As a travel writer, I'm often asked what my typical day is like. That's a tough question. My days are anything but typical. Each destination I visit brings something new into my life—new people, new foods, new adventures, and new experiences.
Sometimes I cannot believe I didn't even have a passport five years ago. It wasn't that I didn't travel, I started traveling with my parents as a child and have continued to travel throughout the United States. But other than a couple of trips into Canada—before passports were required—I had never left the country. Wow has that changed!
“Belize is the perfect country. Pristine beaches on one side and beautiful, lush jungles on the other. It is a hidden paradise for anyone wanting a taste of life on the Caribbean or to live in the remote areas of the Maya.” Mitch has now lived in Belize for more than two years.
I'm sitting on the beach in Hopkins Village in Belize—mimosa in hand—staring out over the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea trying to find the exact point where the clear blue sky meets the water. This friendly village is the heart of the Garifuna culture in Belize and my home for the next couple of days. There isn't much on my to-do list...sunning, swimming, and a Garifuna drumming lesson with a local drummer.
Scott and Michelle Lyons planned to move to Mexico when their kids went to college. But when Michelle went on a cruise that stopped in Belize...their plans changed. "When I discovered that English was the language in Belize, I knew I had found something that would work for us," says Michelle. The impossibly blue waters, soft sandy beaches, and wonderfully warm climate of beautiful Belize also helped win the couple over. From the sparkling sea filled with palm-lined islands to the verdant jungles teeming with wildlife, Belize beckoned with an enticing blend of relaxation and adventure...a tropical paradise.
I pull back the curtains, feel the crisp refreshing air, and look out over the waterfront at the colorful buildings of this Art Nouveau town...excited about the "work" day ahead. I'm in picturesque Ålesund, Norway. This jewel-like coastal town is the gateway to Norway's spectacular Geiranger Fjord making it the perfect base from which to explore the region—and that's my job for the day.
As a travel writer, I am constantly seeking to discover hidden gems, places the majority of travelers don't know about and unique adventures. My recent trip to eastern Germany was no exception. Everyone knows about German beer, but did you know Germany's State of Saxony has an 850-year-old wine-making history?
Veronique McKenzie didn’t exactly choose to make her home in Belize...more like, Belize chose her. In her former life, Veronique was working in sales, marketing, and advertising, splitting her time between Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Her job gave her the opportunity for plenty of travel...but as the years progressed, she knew she needed to make a change. She considered moving to Marseilles in France where she is originally from...but before she did that, she decided to take a vacation.
We've all seen the phrase "new and improved" countless times. It's on everything from cereal boxes to cosmetics. No doubt someone in a lab somewhere tweaked the latest wrinkle cream and declared it new and improved. I think I should have a "new and improved" tag on my life—it has certainly had some tweaking in the last few years!
This has been quite a year. It started in January with a weekend in West Virginia riding all-terrain vehicles on the Hatfield & McCoy Trails...hand-feeding black bears...and dancing to bluegrass music. In February I drove a reindeer sleigh through a winter wonderland in Roros, Norway. I kept myself warm by sampling aquavit along the newly developed Aquavit Trail around Trondheim.