It's September. The leaves aren't turning-- yet-- but the yellow busses filled with chattering school children are just the first indication that summer is coming to an end. After trips to far-away places like Toronto, Ottawa and Alaska, and local travels to the Shenandoah Valley, Hot Springs, Hampton, Solomons Island, Dewey
I've done some crazy things over the course of my life. I've jumped out of a tiny pink plane at 15,000 feet in New Zealand. I've climbed to the top of Mayan pyramids and (inadvertently) swam with a shark. But, sometimes life is all about knowing your limits... and recently, my
In college, I studied abroad in the city that started the Renaissance: the magnificent Florence, Italy. I spent my time there living the good life: wandering the cobblestone streets, visiting markets and museums, sampling gelato from every notable place in town and eating enough pizza and pasta to feed a
This week, PackedSuitcase.com reached 100 posts. Hurray! It’s a huge milestone and I’ve been planning a celebration of sorts to look back at a few of my favorite posts. Serendipitously, Katie at Tripbase has recently initiated a fun challenge called My 7 Links. The gist is that nominated bloggers pick out worthy
Originally posted on GoGirlGuides.com on 3/21/11: Video. There’s no better way to bring your travel memories to life than to have a well composed video to support your story or highlight a special aspect of your travels. In last week’s column, I explored some of the budget-friendly high-tech gadgets that flashpackers could
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
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
The journey to complete my 55 Places bucket list continues...October 16, 2009 at 8:19 am, I had my first glance of South America from my Delta Airlines window seat. I was happy and relaxed, because (lucky me) I didn't have anyone sitting next to me on the long overnight flight.
Well, after nearly 24 hours of traveling, I'm back home, safe and sound! The flights home were much less dramatic than the ones there, which is good, although my luggage is broken! But, at least it's here , so I'm thankful for that. :)I'll be posting some of my favorite
After 2 days of rainy, snowy grayness, I thought it was going to rain again today, my last day in Torres del Paine. I was absolutely convinced of it. One of my guides, Filipe, told me that the forecast was not looking good; he’s been here 8 years and knows
This morning started out a little rough… http://youtu.be/82t6gKNas40 But it actually ended up being a pretty decent day! We went to the Salto Grande waterfall and were able to see the Cuernos, or “horns," one of the park's icons. It’s snowing again, so I’m looking forward to a cozy evening in at
