Rome Is Old — and It Got Old Quick

There are so many movies about Rome. So many sweeping shots, golden-hour ruins, Vespa montages, and romanticized piazzas that make it feel like this mythical, timeless place you’re supposed to fall in love with instantly.

But appearances are deceiving.

Rome is kind of like Instagram. You see the perfectly framed photo, but not the chaos just outside the shot. The reality is a million tourists, shoulder-to-shoulder, all trying to get their version of the same picture. March is considered “low season,” and yet it felt busy in a way that reminded me of San Diego Comic-Con — except Comic-Con has wide streets. Rome does not. Rome is narrow. And old. And crowded.

How We Took a Nearly-2-Year-Old Deep Into the Jungle

Grant and I have a long-standing love affair with Belize—well, probably better to say Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch, an eco-lodge tucked deep into the jungle where the food is great, the adventures are wild, and there are more stairs than anywhere else in the world. We first stayed there back in September 2015, and it sparked our love for travel. It was the kind of place that permanently resets your standards for vacations.

Some Trips are Carefully Planned Masterpieces. Others are… Boises.

Our little trio—Grant, Ripley, and me—embarked on a family adventure to Boise, Idaho. We expected a light, relaxing getaway. Instead, we got a comedy of travel, overeating, scenic detours, toddler moods, and one very frigid hot springs misadventure. In other words…it was perfect.

Rescheduling Food in Mexico

Spanish is not my first language. Not even my second. In fact, I don’t pretend to know much of it at all. So, dealing with a Mexican airline that primarily operated in Spanish proved to be... a challenge. Our original flight was changed, then changed again—without notice. After realizing the most recent switch, I called to change it a third time. What was originally supposed to be a Valentine’s Day trip for Grant and me turned into a solo adventure in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Travel Feels Good in A Place Like This...Boston, Iceland, and New York

Because we need this, all of us, that indescribable feeling when the cabin lights go dim and we go somewhere we’ve never been before; not just entertained, but somehow reborn. One day, Nicole Kidman can recite these lines as a spoof of her AMC commercial, which has gone on way too long. What else has gone on too long is our drought of traveling, but that has now come to an end with a week-long trip to celebrate Emily’s birthday. With Ripley consuming our lives, we needed a good excuse to break out of baby jail, and this was the perfect excuse.

Luke's Birthday in El Salvador

This year, I decided to shake things up and celebrate my birthday in the beautiful country of El Salvador. Known for its stunning beaches, rich culture, and amazing landscapes, it was the perfect backdrop for a memorable celebration. Grant took a side trip to Miami first, and then we met up there and flew down to San Salvador. It was nighttime, so we couldn’t see much, but the drive to the Sheraton El Presidente was quite nice because of the blue and white lights that lit the entire 45 minute drive to San Salvador.

Pivoting to Casa Bonita in Denver

Pivot. Defined as a verb that “completely changes the way in which one does something.” It’s a nice way of saying throwing away what you had and starting a new. After the debacle that was Jamaica, we pivoted from our initial thought of going to Oaxaca, Mexico, and settled on something domestic in Denver, Colorado.

Jamaica Was Not Our Speed

Bob Marley sang a song about “Forget Your Troubles.” We want to just forget Jamaica all together.

It has been over a month since we went to Montego Bay, Jamaica, and I have yet to write the blog. It was a bad trip. Not because Grant and I were fighting, worried about the baby, or anything—but the country and culture were not a match.

5 Shows...Not Bad...

Our annual pilgrimage to NYC is upon us. Like last year, we traveled from San Diego to New York City during Veterans Day weekend to see as many shows as possible and then add another one for giggles.

Five East Coast States Over Labor Day Weekend

We set out to explore Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York on our first road trip outside of California with Ripley. This region was uncharted territory for both Grant and me, and I was eager to hit the road. Grant had been wanting to visit Atlantic City (the Las Vegas of the East) for a while, so after some persuasion, he agreed to a sightseeing road trip as long as we included Atlantic City in our itinerary. We planned the trip over Labor Day to take advantage of the extra day off work. My mom was in town and joined us, providing extra help with our unruly 5-month-old.

Holly’s 40th Birthday Party

Getting a large group of friends together is always a challenge. Getting everyone to get along is nearly impossible. Holly pulled off the impossible by not only getting everyone to get along but also having a swell time. This trip found us going to Nashville with friends we had met before and some new friends we were excited to meet.

Father’s Day in Mazatlán

Well, it has been a minute since we have traveled anywhere interesting. Something about a baby. Since it was Father’s Day—we decided to start the annual tradition of traveling with Ripley somewhere international. I am unsure if Ripley is fully aware that he has committed to this forever and ever, but as I write this and memorialize it officially in this blog—it is happening!

38 in Las Vegas

December was the month of colds. We did travel to Houston, San Antonio, and Seattle for Christmas, but there wasn’t enough to talk about. Beginning in January— it’s all about Grant’s birthday. The weekend of January 5th-7th which has been discussed for months — finally arrived. Grant painstakingly crafts his birthday to fit as much craziness in as possible and for everyone to maximize the time they are with each other.

How Many Shows Can We Fit In?

If we do Friday at 7 pm then we can fit in the 11 pm show, but we shouldn’t do that because the 11 pm show is offered on Saturday at 3 pm, and then we can do the 8 pm other show, but we have to check to see if it’s close to the theater and tickets aren’t crazy expensive. These logistical nightmares were our daily reality for the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday trip that Grant, Emily, and I took to New York City to see shows on Broadway. With none of us have been to NYC in a few years, it being a Holiday weekend (Veterans Day) and the baby still cooking— why not?

Exploring the Golden Triangle of India – Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur

There is a map of the world that floats around in our house (currently in my office) that has pushpins of the places that I have been. One day, I hope to have a pushpin in each of the countries listed. To get one step closer to that goal—I found an area of the map that was barren…South Asia…and decided I wanted to go there. Simple as that. On a whim, I found a flight leaving Los Angeles that took me to Delhi, India and I booked it. These are my favorite trips because I have no idea what I am getting myself into until I am there. Life is far more interesting and enjoyable when you do things outside of your comfort zone.

Getting the Bad Out of the Way for Only Good in Colombia

This trip started with a bang. A literal one, unfortunately. We were leaving the house for LAX when a driver (either on his phone or not paying attention; or both) rear-ended us in the Mini Cooper Countryman. Not an ideal way to start a trip, but we got the bad out of the way early. The car is still drive-able, we filed a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance and should get the repairs sorted out this week.

Free in Austin

With things costing more and more, if you ever need a break— go to Austin. Not because the cost of living is more affordable than in California, but because everything is free. Going to a city and not having to spend any money will elevate that city’s rating in your mind.

Scratching Off Yellowstone from the Bucket-List

At the end of the trip, Grant sang the TLC hit song Waterfalls to me but rewrote the song. And it couldn’t be more fitting.

(It’ll make sense later)

“Don’t go chasing Buffalo,

Please stick to the bison and the bears that you’re used too…

I know that your gonna wanna rely solely on the backup cam, but I wish you would turn your neck…”

Rusty Canadian Business Referrals

Rust is an iron oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water. It also is formed when you haven’t traveled in a bit and are a bit slow on the pick-up.

Celebrating US Presidents with the Royals in Copenhagen and Malmö

Pop Quiz. Do you know where Copenhagen is? No prize, but pride awarded to those that do!

Truthfully, I had to look at a map to figure out where this place was located. I had a vague idea that it was somewhere in Europe, but got it confused with Belgium. For those that don’t know— you’re not alone clearly— it’s located right south of Sweden and north of Germany.