What I Wish I Would Have Known before a Cruise to Alaska

June 6, 2018

Before embarking on our first cruise, I spent a great deal of time scouring the internet for tips for first time cruisers as well as specifics for cruises to Alaska. And while there was a lot out there, I had to search for individual things and they were peppered all over the internet so today, I’m rounding out the what I wish I would have known before a cruise to Alaksa in hopes that somewhere out there on the internet is a post with everything all in one place!

What I Wish I would have known before a cruise to Alaska:

Bring on bags that are light and easy to roll around when you board the ship. You’ll need to check your large luggage in before you board the ship but anything small, you can carry on with you. We both had a backpack and then one other bag to carry with us, problem was that third bag was pretty heavy and it became kind of a pain to carry it around for 3 hours before our stateroom was ready. If I did it over, I’d change that third bag out for my Tumi carry on roller bag so it would be easier to roll around and not have to carry extra weight.

Check if your stateroom is ready. Since we had never been on a cruise before, we weren’t sure about when we’d have access to our stateroom that first day. Online, I found it ranges all over from right away to late in the afternoon for when the rooms might be ready. We ended up waiting until about 1pm (after boarding around 10:30am) to check if our room was ready. And it was, however it looked like they had been ready for a while before that, so you might want to check before the time frame they tell you – you never know!

Have a large lunch when you get on board to hold you over for dinner. Again not knowing anything about cruises and what restaurants would be available for us that first day, we headed up to the main dining buffet to have lunch around 11am after boarding. And considering that there wasn’t going to be anything open for dinner until 6pm, we had a big lunch at the buffet to hold us over. The one thing that was a little hard for me to get used to on the cruise was having to stick to a strict schedule of when restaurants would open for each meal.

Only purchase a drink package if you think you’ll be drinking a lot over 7 days. Upon boarding the ship, they were selling drink packages and Nick said that we probably should get them as he went on a cruise with his family when he was a kid and remembered something about them. Having never been on a cruise myself, I didn’t realize that any drinks (even bottles of water) wouldn’t be included in my already paid for package. We opted to get 1 non-alcoholic beverage package for Nick since he drinks a lot of sparkling water and soda. Overall, I think it was probably a waste considering how much they charged and we probably wouldn’t have paid as much just buying individual drinks for Nick but it was a good learning lesson. If you’re going to drink a ton (alcoholic or not) on the cruise at restaurants, other than just plain water, you’ll want a drink package. But if you only will be buying 1 or 2 drinks per day, it’s probably not worth it.

Find a spot to nap and relax before your stateroom is ready after you board. We weren’t sure of what to do in the span of time after we boarded around 10:30am and when our room was ready around 1pm. We ended up having lunch at the buffet restaurant and then found a deck chair to just lay down and nap for a bit before going to our room. I’d recommend scoping out the ship and then just finding a place to relax for a bit.

Internet packages. Oh I have a lot to say on the internet packages on the cruise and none of them very good. We bought the cheapest internet package and it was still something like $300 for the 7 day cruise and that only included 1 device at a time! Meaning we could never use the internet at the same time the whole trip. On top of that, the internet was pretty horrible most of the time and some days was barely even usable. It felt like a rip off even spending the money on it. And then on the last day, we looked at our charges and we had suddenly been billed for another plan which was much more expensive. I called guest services and they reversed the charge, but for something we already felt ripped off on, it just added to the feeling. Long story short, don’t plan on having great access to internet on a cruise, which for us is hard when we travel, since we never really sign off of our jobs and need some access while we’re gone.

Aqua Class and Blu. So on Celebrity cruises, they have what they call their Aqua Class. It’s basically an upgrade for a larger room and some other amenities. We opted for this on our cruise for a number of reason when we were booking, thinking that we’d have special access to a bunch of other restaurants over the normal ones. Well in actuality that’s not really the case. What they mean on the website by special access is that instead of having access to eat in the Main Dining Room, the Grand Epernay, you’ll eat your meals (breakfast and dinner) at Blu which is reserved only for Aqua Class customers. We didn’t know this and showed up at the main dining room for dinner our second night on the cruise and were a little rudely turned away without actually explaining this to us. We did end up having great meals at Blu, but felt like this could have been made a little clearer.

You may not get fully seasick, but have Drammomine ready – even if it’s never bothered you before. I got slightly seasick during our cruise and while I was never physically sick, I got pretty dizzy a few times on the cruise. I also was really bothered by the vibrations in the ship, especially when going really slow. I’ve been on boats in the past and never had an issue, so bring Drammomine anyways!

Disembark with your own bags. When getting off the ship, we are always up early and wanted to be off right they started disembarking and the quickest way to do this is to disembark with your own luggage. If you have the ship take your luggage off, it could take a while longer as you’ll be put in disembarkation classes and then have to wait for your bags. We were off in 10 minutes and headed straight for our shuttle to our car and it was really easy.

If you’re leaving from Seattle, park your car at Seattle Cruise Park. We parked at Seattle Cruise Park and had a great experience with them! It was fast and easy.

Are you headed to Alaska?

See more of our Alaska content here!

Cruising on the Celebrity Solstice to Alaska : A Review

June 4, 2018

See more Reviews!

Last year when we were looking at our 2018 itinerary, we really wanted to get back to Alaska after falling in love with the state a couple years ago when we traveled to Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula. We’ve always heard amazing things about cruises to Alaska, so we decided to give cruising a try! A lot of people that know us were really surprised to see us doing a cruise and were really interested to see how we would like it. In the end, I’m not sure I’m a cruise person for the long run, but we enjoyed different parts of cruising to Alaska and didn’t enjoy some others. We decided on the Celebrity Solstice cruise from Seattle which took us through Ketchikan, Juneau, the Tracy Arm Fjord and the Inside Passage, as well as Skagway and Victoria, BC. Here below is my honest review of our first time cruising to Alaska, what I loved and what I didn’t while cruising on the Celebrity Solstice to Alaska.

What I Loved

Views from our Balcony – One of my favorite parts of the whole experience was being able to see so much amazing scenery from the privacy of our own balcony in our stateroom. Our balcony was large and comfortable, and had some of the best views we’ve seen. From up close at Dawe’s Glacier to the incredible scenery of the Inside Passage, the best view for us was never more than a few feet from our room and we didn’t have to push through a whole bunch of other people to get a good view or an amazing photo.

Tuscan Grille – Our first night on the cruise we ate at Tuscan Grille, one of the “pay for” restaurants on the ship. If you’re not familiar with cruising, at least on Celebrity, there are a handful of restaurants that are included in your package and then there are a few specialty restaurants that charge a cover fee (ie $45/person for everything included). Our ship had 3-4 specialty restaurants, one of which was the Tuscan Grille, a rustic Italian spot. We ate our first dinner on the ship here and lunch on the last day and it was fantastic both times. We were blown away by the quality and the offerings at Rustic Grille!

Blu – Blu is the restaurant that we ate most of our meals at. It’s the restaurant that will be your main dining room if you upgrade to Aqua Class rooms which we did. Blu was lovely and we had lots of great meals here, both breakfasts and dinners. We came to love the staff (the same each day) and the food was overall really solid and the restaurant has a nice ambience. A little note that we didn’t know as first time cruisers, you won’t eat in the main dining room if you upgrade to a suite or Aqua Class rooms as Blu will become your main dining room each day instead.

Comfortable Room + Storage – We upgraded to an Aqua Class room which gave us a little more space and a lovely balcony, along with some other perks like access to Blu and fresh tea and fruit in our room every day. The room was really comfortable and we had lots of space to store all our items all week.

Amazing Service – The item that I’d say was perhaps the best of the cruise was the service. The staff the whole week was amazing and I have nothing but great things to say about the entire staff on the Solstice!

The Captain – Perhaps a weird thing to include but I couldn’t not mention him, the Captain of our ship was so hilarious that every time he came on the loud speaker we were dying laughing. His hilariously dark sense of humor added a lightness to each day when he gave his daily briefing!

What I Didn’t Love

Not being able to explore each destination very deeply – One thing I missed on a cruise was the ability to explore as deeply and as long as we wanted in a location. While most of our trips are fairly short, we are still able to really explore a place deeply and do it on our own schedule. On a cruise, you’re limited to a specific amount of time in a place and we found it a little limiting.

Bad Wifi – We weren’t sure what to expect as far as connectivity while on the cruise and we kept our phones on airplane mode unless we were in a port the whole time. As far as wifi goes, the wifi on the ship was pretty bad and was really expensive. Nick and I both thought we’d have much better connectivity to work while away and it ended up being pretty limited.

Nothing opens early on the Ship – Nick and I both get up pretty early (5am most days) and nothing opened earlier than 6:30am on the ship. We found ourselves sort of waiting around most mornings until restaurants or coffee shops opened up. If you’re an early riser, you might find it hard on a cruise ship.

Sea Sickness – The first open sea day on our cruise, I got a light bout of sea sickness and while I don’t get sick, I did get incredibly dizzy to the point that I just had to lay down for a while. I took a dramamine and napped for a few hours and then was totally fine the rest of the time, but it definitely didn’t start the cruise super great. I’ve been on other smaller boats in much rougher water and never had an issue with sea sickness, so even if you aren’t prone to it, pack some Dramamine before you do a cruise either way!

Age gap on Cruise Ship – When we booked this Alaska cruise we knew we’d be the rarity in terms of age as the Alaska cruises tend to lean toward an older generation as the prime demographic. And that definitely was the case. Most of the activities and music and such was geared toward an older generation and we definitely felt the age gap throughout our time on the ship.

So much food – I’ll be honest, I am not one to shy away from food and love a good meal, especially when traveling but even I was feeling a little weary of so much food at the end of our cruise. Because the restaurants are only open at certain times of the day, we found ourselves having to schedule out three meals each day and each was not super light. By the end of the week, I was ready for a full on detox when we got home. On another note, there wasn’t a ton of options for really light or healthy food, especially fresh vegetables which I really missed the whole week!

Notes to Keep in Mind

Upgrade to a balcony room – By far the best tip I can give, upgrade yourself to a room with a balcony. It will completely change how you get to see the scenery… it’s well worth the extra money. And also, having access to fresh air and looking out at the horizon was a huge help for me the day I was a little sea-sick.

Buy a Dining Package – In retrospect, I would have bought a dining package when we booked the cruise now knowing that we liked the pay for restaurants so much. We also bought a non-alcolholc beverage package for Nick before boarding, which was great for him because he drinks a ton of sparkling water, but I found I didn’t need one for me but would have liked to have had a dining package to take more advantage of the specialty restaurants.

And stay tuned in the coming days for a post all about what I wish I would have known before cruising to Alaska for more tips!

Would I do a cruise again?

After my first cruise, a lot of people I know have been asking what I thought and if I’d do it again. In the end, I am glad we did this cruise to Alaska and we got to see a lot of the Southern Alaskan coastline that we might not have gotten to any other way except on a cruise. Would I do an Alaska cruise again? Probably not, once I think is enough. Would I do another cruise elsewhere in the world? Maybe. I think that certain places in the world it might be well worth doing another cruise. I would consider a cruise along the coast of Norway or perhaps a river cruise in the Amazon. But in general, I think I’d rather plan my own travels and be more on my own schedule in general.

Are you headed to Alaska?

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My Favorite Places in the World (so far…)

May 21, 2018

Casey’s Birthday weekend in Paris

Previously, I did a post on my Favorite Places in the USA and when I got to thinking about it, I don’t know that I’ve ever done a post about my very favorite places around the world, for no other reason than just really liking certain destinations. I get asked a lot by people, “where is you favorite place that you’ve been?” And that question is so hard to answer because there are so many amazing places around the world that I’ve loved, and while yes, some tug at my heartstrings more than others (hello Paris), I’ve fallen in love with so many spots around the world, I thought it high time for a favorites post.

I always like hearing the places people really love and that stick with them, so today here are my favorite places in the world, in no particular order, that I’ve seen so far and why each place is well worth a visit so you can fall in love with them too.

London

Since visiting for the first time in my adult life on our honeymoon all those years ago, London has stayed a constant favorite in our years of traveling the world. The city has an energy totally all its own, is easy to get around and is beautiful beyond belief. London is a must for anyone wanting to travel Europe and offers a distinct feel different than any other European major city.

London Archives

France

Ahhh France, my long lost love. Anyone that knows me (or that reads this blog often) knows that I adore Paris and try to make to the City of Light once every calendar year. For the first time since Nick and I got married 8 years ago, this is the first year we won’t be making it to Paris but I’ve already got it on our travel schedule next year so I’m sure I’ll survive. And while I adore Paris and spend a lot of time there every year, the rest of the country of France is just as wonderful. I have loved my visits to Provence and the Southern Coast of the country and recently fell in love with Lyon as well. The sounds of French chattering in the air as you bite into a fresh croissant, ahhh take me back!

France Archives

Japan

Japan is my France of the East. If you asked me to pick a favorite country in Asia, Japan would be it for me. It’s one of those countries that just clicks for me – I feel at home there. Maybe it’s that everything is orderly and organized, maybe it’s the most amazing ramen you’ve ever had or the clean and efficient cities or the gorgeous otherworldly landscapes. Japan is just remarkable in every way and it’s one of those places that just digs into your soul.

Japan Archives

Bali

Most of the time, if you’d ask me what type of vacation I want or what type of destination I am inclined towards, an island with beaches and a warm, humid climate probably wouldn’t be high up on the list. I’m not a beach person and I really dislike intense heat and humidity, so when we visited Bali a few years back I wasn’t sure what I would make of it. In truth, what really won me over was the spirit of Bali, the amazing soul of the locals, the incredible landscapes and the whole aura of the island. Bali is special and one of a kind, truly.

Bali Archives

Iceland

Iceland is special to me, really special actually. There is a feeling I get in Iceland like nowhere else in the world. We’ve been a handful of times over the last several years and seen most of the island, but something keeps bringing us back. We’ve been in Winter, in Spring, in Summer, in Fall and no matter when or how many times we return to Iceland, there is a magic that washes over you when you step foot on this little island. The landscapes, the tiny towns, the horses – Iceland will change you.

Iceland Archives

Peru

Before Nick’s 30th birthday a couple years ago, we had the goal of setting foot on all the continents (except Antarctica) and the one we hadn’t set foot in yet was South America. On a whim, we booked 4 days over Memorial Day in Peru and planned on stopping in Cusco and Machu Picchu. In the end, we had some flight issues on the last day and ended up with some time in Lima as well and I was totally won over on Peru as a whole during our time there. The food was amazing. The people friendly. There are llamas all over, which in my book is pretty much the best thing ever. And seeing Machu Picchu, well that was an experience of a lifetime.

Peru Archives

Amsterdam

Growing up in Saudi Arabia, we would usually fly through Amsterdam on our way back to the States when we would go back to visit family. I visited many many times as a kid and remember a very different city than it is today. When Nick and I first visited Amsterdam together a few years ago, the city was a vast contrast to the one that I visited as a kid in the best possible way. Amsterdam these days is chic, clean and gorgeous and we’ve loved each and every visit that brings us through. The row houses, the canals, the stroopwafels, Amsterdam is a true gem and has become one of my favorite cities in Europe.

Amsterdam Archives

Scotland

There is just something about a grand landscape that gets me every time and Scotland certainly meets that criteria. Our trips there have blown me away from the moment we stepped foot on Scottish soil and whether you’re headed to Edinburgh or beautiful St. Andrews or to meander your way through the Highlands and the Isle of Skye, you’ll fall in love. You’ll find incredible food, kind locals and some of the most beautiful landscapes you’ve ever seen on a trip to Scotland!

Scotland Archives

Great Ocean Road, Australia

While I really enjoyed our time in Australia a few years ago, it was the Great Ocean Road outside of Melbourne that really took the cake for me. This miles long stretch of coastal road offers some of the most amazing scenery that I’ve seen anywhere in the world. Oh and there are koalas in trees all over the place, so yea, there’s that.

Great Ocean Road Archives

Spain

I debated listing the entire country of Spain here or just my two favorite cities there: Sevilla and Barcelona, but the more I thought about it, yes the entire country needs to be listed here. Spain is one of those places that is totally all its own. The food is incredible, like really incredible. The people are lovely. And the cities are gorgeous. Sevilla literally has orange trees lining its streets. Barcelona has some of the most beautiful architecture in the entire world. The list goes on and on… so yes, if you haven’t been to Spain yet, go!

Spain Archives

Vienna

My time in Vienna has been short lived, but it still definitely deserves to be on this list. In my short stay in the city, I was overwhelmed with how much I loved it. The architecture, the old world charm, the food, Vienna is a gem in its own right and perhaps after London and Paris, might rival my favorite cities in Europe. Spend 24 hours here, eat Weiner schnitzel for every meal and drink coffee in the city’s many cafes, and I promise you’ll agree with me.

Vienna Archives

Udaipur, India

I spent a good deal of time in India as a kid since we were living in Saudi Arabia and my aunt at the time was living in India. And while my memories of India as a kid are totally different than how the country felt to me when Nick and I visited together a few years ago, the country has always stuck with me. First off, and anyone that has been to India will tell you, India is a flood of sensory information: it’s loud, it’s full of color, it’s crowded. And all at once, it’s a lot at first. But once you start to sort all if out, once you get over the fact that what would be 3 lanes of a highway in the Western world are 10 cars side by side in India, once you can filter out all the noise and just focus on the peaceful calm of the lakes in Udaipur and look out over thousands of years of history, it starts to come into focus and take you over. Udaipur is one of my favorite spots in the entire world, not only for its beauty (and yes, it’s gorgeous) but also for the different take on India that it gives visitors. Udaipur is different than so many other spots in India in the best possible way and will truly take your breath away.

Udaipur Archives

Stockholm

When I found a $300 round trip ticket to Stockholm in January a few years back and convinced Nick we should go, I was unsure of how we’d like the city in the cold Winter months of Scandinavia. Long story short: we LOVED the city and Stockholm is on the short list of places to get back to ASAP. This Swedish destination is my favorite city (so far) in Scandinavia and between the amazing architecture and the incredible food (hello Fika / cinnamons buns every day), I was blown away by how much I loved Stockholm.

Stockholm Archives

Marrakech

For years before I started traveling regularly again, Morocco was one of my “dream” destinations. The allure of the country just called to me. Maybe it was my childhood in the Middle East, craving that call to prayer and the incredible food in that part of the world. Maybe it was the allure of spice markets and souks. Whatever it was, that dream was realized when we visited Marrakech a handful of years ago. We loved our experience in the city and it’s always on the list of places we’d love to go back to. From spice markets to incredible Chicken Bastilla, Marrakech is a must see and still one of my favorite spots in the world.

Marrakech Archives

Soaring above Oregon Wine Country : A Hot Air Balloon Ride in Newberg

May 18, 2018

A couple years ago for my 30th birthday Nick had booked us a hot air ballon ride in Newberg, Oregon, about 30 minutes South of us here in Portland. Unfortunately they canceled our ride the day before we were due to fly due to weather which left us disappointed as we have been wanting to do a hot air balloon ride forever. Fast forward a year and a half and we had never gotten around to rescheduling our ride, when Nick came home with a fun surprise! He had rescheduled our ride for this past weekend and so on a warm Spring Saturday morning this week, we got up at 4am and drove down to Newberg for our first hot air balloon ride. Long story short, we loved it and I’m sure we’ll be doing many hot air balloon rides all over the world in the future!

We flew with Vista Balloons in Newberg and loved the experience with them. From start to finish, the whole experience was lovely. We watched as the balloons were filled and then as they each started taking off. We flew over the Willamette River and marveled at the beauty of soaring above Oregon wine country, vineyards and farmland, fog slowly rolling over the countryside below us. I was remarkably surprised at how smooth the ride was, how we lifted and fell so calmly. For my first hot air balloon ride, I couldn’t believe how peaceful it was up there. I know we’ll for sure be doing hot air balloon rides again in the future as we loved it so much, but for now, here’s some photos of our morning the air in a hot air balloon ride in Newberg and a little video I put together so you can experience a sense of what we did too!

My Favorite Places in the USA (so far…)

May 16, 2018

While I’ve seen a lot of the world, I’m still a huge proponent of seeing my own country of the USA as well. And each year, Nick and I make a real effort to explore as much of the US as we can in addition to our overseas trips. We still have a lot of places to see (and next year are going to be focusing on a bunch more!), but so far I’ve been to 32 states and countless cities and I plan to expand on that in the coming years. There is nothing more important than seeing your own country, than witnessing how life is different in different places, how people think differently about different issues and how it changes your perspective of your own country to witness that. So while I have a lot of places left so see, here are some of my favorite places in the USA so far in my journey and places that have touched me deeply within the borders of the United States in hopes that you might want to explore more of the amazing country that is the USA.

*Note: While I’ve liked a ton of places in the USA, I’m limiting this list to the places that I’ve LOVED!

Portland (and Oregon in general)

My home city of Portland is a pretty special place and my home state of Oregon is still, in my opinion, a hidden gem in the USA. I’ve seen incredible places all around the world, but I still have to say, Oregon rivals incredible beauty anywhere in the world. You’ll find more green here than almost anywhere else, amazing food and views that will leave you breathless.

For more, read my:

Portland posts

Vermont

I fell in love with Vermont when we visited in the Autumn a couple years ago and we already have plans to return again in the Fall next year to take in the beauty all over again. As we drove through Vermont on a lovely October day, I told Nick that someday when we retire, I could see myself having a little horse farm in the hills of Vermont – that’s how much I loved it. Vermont has a beauty unlike anywhere else and the colors in the Fall were so surreal, we kept remarking that this couldn’t possibly be real life. You’ll find perfect little storybook towns, rolling hills of foliage and incredible landscapes in the beauty that is Vermont.

For more, read my:

Vermont posts

Charleston, South Carolina

I fell hard for Charleston when we visited for the first time earlier this year and I know we’ll back many times in the future. To be honest, if we were in the market to move, I would move to Charleston – it was that special! From the kindness of the locals to the amazing food and the incredible architecture, Charleston is one of a kind in the USA and makes you feel like you’re somewhere totally different. You’ll find incredible Southern food, rainbow colored houses and cobblestone streets that will steal your heart in Charleston.

For more, read my:

Charleston posts

The Palouse, Washington

I’d been wanting to get up to the Palouse area of Washington State forever when we finally made it there last year on our road trip to Yellowstone and wow, it didn’t disappoint! The rolling hills of green and gold were truly out of this world and I couldn’t look away from the incredible landscape in front of me, in awe that this beauty was in the borders of my own country and in my own little corner of the Pacific North West. You’ll find little farming towns dotting the landscape, while rolling hills of the most vibrant green and gold transport you somewhere completely out of this world.

For more, read my:

Palouse posts

Alaska

Awww, Alaska, my love. We visited the incredible state of Alaska for the first time a couple Summers ago and are heading out on a cruise to Alaska next week and I can’t wait to be back up there! I fell hard for Alaska and told Nick after our first visit that my new life goal is to have a vacation home up in Alaska someday, that’s how much the state meant to me after visiting. The scenery in Alaska is incredible and it feels as if you’ve been transported beyond the US to somewhere totally different. You’ll find landscape like you’ve never seen, a small town vibe and the most amazing wildlife in the USA’s wildest landscape.

For more, read my:

Alaska posts

Newport, Rhode Island

A few years back, we spent a Memorial Day weekend road tripping around the North East of the USA, visiting Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. And while we loved a bunch of spots on that trip, the standout for me was Newport, Rhode Island. This beauty of a town is straight out of a storybook, with East Cost shingled buildings, ocean views and a small town charm, you’ll find Newport to be the coastal city of your dreams!

For more, read my:

Newport posts

4 Simple Things I Did that Changed My Life (and made me happier)

May 14, 2018

At the beginning of 2018, I started the year in a low place. In reality, I had been feeling pretty down throughout all of 2017 for a number of reasons and realized that to start the year off on a better footing I had to make some changes. While they seemed small at the time, in reality, they have actually completely changed my life so far in 2018 and have made me so much happier on a daily basis. So in the hopes that these small changes might help your life too, I thought it would be worthwhile to share after I’ve been living with these life-changing alterations for almost half of the year now and I can tell you definitively, I’m 100 times happier today than I was on January 1st.

Stop saying yes.

This was my main goal this year and whoa has it made a difference. I’ve always been a “yes” person, often to the detriment of myself. The past few years I’ve taken on way too much, adding on unnecessary stresses to my life and I came to the realization that my life had become about quantity and not quality. This year, I started to say No to those things that I really didn’t have time for, no to the things I really didn’t like or care about and no to things that I knew would stress me out. It’s ok to not say yes to everything and that was a really hard lesson for me to learn.

I’m noticing just 5 months in from making a conscious effort to do this, I’m a million times happier. And even when I’m busy (which I still am) I actually enjoy what I’m doing and relish in the work that’s in front of me instead of doing stuff I hate and it’s made all the difference in the world.

Know when you can help and when you can’t, and need to walk away.

I had a family situation last year that I thought I could help with and in the end, I realized that I just couldn’t offer what was really needed. While I can offer support, at the end of the day we all make our own choices and lead our own journeys. Learning when you can actually help and add value to a situation versus when you really just can’t make any difference, is a valuable lesson. Learning to walk away when you can’t fix something is often a really hard and painful lesson, but sometimes, walking away is the healthiest thing you can actually do.

Be kind above all else.

I realized late last year when I was in a really sad situation how many people I didn’t know went out of their way to just be kind to me. When people are just genuinely kind to each other, it’s incredible how much tiny acts of kindness help when you really need it. I made it my resolution from then on to just be kind, above all else. Kindness truly changes the way you see people and experience things in life and if we could all just be a little kinder to everyone we encounter, the world would be a happier place.

Eat healthier for my body.

I’ve always been a pretty healthy eater, but this year I’ve really been focusing on eating for my specific needs and health. Genetically, I have really high levels of inflammation in my body (like off the charts high) so this year I have focused on eating more anti-inflammatory foods and foods that will help with that specific issue. I wouldn’t say I’ve deprived myself at all, but I have really taken a hard look at what I eat and what foods make me feel great and lower my inflammation levels and which foods do the opposite. After a few months of really making an effort, I have noticed my inflammation levels begin to go down which is so encouraging and I’ve lost some weight in the process even though I wasn’t trying to. I definitely don’t diet (I love food) and when we travel, I’m not worried so much about this but when I’m at home and have been able to really focus on it, I have and it’s made a huge difference. It doesn’t take much to really just think about what’s good for your specific eating needs and try to work more of that into your life – I promise, it will be worth it!

What Still Drives Me to Travel

May 11, 2018

I’ll be 32 this coming Fall and I’ve basically been traveling my whole life. Starting with growing up overseas in the Middle East, then doing a lot of trips to Korea for work when I started my career and now traveling regularly with Nick, experiencing as much of the world as we can, travel has always been a constant for me. For me, there is absolutely nothing in the world that gives me the sensation that traveling does: that rush of curiosity, the sense of being completely in a different place, pulled out of my comfort zone, new languages, new scents, new scenes, new people. Travel has a way of curing any ailment that might possess me at any point in time, it harnesses the wildness inside of me, it completely captures my emotions and makes me a better person with each moment that passes.

All of us have to find in our lives that thing that centers us, that thing that makes us better, that thing that makes us the best version of ourselves. And I think a lot of us struggle with that and it takes a long time to find something that truly makes you feel whole, that brings out the humanity within us, that just makes your soul feel free. In essence, that thing that makes you feel that way, is for our mental health, it’s what makes us, us and keeps us healthy and happy. It’s what keeps us on track and what pushes us further. For me, travel is a mental health exercise, it’s something that keeps my soul healthy and that pushes my mind to learn more. It forces me to grow and change and exist beyond just the daily grind – and that is what still drive me to travel and why it always will.

The world is becoming increasingly heavy – we’re all worn down, we’re exhausted, we’re too busy, we’re always “on,” and sometimes that just takes too much of a toll on our mental health, on our existence. Sometimes, we need to remember what the world was like before we all spent all day on cell phones, sometimes we need to remember what it’s like to not understand anything someone says to you but to laugh with them all the same, sometimes we need to remember that we’re all more alike than different, sometimes we need to remember how it feels to just sit and watch the sun set, sometimes we just need to take a moment to remember that work and family and responsibilities can be paused, that the moments we spend truly taking in a moment are still worth it. That’s what travel brings to the table for me, a way to stop and take in the moment, to watch the sun set over the Seine in Paris and not think of anything else going in the world. Those moments that only travel can offer sometimes are what still drive me to chase them, to spend my time and my hard earned money to follow moments around the world for as long as I possibly can. Because at the end of day, travel for me isn’t how many sites I see, it’s not checking things off of a list – for me, travel is how many moments it offers me, how many experiences it opens up, and how many ways it changes me to my core.

How to Make Travel Easier in Your 30’s

May 9, 2018

Ok I’m going to be honest today – while traveling around the world may look glamorous, it’s really not. And while I travel a lot and I absolutely love it, Nick and I have noted many times in the past few years that as we get older and travel more, it gets harder with each passing year. Travel is exhausting, it takes you out of your comfort zone, it puts your brain on overdrive and alters your internal clock. While I could go on and on about the amazing affects it has on your body and life, it definitely also has some negatives on our bodies physically and that’s just the honest truth.

As I’ve gotten older and into my 30’s, I’ve realized that now is the time to make travel a little easier on my body and schedule and while I’m definitely not giving it up, I’ve spent the past year figuring out how to make travel easier in your 30’s and how to make it just a little more comfortable so that all those amazing things that travel gives us don’t do harm to ourselves in the process. If you’re feeling the same way – you love traveling but hate the actual process of traveling, here are my best tips for making it easier!

Upgrade your Flight

The best way to make the act of traveling easier is to upgrade your flight. And no, that doesn’t mean you have to have millions of dollars to be able to fly around the world in lie flat business class seats! We’ve started really strategically using points to fly at least one way of our International trips in business class lie flat seats. We realized that the amount we fly, it was getting really hard on our bodies, especially on long haul flights, to sit in economy seats and it wasn’t doing us any favors when we arrived somewhere totally exhausted and our backs hurting. Using points to pay for business class seats is the best way to go and I’m a big fan of the Alaska Airlines points program to book international flights on points (hello Japan Airlines from Tokyo to Honolulu for only $52!). Figure out a way to make points work for you and I promise, you’ll arrive so much more refreshed!

The other way to do this without using points is to always upgrade to Premium Economy and just pay for it. Every airline is different in what they call their Premium Economy and while on some you’re not getting that much extra, I’ll tell you every tiny little bit counts, especially on a long haul flight.

I share lots of Travel Tips about how to get better deals on flights and upgrades all the time so be sure to follow along!

Upgrade your Hotel

I’ve never been one to skimp on hotels as I know when I’m traveling I want to be comfortable and get a really good nights’ sleep so I can fully explore to the best I can during the day. But as we’ve gotten older, while we might have spent a night or two at a cheaper hotel to save a little bit of money, now it’s a priority to have a great hotel with a great bed that we can relax in. Our trips are often go, go, go… so we need to prioritize a good hotel that offers us some rest and relaxation while we’re in our room. I promise, you’ll feel so much better physically for your days of exploring if you have a good hotel and bed to sleep in at night!

Function over Fashion

I still love packing for trips and really enjoy the forethought that goes into what I’ll wear in a specific destination, but as I’ve gotten older, no longer do I bring the shoes that will give me blisters no matter how cute they are, no longer do I bring light clothes because they look good even when I know I’ll be freezing. Function over fashion is the name of the game now, and not to say you can’t still have cute outfits, but I’m going to be comfortable over anything these days. You’ll enjoy a place more if you aren’t wincing from blisters or shaking from the cold, I promise!

A Video Tour Through Hong Kong and Japan in the Spring

May 7, 2018

We recently spent a glorious Spring week wandering through Hong Kong and Japan under a sea of Cherry Blossoms and making our way through these two amazing places in the world. Japan is one of my favorite countries and Hong Kong was a fantastic surprise with how much we liked the famous city known for its cosmopolitan flair and amazing food. And since you couldn’t make it on the trip with me, here’s a video tour through Hong Kong and Japan in the Spring so you can feel like you were right there alongside me as the cherry blossoms fell like snow!

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A Return Visit to Tokyo for 24 Hours

May 4, 2018

After our week spent in Hong Kong, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara, it was time to head to Tokyo for a couple days at the end of our most recent trip to Japan. We spent a week in Tokyo about a year and a half ago for the first time and fell in love with the city and the country of Japan on that trip and it was our experiences on that trip that made us want to make this return trip for Cherry Blossom season. Tokyo is an amazing city – huge yes, but clean, sophisticated, easy to get around – it’s become one of my favorite cities in the world and I don’t say that lightly.

We arrived to Tokyo Station by bullet train from Osaka and headed up to what has now become our “usual” spot while in Tokyo, the Tokyo Station Hotel. We dropped off our bags since it was too early to check in and headed across the street to one of our favorite ramen spots in the Marunouchi area of the city. After an incredible lunch of gyoza and ramen, it was such a beautiful Saturday in Tokyo that we just grabbed a bench and sat in the sun, watching people shopping and wandering around. We actually just sat there for a while, taking it all in.

After a bit of rest, we wandered over to the Imperial Palace grounds nearby in Chiyoda and up to the top of the palace hill to wander through the open park up there, followed by a walk around the grounds to see the famous Chidorigafuchi Park along the moat that encloses the palace grounds. This park is famous for its cherry blossoms and while they ended up being past their peak by the time we got there, it was still beautiful and everyone was out enjoying the beautiful weather. It was amazing to me how just a few days earlier in Osaka and Kyoto we had hit peak blossoms, and then just 3 days later, many of the blossoms in Tokyo were already past their peak – amazing how nature works! We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering back around the palace grounds to our hotel where upon returning, tired and sore from walking for hours, we were taken to our room in the Tokyo Station Hotel which ended up being one of the largest suites in the hotel! We seriously couldn’t believe our luck – which we chalked up to it being Saturday night and we happened to be in town just for one night (most people probably have longer stays) and me working with the hotel in the past for LOM, but regardless, we spent the evening in our massive corner suite and watching the sun set over the city outside.

The next morning, we really only had a half day in Tokyo before needing to leave for the airport, so we headed back to a favorite neighborhood of ours: Shinjuku. I love Shinjuku for many reasons – the true “Tokyo” feel, the shopping, the ease of getting there via the Subway and of course, there is a Laduree there for a macaron fix. We arrived at Shinjuku station and headed first Starbucks for one last Black Tea Latte (can’t this Japanese Starbucks fave come to the States!?!?), then meandered down to Yodabashi Camera for Nick to browse camera gear, followed by macarons at Laduree before jumping on the Subway back to Tokyo Station to grab our stuff and head to the airport to fly home. While it was definitely a quick trip in Tokyo, it cemented my feelings on the city as one of my favorites around the world. It’s fantastic for a week or for a day in my opinion and there is truly something for everyone in Tokyo!

Tips for a Quick Visit to Tokyo

For food, most buildings and train stations are full of little restaurants in food court type settings but the food is amazing! We especially love the Marunouchi Building near Tokyo Station for great little food spots including our favorite ramen place in the area.
The subway and train system is amazing and will get you anywhere in the city fast – use this over taxi’s unless your going really off the beaten path.
Tokyo is really walkable so bring comfortable shoes and take in the sites that way!