I recently wrote about the importance of disconnecting in order to reconnect with nature, with wonder, with myself. While it is good to find small ways to do this everyday, it is important for me to incorporate this into my travels and make it a priority for a longer period of time. So how did […]
PHOTO ESSAY: El Yunque National Forest
El Yunque National Forest El Yunque is a short drive from where I am staying in Fajardo. I only had a half-day to explore, so I will return during my next trip to Puerto Rico. I went with my local “guide” Robb (aka in-case-of-emergency family member to contact for iguana situations and anything else). […]
Snowboarding… for real!
I finally did it! I boarded on a REAL mountain. You know I travel solo a lot, and I enjoy that freedom. But there are a few trips I don’t want to do alone. One of those is a snowboarding trip. Snowboarding is more fun with a friend. Plus, there is a safety factor. Most […]
Tips for driving in Jamaica (and why you may not want to)
You read a lot of warnings about driving in some countries (and Jamaica is one of them). While I never drove a car during my travels in Central and South America, I certainly recognized that I preferred to be in a bus or a taxi than dealing with the insanity. But with the Jamaica trip, […]
Kayaking between volcanoes
Kayaking is one of my favorite travel activities. It’s a way to get some exercise while seeing a place from a different perspective. When I discovered that I could kayak between the two volcanoes on the island of Ometepe, I made this a top priority. Rio Istián Rio Istián is a small estuary that meanders […]
Simple luxury, natural balance
This was not my plan. I had successfully negotiated a shared taxi from the port with two girls on their way to a hotel very close to my destination. I was feeling good. I only paid $10 to get here when arranging private transport in advance would have been $38. Then the driver stopped at […]
Wipeout!
You have already seen what an awesome photographer Jerson Barboza is in my first post about learning to surf. He also has perfect timing. Check out my epic wipeout on Day 3. (And yes, I can say epic now because I’m a surfer chick.)
Get inspired by the chicas
I am curious about people and their stories. How did they end up where they are? Where have they been? Where are they going? What interesting skills do they have and how did they figure it out? What makes them happy? This curiosity is part of what drives my desire to travel. CHICABRAVA’s all-girls […]
Review: CHICABRAVA Surf Camp in Nicaragua
CHICABRAVA CHICABRAVA is an all-girls surf camp in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. The basic idea is to spend a week learning to surf on some of the best waves in the world. But the CHICABRAVA experience goes beyond that. I was invited on a press trip to attend an abbreviated version of the regular […]
I’m a surfer chick!
I never thought I could surf. Before I started my travel sabbatical three years ago, I lived my entire life in the Midwest of the United States. Needless to say, we don’t get much exposure to surfing. In fact, I do not think I had ever seen anyone surf in person until I traveled […]