It took us 24 hours to get from Minneapolis to Melbourne, Australia. A 4 hour flight from Minneapolis to LA and a 4 hour layover in LA culminated in a 16 hour flight to Melbourne. The long flight was intimidating. My memories recalled the 21 hour Peruvian bus ride, memories that both comforted me and […]
On Australian Time Read More »
“How did this even happen?” Martin asked me as we walked the city streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It had finally stopped raining. We’d been back in Minneapolis for a week, hibernating inside a friend’s house, partially to escape the never ending rain and partially in denial that we were inescapably back in Minnesota. But now
If You Could Go Anywhere… Read More »
I walked into the little round house on the tip of Pine Island Florida. The sight of it swept my breath away. All I could say was “Wow” as I roamed around seeing familiar things. The sweet scent of the salty Florida air filled my nose and lungs. Home. This is what home feels like.
Minnesota to Florida in 5 Days Read More »
We had five extra days in Minnesota with no plans. After seeing familiar sites and familiar faces for the past 8 weeks, we decided to go someplace new – we decided to hike part of the Superior Hiking Trail. The Superior Hiking Trail is 310 miles long along the north shore of Lake Superior in
Superior Hiking Trail: The Brutal Beauty Read More »
It’s no secret that I love the Minnesota State Fair. Yet, I was a little nervous to return to the fair after traveling this past year. My perspective on the world has changed and I wasn’t sure how the fair would look with my new set of lenses. The fair was different for me this
Rediscovering the Minnesota State Fair Read More »
Minneapolis has been rainy, cold, and windy since we arrived a week ago. The weather has shrouded us in a depressing gloom that even chocolate zucchini cupcakes cannot shrug off. (So much zucchini!) I expected to feel nostalgia upon returning to Minneapolis. What I didn’t expect was to feel nothing else. Minneapolis offers many of
Returning is Impossible Read More »
Well, we have returned to Minnesota. I feel quite strange to be surrounded by so many familiar people and sites. We were traveling for 392 days. Essentially, we’re still traveling since we are staying with friends and family instead of in a house of our own. Budgeting for a long travel adventure is scary and
Budgeting for Long-Term Travel Read More »
New Mexico surprised me. Albuquerque especially. We rolled into town late at night and immediately found delicious local beer at Marble Brewery. I admit, we probably drank more coffee than needed thanks to the delicious bottomless cups at Java Joe’s. Santa Fe was also nice, but I felt a little weirded out by the coordinated
New Mexico Deserves More Time Read More »
In 1898, an adventurous 16-year-old named Jim White began exploring the caves near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The caves are extensive and are still being discovered today. As Martin and I climbed down the 750 feet into the cave, I was constantly amazed at Jim White’s bravery (or stupidity?). Armed with just a flashlight and a
Carlsbad Caverns National Park Read More »
Want to climb a mountain? Why not climb the tallest mountain in Texas at Guadalupe Mountains National Park? To beat the heat, we woke up at dawn and spent 3 1/2 hours hiking up for 893 meters (2,929 feet) Guadalupe peek. The view at 2,667 meters (8,751 feet) was impressive. Martin searched for the elusive
Guadalupe Mountains National Park Read More »