Tips for Fighting Holiday Traffic

We are in the midst of moving, so we've got a lot going on! But we recently were kind of forced to brave the madness of holiday traffic - yes, I'm talking about road tripping the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after. And I can confirm - it was awful. I do not recommend traveling at peak times! And that's tip #1.

Don't Travel at Peak Times if You Can Help It! If you can leave on Tuesday before Thanksgiving and drive back Saturday or Monday, I HIGHLY recommend you do so.  There will likely still be traffic, but not nearly as much. However, if you absolutely can't avoid it (like us this year!), I've still got some advice for you.

Leave Early. If you can sneak out from work a little early on Wednesday or leave at the crack of dawn on Sunday, you'll thank yourself later. Traffic will still likely be rough, but the sooner you get out the door, the lighter traffic will likely be. Don't get me wrong - it will still take forever, but it will be better than leaving late!

Leave Yourself Plenty of Travel Time. This tip is really important for the sake of your mental well being. For example, the road trip we took normally takes 6 hours or so and it took us 9 1/2 hours. If you go into your day expecting there to be traffic and for it to take hours longer than normal, you are setting yourself up for success. If you go in expecting to make good time, you will inevitably be frustrated when you are sitting in traffic watching your ETA creep later and later.

Keep an Open Mind. It's important to be flexible. If a highway is jammed up due to an accident, consider letting your GPS take you on the scenic route. Or maybe take a break for a long lunch and break up the drive. Try to make your drive as fun as possible - don't get frustrated! Listen to music, podcasts or even books on tape.

Take Turns Driving. You'll be on the road for hours surrounded by grumpy, tired drivers. It's important to be on your a-game! It can help you avoid a nasty accident. The reality of life is it's hard to be on red alert for 8 hours straight, so maybe consider trading off driving shifts. You'll find it really makes a big difference.

These tips can also be very helpful for the upcoming Christmas drive - though it typically won't be near as bad as Thanksgiving. That's mainly because people come and go at different times depending on their work schedules. Regardless, you'll find properly preparing for a holiday road trip can help cut back on some of that holiday stress.

Happy travels!

A Girls Weekend Away in Floyd, VA

I am a huge advocate for finding adventure wherever you can. This weekend, that meant meeting up with a few girlfriends in Floyd, VA. We rented out a little air bnb and decided to just hang out and explore what the town had to offer.

Let's start with where we stayed. It was a one-room cabin with three beds on a HUGE property. Our experience was a little weird, but that had to do with the host more so than anything else - although we did find an unsettling amount of spiders and bugs in the cabin. Other than that, it was great! It was the perfect place to watch trash TV, eat junk and kick back.

The house is on the left, and our little cabin where we stayed is on the right!

On Saturday, we decided to spend most of the day out on the town! The highlight was definitely the old country store! They had a little bit of everything - including a live bluegrass band! In fact, that was a recurring theme - live bluegrass everywhere.

The country store was part music hall, part cafe, part shop and...

part ice cream parlor! Next door (but connected by an archway inside) is an old school ice cream shop! It was awesome. Seriously delicious. And I love the sprinkles in a salt shaker. So clever and unique!

After a long day of shopping and fun, we headed back to the house and decided to explore. The land was gorgeous and we walked around a bit before settling in for a night of trashy TV and junk food.

All in all, this was a really fun weekend. It was a great way to get away, even just for a few days. See? Adventure doesn't always have to cost thousands of dollars and include a 10-hour plane ride.

I'd love to help you plan your next weekend away! Check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

The Beauty of Car Camping

Recently my life has been jam-packed chaos. The everyday busyness can feel overwhelming for sure - and definitely get in the way of adventuring as well! Fortunately, I live relatively close to a national forest (a nice 30-minute drive) so my husband and I decided to make the most of it and sneak away for a Friday night of car camping.

We left right after work and threw our gear in the car and headed to the forest. We decided to just take it easy this time around and go car camping. This means we could park our car just a hundred yards away from our campground - it was lovely!

While I love a classic backwoods backpacking trip, there is something really nice about car camping. We were able to bring a nice big cooler and even an air mattress (I know, I know it's ridiculous. But SO comfy!). You can afford to pack some luxuries when you won't be lugging them on your back or trying to cram them into your pack.

After setting up our tents and exploring the area a bit (it was right on a lake!), we enjoyed a nice fancy dinner of "walking tacos." If you've never had them, they are a camping classic! You essentially make tacos but put all the meat and toppings into an individual-sized bag of Fritos. Then you eat your "tacos" with a fork. Sounds weird, but it's so fun and delicious. I really love this meal! And it tastes even better over the fire.

After dinner we sat around by the fire just talking and enjoying the last bit of summer. We even made some classic smores. It was just so nice to be out in nature with my dogs and my husband. And with the ease of a nearby camping location and the ability to drop off our camping chairs and cold drinks in the car, it was so relaxing!

While I definitely agree that back country backpacking has it's benefits (less people around, more nature, more exercise, the sense of adventure), for those of us who are stressed out about daily life and just wanting to get away, a one-night car camping trip is just perfect.

If you'd like help organizing even the smallest of getaways, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Tips for Preparing for an Extended Family Beach Vacation

You can tell by the title exactly what I mean. Your WHOLE family rents a beach house together for a week - or perhaps it's even your significant other's family renting the house (as is the case for me). I've learned a few things over the years to make these types of trips a little easier.

1. Don't Be Afraid to Break Off from the Group

While it is a family vacation and it's important to socialize and spend time with loved ones, I think it's important to get some time to recharge if you need to! Break off from the group and go for a walk on the beach, set up camp and read a book, go take a nap. Don't feel obligated to spend every waking moment in the company of others - especially if you are introverted! Introverts tend to need alone time to recharge. You'll have a better time overall if you just take some time for yourself. It's your vacation, too!

2.  Split the Food Work

Typically in large family gatherings, there will be at least a half a dozen adults if not more. So split the work! Everyone needs to eat, but I think it's unfair to expect the organizer to do all the work. Instead, maybe each family can cook one of two meals, and you are on your own for breakfast and lunch. Or maybe each family cooks their own meal - that sort of thing. This takes off a lot of pressure and makes the trip far more enjoyable.

3. Have Designated Family-Bonding Activities (Just not too many!)
It is often easier to interact with family members you may not see as much if there is a designated family activity - like beach darts, corn hole, card games, puzzles, board games etc. You make it geared toward kids, families or adults - whatever works for your family! Just get creative! Also, I personally love having a table with a puzzle going the whole week. Anyone who wants to work on it can stop by and socialize and have fun. Having a specific time and place to socialize can help ease the stress of "Am I socializing enough? Can I go read now? Is it rude to sit on the beach alone for a bit? Have I talked to enough people? " etc.

Just remember, even if family drives you nuts sometimes, at the end of the day, they are family. If drama starts up, just take a break and get some alone time! It's supposed to be a fun, family vacation - not a week of stress!

 Fortunately, my family gets along pretty well so I am counting down the days till our own (HUGE) family beach trip.

How to Break Out of a Travel Slump

Building off my last post, I'm currently in between exciting trips, and I'm feeling a bit uninspired. Typically, I would recommend begin planning your next adventure, but we recently got some exciting news that means our time and effort will temporarily go towards a different kind of adventure - travel is on hold for just a little while. We do have a little family beach trip planned, but it's no where exotic (still relaxing and exciting though!). I know we will absolutely travel and go on big adventures soon, but just not in the immediate future. So that puts me officially in a travel slump. Here's what I'm doing to combat the between trip blues.

Get Inspiration from Pinterest

There are SO many places I want to visit. Honestly, there are dozens of countries I plan to visit in my lifetime. So far, I've made it to 5 continents (just need South America and Antarctica) so obviously those are on my list, but beyond that I want to explore as many countries as I can. Sometimes it can be hard to start whittling down my dream destinations and decide where to go next. So far, I'm leaning towards Banff, Canada or somewhere in Iceland. I've been finding a ton of absolutely beautiful countries on Pinterest and other social media. Dive in and get inspired! Then you can start planning and saving.           

Make Mini Adventures

I've mentioned this in the past, but in between grand adventures, I do my best to find mini adventures. Just recently I took a ferry to a nearby island and explored an old mansion there. It was a blast! There are also tons of areas to go hiking, kayaking and exploring nearby my house. Every weekend, I've been making a point to get out and try a new restaurant or visit a new area. There's a lot to do in your town, too. I guarantee it!


Revel in Being Home

Finally, soak in the feeling of being home. How wonderful is a lazy Saturday spent on the couch with your best friend? That's not something that is easily done while abroad, so take the time to appreciate it now! I also enjoy a good Netflix binge or a day spent on a hammock.

If you're in between adventures like me, I'd love to help you figure out your next great trip (even if that is a while down the road!) Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

So You Just Got Back From the Trip of a Lifetime - Now What?

Going on a whirlwind adventure is obviously amazing and exciting, but no one really thinks about how hard reality hits once you return home. We recently went on a two-week epic adventure to the other side of the world and had a BLAST! But boy was it hard to get back into the swing of things with normal life. Here's what I did to get it back together.

Embrace the Suck
I had a soccer coach who used to use this phrase quite often. Essentially, he meant that the hard times will pass and you'll be stronger for it in the end. In terms of traveling, I mean that the adventure was worth it. It's always going to be hard going back to work after returning from an epic trip. I choose to lean into it. I love to look back at my pictures from my trip, talk to co-workers about but still buckle down and get some work done. It's hard, but it's life! Embrace it! It's absolutely ok to feel frustrated at being stuck at a desk once again. let yourself feel those feelings - just don't dwell. There's a difference!

Find Joy in Small Adventures
Not every day is going to be the best day of your life. That's just a fact. Often it takes hundreds of mundane days to build up to an epic day. Instead of wallowing in the fact that you aren't spending your weekends jet-setting around the world (unless you're Taylor Swift, who has that kind of money??), find little adventures instead. Go on a hike! Visit a local museum! Explore your home town! Heck, you can have adventures at home. I personally LOVE a nice day spent playing games with my husband, knitting, reading and laying in our hammock. Those are things I would never do while abroad (I would rather be out exploring most times), so instead I embrace where I am in the moment.

Begin Planning Your Next Trip
Finally, my biggest tip is start planning your next trip. For us, that's a simple beach trip this fall (traveling to Australia was expensive so it's going to be a minute before we go on a big trip again!). But it's honestly a game changer. Having something to look forward to can be a huge morale booster. I even like to create a little countdown on my desk at work so I can see myself inching towards the next trip. Trips, big or small, don't get planned overnight. So why not start early? Plus! now is the time to start saving for your next trip. The more you save now, the bigger the adventure you can have later!

If you'd like some help planning your next adventure, visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Was the 17-Hour Flight to Australia Worth It?

Traveling from the U.S. to Australia is no easy feat. In fact if you add in all of our collective travel time it's close to 30 hours straight of traveling. The bulk of that is a grueling 17 1/2 hour flight. I'm not going to lie to you, it's not easy!  But in my opinion, it was definitely worth it.

One of the most important things for me when deciding if I wanted to make the longest trip everrrr was making sure I spent enough time in Australia to justify the flight. We decided to take a little over 2 weeks. Personally, if we went for just a week, I don't think it would have been worth it. You would spend more than 2 full days traveling! And that's just to get to the country! Australia is a big place (and we covered New Zealand, too!) so you have to take into account that you will likely spend even more time traveling between cities if you choose to move around.

I will probably do another post summing up my best airplane hacks, but for now let's say this: invest in a good pillow, move around and check the back of the plane for free snacks! Just like most things in life, great adventure takes hard work. That starts with planning the trip, financing the adventure and then finally traveling to your destination.

If you're nervous about jumping head first into a crazy-long plane trip, maybe build up to it. If you've never traveled internationally before, I recommend starting with a six-hour flight or so. After that, you'll have a good idea if you could handle the insane across-the-world trip to Australia. Even if you are a great flyer, just try to prepare as much as possible. It's going to be awful. But totally worth it.

If you'd like some custom tips and help planning your next crazy adventure,visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

That Time We ALMOST Hiked a Glacier - Fox Glacier, NZ

The part of the trip I was arguably the most excited for was Fox Glacier. The plan was to take a helicopter to the top of the glacier and go for one hell of a hike! Unfortunately, weather was not in our favor. It was terribly disappointing (we had flown to the southern island and road tripped out there specifically for this glacier!!) but sometimes that's life. I had no desire to die in a helicopter crash, so I believed them when they said the clouds were too low. While I can't recommend the actual hike, I will say I was happy that we did get a full refund. What can you do.

We did however make the most of it. The town was really cute and we managed to drive out and get a (very distant) glimpse of the glacier.

No, really. That's it. That little bit of white between the mountains. I'm sure it's much cooler up close.

We actually decided to try to make the most of our cancelled trip and took off a day early. The hotel was able to rebook our room so they gave us a refund (which was great!) and we headed down the road to Haast. We tried to enjoy the sights near there, but alas the dumb weather got in the way again. Rain, wind and even a massive power outage pretty much made us just chill out for the night (though we did get a discount because the power was out).

The next morning we got up and headed to Queenstown, which was nice! I'll share some pics of that fun in my next post, so stay tuned! I know this is a bit of a brief post, but hey. My time in Fox Glacier was brief as well. I just thought it was worth sharing that not every travel adventure goes to plan. Sometimes weather gets in the way (like the time I tried to shark cage dive in South Africa!).

If you want help planning your next adventure, check out my website MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

New Zealand's Southern Island: The Ultimate Road Trip

After almost a week and a half of an epic vacation throughout Australia and the northern island of New Zealand, we set out for the southern island. Our destination? Fox Glacier. We flew from Rotorua to Queenstown. Just a quick side note - Rotorua's airport is TINY! It was such a relaxing airport experience! There was no security or anything. Craziness.

Anyway, upon landing in Queenstown, we immediately hopped in the car for a 5-ish hour road trip to Fox Glacier. This sounds boring, but it was actually quite epic. Along the way, we stopped to admire the views, gazed upon beautiful mountains and waterfalls and also stopped to see the blue pools.

The blue pools are exactly that - these amazingly-clear pools. The little hike to go see them was very nice and enjoyable, but as you get closer to the pools the bugs came out to play. My goodness were there a lot of bugs! That and there was a bridge with far too many people on it. This wasn't a crowded attraction per se, but it was quite busy considering the road to get to it had almost no one on it. Either way, it's definitely worth a pit stop.

We eventually made our way to Fox Glacier, stopping at a yarn store in Haast along the way. It was an epic road trip for sure. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance. Just be sure to leave yourself plenty of time so you can enjoy the scenery and stop wherever you would like to!

Fun in Rotorua, New Zealand

One of my favorite stops on our trip has to be Rotorua. This town is beautiful and full of adventure! While Waitomo is kind of out by itself, Rotorua is a nice town full of activities. It isn't really a city like with sky scrapers, but there are tons of things to do. We went on some truly spectacular nature walk, zip lined through a forest and even rolled down a huge hill inside of a giant hamster ball - yes really. 

Let's start with the nature. The forests are gorgeous! There are some gorgeous lakes and walking paths where you can really take in the beautiful scenery. I highly recommend taking a look at the blue and green lakes and/or the Redwoods – Whakarewarewa Forest. It was truly breathtaking. 

Now if you're in the mood for something a bit more adventurous, I recommend OGO Rotorua and/or zip lining. In fact, they even have bundled packages called "Zip and Roll" where you can book both activities at once. 

So OGO is one of the funniest activities I've come across in my search for travel activities. You literally roll down a huge hill (they have several different tracks!) inside of an inflatable ball. You can have multiple people inside (up to 3), you can also fill it with water. Note: I would highly recommend going the water route as it helps you slide around. It was so silly and so much fun. Though you definitely fall all over each other so make sure you are comfortable with your ball-rolling partner!

Next up, was our zip lining adventure! It was pretty epic. It lasted for several hours and even included rope bridges. I had been zip lining before, but not like this! I also really liked that they incorporated some educational bits about preserving the forest. It was an amazing experience!

All in all, Rotorua was an amazing stop on our trip. Though I will say, you should be ready for a sulfur smell in parts of town. That comes from all the natural springs in the area - our hotel even had private hot tubs with each room! 

If you'd like some help booking your next adventure, visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

Visiting Hobbiton

If you're going to make the hike all the way to New Zealand you HAVE to visit Hobbiton. You might recognize that word from the Lord of The Rings (LOTR) series. It's the town where the hobbits live. I've read the books and seen the movies, but I'm not the biggest LOTR fan in the world, but I have to admit it was SO COOL. Admittedly, the whole thing is a bit touristy, but that's to be expected.

A Brief Backstory:
The farm where Hobbiton is built was found by a location scout flying a helicopter over New Zealand. He was looking for a hilly place near a tree and a lake when he stumbled across the perfect farm. They then negotiated with the owners to come and build a temporary set for the movies. After the movies were filmed, they tore down the set. However, when it came time to film the hobbit, they re-negotiated with the land owners for another filming stint. This time, it was agreed to build Hobbiton using permanent materials. This way, when filming concluded, the land owners could keep Hobbiton alive as a tourist attraction. I believe the guide mentioned it is the second-most visited tourist attraction in New Zealand, so clearly this was clearly a good business move. Today, thousands of tourists come through and get to experience the magic of Hobbiton!

How the Tour Works:
We decided to take the bus option to get to Hobbiton. It was about an hour drive I think from Rotorua. We arrived at a little gift shop at a certain time, boarded the bus and off we went! They played a cool behind the scenes video of filming the movie on the way there and back, so that was neat. The bus was pretty small and cramped, but it's a bus, so what can you expect?

When we arrived, they gave us the chance to use the restroom at a little check in area. I think if you drive out here, you can check in here. Next we got back on the bus and drove on to the property. It was a pretty long drive! We then followed our guide (named Luke) on a tour through Hobbiton, ending with a drink at the Green Dragon.

After the tour, you get like 5 minutes in the gift shop ( no joke!) and then it's back on the bus and back to Rotorua.

The Highlights:
Of course, seeing the Hobbit holes was amazing! Many don't really open, but this one we were allowed to take a picture inside of. It's really just a few feet deep and is very much unfinished inside - wood beams, etc.

The Green Dragon was really neat as well. You get the choice of 4 drinks at the pub, which was so fun!

We even got to see Bilbo's house! Bag End was pretty epic. 

And of course, the whole place had props everywhere. We got to see the party tree and the May pole and much more. It was honestly a really cool feeling and I'm so glad we went!

Exploring Waitomo Caves

After our glorious hike at Rangitoto, we made our way down to Waitomo. Waitomo is a small town with not much to do besides explore these AMAZING glow worm caves. We stayed at the Waitomo Caves hotel (which may or may not be haunted?) for just one night so we could have our caving adventure before driving on to our next adventure.

There are several different packages you can choose when it comes to exploring the caves. We went for the Black Abyss package, which included swimming, zip lining, tubing, climbing waterfalls, enjoying the glow worms and even abseiling down into the cave itself. I have to say, it was pretty awesome!

We started by getting suited up in a wet suit and booties and hopping on a bus. We made our way to the entrance of the cave and got a quick lesson on how to abseil. I think entering the cave may have been my favorite part! It was pretty scary to just lower yourself down into a cave through a not-very-big hole.

Once we made it in, it was time to zip line! The zip line wasn't very long, but it was kind of a crazy experience to zip line in the pitch black with a full cave of glowing worms (they are actually larvae, but glow worms sounds way less gross). They even told us to shout as we went down so we could wake them up for even more of a show!

Along the way, we got to swim up a legit river pulling our inner tubes behind us, only to be pulled back the way we came by our guide. We got to lay on our tubes, look up at the worms and just take it in. It was pretty spectacular.

We got to crawl through tiny cave areas, there was even a slide! It all culminated in climbing up 2 waterfalls to make our way out of the cave.

Some funny parts included: Enjoying a snack that included hot tang of all things. Why hot tang? We actually had two snack breaks. The other hot beverage was hot chocolate, so that was good. Maybe hot tang is a New Zealand thing?

Another part I feel like I should mention the bathroom situation. You're down in the cave for several hours and in a wet suit even longer. Spoiler alert: there are no bathrooms down in the cave. That means, yup you guessed it! nature peeing. It was so weird. They separate the boys and the girls, then have everyone turn off their headlamp and just go in the rushing water. Weirdest experience ever. I almost didn't include this bit, but if I'm being honest, it was one of the most memorable aspects, ha!

A cool long exposure picture taken down in the caves. 

jumping into the river with our tubes from about 8 feet up!

Anyway, after we made our way out of the cave, we rode the bus back to home base for a hot shower and a meal of soup and bagels. The whole experience was an absolute blast! if you are anywhere near Waitamo, you should absolutely stop by! If my caving adventure sounded a bit too involved, there are a whole host of other ways you can explore the caves.

If you'd like help planning your next adventure, visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com! 

Hiking Up A Volcano - Rangitoto Island

After we finished up at Kangaroo Island, it was time to make our way down to New Zealand. We decided to start our adventure in Auckland. Our main task? Hike a volcano! How cool is that? Rangitoto is a volcanic island off the coast of Auckland. To get there, we first had to clean our shoes (they had giant shoe-cleaning brushes) and board the ferry. The island has no pests or foreign animals/plants so they work hard to keep it that way with these shoe cleaning stations. They even had us double check our packs for animals! Weird! 

After a gorgeous, 30-ish minute ferry ride, we arrived. I gotta say, the island is gorgeous! We decided to do the summit trail and just make our way to the top. I thought it was funny how it was indicated as a paved, easy path and it certainly was not! It was anything crazy, but it was definitely steep and rocky in some places. Maybe Americans are wimps when it comes to hikes so I've come to expect ultra-easy paths if they are marked easy. Who knows.

Regardless the views from the top were breathtaking!

Along the way, we could see some piles of volcanic ash which was really, really cool. 

I've never had the chance to actually hike on a volcano, so I was really excited about this! You can kind of see the dip of the center of the volcano from the top, but it doesn't look like what you'd see in a movie. It just looked like the trees were lower than where we were on the rim - I couldn't get a good picture of it to give you some perspective, but trust me it was cool. 

Anyway, if you have a free day (we took something like 4 or 5 hours to ride over, hike and ride back) I highly recommend this hike! I loved spending time outside and in nature. It was a ton of fun.

If you'd like help planning your next adventurous hike, visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park

On our recent two-week jaunt through Australia and New Zealand we saw and experienced some amazing things, but I think the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park was one of my favorite stops. I actually initially found Kangaroo Island because I was googling where I can hold a koala. I know, I know, cliche, but I've always wanted to hold one! I should add in a note here that I am quite passionate about ethical eco/animal tourism. I didn't want to give my business to a place that would mistreat animals in any way. Fortunately, I found Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park!

You can't book your koala holding ahead of time, so we headed to the park bright and early! It's a first-come, first-served system and is completely dependent on the koala's health and happiness. That means if a koala is sick or it's too hot out for the koala, they would cancel your holding and refund your money. I LOVE that mentality. At no point did I want to force a poor, tired koala to be held when it was far too hot out for them. Fortunately, we booked the first koala holding which meant the heat of the day had not yet hit! More on that later.

When we pulled up to the park there were very few cars in the parking lot - likely because of the early hour. We made our way into the park and were greeted with a cheerful g'day! As we were buying our tickets, the clerk gave us a little bag and said "Here's some food for the kangaroos and wallabees. You can just let yourselves on it when your ready." I knew there was a chance to feed koalas and wallabees, but I just assumed that was a paid experience. NOPE. It was included in our ticket! This was seriously awesome! You literally could just open the gate and let yourself in to pet, feed and hang out with these amazing animals. No supervision or anything! It was a crazy experience and so so so so fun!!

They also had periodic talks featuring different animals - koalas, dingoes, birds etc.  These talks were awesome, informative and sometimes interactive. The koala talk let you come into their pen and pet them while they relaxed on their trees. There were rules on how to pet them and certain ones that didn't enjoy being touched. I liked that they respected the animals while engaging the tourists.

Alright, back to the big event - Alfie!! AKA my new koala best friend. The caretaker gave me a few tips, handed me some tasty leaves and then it was time. I held Alfie like you would a baby and it was the best few minutes ever! He was so snuggly and chill and just adorable. As long as he had some tasty leaves to munch on, he really didn't seem to mind hanging out with me.

All in all, my experience at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park was incredible. 10/10 would recommend and visit again. If you'd like some unique and exciting adventures in your life, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Kangaroo Island

Our next stop took a bit of effort to get to, but it was well worth the trip! Kangaroo Island (often called KI) is off the southern tip of Australia, near Adelaide. To get to the island you can either book a flight (though there are very few flights and they are quite expensive) or you can fly to Adelaide, drive an hour and half then take a 45 minute ferry. We took the ferry. It did eat up almost a whole day of our trip, but this island was absolutely gorgeous. Let's review some of the highlights, shall we?

Beautiful KI Coastline

First, if you want to relax on a beach, this is the place! Man were the beaches absolutely gorgeous. Everywhere you looked there was spectacular shoreline views. Just be careful when driving (and you will need a car to get around this island!) as there were indeed wild kangaroos roaming about - we even saw wild koalas, echidnas, and GIANT lizards too.

My absolute FAVORITE stop of the entire trip was Kangaroo Island Wild Life park!! So much so that that will get it's own post. Here's a hint - I held a koala! More on that later.

While our "Villa" was right near the ferry port, we decided to venture out on a mini road trip to the far side of the island. We stopped at some wineries (I'm not a wine drinker so no details here - sorry!) and even a honey farm! But our main stop was Seal Bay (a literal bay where there are hundreds of seals) and the Remarkable Rocks. Yes, that's actually what they are called. And true to their name, they really were remarkable!

A Remarkable Rock

Relatively near by is the Admiral's Arch. This looked like something out of a movie. You had to walk down a long path and take some stairs down to see this beauty, but it was worth it! It's an incredible, naturally-occuring arch way - there were even some sea lions playing in the water down below!

Admiral's Arch

We really enjoyed our time on the island - the landscape was absolutely gorgeous! It was a little nerve-wracking driving on the wrong side of the road, but the boys got us around safely (I had NO interest in attempting to drive in Australia/New Zealand. Portugal was enough for me thankyouverymuch.) While this is not a "typical" stop for many Americans visiting Australia (We only saw the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel and back again in Sydney!), it was absolutely worth it for us.

If you'd like some help planning your next great adventure to a unique destination, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef

I have finally returned from my great adventure to the land down under, and boy, did I have fun! I guess let's start at the beginning. The first stop on our tour of Australia and New Zealand tour was Cairns. We didn't spend much time in Cairns, but we made the most of it.

We knew that snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef was something we really wanted to do, so we kicked off our trip with that particular bucket list item. Because it's not easy to reach the reef (and there are all kinds of restrictions on where you can visit) we booked a spot on a reef tour boat. Overall, it was a great experience.

We left port pretty early - I think 8 or 9 a.m.? And it was about an hour ride out to the reef. They went over safety information and then we could explore the boat. We really enjoyed cruising along up top and taking in the scenery.

Finally, we arrived at our first location. They gave us maybe an hour and a half or so to scuba dive and explore! They gave us these totally attractive stinger suits (not cute, but necessary!) since there were apparently quite a few stingy-critters out. It was awesome! We even saw a sea turtle. They essentially just let us explore alone, though you could hire a tour with the on-board marine biologist. It was a really neat experience.

We then climbed back aboard to transfer to the second reef location. During that transfer time, we enjoyed a buffet lunch fully of classic aussie food. 

The second location was similar to the first, but it was nice that they changed it up. I also really liked that they strongly encouraged us not to touch the reef and put on sunscreen well in advance of getting in the water. Protect that reef, baby!

While this activity definitely felt toursity, it was far and away the easiest (and most-affordable) way for us to experience the beauty of the reef, while we still can. 

If you'd like help organizing your next adventure, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

My Top Tip for Efficient Packing - Packing Cubes!

There are all kinds of tips out there for becoming an efficient packer - maybe I'll recap some of those next week - but today, I wanted to talk about my absolute favorite packing tip: PACKING CUBES! If you haven't heard of them, they are exactly what they sound like. They are little mini suitcases to go inside of your big suitcase.

I know some people like to bring a trash bag for dirty clothes (which totally works) but I personally like to have a packing cube or two designated for dirty clothes. And honestly, if you're like me and are too cheap to buy real packing cubes, you can use 2 gallon ziplock bags. I used those for YEARS until I recently found some real packing cubes on sale at TJ Maxx. By putting dirty clothes in a cube or bag, it keep the rest of your clothes fresh and keeps the dirty clothes nice and compact.

Being able to compartmentalize your clothes is a game changer, especially if you are hotel hopping on your trip. Digging around in the same bag for two weeks can lead to a chaos of clothes, cords and dirty socks - definitely not ideal. By keeping everything separated, you'll be able to keep your clothes and electronics folded, compact and easily-found. This is especially true if you are living out of a backpack. 

Additionally, needing to fit your outfits into a specific cube will help keep you from throwing crumpled clothes back into the main compartment of your suitcase. I've found that loose, unfolded clothes can lead to straining zippers and an epic struggle to close your suitcase. The last thing you want is to bust a seam because your clothes weren't quite compact enough for the flight home. 

I absolutely love my new cubes, but I think I will probably still throw in a few giant zip locks as well. Find what works for you!

If you'd like some help getting organized for your next trip, visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

When Should You Start Packing for Your Trip?

The final countdown to a big, epic adventure can be agonizing (see my last post for tips on how to survive it!). I had an interesting conversation with my travel companions for my upcoming trip to Australia and New Zealand - when is too early to pack for a big trip?

My answer is: it's never too early! Well - at least for the most part. If it makes you happy and excited, I say go for it. Start packing now! I know people who have an entire bag packed and ready for a trip at all times. I don't quite go that far, but I am a fan of packing early. Here's my logic (take it or leave it!)

You Have Time To Change Your Mind

This is very important. I am forever fine-tuning my travel wardrobe. Keep in mind, I often work in yoga pants a hoodie - I'm not a fashionista. But when it comes to travel, I want my outfits to be cute AND functional! My travel pictures are my favorite pictures, and I often display them in my house. Therefore, I'm a big fan of cute, travel-friendly outfits. Because I am so out of practice with putting together outfits (is that even the right phrase?), I need time to fine-tune my travel wardrobe. Kind of like writing a paper - the first round of packing is my rough draft. Does that make any sense? Am I alone on this way of thinking? Maybe. 

All Your Favorite Clothes Will Be Clean

This is a tragedy I have encountered a time or two before I began packing weeks in advance. I used to wait to pack until the night before a trip, but I inevitably found my most comfy travel bra/underwear/socks/sweatpants etc. were dirty! I mean it makes sense. You're going to wear your most comfortable clothes fairly often. I now have taken to setting aside my favorite clothes (especially for the plane!! Those 12-hour plane rides are brutal), so I can rest assured those bad boys are ready to go. The down side is obviously you can't wear those clothes leading up to the trip but for me, it's totally worth it.

You Have Time to Remember Often-Forgotten Items

Inevitably, you will realize that you've forgotten something while on the way to the airport. Just accept that fact. BUT by packing early, you cut down on the likelihood that the forgotten item is something crucial, like say your passport. Maybe you will have forgotten something easily-replaceable like a toothbrush instead. By beginning the packing process early, I find myself snapping my fingers and dashing around my house to grab something for weeks leading up to my trip. Then come the day of the trip, I am ready!!! 

I know this was an odd blog post, but thanks for hanging in there. Check out my other posts for some actually-helpful tips and tricks. If you'd like some help planning your next big adventure, visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

The Final Countdown: How to Stay Motivated in the Days Leading Up to Your Big Trip

It's the final countdown!! (I bet you just sang the theme in your head, didn't you?)

We all know the excitement and the agony of those final weeks and days before the trip of a lifetime. I myself am currently in that purgatory as I type. I am mere weeks away from a two-week jaunt across Australia and New Zealand, and I can not wait!! I know it's going to be a blast, but I need to stay motivated in my normal life for a little while longer.

Stay Busy

Keeping yourself occupied is key to making the days fly by. You know how those busy days at work always seem much shorter than the ones where you have nothing to do? At least that's the case for me. Leading up to a big trip, I make it a point to stay active. I go to the gym a little more frequently (never hurts if you are working on that beach bod for your upcoming trip!) and set work goals. I need to make sure I can get everything done for my regular work before going on vacation.

Let The Excitement Build

Staying busy will help keep the days from dragging by, but that doesn't mean you should forget about your trip entirely. Let that excitement and anticipation build! It's okay to be a little anxious to get going, but turn that anxiety into excitement. Print out pictures of your future destination at keep those handy at work for inspiration. Heck, I even have a countdown of days stuck on the bottom of my computer monitor. It's ok to have something to look forward to! Embrace it!

Don't Stop Preparing

Keeping the trip fresh in your mind by googling some last minute pit stops you'd like to see. At this point, you probably have all your big ticket items booked (hotels, attractions, flights etc.) but don't hesitate to keep searching out the best local restaurants or some fun places to visit - like local book and yarn stores (sometimes I think I am actually 90 years old). This will make you feel like you are still actively moving towards the trip, instead of just waiting around in agony.

I know waiting it never easy, but it's a part of life - so make the most of it! If you need some help getting your trip ready, check out my website MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. I'd love to help!

Last Minute Travel Necessities

Once you've got those big ticket items booked (flights, hotels, attractions etc.), it's time to round up those last-minute to do's that are just as important! As someone who has organized countless trips for hundreds of people, I can tell you there are definitely a few things that are often forgotten.

Insurance
Don't forget to buy travel insurance!! I can't stress this enough, particularly if you are traveling internationally. God forbid, something were to happen to you while abroad, it can be incredibly expensive and confusing to navigate international medical facilities. Travel insurance can make your life much easier in a very stressful situation. Some travel insurances will even help compensate lost money from delayed flights or lost baggage - it all depends on which package you purchase. Side note - if you are doing adventurous things (skydiving, rappelling, skiing etc.) be sure you are covered! Be thorough and careful when selecting your package. I personally choose to use WorldNomads. 

Travel Documents
Double and triple check those travel documents! I'm talking passport, visas, vaccination requirements, international driver's license - things like that! Think through where you are traveling and do some seriously thorough research. Also, I recommend bringing a copy of your important documents. This will make replacing them much, much easier if need be.

Adapters/ Converters

The last thing you want to do when you arrive in a foreign country is blow up your electronics - a real possibility if you don't bring a converter. If you don't bring an adapter, you won't even be able to plug your electronics in the outlet! Nowadays, electronics are an essential part of travel. You wouldn't want to have to put your fun, exciting plans on hold to go hunt down an adapter or converter. Plan ahead! Also, I highly recommend bringing a portable battery pack. You'll thank me later when your phone dies right before you snap that pic.

I hope some of these tips help you on your next big adventure. If you'd like some more planning help, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Find Your "Why"

There are a million reasons to travel. To find adventure, take a break from reality, escape your troubles, see new places, try new things, challenge yourself and so, so, so many more. That reason, that incentive to travel is your "why." And I think it's really important that as you embark in your travel journey to find your why.

For me, my "why" is to fulfill my soul. I know that sounds incredibly cheesy. I was debating deleting it and trying to rephrase it, but I'm going with it! It sounds weird, but it's true. I grew up traveling around the world with my family. We lived in Holland for the first 6 years of my life and we were constantly on the move. I loved every second of it! Once we moved back to the states, we continued to travel, though mostly within the U.S. Even as a kid, I would count down to our next family trip. The excitement of a new place, the unknown, the adventure! I couldn't get enough. I honestly think I am happiest when I'm wondering around a new (especially foreign!) city. Unfortunately, my Dad had a nasty ski accident when I was 10, and my family was unable to travel for the next 10 years. I didn't even think about trying to study abroad in college. There was simply no money. All of that lack of travel really built up and now that I'm older, all I want to do is travel! My soul is happiest and most fulfilled when I am on a new adventure. Fortunately, my husband is on board and with any luck, we will have many years of travel ahead of us.

Speaking of my husband, his "why" is different than mine. While he definitely enjoys far away travels, his main drive is to get a break from daily life. For me, it's almost like my everyday life is just counting down to my next trip. I truly live when I travel. For those of you who aren't born with that innate wanderlust, don't worry! Your "why" is just as important as mine or anyone else's. I believe with every fiber of my being that there is always something to be learned or gained by travel - no matter how near or far you go. Traveling opens your mind, challenges your routine and expands your horizons. You may not even know what your "why" is! And that's ok. Sometimes it takes traveling to learn more about yourself, and that is the beauty of travel.

The Joy of Leisure Vacation

For those of you who have seen my posts, you know that I am an adventure traveler. I absolutely love it! My daydreams always revolve around where my next great adventure will take place. I have a massive trip coming up in a little over a month. A few friends and I are going to spend 2 weeks trekking across Australia and New Zealand doing everything from snorkeling to rolling down a huge hill inside an inflatable ball to spelunking to taking a helicopter up to the top of a glacier. It's going to be awesome! That said, I just enjoyed a very nice relaxing vacation where the most exciting thing we did was go to Walmart. I was thinking about what to write for today's post and almost passed right by my most recent trip to New Mexico. But I think leisure vacations definitely have a place!

We were visiting family in Albuquerque and had a very chill week. We didn't go on a single hike or visit even on museum! And you know what? It was AWESOME! We just laid around the rental house, read books, watched Christmas movies and enjoyed being with family. While this particular trip did not really satisfy my adventure itch, it sure did rejuvenate me! And the views from the car as we drove to Walmart and back were GORGEOUS!

It certainly helped that we had already explored the area the last time we came to visit New Mexico. In fact, we hiked up that very mountain!

As for this trip, I tried to stay off of my phone and instead I took on a thousand-piece puzzle (which we didn't end up being able to finish - frustrating!), read tons of books, painted and spent quality time talking to some amazing people. I think it's important to take a relaxing vacation every once in a while - or even a stay-cation! Not every vacation has to be this big, grand adventure. Sometimes staying in one resort and laying on a beach all day every day can be just what you need.

That said, I am rested up and READY for my next big adventure! If you'd like help planning your vacation - chill or daring, up to you! - I'm happy to help. Visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

New Year, New Travel Goals

Happy New Year! Now that it is the new year, everyone is setting their new year's resolutions, so why not set your travel resolutions? Traveling takes quite a bit of effort. You need to determine where you want to go, set the goal to travel there, start saving, book your flights/hotels/attractions etc. All of that can seem quite overwhelming, so start with the basics!

Set Your Intention
It all starts with a positive mindset! You must make a mental shift and think of yourself as a traveler. You are not too old, too young, too poor, too scared. You are a traveler! I truly believe that for the vast majority of people, travel is a possibility. It may take months or even years of preparation and careful saving, but you can do it! Travel doesn't have to be to the other side of the globe to be fulfilling. Just find an adventure that's right for you and go for it!

Pick a Destination
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the actual planning process, focus on the fun! Scroll through travel blogs, look at beautiful travel pictures and get inspired! This is the part that is easily the most enjoyable so dive in now! Looking at travel pictures on social media can help keep you motivated to stay on track with saving and the nitty-gritty planning.

Start Saving and Planning Now!
Now is the time to start getting ready for your trip! For many of us, travel is a really big financial and personal investment. Big trips take lots of planning, so you have to start early. It's better to save up and make your trip everything you dreamed of than to rush it and have a mediocre trip - or worse! End up paying off credit card bills for years.

Travel far, travel responsibly, travel often. Start now! If you'd like help getting started, check out my website MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.