COVID, cancellations, “Cave” Syndrome…and return to travel? When? How? I love to travel. Live for it, in fact. That’s what I always said–and did. One trip would barely end before I was planning the next…and the one after that....
Craving Europe? Try These US Destinations!
Are you craving Europe and all its magic? Me, too. But sometimes we can’t get there, whether a pandemic has us confined to our own borders, or the timing simply isn’t right. (Then there’s that dang budget.) Try these...
What to Do While We Wait to Travel: 21 Awesome Ideas
It’s been a year since Covid-19 went from a scary-but-remote sickness to a full-blown shutdown around the world. Even then, I was deliberately stubborn/naive about the possible effect on travel. Now, we still wonder what to do while we...
10 Resolutions for Future Travel
It’s January as I write this, but I believe any time is a good time for resolutions, goals, plans…or even wishes. The world shut down in 2020. Writing about travel–beyond the local grocer–seemed ridiculous. But now it’s a new...
Travel Lessons from the Lockdown
How can there possibly be any worthwhile travel lessons from the godawful Covid-19 pandemic? Maybe lessons on overcoming boredom, rationing toilet paper, or finding a suitable mask. But travel? Really?? Yes, I tell you. Really. The time we now...
Guide to Armchair Travel: “Go” Now…GO Later!
Updated 1/19/2021. Armchair travel: 1. A way to visit faraway places without leaving home. 2. A sensory experience and opportunity to learn about domestic and foreign destinations in a meaningful manner. Sometimes we simply can’t get to the places...
Post-COVID-19: Will Travel Still Matter?
Updated June 28, 2020. Where to start? My last post was about Seattle and the renovated Space Needle. March 1, 2020, one day after Washington State announced the first death from COVID-19 in the United States. (It would later...
TravelSmart Woman’s Best Posts of 2019: Your Favorites!
Here we are, at the end of the year…and about to start a new decade. Before we leap into 2020, I’d like to pause and thank you for your support. There are thousands of you now who take time...
“Ten Years a Nomad” Shares the Wisdom of a Weary Traveler
Spoiler alert: Matthew Kepnes, author of Ten Years a Nomad, doesn’t give up traveling. But he does burn out. And he does come to realize the price that being a constant wayfarer is high. Then again, so is the...
Why Bucket Lists Are Bad
I have one. You have one. Doesn’t everyone have at least one, if not at least a dozen? I’m talking about bucket lists, of course. That all-encompassing, ever-growing lineup of the places we must see before we, well…kick the...