September 23 2014

TBEX Cancun: A Newbie’s Perspective

 
          These are travel bloggers?

TBEX is the world’s largest gathering of travel bloggers, and this year my husband Jason and I were among them.

My first TBEX encounter was the pre-conference tour, a Mayan experience and visit to the ruins of Coba through Alltournative Tours. Jason and I were told be at the pickup point by 630am, but this is Mexico Continue reading

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September 9 2014

Do You Know the Way to Pa-len-que? Mayan Ruins in Chiapas

A highlight of Blogger Boot Camp with Marginal Boundaries was all the Mayan ruins we visited, starting with the one just down the road a little further into the jungle, the ancient Mayan city of Palenque. We started walking down the road Continue reading

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September 4 2014

The Falls Where Arnold Escaped Predator and the Slinky-shaped Roads of Chiapas, Mexico

Chiapas is not for the faint of heart…or stomach. It is mountainous country, with curvy roads and aggressive drivers. On our trip to see the waterfalls of Misol-ha and Agua Azul I’m sure I would have been sick if I hadn’t Continue reading

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September 3 2014

A Travel Hissy Fit

I feel a hissy fit coming on, so if you are looking for another post about what fun it is to travel the world, to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself, you might want to look away while I stamp my feet a little. Continue reading

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August 31 2014

What If All This Crazy Travel Kills Me?

It’s my last full day at El Panchan, just outside of Palenque in the Mexican state of Chiapas. (Go ahead and google it, I’ll wait.) I’ve spent 5 days here, sweaty and content. The casitas right in the jungle at El Panchan, the isolation that brings on a feeling of time warp back as much as 40 years, the lack of English speakers, the waterfalls of Misol-ha and Agua Azul, the ruins of Palenque, Yaxchilan, and Bonampak, the river ride in an oversized canoe with a huge motor along the border with Guatemala; all these things I will take home with me, and the memory of them will bring me back again despite the difficulty of getting here. Continue reading

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August 25 2014

The Longest Bus Ride of My Life

It sounds easy to say I’m going to fly into Cancun, Mexico, then jump on an overnight bus to Palenque and sleep my way through it. It wasn’t so easy to do it. Continue reading

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August 25 2014

Learning About Germany in Mexico

Travel is not only about the places you go to, it’s the people that you meet there that make the experience memorable. When I decided to travel Mexico I didn’t know I’d learn so much about Germany.

Yesterday I was about to leave Haina Hostel at the required noon checkout time when Continue reading

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August 24 2014

My First Day Alone in Mexico-Solo Travel

An ocean of clouds.
An ocean of clouds.

August 24, 2014: Day one in Mexico for my first solo travel.

Leaving my kiddos at the airport yesterday was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I hugged the little ones as they clung to me until Chenoa, my oldest, asked me “Are you going to cry?” and of course I did. She seemed surprised and hugged me, the child comforting the parent. Continue reading

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August 20 2014

The First Day of School and the Last of Everything Else

I’m a little down today. Maybe it’s the rain that woke me up at 4am and then soaked my shoes in the parking lot. Maybe it’s that my baby started kindergarten, the last time I’ll pass that milestone with one of my children. Or maybe it’s just the changes I’ve been contemplating in my life. Sure, moving to a warmer climate in a foreign country is an exciting adventure, but it’s a little overwhelming sometimes too. Continue reading

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August 13 2014

Happy Baggage for a Travel Geek-My New Camera Bag

You know you’re a travel geek when you get all worked up buying a new bag.

I’m not a purse girl. I carried a wallet in my back pocket well into my 20’s. I didn’t carry any kind of bag until I had children-then I discovered diaper bags. They were an excuse to carry all sorts of just-in-case items: books, snacks, first aid kit, phone, notebook, spare clothes, tablet/Kindle, sometimes even my laptop (it’s small.) Oh, and baby stuff fits in there, too. Continue reading

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