Today, I heard some sad health news about someone who I regard very highly. It made me think about how life can be very short and unpredictable. And it made me think of some awesome random travel memories that I wanted to share. In no particular order…

1.) My first hour in Africa. Landing in Lilongwe, taking a very bumpy route to the Bunda Agriculture College. 

So hard to describe, but it was absolutely the most vivid, most real, most in the moment hour of my life. Passion and fear, passion and fear. Every sense in overdrive. Nothing unremarkable – yet the most unbelievable hour of my life.

Our recent trip to Northern Vermont ($200/2 people/2 days) taught me a lot of lessons about saving money. We challenged ourselves to stay on a very tight budget, but there is always room for improvement and we learned a lot.  Small changes can make a big difference in your budget, allowing you to have greater freedom and experiences when you travel. 

I've always believed that you can live large on a teensy budget – especially when you’re travelling. It’s one thing to travel frugally, but it’s another altogether to do so in a way that feels rich! And that is exactly what I wanted to accomplish with the $200 challenge. We chose Vermont as our first location. 

See previous posts on the Vermont $200 Challenge:
Vermont: The Conception
Vermont: Planning Stage 1

It’s about a 4-5 hour drive from our home in Ottawa and a great choice to enjoy the fall colours. We reasoned by going early enough in the season we could still manage to camp warmly and still enjoy the autumn display.

As far as tropical vacations go, it’s pretty great. And it’s no secret – Maui is synonymous with “paradise” the world over! 


So much has been made of the tourists who are overrunning and overwhelming Maui, it’s almost become trendy to write articles on “hidden” or “undiscovered” Maui. In fact, National Geographic Traveler had an entire cover story on it a few years ago. And while Maui does indeed have many under-explored, off the beaten track destinations, you can still enjoy its most popular destinations as well – cheap n’ calm in peak season.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the role of 3-1-1 toiletry kits – you know, the small, see-through kits we all must present to the airport security staff to prove we have limited liquids. They're a key component of travel toiletry kits (or travel dopp kits or travel shaving bags, depending on your preferred vocabulary!)

​So much has been made of travel toiletry 3-1-1 kit restrictions and regulations that many travelers believe it poses a huge problem. Some people will even pay to check their luggage because they cannot fit all their liquid toiletries in the regulation size bag. And if the delays at security are any indication, there are many people who still don’t understand the regulations or are trying to get around them. But if you pack smart, and choose the right products, a 3-1-1 kit will never be a hindrance. Let me try to convince you!