The quest to complete my 55 Places continues... During my month-long trip to New Zealand, I was able to cross off my bucket list item #25, "Try not to lose my footing on a glacier", at Franz Josef Glacier on the west coast of the South Island. I had been fortunate
For the past 5 years or so, I've really yearned for some tangible time off to travel. One or two weeks just doesn't always cut it, especially if you want to go far, but quitting your job for the sake of travel never made much sense to me either (especially
After my fantastic relaxing break in the fall-drenched Queenstown, I was rested and off to complete the last leg of my journey. I took the InterCity bus from Queenstown to Franz Josef Glacier, an 8 hour bus ride that could have easily been done in 6 hours (because they stopped every
Every summer when I was growing up, my parents would dutifully take me on trips to some of America’s finest national parks. Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Glacier, the Grand Tetons, Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park… We’d go for two weeks and try to explore as much as possible, having fun
If you know me, you know I tend to stay on the safe side of the street; I don’t really seek out danger or adventure. But something has gotten into me, and I’ve fully embraced the adrenaline-filled activities that New Zealand is known for. Last Sunday, I went whitewater rafting
Day 1 – Auckland to Hahei Leaving Auckland we stopped at Mount Eden, a dormant volcano, for views of the city and the famous nearby Rugby stadium. We traveled through the Coromandel Peninsula to Hahei, a beach town most notable for its spectacular Cathedral Cove. As we made the drive to Hahei,
New Zealand is a country that’s known for being overwhelmingly welcoming to backpackers. With so many young people on their year-long sabbatical to Australia (aided by a working visa so they can work at orchards and farms or the random odd-job to further fund their travels) New Zealand is frequently
I'll just go ahead and say it - I wasn't looking forward to visiting Auckland. It's the biggest city in the country and I've made my pilgrimage here to New Zealand for the beautiful scenery and the feeling of being isolated in the wilderness. For me, Auckland was merely a
I’m sitting on the plane en route to New Zealand, and after two days packed with exploring I finally have a free moment to reflect on my oh-so-brief time in Sydney. SNAP JUDGEMENT: Sydney is a really vibrant city! It has world-class beaches, tons of green space, beautiful coastal hikes and neighborhoods
At long last, here is the Torres del Paine "Top 5" video that I created for the Travel Channel. I wrote, shot, edited and narrated this project, and being able to travel down to Patagonia was an amazing experience! While watching this video I just want you to imagine me with
15 days ago: I lost my job13 days ago: I went to Florida12 days ago: I bought my plane ticket to New Zealand8 days ago: I came back from Florida7 days ago: I bought my backpack5 days ago: I went to NYC3 days ago: I came back from NYCToday: It’s
See my entire 55 Places bucket list here. When I finally got to Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, the first place I headed was Grey Lake, home to magnificent icebergs and the Grey Glacier. I think "chill" would be the operative word with this particular adventure.
