Europe 2017

We landed in Paris, cold and about 48 degrees Fahrenheit. But our exhilarated. We were in Europe for the first time!! Well, first time to visit Europe for Ernesto, first time to Western Europe for me. And first time there together. In fact, first time together to another country besides El Salvador. This was epic for us - a long road getting there. It took 7 years to get married, then another 3 to get Ernesto's Green Card - HURRAY! That is another side story in and of itself, but anyone who has ever gone through anything with immigration will understand when I say it was laborious, tedious, and lengthy. But a great end result for us!

We made it to 3 countries this trip: France, Italy, and Austria.

 Of the three, we primarily traveled in Italy - from north to south. But we landed in Paris, and off we went, straight to Notre Dam as we had a long wait until our night train to Florence. Notre Dam was impressive, massive, exquisite with detail in the Gothic turrets. Walking inside was breathtaking - getting to see the artwork of wooden carvings that I'd learned about nearly 20 years prior in my art history course at IU was unreal. Finding out there was a terrorist attack at Notre Dam on a policeman a couple hours after we left Notre Dam was chilling. We were lucky to have missed it. This was only the beginning of our adventures in Europe. More to come...

Travel Is The Answer...

Processing birds for the Tropical MAPS program in El Salvador

Me in the viewing and research tower of the Costa Rica, CA rainforest: La Selva

Not just once, twice, or three times, I can't even count the number of times I have realized that the answer to my problems lay out there... in the world... I needed to travel.

Sometimes life hands you a curve ball (cliche I know, but true), and you need to regain your sense of self. For me the best way to do this is to get away. Funny right?! But extending myself into new, maybe uncomfortable or strange situations always brings me back to my center. As a twenty something individual, travel was always my answer. If I didn't have a job, I traveled. If I had a job and needed some rejuvination, I traveled. If I didn't know what the purpose of life was, I traveled. If I knew what job I wanted and needed more experience, I traveled. So many of my acquaintances were never daring, confident, or nice enough to themselves to let themselves take a break and travel. It sort of became my mission in life to never let life get in the way of traveling.

Now that I'm in my early 30's, traveling hasn't slowed down. Lucky me! I've been so incredibly lucky. In fact, travel and luck have led me down a path of stimulating academic ventures, marvelous volunteer stints, and meeting the man of my dreams, my husband Ernesto. As I grow into my mid- and late- 30's I plan on continuing to travel. It's an insatiable wanderlust that drives me to explore, feel, taste, touch, smell, hear, and BE in the new natural and constructed environments, cultures, music, and foods.

As a woman, traveling is liberating, especially when you face your fears of traveling solo (of course being very cautious all the way). To quote the Disney movie Pocahontas (I know, I'm a Disney nerd) "You'll learn things you never knew you never knew." When you're out there figuring out your itinerary, budget, and what triggers your enthusiasm, you find out that change can be good. And, that there's no one "normal."

So, my mantra - TRAVEL. Don't wait until you have more time, money, energy, retirement funds, the mortgage paid off, the kids grown, or whatever other factors in life you may view as an obstacle. You should make time for travel; you'll learn and share love with other people you encounter along the way. Travel will regenerate your love for life, and give you peace of mind.

Ernesto and I at friend Peter's wedding in 

Grand Teton National Park.

A giant Fig Tree in the Peruvian Amazon with buttress roots

5 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Impact When Traveling

As requested, here are some simple ways to lessen your environmental impact when traveling.

1) Since many destinations are reached via airplane travel, give to a carbon footprint organization to offset the carbon you emit during the flight. Here's a link to "The Conservation Fund: Go Zero" http://www.conservationfund.org/gozero. If you use Travelocity to book your trip, they offer this option during the reservation process. It is recommended that you donate $5/USD for every 1,000 miles.

2) Choose a hotel or resort from list of certified eco-tourism hotels. One good resource is The International Ecotourism Society website:  http://www.ecotourism.org/site/c.orLQKXPCLmF/b.4875065/k.FC19/ecoDestinations__The_International_Ecotourism_Society.htm

3) Unplug Before you Go: Simply unplug any appliances you won't be using during your absence. For example, computers, TVs, microwaves, ovens, lamps and other lights, etc. Just be sure to leave your refrigerator plugged in! From my personal experience I've saved up to 20% of my electrical bill using this conservation act.

4) Choose greener ways to get around locally: take a bus, train, or even rent a bike!

5) Save Water: A) At your hotel don't change your towels on a daily basis. Tip: if the maids still change your towels even after you've displayed the request for them not to, call the front desk and make a special request. B) Use only as much water as you need during showers, brushing your teeth, and washing your face. Turn off the water inbetween washing and brushing.

An Introduction

Greetings Travel Enthusiasts!

This is my first blog ever created, and is also my first blog entry. As a travel enthusiast myself, I thought it would be worthwhile to share my travel experiences, knowledge, and inspiration with other travelers. Whether you're a well-seasoned traveler, or one just embarking on the adventures that await, this blog will provide you with useful and entertaining information.

My intention is to offer information as well as answer your travel-related inquiries. Please feel free to post your questions on this site. My background includes extensive travel to the Caribbean, Central America, North America, South America, and Eastern Europe. I am also knowledgeable about Africa and Asia. Having been a Travel Director, it is my wish to help those with their travel questions and concerns. I also have a desire to inform travelers of eco-friendly means of travel. With a higher education in conservation and avian studies (that's birds :), I hope to impart some of my enthusiasm for nature upon my blog readers as well.

On a regular basis I will write about one of the destinations of my past, giving anecdotes and travel tips. I hope these entries bring you enjoyment, inspiration, and applicable planning facts. Many a pitfall can be avoided by learning from others misfortunes and many a marvelous journey from others' serendipitous discoveries.

Happy Travels!