When I think of year 2022 I think about the famous first line in Great Expectations: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” After two years of COVID restrictions, we got back to travel in a big way this year, doing extensive travel in the US and Europe this year.…
When you are a budget traveler, you are aware of shoulder season and how much it can save you in costs. But the reason there is shoulder season is because of parents like me. In the 2021-22 school year, 49.4 million children enrolled in US public schools. Since the late nineteenth century school has generally…
“Fern Grotto is the most romantic place on earth. I always wanted to come back here with someone I love”. This was my husband. He had visited Kauai years ago with his parents, a short while before he met me. After years of promising, we were finally in Kauai and he was finally able to…
A girls’ trip to Vegas is cliche. But that does not mean it is not fun and worth doing! I loved Vegas in my 20s. And I discovered recently that I love it just as much in my 40s. There is an art to making a magical Vegas girls’ trip, regardless of your age. By…
You’ve spent weeks or months planning the first best spring break vacation. Flights or train tickets are bought, hotels reserved, you have tickets to your tours and shows, reservations at great restaurants. Then you hear the news. A little virus in China. Then Thailand, Singapore, no Europe and the US. It happened so fast. What…
We as a family often go up to Sacramento to soak in the history of California’s great gold rush. But after our trip to Folsom, I had an itch to explore more of California’s Gold Country. My husband had a birthday and the kids had off of school that day, so we decided to take…
I started out 2019 with some great goals. I was going to get back into working out. I was going to focus on my career and finding my happy spot. I was going to go on great trips, and including a trip to Bali for my 40th birthday and my first ever solo trip. I…
As I was planning my flight for a quick business trip to Chicago, I looked at my family calendar and at the flight options and I tried to figure you the minimal impact on my household while getting flights that work for me. I needed to be in Chicago for one day, for a conference,…
When I turned 30 I was happy. I was pregnant with my first child. I had a job I loved. My life was in a trajectory toward success and fulfillment. I loved turning 30. Fast forward 10 years. Life…is not quite as happy. My career has stalled. I’m not finding fulfillment in my work I…
This week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, A Face in the Crowd, encourages photographers to post unique photos of crowds or members of crowds. For this, my husband and I collaborated to highlight some of his favorite street photography from our travels around the world. Below are my husband’s photography’s and his thoughts on why they were…
