It’s not how many countries you visit that matters; it’s how many kitchen tables you’ve been invited to sit around.

Lapland, Finland 2022
Read on to see what a wild and magical time my daughter, Ava, and I had in the Arctic Circle, which both challenged us and fed our souls.

Alas, my snowshoeing trip to Transylvania (2022) had to be cancelled
Top 5 Most Important Things To Do Before Traveling Internationally Right Now!
Epic Gift Giving Guide for Travelers
*I don’t receive any compensation for these recommendations* For saving space in that tiny quart bag for liquids: Disposable/dissolving sheets of shampoo, conditioner, body/hand soap, laundry detergent, shaving cream; no more repacking used bars of soap! Or, if you still love your bars, have you tried shampoo and conditioner bars? For your favorite scent, deodorizerContinue reading “Epic Gift Giving Guide for Travelers”

Travel with Me–Wine and Walking in Portugal
I’m going to Portugal in October 2023–who’s coming with me?

Travel with Me–Explore Vietnam
Immerse yourself in a totally unfamiliar culture; a truly experiential vacation. A few highlights: In addition to visiting UNESCO sites of Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, eat lunch with a local family, ride on the back of a “cyclo” through city streets, be taught the nuances of noodles by former street youth, see the indescribable beauty of the Vietnamese countryside–and so much more!

Romania–Did You Know?
Originally posted on Explore With Ilse:
Fascinating Facts About Romania I’m realizing that most of my fellow Americans don’t know much about Romania, so I’ve collected a few interesting facts about this incredible country (hardly a full list–not enough time to list EVERYTHING!). After reading through this partial list of what makes Romania worth knowing,…

Hiking in the Dolomites with Ilse: Venice Extension
After spending a week hiking in the mountains, 12 of us spent 2 nights in Venice! I was giddily anticipating this, because I had read that the tourist load was at 30% of “normal”, and of course we ALL read about how clean everything was after 18 months without tourists.

Hiking in the Dolomites with Ilse: The People
By the end of our second day together, we were best friends. By the end of the week, we were forever-friends. All 16 of us, plus Karl! I knew I’d have fun with this new job, but I had no idea my heart would get so deeply involved.

Hiking in the Dolomites with Ilse: Our Hotel and Food
If you’ve had a good European breakfast before, you *know*. If you haven’t, you need to go to Europe. Just for breakfast. Then you can go home, because you have experienced Nirvana.

Hiking in the Dolomites with Ilse: Day 6, Mt. Piano
Earlier this week, I found Heaven.
Yesterday, I met God.
Today, the Grim Reaper winked at me.
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