Portugal Road Trip: Sagres

If we were going to stay longer term in Portugal, Sagres would definitely be a top contender of location for me.

It’s a small town, but it’s one where we could have a not-too-different life full of the things we enjoy. This time, we went to yoga, visited our favorite coffee shop (Laundry Lounge), and even made a friend.

For surf, we’d have access to the south and west coasts. The south coast is flat this time of year, but we drove less than 30 minutes back up to Carrapateira for a few waves.

We also visited the “end of the old world”:

And found a seagull eating a sausage!

Our Airbnb guest house was nice— another fairly private apartment with its own terrace and a shared kitchen. The owner had a cat that he kept on a leash after it had escaped and gotten hurt too many times. Here’s Gato:

One night, we were driving home from dinner and stumbled upon a band playing rock music on a big stage. We parked the car and walked over, and it turned out to be a free concert in the park with Xutos & Pentapes, a famous Portuguese rock band from the 80s. We didn’t know the words, but everyone was singing along and we were very impressed!

It was a short visit, but just like last time, I think I’ll see Sagres again.

Portugal Road Trip: Cascais

It was a long and hot two days drive back through the middle of Spain, but things cooled off once we got back to the coast of Portugal. We’ve both been to Lisbon a couple of times, so we decided to change it up and stay in nearby Cascais for this quick visit.

A lot of Americans have been moving to Portugal in general over the last few years and many of them to Lisbon and Cascais. Our guest house hostess didn’t seem too happy about her town being overrun with American expats, but she was still very nice to us visitors. And lucky for us, her house was a very cool place to stay. It was a three-story, old Portuguese home with seven bedrooms, but we didn’t run into too many other guests.

When we first arrived, the weather conditions were extremely windy. You can tell from the number of kite surfers:

But on the second day, the winds calmed down a little and we were able to surf a bit at Praia do Guincho. It was really foggy and—I discovered—rocky, but we had a pretty good time.

At night, we ventured into downtown Cascais, which sort of has a vibe like it could be plucked from southern California. There were certainly a lot of expats and English speakers from all over. The second night we stayed more local and closer to our guest house and had some really delicious tapas and spareribs at Pateo do Petisco Torre.

Next, it was off to return the rental car and commence the second part of our trip.

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Chasing Waves in Capbreton

The only thing better than France in a city, like Paris or Bordeaux, is France with a beach! Our next stop on this Portugal, Spain, and France road trip was Capbreton. It ended up being a favorite for both of us.

We stayed for three nights and surfed at Santocha bay. The surf was very crowded, but one day was clean and fun, and I managed to catch a perfect wave between the crowds.

The break was really neat because there are leftover WWII bunkers on the beach. On the last day, my leash broke while paddling out, so I got the feeling of arriving on shore like I was going to war.

Capbreton was probably the best place to break a leash, because there are a ton of surf shops near Hossegor, including the coolest one I’ve ever seen, with its own coffee and barber shop and a revolving display of boards:

The town was also really lovely. Our guesthouse (a slightly grown up hostel with private rooms and friendly owners) backed up to the main street with a summer night market. We walked along the river into town for dinners and to the beach.

We found a healthy vegan restaurant (Monkey Mood) and a yummy fish fry (SO’FISH).

On our last night, we ate a massive bowl of mussels at a beachfront restaurant (Nina Cafe) and I forgot to take a photo, but the view was impeccable:

We got our fix of American-style breakfast tacos & burritos at the Pacific Coast Cafe in Hossegor, and on our last day I got another taste of my favorite pastry. I think I might try my hand at making them when I get home.

As we were heading out, I popped my head into the cutest bookstore and cafe in town.

We were sad to leave France, but our time in Capbreton was both memorable and delicious!

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Portugal/Spain Road Trip: Salinas

At this point, our Portugal road trip started to transition into a Spain road trip. The next stop was another city where I had no idea what to expect.

Salinas is a little town in the Asturias region of northern Spain. From what I read, I thought we’d land in a sleepy, old-fashioned village, with a few families enjoying their local beach.

But we arrived to something totally different. The beaches and parking spots were jam-packed, even more than the usual European summer crowds. That’s when we put the pieces together that we’d arrived on the last day of the Salinas International Longboard Festival, a popular surf competition!

It was nearing the end of the day, so we scored a lucky parking spot and went out to surf. Salinas is a big beach break, so there was plenty of space to spread out away from the competition. The waves were too big for me that first day (like they are most days), but I paddled out and managed to survive long enough to ride on my belly back in.

Our room had a view of the ocean, in a nearby part of town. The Asturias region is also known for its food (of course.) We tried some new things, like cachopo, which is two thin slices of meat with cheese and ham in between (La Sidreria had so many varieties to choose from.) Plus a big crepe filled with whipped cream for dessert (not pictured!) And one of my favorite breakfasts that Bryan tried for the first time, Spanish tortilla, which is made of eggs and more like a frittata.

By the third day, most of the pro long boarders had left, and I think I worked up my courage enough to catch a couple of waves.

We also stumbled upon a cool-looking campground area at Xago beach:

Then it was time to carry on our journey across Spain.

**It’s always a privilege getting to surf in other countries. I make sure I’m always covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Portugal Road Trip: Porto

After our stay in Praia de Mira, we made a pit stop for a windy surf session over the dunes in Aveiro, then headed north to Porto. It was about an hour and a half drive for the day.

Porto is a stunning city! We arrived to our Airbnb and had some trouble connecting to the wifi, so I headed right out into the city to find a coffee shop for work (this one was great.) I was instantly wowed by the street markets and this church:

It seems like Lisbon gets all the attention, and I’d only thought of Porto as a wine stop on river cruises. But it’s an artsy and thriving city with so much to see and do!

Since we’ve been keeping US east coast hours, the mornings were free for sightseeing. There were loads of great restaurants, and we went on a free walking tour to learn some of the history of the city.

After the walking tour, we took a cable car out to the coast. It was a totally different scene, and also very nice.

There are lots of gardens to sit in and take in views of the city. We found one with peacocks roaming freely (Jardins do Palacio de Cristal):

On our last night, we went on a mission to watch the sunset from the bridge over the Douro River. Don’t judge me, but I like trying the unique McDonald’s items in other countries! So we ordered some just-OK fast food, but we were excited to learn Mickey D’s serves beer in Portugal!

We carried our beers to the bridge where we were wow-ed once again! The sunset over the bridge was beautiful, and it was the perfect ending to our time in Porto.

Portugal Road Trip: Nazaré & Praia de Mira

It was hard to leave Peniche and Baleal, because it was such a nice area, and there was almost always somewhere to catch a little wave every day (and probably because of the pasteis de nata every morning at our guest house!) But we were headed north and looking to explore more coastal towns along the way.

We decided to stop to check out Nazaré, not knowing what we’d find at this time of year when the famous big wave spot isn’t active.

We found that A LOT of other people had the same idea! The town was packed, with a mass pilgrimage of visitors making their way down the walking road to the surf museum and vantage point. We parked at the top of the hill and joined them.

Along the path there was a minstrel playing Ed Sheeran songs and this half-man, half-deer surfing statue.

Then we made it to the overlook. Even though it was only 4-6 ft that day and not surfable, you could feel the power in the shore break. It’s wild to imagine that the waves can come all the way up to this platform, but the photos and videos in the museum told the full story.

We spent a while in the small museum, which was very well done. It showcased surfers, photographers, and videographers with impressive images of waves and storms.

Big wave surfers must either be insane or existing on a higher level of reality. It’s incredible to see what they do. Don’t let the calm day fool you - there’s a lot lurking underneath!

After a two-hour driving day, we stayed in Praia de Mira. There wasn’t much surf combined with a lot of wind, so that created not-so-great conditions.

But we made the most of our visit, did windy workouts on the roof of our guest house, and went into town for meals and pretty sunsets.

If there had been waves, Praia de Mira might have been a more fun stop, but otherwise after three nights, we were ready to continue our on journey!

**Whether you’re big wave surfing or small wave surfing (like me), play it safe abroad with travel medical insurance. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including surfing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

A Month in Avellanas, Costa Rica

Hi there! Nice to see you here in 2025. I haven’t written much lately, but I still like to use this blog to document my travels, so it’s time to catch up…

We spent the months of July and August in Avellanas, Costa Rica. It’s a tiny town with dirt roads where the main thing to do is surf! It was the rainy season, so the first two weeks of July were a bit wet. It actually didn’t rain so much later in the month and in August. We were able to explore quite a bit. 

We rented an Airbnb with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a little space to work:

We enjoyed the ~2-minute walk to the beach every morning to catch some waves. We surfed just about every day of the month. I finally started to actually get the hang of it.

After surfing, we’d come back to the Airbnb to eat breakfast and work remotely. At night, there were a few restaurants in Avellanas to try. We ate a lot of wood-fired pizza at Il Rustico and típicos, the traditional Costa Rican meal – your choice of meat, rice and beans, salad, and sweet plantains – just about everywhere. Our big ventures out were to nearby Tamarindo, which is a bit more of a bustling town.

It was a peaceful month. I loved see new parts of nature—bright blue and green butterflies and colorful crabs.

Bailey was more into the monkeys.

Since it was the rainy season, there weren’t too many sunsets, but the ones we saw were pretty magnificent. Especially this one on a walk through the mangroves:

Overall, it was a beautiful, quiet month. Nice to take it slow and appreciate the connection to nature. I can see why so many people have fallen in love with Costa Rica!

Puerto Rico Road Trip

Once the Puerto Rico surf season came to a lull around the end of April and beginning of May, we planned to take a road trip to explore the rest of the island. We had been staying in Rincon for almost two months at that point, and neither of us had been to San Juan, so we decided to make the trip. This blog from the Traveling Teacher helped me a lot in planing out the route, and I recommend it if you’re taking a road trip through Puerto Rico.

We were starting from the west side whereas most people fly into San Juan on the east side, so we reversed the usual route. We took a week of from work to relax, adventure, and see what we could find.

Arecibo

Our first stop took us to Arecibo, 1.5 hours from Rincon and about the mid-point of the island. We stopped to see the Cueva del Indio and hike around the area. The views of the water were beautiful, and if you pass through a tiny hole in the rock, it opens up to a cave where you can see native petroglyphs. Bailey and I did not pass through because, as you can see, the rock hole wasn’t very dog-friendly, and Bryan didn’t pass all the way through because it also wasn’t very tall man-friendly.

We stayed up on the cliffs and walked around the rocks and down the beach. It was pretty hot that day, but Bailey seemed to enjoy herself.

Afterwards, we stopped for a plateful of empanadas and beachfront views at El Clandestino Bar and Grill. Then we were off to San Juan.

San Juan

As we walked past the colorful houses decorated with flowers and the streets opened onto the beach, I could see what just about everyone in the US loves about San Juan. It definitely makes for a picturesque and fun vacation destination. We stayed at the cute and quiet Oasis Inn in the Ocean Park neighborhood. We were most impressed by all the street art in the Santurce neighborhood.

We also paddle boarded on the Condado lagoon right after a rainstorm and saw a beautiful rainbow, fish and starfish, and (possibly in my imagination) the hint of a manatee. I didn’t bring my phone with me to take pictures, so here’s some more street art.

We ate delicious, traditional mofongo and explored the city. One highlight was doing a walking tour through Old San Juan. It felt totally different from where we stayed on the other side of town.

Since it’s right on the water, San Juan reminded me a bit of our trip to Cartagena, Columbia earlier this year.

After sweating through the walking tour, we stopped at La Factoría – one of the city’s most famous cocktail bars – for a drink. Then it was off to our next stop.

El Yunque

When I used to teach introductory Spanish classes in grad school, there was a textbook chapter on Puerto Rico’s rainforest, El Yunque. Since then, I’ve always wanted to see the lush, green forest for myself. I convinced Bryan to join the quest, and we spent a couple of days connecting with nature.

The view from our Airbnb porch was pretty breathtaking:

El Yunque is quite remote, so we definitely needed a car to get around. We did about a six-mile hike to El Yunque Peak and saw a few waterfalls on the drive in. The national forest was such a gorgeous, peaceful place. In hindsight, I wish we’d spent more time here before I rushed us off to the next destination…

Vieques

Bailey caught her first ferry, and we all became golf cart people (and dog) for our time in Vieques. We left our Jeep at the ferry terminal and rode across the water to the tiny island.

Some parts of the visit were really enjoyable and unique, like riding a golf cart around the island to pristine beaches (we went to Playa Negra, Caracas, and La Chiva) and watching wild horses roam free. We loved Kristy’s on the Caribe for breakfast and went back on day two for more. We also got to take a night tour of Mosquito Bay which has the most bioluminescence in the world.

Other parts of the visit were a bit difficult. Because it was low season, some of the best restaurants were closed. The locals aren’t overly friendly to tourists, and a lot of the island is a bit run-down. We were lucky our rickety golf cart made it out to the beaches and back without breaking down.

But we came for the natural beauty and the wild horses, and that’s what we got.

After the ferry back to the “mainland,” we were in for a long drive back to Rincon. We made a mid-journey stop for lechón (roast pork, yum!) and arrived home later that night.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable trip with a decent amount of time spent in each place. If you haven’t had the chance to visit Puerto Rico, I highly recommend it. I look forward to going back to see more of the island someday!

Working Remotely in Rincon, Puerto Rico

This week marks the eighth anniversary of this blog! Want to see my first-ever post? It was “How to Pack for a Month Overseas.” Through the years, the blog has seen many trips overseas and much more… four (+?) jobs, 500 hours of yoga teacher training, a few big moves, friendships and relationships, and all seasons of reflections.

There was a brief pause to the travel around Covid time, but now it’s back in full swing. For the last three months, I was working remotely in Puerto Rico. My boyfriend and I took some time to figure out the details of jumping back into nomadic life (with a dog, no less), but we eventually settled on the perfect spot for now: Rincón, PR.

When the end of my apartment lease was approaching, we played around with a few different options for what to do. We knew we wanted warm weather, surf, community, and connectivity to be able to do our jobs. We visited Florida and California, but neither felt right. We thought about living in New Jersey and short-term traveling abroad – we even looked at winter rentals in Asbury Park – but it felt silly to pay rent in two places and, not to mention, cold! Actual international destinations would still be in the cards, but it seemed like too much for the first trip with a dog. After many late-night discussions, we ultimately decided on a little surf town on the west side of Puerto Rico.

5 Reasons Why We Chose Rincón

1. Weather: Escaping the winter/early Spring in New Jersey is key to happiness (for me at least.) I can usually make it until New Year’s, but after that things get pretty dismal until almost June.

2. Surf/things to do: Rincón is known for its surf breaks and extended season that runs from September/October to April/May. Arriving in March, we were hitting the end of it, but we found plenty of waves. While the town is pretty centered around surfing, there is also plenty to do nearby like snorkeling, hiking, art fairs, great restaurants, and enjoying the beach.

3. Community: We weren’t very aware of this going in, but Rincón has a great community of both locals and transplants who are welcoming and active. We found it pretty easy to meet people. This was aided by Bryan having a friend from San Diego who arrived a few months before us and connected us with a great volleyball crew.

4. Easy flight: It’s pretty obvious why so many New Yorkers and New Jerseyans have made Puerto Rico their winter second home. It’s very easy to get a direct flight to San Juan or Aguadilla from JFK or Newark. We ended up flying from JFK because JetBlue has more lenient surfboard fees. It was also easier to bring my dog, Bailey, to Puerto Rico than to an international destination. I’ll add a little bit more about that below.

5. Ability to work remotely: Believe it or not, we remote workers DO work, like, a lot! So we needed to make sure we would have strong internet, reliable electricity, and cell service. That can be tricky in Puerto Rico – blackouts are the norm. We had to look for an apartment with a large backup generator. It was also useful to be in the same time zone for our US Eastern companies.

3 Things To Know Before Visiting Rincón

Most of these weren’t total surprises, and I’m definitely not an expert after only three months, but here are some things that I realized along the way. This section is only what surprised me individually because Bryan had been there twice before.

1. The food is amazing… and kind of expensive: We loved eating out at all the different restaurants. I’ll do a separate post on favorite places, but I have to say P’al Monte and Pausa Café were at the top of the list. It’s worth noting that restaurant prices are comparable to what we pay in the New Jersey area. Groceries are slightly more expensive because so many things are imported from the US.

2. You need a car to get to most places: We were prepared for this and reserved a rental car in advance (we used Sixt.) Our apartment was in a great location for walking down to the beach and a couple of close restaurants, but to get into town or to any of the surf spots you need a car.

3. You probably won’t speak much Spanish: This can be a pro and a con. Almost everyone speaks English, so living is easy and it almost feels like you haven’t left home (besides the palm trees and iguanas.) I think I only flexed my Spanish skills about three times.

After visiting for three months (from March to May,) I can safely say it was the perfect place for our current situation, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I’m happy to be home visiting friends and family, but my heart misses our Monday/Friday evening volleyball games and the incredible ocean views.

That’s all for now, but I’ll add a little bit of info below on what it was like bringing Bailey with us on the trip…

Bringing a Dog from the US to Puerto Rico

We chose to spend the Spring in Puerto Rico in part because it was easier to travel there with a dog. I did a lot of research in advance and found this website on pet travel to Puerto Rico to be helpful. Bailey was already microchipped and has her three-year rabies vaccine. We needed to visit the vet within three days of entering PR and give Bailey her flea/tick/heartworm pill during that appointment. The vet did an exam to make sure Bailey was healthy and filled out a health certificate. It was a tough timeline since we would be going up to New York City two days before the flight. Fortunately, our flight was on time and everything went smoothly. No one ended up checking the health form on either side, but of course, you need to have it. Once we were in Puerto Rico, many places were dog-friendly (it’s always a good idea to check in advance.) When we returned to the states, because Bailey was born in the US, we did not need to visit the vet or do anything special.

Road Trip Through Southern Portugal

My birthday is next week and, as we’re planning what to do, I’m reflecting on last year’s birthday trip. I never wrote about it on here, and I want to capture the memories before they fade away with the years…

Last year, we decided to celebrate my 35th by taking a road trip in southern Portugal. Bryan flew in early for work and he planned the beginning of the trip, so when he picked me up at the Lisbon airport, I didn’t know what to expect. We drove about three hours south and, to my surprise and delight, the first stop was absolutely perfect.

Selema

Selema, Portugal is a magical and tiny town, with narrow streets and outstanding restaurants. Our Airbnb was right on the water. It ended up being a great location to visit a few different surf spots. We found a board rental place (Secret Surf Society) and a yoga teacher/massage therapist who gave me a very lovely birthday massage. Our Airbnb hostess owned a couple of restaurants in town, and the closest one made for an excellent seafood birthday dinner. I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful place to spend a birthday (though we’ll have to try to top it this year!)

Lagos

Our next stop was Lagos (only about 30 minutes from Selema.) Lagos was high on my list, from seeing photos of the beautiful coastline and hearing recommendations from friends. We rented another Airbnb. This one had a pool, but in early April it was too chilly to swim. We wore our wetsuits in the ocean for the whole trip, which was comfortable. We used the rental car to take a day trip to Sagres and to visit the surf spots, but you really don’t need a car in Lagos. In fact, the streets of the town were so narrow, it was challenging to drive. We enjoyed walks from our Airbnb down to try different restaurants. Most of them have limited seating, and we learned we’d better make reservations in advance or stay flexible with our plans.

Ericeira

It was tough to decide where to go next. We would have liked to have spent much more time traveling along the coast. The feeling was so relaxed and there was a lot to see. We saw many people traveling in camper vans with less of an agenda and living out our surf dreams! But due to work and dog obligations, we had about two weeks and were forced to choose our stops accordingly.

We chose to head north of Lisbon next, to Ericeira. I didn’t know much about it before the trip, but I was happy to visit a new place. We found a cute bed and breakfast with a very kind and helpful owner. The scenery was gorgeous and the whole area was very calm, quiet, and relaxing. The restaurants, just like in Lagos, were small but delicious. We had given back our rental surfboards by that point, so we did some hiking nearby and visited the town of Mafra.

Lisbon

Our final stop was Lisbon. I was able to spend a few days before I had to fly back to the states and Bryan would return to London for work. We continued to celebrate my birthday by taking a cooking class, eating unlimited pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts), and making our own charcuterie boards.

When it was time to leave, I was sad to say goodbye to Portugal so soon. It was a sweet trip and I hope to return for longer (maybe we’ll bring the dog next time!) I ordered one more pastel de nata for the road and it was back to the US of A.

Until next time, Portugal…

A Week in Cartagena, Colombia

When our trip to Ecuador fell through, we ended up making a visit to Cartagena. I’m so glad we did (though I still hope to get to Ecuador someday)!

Cartagena is a beautiful city for eating and enjoying life. The walled Old City takes you back in time, with uneven stone streets and historic squares. Colorful buildings and art give it a contemporary vibe.

You probably need three days to get a solid feel for the city and four days to really enjoy. We were fortunate to have nine days total for our trip. We stayed in different parts of the city and took a boat to the Rosario Islands for a couple nights.

Our visit started in the center of the city in the historic district. We enjoyed walking the walls for sunset views over the ocean. We went on a street food tour and got our bearings, learning how to order all the local dishes from street vendors.

The chicken empanada above was my favorite, and arepas de choclo were the most appealing local specialty:

I loved getting to try so many local fruits. The Colombian plums are the best – much smaller and sweeter than in the U.S.

It was easy to get around using a mix of Uber and our feet. The weather was warm, and we were happy to have AC and a pool at our AirBnb. It was a bit too windy and choppy to surf, but we checked out the nearby beaches.

After three nights in the city, it was time for an escape. We took a boat to the Rosario Islands–we chose a tiny island called Coralina and splurged a little to stay at a secluded resort. It was Bryan’s 40th birthday celebration, after all!

We enjoyed a couple of quiet days with that gorgeous view, excellent food, and plenty of time to swim in the turquoise blue waters. It was like living inside a postcard.

When we headed back to the city, we wanted to try a new neighborhood, so we booked an AirBnb in a part of town called Marbella. It’s right on the water, just outside the Old City–too far to walk but only a short Uber ride away.

The view from our window:

We kept ourselves busy, so we didn’t get to spend much time in the apartment. But we had a market tour, a cooking class, and other super-tourist activities to attend to.

Here’s what we made in cooking class. Red snapper with coconut rice and patacones:

For our final nights, we returned close to the city center and stayed in the Getsemaní neighborhood. This part is known for its colorful houses and streets filled with paintings. Bryan found us the perfect artsy Airbnb studio on the most vibrant street:

We were right in the middle of it all, and it was the perfect place to finish off our trip. Bonus that we were one of the only houses on the street with a balcony.

If you’re a traveler and a foodie, I would highly recommend a trip to Cartagena. I can’t wait to return and see more of Colombia.

Cheers!

When Plans Change...

My boyfriend, Bryan, has traveled to 40 countries. So, when it was time to celebrate his 40th birthday, we knew we couldn’t just drive to Atlantic City or visit a restaurant in Philly. It would have to be something extra special to ring in another trip around the sun.

Due to work and time constraints (read: us planning everything at the last minute), we were a bit limited to the Western Hemisphere. I looked around the Caribbean to try to take the easy route and even got pretty far into planning a trip to Grand Cayman. But lazing around expensive beaches sipping all-inclusive cocktails didn’t quite feel like “him” or “us.”

We finally decided on Montañita, Ecuador. It’s a small coastal town known for great waves and, apparently, its party scene. We weren’t too interested in backpacker partying (after 30 we get tired easily and our lower backs hurt), but we were looking for surf, massages, and beachfront stays at South American prices.

We booked our flights to Guayaquil and plotted a few towns to visit along the “Ruta del Sol.” Everything was set and ready to go.

The night before our trip, we ate dinner with Bryan’s parents and dropped my dog, Bailey, off for her staycation. As we were leaving, the news reporter announced a shocking event in Ecuador: 13 armed men held up a live TV station in Guayaquil (the city we were about to fly into.)

We held back from panicking. We’ve both traveled to some reputedly “dangerous” places and felt completely safe. Plus, we’d be staying near the beach, far from the city where the attack had occurred. I imagined it would be like worrying about violence in New York City from the quiet beaches of Long Beach Island.

We went back to my place and mused for a little while, but decided to stick with the plan. The next morning, we drove to JFK. About five minutes from pulling into our parking spot, we both got an alert. Jetblue had canceled our flight.

There wasn’t any weather in the area, and an hour on the phone with customer service confirmed it was because of the uncertainty of the situation. A top gang leader had escaped from prison, and he was encouraging acts of violence throughout the country. All of Ecuador was in a state of emergency. Jetblue rebooked us on a flight two days later, on Bryan’s actual birthday.

Confused (and for me a little scared), we turned around to head home. Desperate to find some way to turn the day around, I drove us to Asbury Park to bring Bryan to an awesome vegan restaurant. They even gave him a free piece of cake to lift his spirits.

We spent the night ruminating and deciding what to do. It might seem obvious that we should not go to Ecuador in a state of emergency, but we’re both fairly adventurous and were still considering it. My travel friend put it this way: If millions of people can live through the state of emergency, I can spend a week there. She went to Bolivia during a post-election lockdown and said it was one of her most memorable travel experiences.

The next morning, I got a text from Bryan’s mom that Bailey had been getting sick through the night. I paused my work calls and headed over to find a puppy in a state of nonstop vomiting and diarrhea. I thought back to the gross gas-station-parking-lot chicken bones she’d tried to eat during our North Carolina road trip… I took her home and booked a visit to the vet.

The innocent face of a girl who’s about to eat something that will ruin everyone’s good night’s sleep for the week:

The nagging feeling not to go was getting stronger for me. The US state department website hadn’t announced anything, and Bryan would probably choose nice waves over his personal safety any day. Of course, he wouldn’t ask me to do anything that made me feel unsafe, so ultimately, it was up to me what to do.

The next day, Bailey’s illness slowed down thanks to meds from the vet. They said it was something she ate (ahem, parking lot chicken bones, anyone?) And I made the call to say no to Ecuador.

We weren’t sure if our flight would even take off. I couldn’t handle another disappointing drive to JFK and back. And we didn’t have much booked and paid for, so we wouldn’t lose money by canceling. We turned our flights to points and started to look for alternative destinations. We couldn’t let the birthday trip be a total bust.

Although the trip didn’t work out as we planned, there were a few upsides:

1. Not planning far in advance worked in our favor. We didn’t lose any money in changing our plans.

2. People were kind all around, from the free birthday cake to Bryan’s mom staying up with Bailey to the hotel owners understanding the situation and not charging cancelation fees.

3. Bryan got to celebrate on his actual birthday with his family. Hibachi and a movie are always a treat!

4. We ended up experiencing a totally unexpected and new-to-us city in South America. Stay tuned for the next post to find out where we went!

A Yoga Retreat in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

For the past three years, most of the vacations I’ve taken have been “work-cations” where I teach on yoga and surf retreats with Surf Sweat Serve. But this year, I decided I needed a 100% vacation, so I decided to sign up for a yoga retreat with my local New Jersey studio, Yoga Bohemia. No teaching, just taking it all in and enjoying classes taught by my lovely yogi friends.

The retreat started with two days in Antigua at the swanky Porta Hotel. I had been in the city for the week prior, and was excited to find the processions were going on for Holy Week. The flower arrangements used to decorate the streets were really amazing to see. I love when I end up in the right place at the right time for a one-of-a-kind experience!

Next, it was off to Lake Atitlan. The drive is long and winding (take Dramamine if you get carsick!) But near the end of the journey, the road opens up to a majestic view of the lake.

I had visited Lake Atitlan five years earlier and my experiences were similar. Both times I stayed at secluded hotels only accessible by boat. This trip, our group stayed at the Isla Verde Hotel in Santa Cruz. The food was fresh and tasty, and the winding paths up to the rooms were unforgettable (though a bit steep for older members of our group!) Walking down the hill from your room in the morning led to this view:

I did my best to relax and recharge, soaking in the hot tub and taking classes on the yoga deck. But there’s always so much to do on retreat! We took boat taxis to visit the towns that dot the lake, each with its own personality. San Juan is my favorite and the most colorful.

One morning, we took a sunrise hike to Indian Nose. That meant waking up at 3am, boating in the dark, riding in a van, and starting to climb in the dark. My headlamp died, so I only had the light of my phone to guide the way. The steep climb was worth it, though, when the sun peeked through the clouds and revealed the outlines of the lake. And the guides served us hot chocolate to add to the morning treat. These were my favorite views of the trip:

5 Reasons to Visit Borneo

On New Year’s Day, we set off to explore a new place: Borneo. This revelation has left many friends and family members scratching their heads asking, “What is Borneo?” “Where is Borneo?” and “Why Borneo?”

Well, Borneo is the third-largest island in the world (not counting continents), and it’s off the east coast of Malaysia. It’s bigger than I ever knew! Our two initial reasons for going were: 1) It’s one of the last places on Earth where you can see wild orangutans, and 2) Bryan’s cousin has been living there for the past two years. The decision felt obvious; we had to go.

As we were planning and once we were there, we figured out some other great reasons to visit Borneo. It’s definitely worth a trip if you’re over on that side of the world; it even warrants a visit all its own.

1. Wild Orangutans

In Borneo, you can see attempt to see wild orangutans in a number of ways. There are options for multi-day treks and river cruises where you have the best chance of seeing them in their natural habitats. Most of these options require an additional flight, and the number of days you spend on the trek or cruise greatly increases your chance of spotting wildlife.

Being working people, we had limited time, so we chose to try seeing the orangutans in a semi-wild environment. We visited the Semenggoh Nature Reserve just outside the city of Kuching where orangutans roam freely from the wild into the reserve for feeding times. When we arrived, the employees told us it was unlikely we would see any orangutans that day. Because fruit season had begun. The orangutans wouldn’t need to come for feeding if they could find abundant fruit on their own. We opted to try our luck anyway.

We were meandering down to the viewing platform when we heard a rustling above us in the leaves. We looked up in awe to see an orangutan perched at the top of the telephone pole. She seemed to know the drill better than we did, and she waited until the guard crossed by to begin her descent. She steadily worked her way down to the platform, us tourists following her carefully behind.

They told us she was older (52!) and had recently been sick. She stayed on the platform in close view the whole time we were there, munching on jackfruit, durian, and sipping fruit juice from a bottle in the guard’s hand. We would see one more orangutan that day – a massive, younger male who came out of the forest for bananas and to show off his prowess at swinging from the vines. We kept our distance from him, but watched on wide-eyed.

2. National Parks

Borneo has a ton of national parks. There are 30 in the state of Sarawak alone (where we stayed when we visited Kuching.) There are dry and wet caves, beaches, jungles, and interesting rock formations. We learned there is a lot to see and do. More than we could ever fit into a one week trip.

We decided to start at the tip of Borneo, the meeting point between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. We flew from Singapore into Kota Kinabalu and drove up north for some beach time. After three days at the tip, we spent a night in KK before catching another flight to Kuching (where Bryan’s cousin lives.)

We chose to visit Baku National Park for its scenic views, wild bearded pigs, and the promise of monkeys. We were not disappointed in any category. It was a bit tricky navigating the boat schedule to get to the park – the tide was too low so we spent an unexpected hour waiting to depart. But once we arrived, there was much to see.

About a minute into our trek, a female wild pig and her babies crossed our path. We stepped around them hesitantly, but they didn’t seem to notice us. The monkeys on the other hand gave us a bit of trouble when we got in their way. We spent about 30 extra minutes frozen on the trail, hoping they would let us through. We made it out unscathed (and un-bitten!) to cloudy but gorgeous views of the beach.

3. Culture and Cats in Kuching

We learned from our local guide that Sarawak, the state where we visited the city of Kuching, is sort of an “it place” to be from if you’re visiting the area. Sarawakians have a certain state pride and enjoy a number of benefits, including discounts and priorities. When the Malaysian flag is hung, the Sarawak flag is placed right beside it. (Fun fact: Borneo is owned by three different countries – Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. We stayed in the Malaysian region, but we heard it’s actually fairly easy to pass through customs between the regions if you’re up for a lot of driving.)

Kuching is, literally, the city of cats. Legend has it that when British explorer James Brooke first arrived in Kuching and asked the name of the town, his local guide thought Brooke was pointing towards a cat. The guide answered, ‘kucing’ which is Malay for cat.

There are cat statues all over the city, and cats are deemed highly respected creatures. There’s even a sizable cat museum that my boyfriend was kind enough to accompany me through. And the city itself is impressive. The Sarawak River river runs through the center, providing a picturesque landscape for the unique Darul Hana bridge and a beautiful golden mosque. We met kind people and sampled some delicious, multicultural food throughout the week.

4. Beach Time

Borneo is probably not the first place you hear about when it comes to beach vacations, but maybe it should be. We were there during the rainy season, and it rained heavily one of the days we were there, but the beaches were otherwise nice and uncrowded.

When we planned our trip, we considered Vietnam or Indonesia for better surfing, but we squeezed it in at the tip of Borneo instead. We rented boards from Blue Fin Surf & Dive and stayed at both the North Borneo Biostation and Tommy’s Place. There wasn’t too much information about surfing there online, so we were going in a bit blind with pretty low expectations. We had rented a car in Kota Kinabalu for the four hour drive north and arrived to the biostation late at night. The manager, Jonathan, stayed up to warmly greet us and show us to our room. It was a really nice little bungalow and Jonathan was a fantastic host. The hotel seemed a bit deserted post-Covid but for no reason – it was really nice and I hope someday soon returns to its full capacity!

Tommy’s Place was busier, with more families and travelers coming through. There is not much else nearby, so we were happy to eat most of our meals there and get a surfboard rental from just down the road. The surfing was small, but fun. I’m still a beginner, so I enjoy when it’s small and Bryan didn’t seem to mind. It’s worth mentioning that we made a 40 minute drive in total darkness twice to eat at and return to this small, family-owned restaurant called Hock Choeong. Jonathan recommended it and it’s that good.

5. Adventures Everywhere

We were excited for the many adventures of Borneo, but we really didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be a little bit of everything – beach, surf, warm rainstorms, multicultural cities, national parks, wildlife, luxurious hotels (for super low prices by our standards), fun bars, and nice people. We stopped for wild monkeys on the road and visited a town full of gong factories.

Every day was a new adventure, and there’s so much more we didn’t see. I would happily go back for more.

Starting the Year in Singapore

I’m still catching up on my travels! It’s March and I’ve been on a few flights already this year. Right after Christmas, my boyfriend and I flew to Singapore. He needed to go there for work, but we departed a week early to squeeze in some vacation time. The hotel was expensed, and I would only needed to pay for my flight, so I said “Alright, let’s go!”

I took a convoluted way of getting there – about 36 hours from Newark to Las Vegas to San Francisco to Singapore. “They” say it’s about the journey more than the destination, right? The flight to Vegas in a middle seat actually made the 17-hour international flight seem easy and luxurious.

The airport stops were an act of tourism in themselves. I perused the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum at Harry Reid International. It’s a row of plaques and memorabilia that you might just walk by, but an interesting timeline to read through if you have a few or four hours to spare. Also, Shake Shack.

At San Francisco there’s a small terrace where you can enjoy a breath of fresh air outside – very necessary in the midst of 24 hours of flights! All-in-all the itinerary wasn’t great, but wasn’t too terrible, and then I was in Singapore with a day to spare before New Year’s Eve.

Bryan flew business class, and we aren’t going to talk about the differences between those two experiences! When I arrived, I was soon invited out to an office lunch, a celebration of his arrival and upcoming birthday. I wasn’t too jetlagged and agreed to tag along.

We visited a Chinese dim sum restaurant, and apparently it’s customary to order about one of everything on the menu. There were four of us, plus a colleague’s child in tow, and we probably ordered enough for ten people. It worked out for us Americans, though. We got to indulge in this trip’s first taste of Chinese fare. The highlights were dumplings and a whole freaking duck. And I’ll always have room for more bao buns, please and thank you!

My work takes a break between Christmas and New Year, so I got to partake in the hotel amenities and a nap while Bryan went back to the office. The next day, we visited Sentosa Island – basically Singapore’s version of Disney World. There’s a Universal Studios, a waterpark, beaches, and swimming areas. This was my third trip to Singapore and when I saw the bright blue water and the cable car, I felt like I’d finally arrived!

Ok, it’s swarming with people, but if you enjoy amusements and novelty, give it a try. Our favorite part of that day was more laid back. We took a dip in the water then strayed from the crowds by walking far down the beach path. Eventually we stumbled upon a beach volleyball game.

Then it was time for the main event: New Year’s Eve! I don’t know if there’s a better place to watch fireworks than Singapore (I didn’t venture down by the Opera House when I was in Sydney, so I don’t have much to compare.) The dazzling city overlooks Marina Bay and, on the 31st, sets off explosive displays all around the city. We grabbed a bottle of wine and attempted to set up camp in the thick of it all – why (wine) not? We didn’t have too set of a plan, but we landed pretty close to the bay in not-too-crowded of a spot.

Still jetlagged, we admittedly both took quick naps on the lawn before the fireworks started! There was a concert going on in the background, but that didn’t deter our slumber. Fortunately, we woke up in time for the fireworks to start around 11:30pm. There were hundreds of fireworks and coordinated drones dancing across the sky. The videos on an iPhone 12 don’t do it justice, but we were wowed. At midnight, we celebrated, and then in Singapore’s most-civilized fashion (seriously, I think there would be more chaos in an American small-town fireworks parking lot), we went back to the hotel and promptly to sleep.

We had a flight to catch the next morning and it was on to the next adventure…

Southern Road Trip

Well, this post has been a long time coming. But a couple months ago, my boyfriend and I loaded the Bailey dog into the car and took ourselves on a sweet southern road trip. Our main destination was St. Augustine, FL because the yoga studio where I teach here just opened up a new location down there. We aimed to do some yoga, surf, and enjoy the warmer weather, and that’s exactly what we did.

St. Augustine was very charming. I can see why Katie, our beloved Yoga Bohemia studio owner, couldn’t resist signing a lease down there. The streets were quiet during the week we stayed (they would pick up for the Night of Lights right after we left.) There were plenty of great restaurants with delicious food, and some quirky little bars, like Tini Martini, which was fully decked out for the light show.

We enjoyed a week of working from our Airbnb (with a couple days off of course), and learning more about the history of the U.S.’s oldest city. One of the highlights was touring Ft. Matanzas National Monument. Other highlights include eating a million biscuits and surfing under a sunset rainbow… the mental pictures are unbeatable!

St. Augustine favorites:

• The Floridian for dinner

• The Kookaburra for coffee and aussie pies

• Ice Plant Bar for dinner and drinks

• Beachside Diner for breakfast

• Island Donuts for donuts, of course

• Surf Station for all the surf stuff

On the way back, we spent a couple nights in Jacksonville Beach. It wasn’t my favorite since the main busy highway bumps right up to the beach. I didn’t find it to be a very enjoyable walking city, but it had it’s charms—like this barbecue board.

Jacksonville Beach favorites:

• The Bearded Pig for barbecue

• Jax Beach Brunch Haus (worth the wait for breakfast)

The biscuit fest would continue on as we kept driving north and stopped in Savannah briefly to visit my mom and stepdad. The weather was surprisingly cold for the south in November. I was hoping for summer and definitely didn’t pack the right clothing items for this trip!

We had a nice time staying at the pet-friendly Thunderbird Inn. This surely won’t be a comprehensive list of all my Savannah favorites, but these are the ones we made it to this time.

Savannah favorites:

• The Olde Pink House is a classic

• Zunzis has changed so much since its food truck days (and maybe not for the best), but the sandwiches still amaze

• The Thunderbird Inn was a fun, pet-friendly hotel

• Moodrights was casual and quirky for Bingo night

I love a good road trip and was so happy to have some company this time!

Amsterdam in August

I swear I’ll get back to the present moment soon, but I did my first post-Covid international travel in August. It was a gorgeous week in Amsterdam to celebrate my best friend from elementary, middle, and high school’s wedding. It’s a beautiful thing to have friends that you’ve known and have known you for that long. Celebrate it wherever you can!

I’ll admit that I almost didn’t make the trip, because of all the uncertainty in the world. But I’m so glad I changed my mind due to a high sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and some irresistable booking.com specials.

Amsterdam is a quaint city full of canals, flowers, and cute houseboats. It was actually my third time visiting (as I’ve mentioned, I’m spoiled by life). I went on a soccer trip in high school where we hit all the tourist spots. And a party trip in college for the red light district and coffee shops, during which we wandered around aimlessly until every day ended up in a hangry search for snacks. This time I simply wanted to ride bikes in parks and sit to slip my coffee nice and slow.

Arrival day was jet-lagged, and I can’t say I gave the Van Gogh Museum the full attention it deserved. But I recuperated from walking outside in the Vondelpark. I’m happy to say my body clock adjusted quickly after a good night’s sleep, and I was feeling fully refreshed for the wedding weekend.

I visited the daily street markets to try plenty of Dutch delicacies. My favorites were stroopwafels (like a firm waffle/cookie sandwich with caramel in the center) and poffertjes (puffy pancake balls covered in powdered sugar). I won’t rush back to the fried herring stand, but most everything else was delicious.

I secured my bike rental from the hotel and took it on a grand adventure across the city to the Amsterdam Forest. I’d heard about a little family goat farm where you can touch and feed the animals. I also heard about their yummy apple pie, and that’s my kind of a day.

There was an art and sculpture festival happening on the way back, so I passed through one of the “hip” parts of the city.

EVERYONE rides bikes here. Did you know? And I mean everyone…

The “rehearsal night” was a dinner cruise down a canal with some tasty Indonesian food.

And the wedding was perfectly intimate in a majestic little garden. Audrey and Nelson make a very fun and photogenic couple.

The weather report had predicted rain all week, but it hardly rained at all. The wedding day was ideal and I loved my first steps out of the country in a while.

Harrisburg, PA

We capped off the road trip with a stop to visit my sister in Harrisburg, PA. She always has new places to show us, and the weekend was nice enough to spend a lot of time outside. Central Pennsylvania always has a lot to offer as far as hiking goes.

I had been planning to visit during the weekend of Spring Fest, a craft and shopping fair at Gray Apple Market. We kept that on the agenda. We always find a ton of cute stuff and, as a crafter, I leave inspired thinking of things I could make myself. The guys agreed to stay for the live music and free sangria.

My sister’s boyfriend beat us all (as usual) in mini golf. And on Sunday, we had brunch with the very best brussels sprouts.

I was almost ready to be home and in one place, but I always love a visit to Harrisburg!

Shenandoah National Park

It’s been a couple of years now since I had a National Park Pass, but boy do I miss it!

I added another park to the list when Eric and I were driving back up from North Carolina. We decided against the I-95 route through Richmond and Washington D.C. on a Friday. The Shenandoah region was much more our speed.

We drove through a good portion of the park, and stopped for a short hike to the Black Rock Summit. It took about 40 minutes and the trail was unmarked/a little confusing, but we made it to some great views.

I think my road trip rules are as follows: Always choose the scenic route and stop for as many nature breaks as time allows. Then it was back into the car and off to PA for the weekend.

A Tiny House in Durham

I always tend to make a few stops in North Carolina. It’s always had a piece of my heart, and many of my friends and some family have moved there over the years, so I have plenty of people to visit. Each city is a little bit different. I was leaving Charlotte, with the plan of picking up my boyfriend, Eric, from the Raleigh airport. It worked out that it was cheaper for him to layover in Charlotte and fly to Raleigh than to just buy a single leg to Charlotte. Crazy airline algorithms! We decided to skip the layover and I picked him up in Charlotte instead.

It was an easy drive to our Airbnb in Durham, NC. I had booked a tiny house treehouse that seemed like a dream come true!

It exceeded all of my expectations… besides not being extremely hot on the top bunk at night, but that’s my fault for not realizing until the next morning that there were extra fans.

Forgive the photo dump, but I loved all the little touches and neat ways of decorating a small space.

It was impressive to see that we could’ve even had another person stay with us. There was a double bed on one side and a twin on the other. I was definitely a little scared of rolling off in my sleep!

The hosts were very nice, and they had the sweetest dog.

I’m not sure if I could live in a tiny house permanently, but it was fun to try out for the night. We met up with my former Austin roommate and his girlfriend and had a fun night out at the Beer Study and Motorco.

Here’s one more tiny house pic for the road: