When you first think of travel to New York City in the winter, do you think “oh no, it’s going
to be gray and cold, what will we do?” I know, I know. Heading to the city that never sleeps
doesn’t seem like much fun if you have to huddle in your hotel room the whole time! But maybe
you don’t have to. Sometimes winter months are the only time you can get away. And it can
actually be really great to travel during the winter. Lines at restaurants and events are
shorter. Prices can be cheaper in the off season. And who knows, you might discover an activity
you would never been able to experience had the weather been warm and sunny. Recently, I found
myself in that exact situation. And I found more than enough to keep me busy and experience this
famous city, weather be damned!
Do you want to come inside?”, the small elderly man said as we furiously snapped pictures of his
century home in New Orleans’ French Quarter. A quick glance between me and my husband prompted
thoughts like “hmm, if he is a serial killer, I think we can take him”. So we responded with a
resounding “yes, please!” and went inside.
The RV jostled and bounced with each rock and bump as our family made its way down the gravel
road to Canoe Lake. We were tired, we were ready for the cool lake water and fresh smell of
pines and woody air. We eagerly anticipated long boat rides exploring hidden coves on the lake
and languid dinners grilling fish on the fire and sharing tall stories. This was summer vacation
in my home province of Saskatchewan, Canada. My dad, an avid fisherman, sought out the best
lakes for walleye (his favorite) and took us all with him on fishing and camping adventures
throughout the province. Canoe Lake, even though remote and only accessible via tiresome gravel
roads, was his first choice, and each year we made our trek – family, RV, and boat – to this
little haven.
I am on my way to Nashville again, and I booked my stay in an Airbnb! And that’s reminding me of
this cute bungalow I rented on a previous visit. When I started exploring options for lodging to
attend a conference in Nashville, I quickly realized I couldn’t afford to be downtown, nor did I
really want to be amidst all the action. Because I am a huge fan of Airbnb, I decided to take
the opportunity to explore the surrounding neighborhoods and came upon this darling cottage in
East Nashville. I was unfamiliar with the location as I am still learning Nashville
neighborhoods, but I decided to take a chance and book it.
Ahh, travel, wanderlust, seeing new places, revisiting the old… love it all! But packing for
Europe can be a very stressful, time-consuming process when agonizing between comfort vs style,
unlimited space vs carry-on, etc. In America, you can throw some sneakers and flip-flops in your
bag with some T-shirts, jeans and shorts and be good to go! Europe is a little different. They
tend to shy away from white sneakers, shorts (you may see men in capris), and flip-flops.
