Sarah Who Wanders...

 We did a surprise (to the kids) family trip to Costa Rica in late 2019 just after Christmas and over New Year's. I celebrated my 38th birthday in the rainforest, which was incredible.  We began the journey by flying into one of the two main airports in Costa Rica, Liberia. From there we got a rental car and drove (what felt like a never-ending 3-4 hours) to the area of La Fortuna which is an area in Costa Rica that is known for Arenal, an active volcano. Now mind you, active means the last time it actually erupted was 2010. You can still see it smoking though.  The area is a tropical rainforest and is teeming with flora and fauna unlike we had ever seen before. There were coatimundi, red-eyed tree frogs, toucans, sloths, macaws, snakes, giant beetles, walking sticks, leaf-cutter ants, and yes scary Brazilian wandering spiders and orb-weavers (I am just SOOOOOOOOOOO glad I did not cross paths with a tarantula. I just can't.). The lodge in the rainforest was so much fun with sus

 I wanted to review the state of Alaska fresh from our recent visit to Fairbanks. We visited Alaska as a family a number of years ago in June and saw Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park, Seward, Kenai Peninsula and Whittier. Alaska in the summertime was GLORIOUS. The temperature was between 60-75 degrees and the sun stayed up where we were until 1130 PM. We took a glacier cruise, did some nature walks, visited with sled dogs in their "off" season, and ate dinner at all hours (because, you know, sunlight). We saw moose multiple times and were in awe. A float plane adventure took us over Talkeetna area and we saw a family of grizzlies. I was in LOVE with the scenery (though not the giant mosquitoes! haha!), and told Barrett "I could live here." It is wild and free, scenic, and just has so much space. We joked for years that I had seen it in the summer though, so not a fair representation.  So....Barrett had a wish for his 40th bday. This hardworking husband of

 A fun (I hope!) little video on how travel surrounds me even when I am in between trips.  Happy traveling or travel planning (it's always at least one, right?)

Before I rate another place, I wanted to reflect on some memories. I have been very blessed to have already collected some amazing experiences in my lifetime that I would definitely say were on my (travel) bucket list.  I write this list, not as a brag, but perhaps to inspire others to begin crafting their own travel bucket lists and even to reflect like I have been doing, on the amazing sights, tastes, and activities that you have experienced.  Eagle Beach Some of the best-rated beaches in the world Eagle Beach- Aruba Grace Bay Beach-Turks & Caicos The beaches near Black Rock,-Maui Some unique scenery and biomes Arenal The rainforest of Costa Rica and Arenal Volcano Slieve League coast of Ireland  Slieve League Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland Arches National Park, Utah Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah The Grand Canyon, Arizona Everglades National Park, Florida Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys The Salt Flats and Great Salt Lake, Utah Alvord Desert, Oregon Garden of

 A few years ago we decided to do a family trip to Canada in June. We actually drove up through Oregon and Washington and into British Columbia and began with visiting Vancouver.  In Vancouver, we roamed a huge street fair, visited the sea wall, and tackled a very cool (and kind of scary!) suspension bridge (Capilano Suspension Bridge). Then we flew from Vancouver to Calgary and spent the rest of the time visiting the areas around Banff National Park. Barrett had been as a kid and was in awe of the beautiful mountain scenery.  We stayed at Airbnb rentals with the kids and even did some cooking there to save on food costs. We rented a car in the Banff area and toured through Banff and Jasper National Parks. The scenery was gorgeous, and we did a few hikes, went to the top of Mount Norquay (elevation 6,998 ft) via chairlift which afforded amazing views, hiked to glaciers in Jasper National Park, and visited Lake Louise and Moraine Lake with a hike at Grassi Lakes actually being my favori

 Guys and gals, I have included two short videos with what I would call the disclaimer of all disclaimers for all of my travel reviews, tips, and recommendations here on this blog as well as on my Instagram. I am so happy you have joined me and I love it when you comment and interact below. Also, I love how videos ALWAYS stop on an unflattering view. Whatevs. Happy travels!

 I decided to start with a country that most of us have likely been to due to the proximity and affordable flights from the United States-which is MEXICO! Chichen Itza I have been to Mexico 3 times. I went the year my ex and I divorced for our 10-year wedding anniversary to a gorgeous adults-only resort in Cancun when I went for the first time. It was dreamy, the ocean warm, and the food and drinks plentiful. We ventured to the ruins of Chichen Itza one day and saw ancient Mayan temples. I highly recommend this. We visited in July, and MAN was it hot, but honestly, with pools and ocean, we were just fine. Barrett and I ventured to Mexico for our 2nd or 3rd anniversary and went to the island of Cozumel. We also stayed at an all-inclusive resort with many activities and restaurants. We snorkeled a ton and went on snorkeling excursions. We taxied to town to shop. We swam in the ocean every day except one when the wind made the sea very rough and brought with it thousands of thimble jellyf

 It has been a hot minute.  Okay, in all reality, it has been almost 10 MONTHS since I have written.  I thought maybe I just stop...maybe I start a new blog when I want to write (again), then I thought nope- just write Sarah .  I have excuses (don't we all?)-I started a new career in 2021 and grad school again in 2022 and then found a job I loved and decided to stop grad school (I may be a slight quitter BUT that was my 3rd time in grad school hahaha!). All that to say: life happened. It has been grand though, really and truly.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love to travel ( which might be a HUGE understatement ). I could spend days, weeks, and months creating the perfect itinerary and months after travel reflecting on and e-scrapbooking my journey, not to even mention the complete aphrodisiac for the soul that the actual travel is. It is like breathing to me, necessary but also exquisite when I reflect on it. I am frequently in awe of God's creation in my travels, and of t