My Adventures Began Yesterday

Hello Beautiful, Amazing, Wonderful People!  As 2018 comes to a close, I’m so thankful to those who’ve supported me over the last year. 2018 was a huge transition year for me. I entered it uncertain what the year would bring, where I would travel, who I would meet, even where I would be sleeping. Twelve months later, I’ve moved back to the city of my teen years, started a business, and am filled with a sense of rightness and jubilation. Many, many thanks to those who let me crash at their place when my life was filled with uncertainty. To those who sat down with me to talk out my business plan or brainstorm ideas.   To the remarkable people who frequently inquired about my progress and to those who have been praying for me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Today, we took my Aunt and Uncle to tour Galveston. On the drive home, my mom, Aunt, and I sang Christmas carols at the top of our lungs. Before you picture beautiful harmony, let me explain that on a scale of 1 make

One year ago today, I hopped on a plane to Phoenix, Arizona, to begin a life of travel. I had just quit my parks and recreation job (3 years, 10 months…new record!), put all my possessions in storage (after selling/donating/trashing over 60% of it) and was jobless, homeless, and ecstatic about the unknown future. So, what made a 31 year old woman quit her job, vacate her townhouse, and say good bye to her friends and the life she’d known for the last 7 years? Maybe it was my navy brat childhood and moving every year. I developed a love to travel, to explore new places, meet strangers. Luckily for my addiction, my 20’s were all about traveling...working on cruise ships for two years, backpacking through Western Europe, visiting Central America, taking monthly trips when I settled down at a 9-5 job. I entered my 30’s and was content with a flexible job, recreational soccer/softball, and a good friend base. Work was great, but wanted more responsibility. So, I applied for

Decided to visit some friends in Miami and knock off three national parks (Everglades, Biscayne, Dry Tortugas). After a delayed flight, I finally made it to E’s house about 1:00 am (uff! So tired). His nephew was kindly waiting up for me (or perhaps just using my arrival as an excuse to play video games?). Then in the morning, N’s mom (mom and nephew were visiting from Wisconsin), made me pancakes and sausage! GREAT way to start off my vacation. Felt so spoiled. Hit the road towards the Everglades and saw my first gator on the long stretch of road into the park. I laughed out loud in sheer joy. I love alligators! I was so excited. Drove into Shark Valley Visitor Center which was located on the north side of the park. Then rented a bike to ride a 15 mile loop (and it was only $9/hour!). I’m thinking the overcast, slightly rainy weather (or maybe it being a Thursday in mid May) was the reason there were so many bikes available to rent (online reviews said there’s

Bonjour Mes Amis! Picture this: I’m sitting on the floor, playing with my nephews when I receive a text, asking if I have plans over the upcoming weekend. Other than having a margarita to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and tentative plans to attend the Dynamo vs LA Galaxy game, nada (and by tentative, I mean, the game was sold out, and my long reach of soccer connections was not proving fruitful). So, I was available for adventure! D received two VIP tickets to the Jazz Fest for May 5 th and 6 th and wanted a drama free companion (I guess I passed that test over the trek to Havasu! *pats self on the back*). Many shout outs and thanks to K2 for enjoying their Honeymoon so much, they decided to share it with us (and by share, I mean give us the tickets while they leisurely drove towards home, with a detour through Dallas)! Jazz. Fest. New. Orleans.  Could the weekend be set up for any more fun? Fortunately, for us, yes! D was told by J (again, thank you, Havasu tri

Who spends hundreds of dollars on light-weight camping equipment that they may never use again, only to carry it all on their back, hike 2,200 feet into a canyon, cut themselves off from civilization (aka no cell service – oh the horror), string up a hammock, and voluntarily choose not to shower for four days? Yeah, that would be us four. Disclaimer: this is our first time backpacking. Please excuse the lack of knowledge, the unknown protocols, and the fear of all things that crawl. February 1st rolled around and for many, it was a typical Thursday morning. For the five of us (we lost a fellow camper two weeks before go time), it was the morning that registration opened for Havasu Falls, a waterfall located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation in the Grand Canyon. We charged our phones and laptops. We poured our tea (or coffee) into mugs. We placed the group on speaker phone. By 9:00 am, we were ready. Then a few glitches in the system later, we booked a March 20-24 stay.