Blogs

What is in a name anyway? In this case: So. Dang. Much! I had just gotten back from Mexico and was inspired to start a project that shared the type of travel experiences that I cherish and love with my community, the world, and basically, anyone who would look and listen. Only thing was, I needed a name... Read more about my adventure to discovering Folklore! Folk·lore /ˈfōklôr/: 1) The traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community passed through the generations by word of mouth. 2) A body of popular myth and beliefs relating to a particular place, activity, or group of people. XO...

Continue reading  

Ummm quick question: Do you believe in miracles? Full disclosure, I totally do... that said I also have a fiercely skeptical streak. Why is this relevant? Well, it sort of sets the stage for what I am about to tell you next. This story is a bit long winded but I promise it is worth it in the end! Let me back it up a bit... I took a last minute international trip this year for the first time in my life… and it was game-changing, bordering on miraculous in fact. My life for the previous 2 years has been fairly structured: vacation time at work had to be requested in advance and my partner and ...

Continue reading  

Egypt is alive with history – Pyramids, Temples, Sphinx. Get there soon before the entire world returns! Imagine sipping a Gin & Tonic on the verandah overlooking the Nile, palm trees silhouetted by the setting sun. This is my new happy place – the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, where Agatha Christie was inspired to write “Death on the Nile” and where I dream about listening to the legendary Scheherazade, as she tells Middle Eastern folk tales to the sultan for 1001 nights, ultimately sparing her life. Oh, how quickly history comes alive in Egypt! My Egyptian adventure begins...

Continue reading  

I’ve been without my passport and my 35mm camera for the past two weeks and it has me feeling restless and uneasy. I don’t have immediate plans to go traveling abroad yet still, there is something extremely alluring about the potential of last minute travel. Knowing that the essential groundwork has been laid to pick up and set sail at the drop of a hat is an incredible freedom I don't take lightly. On that note... I recently attended a workshop focused on aligning career ambitions with values. As someone who has grand ambitions of hosting small group, immersive cultural travel experiences in...

Continue reading  

I was the lucky winner and I had the chance to go to Colombia! The contest was hosted by ProColombia and was in partnership with Avianca & Movich. I went in October 2017 which is supposed to be the rainy season and the weather forecast was rain all week. However I did not get any rain at all, except a shower while we were on the bus from Villa de Leyva. I only had a week and I could only make a stopover in Bogota, so I chose Cartagena (also to visit Playa Blanca) and Bogota. Then I took a bus to Villa de Leyva from Bogota. I think Colombia is a good introduction for travelling in South Am...

Continue reading  

See Africa through expert eyes and leave a legacy! I’ve recently returned from scouting our Legacy Safari, which I’m hosting at Singita Lebombo Lodge in May 2019. Join me there and help safeguard the Rhino of Kruger Park. Sitting on the deck of my beautiful suite, overlooking a rocky ridge where a ghostly fever tree stands tall, I watch a family of kudu silently come down to the river to drink. Birds are calling, crocodiles are snapping for fish, hippos are grunting and cicadas are chirping in the heat of the day. This is the Africa I know and love! I could sit here for hours as nature takes ...

Continue reading  

Hurry up and wait, hurry up and line up!This I’m afraid, is the reality of airports these days. Travelling can be incredibly stressful & frustrating. Being an on-time to early person I’ve had to find ways to make the whole airport process more interesting. What do we all have in common at the airport? That’s right were all going somewhere and will all be stuck in a small cramped seat. I started bringing a sarong with me to the gate area and laying on the ground to stretch and practice yoga poses. Two things started to happen:#1 my kids bolted in embarrassment #2 at least 2-3 strangers...

Continue reading  

Cumbia music inhabits some very special real estate in my heart. At the sweet young age of nineteen, I dropped out of University to move to Mexico. I had no work visa, no income and a beginner's textbook understanding of the Spanish language - but none of that felt relevant. I was smitten by something the locals call "Folklor Méxicano", that very unique and very distinct brand of Latin American culture only found in Mexico. A big component of that is wrapped around a culture of music and dance that feels essential to Mexican existence. Every weekend villagers from the surrounding countryside ...

Continue reading