Random Reflections

Just over a week ago, I stood in front of a room of about fifty people talking about lessons I learned while I was traveling around the world for 13 months. The last lesson I mentioned, and the one that I emphasized as the most important, was that things have a way of working out. […]

I chugged some water out of the blue plastic bottle in my right hand and then took a peak at my Garmin watch on my left. It read 2 hours and counting and around 6 miles traveled. As I continued along the path with a cool breeze blowing and the sun shining down on me,

Every now and then I come across a tweet or Facebook status update complaining about flying Southwest Airlines – or saying that they are dreading it even though they have never flown with the airline previously. And I immediately want to reply that they are so, so wrong! I absolutely love flying Southwest. Indeed, when

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you likely saw that I recently attended (and spoke at and helped plan!) the inaugural Women in Travel Summit. Taking place in my adopted hometown of Chicago over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, WITS was the first conference of its kind, planned by women, for women, focusing on

I never thought I’d say this, but sometimes I miss traveling around the world.   When I returned home from 13 months of travel in September 2012, I was so incredibly ready to be home. I was exhausted from travel, burnt out on sightseeing and longing for a routine and stability. And I swore time

They say you haven’t really made it until you have haters. So as of last Tuesday, I guess I made it. That’s not to say I haven’t attracted some negativity or even controversy on this blog in the past couple years.  I got blasted for packing jeans on my career break trip and someone seems

I should be in Sochi right now. At least, I could be in Sochi right now. Not as a spectator and certainly not as an athlete, but as a volunteer. Two years ago around this time I was in Ukraine and, not having any clue what exactly I would be doing in February 2014, I

You have probably seen them floating around Facebook and Twitter. Date a Girl Who Travels. Don’t Date a Girl Who Travels. Date a Boy Who Travels. There are probably a dozen different versions and rebuttals out there too. As a much-maligned or much-praised “girl who travels,” I found each of the posts resonating with me

Being from Minnesota, I like to think I am pretty tough when it comes to cold, wintery weather. I can only recall school being cancelled for snow three times from kindergarten through high school and once for cold weather. I also remember days when I walked to school in the dead of winter wearing flats