This past June, I wanted to simultaneously travel and retreat. I wanted a week to connect with new adventurers while remembering what life is like without internet and cell phone service. I picked the Amazon region of Ecuador. G Adventures offers small group tours focused on local culture and sustainable tourism. In Quito, I met […]
Author Archive
Hire a Sparkled Decision Maker
This time last year, I was in the throes of planning my own wedding, and I came to appreciate my role as a travel consultant even more. Dan (my then-fiancé-now-husband) and I were faced with a seemingly endless parade of choices. I accidentally purchased a second-hand planning journal from Amazon, only half-completed by the bride; […]
One Travel, Two Travel
As I was filling out the addresses on my Save the Date cards — the wedding is only five months away! — I started thinking about my life as a single person, and more specifically, the places I’ve traveled to solo. This might seem like an inauspicious sign, but really it’s my way of paying […]
The Long, Long Cliffhanger
I first learned about honeymoons at age 8, while watching the classic screwball comedy “The Long, Long Trailer.” This sets a low, low bar. In the movie, Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnez rent a mobile home and drive it to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where they are promptly plagued by a series of catastrophes, including […]
When Should We Honeymoon?
The word “honeymoon” first entered the English language in the mid-16th century, but no one knows for certain its etymology. In some languages, the translation is the equivalent of “honey month, ” in reference to the supposed sweet yet fleeting period of bliss that a bride and groom will experience in their initial married weeks […]
Dappled Things
I took away three things from my brief tenure as a 19 year-old Walt Disney World food service employee. The first was John Stamos’ plastic fork (it’s held up surprisingly well over the years). The second was 15 pounds of cheek fat. The third was the belief that the customer is always right. If I […]
No More Love on the Run
This is only my third day at the Disney parks and I’m exhausted. I’ve read on multiple Disney fan forums that the average World visitor clocks about 10-15 walking miles per day — and I expect I’ve done much more, trying to appraise every attraction (and eatery). When I arrived at Animal Kingdom this morning, […]
What’s Your Price for (a Beer) Flight?
I spent twelve hours yesterday at Epcot. The summer after my Freshman year in college, I worked at Epcot, pulling order tickets at the now defunct Pasta Piazza across from the fountain. I wore a purple polyester pant suit and a maroon visor. By the end of the summer, I had gained so much weight […]
Aren’t You Superfluous, or What?
Inevitably, the first question I get asked at parties when I tell people I’m a travel consultant is: “Didn’t the internet put you guys out of business?” and then: “Wait — is that the same thing as a travel agent?” 1988 was the year I became an entrepreneur. I founded two companies. The first was […]
