This October we had the privilege of backpacking part of the Enchantments, a series of alpine lakes located in Washington. They were so magnificent that we decided to compile a list of tips to encourage other people to get out and experience them!
Read moreEating My Way Through Brisbane
A month ago I decided to take a rather impromptu trip to Australia to visit my sister, Bri, who lives in Brisbane. I'd visited her when she lived in Perth and we'd eaten our way around the city. We had delicious Aussie breakfasts like eggs and avocado on toast, decadent coffees, and visited a fish and chip shop in which sheets of newspaper were laid on our table onto which the chips were poured. That was three years ago and I was determined to make a trip out to see her life in Brisbane. When she found out I was coming she assured me that like before, we'd eat our way across the city.
Read moreImpressions of India
Riotous colors, sweeping architecture with an intricacy that has been lost by the modern world, sleek displays of wealth and burgeoning technology. And yet in the same day, images of desperate poverty, a constant scent of manure and sweat, piles of garbage getting trampled down in the street. This extreme juxtaposition will remain my greatest impression of India. What a country. It has it all - both good and bad - and managed to flood me with almost every emotion. Wonder, fear, sadness, helplessness, anger, excitement.
Read moreTulum: The Gem of Mexico
A few months ago we embarked on a trip to Mexico with my sister and brother-in-law, Bri and Linden. We picked Mexico because for our dates and starting point it provided the cheapest airline tickets which we agreed would be the deciding factor on where we were going to go. I'll be honest that at first I wasn't completely excited about going there. Mexico just seemed so typical and brought to mind images of partying college students. With a desire to avoid crowds we decided to travel to Playa Del Carmen (a town about 45 minutes south of Cancun) and then head further south to the little town of Tulum once the rest of our party arrived.
Read moreThoughts On Airplane Food
You've been flying for ten hours and you're bored and hungry. You're stoked when you notice the flight crew getting the service carts ready to serve a meal. Finally. Better yet, since you're vegetarian they bring you your food first. You eagerly tear off the tin foil and are greeted by something tan and pureed. Beside it are some wilted spinach leaves. And these aren't the good old days where you got the full can of your beverage of choice. Instead you get a small glass with mostly ice. Your neighbor's "regular" food doesn't look much better, but at least he gets a bread roll. You're filled with jealousy and what's even worse is that he doesn't even eat it! You think about asking him for it before the trays get picked up, but no - that's too desperate.
Read moreAcross Western Australia Via 4x4
In June of 2012 I was privileged to join my sister on the trip of a life time: nearly a month traversing the Canning Stock Route (CSR) in the Australian Outback. In order for you to grasp what an awesome opportunity it was, allow me to tell you a little bit about the Canning Stock Route. As the name suggests it was a cattle route created in the early 1900s to service the beef industry in Western Australia. Spanning 1,150 miles it is the longest historic stock route in the world. After the last cattle drive in 1959 the route slowly began to gain popularity as a challenging 4x4 adventure route.
Read moreYour Guide To Getting A Passport
If you've decided to take the plunge and go on an international trip, hopefully you've realized you'll need a valid passport. If you already have a passport, now is the time to make sure it isn't expired or even too close to expiring (some countries and airlines won't let you travel unless your passport is valid for 6 months beyond the end date of your trip). If you've never had a passport then it's time to apply for one. Below is all the crucial info you need to know, and while this is tailored to getting a passport for the United States, the process is similar in most countries.
Read moreFlying Smart
I am less than a year old in my first passport photo. You can see a parent's hands holding me up. I was on my fifth passport by the time I was twenty-three. Needless to say, I've been a frequent flyer for a long time. While I won't say that I'm the ultimate flight expert, I have picked up a number of tricks along the way to make a long flight go smoother. Here are my strategies that have helped me endure many a 14-16 hr flight.
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