Back in January, Amtrak had a sale on their US Rail Passes. Instead of the usual $500, you could pay $300 for any ten Amtrak rides within a month. It seemed like too good of a deal to pass up,…
Florida Family Beach Trip and a Confession
The first place I ever traveled as a kid was to the Florida Panhandle for beach vacations with my family. Where I grew up in South Mississippi, everyone goes to the Panhandle for vacation. It’s where my parents went to…
Naxos, Paros, Syros, and the Best Time to Visit the Greek Islands
If you’re planning a trip to Greece, the internet will provide you with approximately 4 billion articles on the “top Greek islands to visit.” All 4 billion of those articles will feature different islands, vehemently insist that their islands are…
Santorini, Sunsets, a Horse Named Sarlo, and the Question of Overtourism
When we told people we were going to Santorini, one of the most famous islands in the world, we got a lot of cringes and a lot of, “Well, I guess that’s understandable…” as if the thought of it pained…
Athens, Thessaloniki, Reframing Expectations, and Lactose Pills
We all have a picture of Greece in our minds from some long-ago history lesson that stuck. For me, that history lesson came from Mrs. Spiers in 2nd grade. Mrs. Spiers was my gifted teacher from 2nd through 6th grade,…
Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the Oldest City in Europe
When we left Turkey, I was exhausted. Mentally I was nowhere close to burnt out on traveling, but physically the exertion of nonstop and fast-paced travel for 2 and ½ months had caught up to me. For several days I…
