When telling the owner of my gym that I was planning a trip to South Dakota, she lit up. "No one ever goes to South Dakota!" And I'll admit that it had never been high on my list. I half expected the Dakotas to be the last of my fifty states. But a conference in nearby Wyoming and a draw to the … [Read more...] about Unexpectedly Cool Rapid City, South Dakota
travel
Visiting Ometepe, Nicaragua in the Rainy Season
Traveling to Nicaragua in July, I didn't realize that it was the rainy season. After over a week spent in San Juan del Sur, I was excited to explore the volcanic island of Ometepe. I'd heard from many people that this was their favorite place in the country, like I felt about Atitlan in Guatemala. I … [Read more...] about Visiting Ometepe, Nicaragua in the Rainy Season
The Kindness of Strangers: An Overnight Bus in Turkey
Earlier this year, I pitched this story to a publication about chance encounters with people on our travels. While it wasn't published, I wanted to share it here because I think it's important to remind ourselves of the good in the world. This is the first in a series about the kindness of strangers … [Read more...] about The Kindness of Strangers: An Overnight Bus in Turkey
Planning a Trip to the Black Hills
Known as "America's best idea," there's no better way to see what the country is all about than at its national parks. I spent last summer visiting Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain national parks and knew I wanted to see more this year. I headed for the Black Hills, an area of South … [Read more...] about Planning a Trip to the Black Hills
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua for Gringas
Put me near a beach, no matter where, and I'm happy. So the idea of spending over a week in the beach town of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua was just what I needed. Months prior, I'd booked a spot on a creative retreat that let me focus on writing my book. I'll talk about that later, but I was glad to … [Read more...] about San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua for Gringas