 17, 2020

After spending some time in Lynden in Northern Washington on our quick overnight up to the area in late October, we ventured back down South a bit to Bellingham where we were staying. While in the Bellingham area, we couldn’t resist spending some time in Fairhaven, an old little town with brick buildings and cobblestone streets and charm as far as the eye can see. This neighborhood just South of Bellingham is so beautiful. While it’s a small area, Fairhaven is definitely one of the most beautiful little towns I’ve seen and even though it was rainy and cold, Nick and I both couldn’t help ourselves from wandering and exploring to see everything there. From cute restaurants and shops to the most beautiful old architecture, Fairhaven is definitely a must see in the Pacific NW in terms of the best small towns.

Another attraction in this area is driving Chukanut Drive. This coastal highway that winds you through very scenic parts of Northern Washington along the water was so beautiful. We drove it South at sunrise on our way home back to Portland and it was definitely a must see if you’re in the area.

More Small Towns of the Pacific NW

The Best Small Towns in the Pacific NW : Lynden, Washington

November 11, 2020

A month or so ago, Nick and I had scheduled a quick overnight up to Northern Washington. He needed to take some photos for work up in Burlington so we decided to make a trip out of it and visit some of the small towns and areas up in that area Washington State that we’ve wanted to get to for a long time. Long story short, wildfires were ravaging Oregon and Washington at the time and we decided to cancel our trip and do it another time. Fast forward a month and we needed to make it work so we decided late October would be beautiful in the area, packed an overnight bag and headed North for the first time since February.

One of the towns that has long been on my list to see in Washington State was Lynden, a tiny little Dutch town almost to the Canadian border. After visiting on this trip, I can honestly say that Lynden did not disappoint! This cute little enclave is complete with Dutch architecture, windmills and little shops and restaurants. It happened to be 36 degrees and pouring rain during our visit so we didn’t get to wander around as much as I would have liked, but if you’re looking for a scenic area, a cute little town and some Dutch charm, Lynden is just the place!