Baños, Ecuador You know you’ve had a good New Year’s Eve when a code of silence has been sanctioned. And while Ecuadorians know how to celebrate New Year’s, the small town of Baños might not have been quite prepared for our group. New Years in Ecuador was a little bit of Halloween and a little … More New Year’s Eve Ecuadorian Style
Ecuador was a fantastic way to kick off a new year, filled with crazy activities and amazingly fun people to share the experiences with. A few of the things I’ll remember… White water rafting Hiking Making our own rosé wine (by mixing two bad wines to make one ok wine. Don’t judge) Canyoneering down waterfalls … More Ecuador: Picture Blog
San Francisco, California With my sabbatical wrapping up, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the last eight months, and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Gratitude for all the amazing experiences I’ve had. Gratitude for all the incredible sights I’ve seen. Gratitude for all the delicious food I’ve sampled. Gratitude for fulfilling a dream of volunteering with … More Gratitude
Lost Coast, California While exploring California’s North Coast, I learned that there’s definitely a line where the “sexy, rugged mountain man” look turns into a “scary, recluse, I’m going to kidnap you” look. And that line is crossed somewhere between Mendocino and the Lost Coast. Mendocino is an adorable town with a slow, relaxed pace … More Road Trip up the PCH: Part 3 (The North Coast)
Big Sur, California Big Sur is incredible. The drive. The views. The ocean. The redwoods. There’s something about being in nature that just settles you, and Big Sur provided numerous opportunities for reflection. But loneliness wasn’t going to be a problem either. The campgrounds were full, and the easier trails were packed with people. Slow people. In … More Road Trip up the PCH: Part 2 (Big Sur)
Southern California I decided to use the last weeks of my sabbatical doing a classic road trip up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) in California. Guidebooks promised impressive views and exhilaratingly twisting drives filled with hairpin turns. The PCH did not disappoint, with me literally saying ‘wow’ countless times to myself. I started in San … More Road Trip up the PCH: Part 1 (San Diego to Santa Barbara)
Cape Town, South Africa Given the rainy, windy weather in Cape Town, I wasn’t able to do much of what I had hoped to do. So instead I went on a culinary tour of the city. Now I am about 10 pounds heavier than I was when I arrived five days ago. One of my … More Taste of Cape Town
Simon Town, South Africa Since I’ll be leaving Africa soon, I thought I’d better get all the crazy stuff in while I still can. So I went shark cage diving this morning. I think I may have to reconsider ever getting on a surfboard again. One, our captain said there are more Great White … More Diving with Great White Sharks in South Africa
Lamu, Kenya I spent one of my last weekends in Kenya moving from lounging on the beach to lounging on my balcony. Lamu is awful. Don’t come here. #alltomyself
Gonder, Ethiopia While in Gonder, I ate at Four Sisters restaurants with my new friends, from Austin TX, ironically. (Austin’s full of good people!) All three of us were a little skeptical that it was a tourist trap, promising live Ethiopian music and dancing. We drank tej, or honey wine, and ate traditional Ethiopian food … More Ethiopian Shoulder Dance
One Girl's Wanderlust Adventures 