• I rode airplanes like one rides the subway in NYC. My father was a pilot for United Airlines, so I’ve been flying since I was five. I remember the days of the smoking section on the plane, wearing nylons in first class (when I was 12), and bringing all my luggage on board and nobody caring.  After cumulative sleeping hours, I’d say I’ve spent the most hours of my life in an airport and on a plane.

I was given the sense of wanderlust and adventure when I had my own passes that I would write in my destination. In the 80’s, employee passes were carbon paper,  I wrote my name and where I wanted to go and my mom would take me to the airport (and I’d wait as it was stand-by travel). I was young, so back then it was always to visit my dad. My dad would mail me a stack of passes so I couId fly to Denver for spring break and we would go ski. Sometimes, he would take me on his trips and we would fly to London for 40 hours. He lived in a few different cities so I got around the USA (Denver, Chicago, Seattle, D.C.). I spent holidays and summers with my dad, step-mom and siblings. The other part of the year I lived with my mom and step-dad in Arizona. I was living bi-coastal, a two home lifestyle since I was a kid.

Siblings! That’s another story, I’ll just say that there are 8 of us (3 full, 2 step, 2 half if you want the details). My siblings love big families! I have 14 nieces and nephews. Between all of us we live six different states, so it’s another chance to get all around the USA.

Nowadays, I’m living the life in Santa Barbara, CA. I moved here in 2005, after living three years in Melbourne, Australia.

I still have my passes (thanks Dad!) so it allows me to travel often and without a big expense. I also volunteer with Operation Smile. I get to travel to beautiful countries with a medical team and help people with cleft lip and palate. The surgeons on the team provide the surgery and I provide the speech therapy (I am a speech-language pathologist).

I started this blog to share my adventures and travel insights. I hope you get your sense of wanderlust renewed and inspired to go to far away places and see how others are living. It’s the best thing I do.

I have a side business, Parasols in Paradise, www.parasolsinparadise.com. I sell parasols, fans and roundie blankets. I always take a parasol for sun protection when I travel, so you’ll see it in many pictures. Check out my website if you want to purchase one.  I also take pictures of phone booths. I love the phone, it’s such a great invention. I also love phone booths, but those are almost a relic. So I love to take pictures of them and post it to my Facebook page, Phone booths around the world. Like it!

I hope that I can make a little bit of revenue so I can put it towards my next adventure. So if you want details such as an itinerary email me! We can work out something! I’d also be willing to plan a trip for you, if you’re not the planning type.