– 

travel 

“it is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

people laugh at me because i am captivated by cab drivers. i seriously think they are the most interesting people you have the opportunity to meet. while in seattle my poor roomies got an earful as i sat and quizzed each cab driver hoping to learn as much about their lives as 40 blocks of driving would allow. so many interesting stories, journeys, dreams they have and so many crazy captivating circumstances landed them there, in the cab with little ‘ol me. i would ask them about their families, their wives, children, where their family lives and if they visit them often. i asked what they dreamed to be when they were children and if they enjoyed their job. most seemed to love the conversation, who doesn’t like talking about themselves? they were so intriguing and it really enriched the ride in the oh so uncomfortable cab… 

seattle got me thinking, it got my mind going a million miles a minute. it brought me a fresh perspective and a spark of imagination that i am trying to keep lit. for some reason it was the first time in my career that i was willing to book a flight, head across the country, and not know a soul upon arrival. it was my moment where i realized i was going there with open expectations and seeking whatever adventures the trip delivered. as a kid i only hopped on a plane every few years, it was always a treat and i always held the persons hand next to me. thankfully it was my mom or my sister’s most of the time. i used to be terrified that i would reenact home alone and be the person flailing through the terminal trying to find my flight. i thought i would be the girl who’s luggage would get lost or who lose her i.d. and be denied a flight home. maybe i would get arrested for some crime i didn’t commit and no one would ever hear of me again… i always thought of traveling as a delicacy that only happened once or twice a year; something out of reach to little old me. 

here are the final images from my rendezvous with seattle. 

so when i booked my flight a few weeks in advance and flew to a city i had never visited, let alone researched in hopes of finding new friends and creating a few memories, i was blown away by the outcome. sure my bags were WAY too heavy and filled with clothes i didn’t even unfold, sure i work up at ungodly hours to drink the awful airport coffee, sure i sat in between two smelly men who wanted to talk all morning, sure my cute boots gave me terrible blisters… but it was so worth it. i kind of impressed myself with my ability to not even question if i was going to go and to not worry about any of the logistics, i just had faith it would work itself out. it got me thinking about why i didn’t book more trips, why i didn’t visit my friends who live all over the world, why i didn’t book spontaneous flights to destinations i want to go. 

in two short weeks i will walking the beaches of the dominican republic with my handsome husband and i can not wait. we have a rule that when we land, the phone goes in the safe. we shut down and for a full week and don’t even wear a watch – who needs one? it is five-o-clock somewhere! we reconnect over a bahama mama or two and talk about our goals for the next year, where we hope to be, what we hope to be doing, and where we want to travel next year. this week of bliss is something we vowed to do together and it has been the week of the year that i look forward to most. even if i am totally dreading wearing a bikini in a matter of weeks, i can not wait to park my bum in the sand and soak it all in… oh lordy, it will be glorious.

i am a penny pincher, if you know me, i am a darned frugal gal and proud of it. i live like i am still in college and pretend like i only have five dollars to my name far too often. i often question if i really need that nail polish when it wouldn’t even make a dent in my wallet. i just think differently about money. of all of my investments, i can totally say that i never ever regret a vacation. to see the world, to experience new cultures, try new food, and of course sip that margarita on a beach… it is worth every cent and then some. so my goal for this year is to be more spontaneous about trips, to not ask questions and GO. see the world, experience it, and throw myself into unique circumstances. why not? 

so, if any of my readers want a houseguest who folds her blankets neatly and loves playing with pups. i would LOVE to come visit you, seriously, wherever you are. throw a comment, i would love to hear where you are and why you love it. i want to get out and see the world, i want to shoot in different areas, to travel and document, to bask and enjoy, to have a change of scenery. i want to see more and know that i can go wherever my little heart desires. i just have to promise myself to not lose my hairbrush on the way and to avoid falling asleep on the shoulder of the person next to me, trust me, drool is not a good look on anyone. 

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