I’m not the most outdoorsy, but I firmly believe that the U.S. National Parks are our greatest natural treasure. I’ve been lucky to visit a lot of the parks during my travels, including a recent visit to Zion National Park with my blogger friend Marissa from Postcards to Seattle. We didn’t have a long trip, … Continue Reading
April is my birthday month, which means its automatically a great time of year. This particular April has been especially wonderful: a good month for my blog, a nice month for income, and the perfect time to announce two important things in my life: Mr. Valise and my forthcoming book. Together, all of these things … Continue Reading
If you’re planning a trip to Chile, there are probably two cities you’ll visit: Santiago and Valparaíso. Chile’s famous industrial port city offers a different slice of life in Chile. Unlike the ultra urban and modern capital city of Santiago, Valparaíso is more gritty, grimy, and definitely more colorful. On my trip to Chile in … Continue Reading
That’s. My. Name. On. The. Cover. I still can’t get over it. There’s a book, a real book that will sit on people’s bookshelves, that they will read and learn from, that has my name on the cover. Last week, I went and picked up a very important delivery: a box of advance copies of my … Continue Reading
Every year on my birthday, I write myself a letter in the future. I use a service called FutureMe.org to set the delivery date for my next birthday. It has become one of my favorite annual traditions, and I now eagerly anticipate my own letters from Last Year Me, setting out my goals and hopes … Continue Reading
Bill Murray once said, “If you have someone that you think is The One… Buy a plane ticket for the two of you to travel all around the world, and go to places that are hard to go to and hard to get out of. And if when you come back… and you’re still in love … Continue Reading
On my recent trip to Chile, I was surprised to discover the Chilean dishes and drinks you can find throughout the country. From funky flavors in the Elqui Valley to classics in capital Santiago and seafood near the sea in Valparaíso, I tried to sample it all whenever I found it. For example: Despite my … Continue Reading
Have you ever thought of planning a trip to Chile? Even among adventurous travelers, Chile is often overlooked for more popular countries like Peru, Brazil, or Argentina. If you’ve made it to this post, you’re smarter than that – you want to know how to visit Santiago, and I’m here to help. Santiago is the … Continue Reading
It might surprise you that less than a year ago, I considered quitting this blog. I was pretty unhappy with a lot of things in my work life, and was trying to prioritize where to spend my energy. Mr. V gave me the sound advice to ‘give it one more year’ – to make it … Continue Reading
