After cruising around the Galápagos Islands for 8 days with our best friends on the Archipel I, Dan and I accumulated some really great pictures from each day, island and activity that we did (minus the underwater stuff). Here is a brief outline of what each day’s and island’s activities consisted of and my favorite … More Galápagos in Photos
I wrote a post back in August 2015 about 2 months before we left for South America called Surrounding Yourself with People who Support your Dream. It detailed how important it was for me at the time (and still is) to keep people close in my life who support me deep down. Additionally to supporting … More Guest Post: Taekwondonuts Take Chile
It’s crazy how you can look back on life and imagine you wouldn’t be where you are now or making the decisions you have decided to make. When planning our trip to South America, I never imagined straying from the continent. Friends would ask me if Dan and I thought we might change continents at … More Adios, South America!
I was obsessed with the concept of time even as a child. I remember how on slow paced beach vacations with my family, I would constantly ask my Dad (who always had the watch), “What time is it?” I’m sure this annoyed my Dad to no end as he probably didn’t want to think about … More Time, You Ain’t no Friend of Mine
Before arriving in the sleepy, relaxed, little beach town of Ayampe, Ecuador I was exhausted and sick. The travel weariness was really starting to rear its ugly head after being on the road for nearly 6 months. As I’ve mentioned previously, travel is quite an incredible adventure but at the same time jumping from place … More Tough Stuff the Guidebooks Don’t Tell You
I felt compelled to give back on this trip, to volunteer my time somehow because I currently have so much of it. Initially I had this broad, overarching goal but I didn’t know specifically what I wanted to do. Going into some kind of “program” makes me nervous as Dan and I had a bad … More Fate and Monkey Poop
Visiting the Amazon is something I’ve been dreaming of since I took Portuguese language classes and learned all about Brazil in college. As the majority of the Amazon lies in Brazil, I always imagined that’s where I’d go to swim with pink river dolphins, watch monkeys jump from tree to tree, and escape attacking piranhas. … More The One and AmazOnly
The conversation goes pretty much the same every time we meet a new person. New person: “Hey where are you guys from?” Us: “Chicago, USA. What about you?” NP: “City, State, or Country. When do you guys head back to Chicago?” Us: “Um, we are sort of on a long trip and aren’t planning to head … More When Blurting Things Out Works in Your Favor
Hiking the Quilotoa Loop wasn’t something on my bucket list. To be honest, I had never even heard of it until I saw a picture posted on Instagram through the Matador Network account and then afterwards while doing some research on “must dos” in Ecuador. It was something I was looking forward to but not … More Lessons from the Loop
I thought I learned a lesson a long while back during our first week on the road, in Medellin. I learned to take what other people say with a grain of salt; to not take what people write in reviews regarding cities, tourist attractions, restaurants, etc. as law. Everyone has different perceptions and experiences which … More ¡Quito Que Bonito!
Painting My Spirit Gold 