Located in the south of the Caribbean Sea, about 29km off the Venezuelan peninsula, this tropical island is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is known for sun, sand and wind! My friend Arlene came to meet me on this leg of the journey, and it was a treat to enjoy the warm, beachy island with a buddy!

We stayed in an airbnb that was only about a 15 minute walk to Eagle Beach. There were thatched huts along the water, that if you were lucky enough to find a free one, provided shade during the warm, sunny days. We spent several afternoons just chatting and relaxing….and enjoying tropical drinks and fish tacos. 😆

Palm Beach

There is a bus that takes tourists up and down the beach each day, so we were able to explore Palm Beach one afternoon. After looking through some pretty shops, we found a restaurant on the beach and some empty Adirondack chairs and got to enjoy lunch by the water….and later, ice cream!

Fofoti Tree

Because of the high and consistent trade winds in Aruba, these trees that grow along the beach have a twisted bark that always point in the southwest direction. They are a type of mangle that is green year-round and is always growing.

ATVs!

We also took an ATV tour around the island, making various stops at castle ruins, a natural pool and rock formations with views of the whole area!

“Aruba Aroma”

Walking to the beach the first day in Aruba, Arlene and I noticed an unusual, and not overly pleasant, smell. Because of the consistent windy conditions, it was usually transient, but at times, it was fairy constant. When googling it, a ton of posts came up about sewage smells near Eagle Beach and I guess it’s from a sewage treatment plant near by. We started calling it the ‘Aruba Aroma’….gross! 🤣🤨

After spending the better part of 2 months in Latin America, I felt extra appreciative for a week in Aruba where I was able to use English easily, drink and brush my teeth with tap water, and recognize brands from home, like Dominos! 🎉 It really is the little things. 😉

This stop on the journey was really interesting because I speak zero Portuguese and English is very limited here. 😂 Just going to the grocery store was an adventure when I inadvertently stood in a line that was meant only for seniors, pregnant women or people with disabilities…..and had no idea why I was being yelled at to move. 😆 Google translate was a lifesaver here!

I stayed 2 blocks from Copacabana Beach and the streets were packed with a diverse group of people in various stages of undress and wild outfits. 😂 It was great for people watching.😉

Getting to see some of Rio’s iconic landmarks like the beaches, Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf made it a neat visit.

Christ the Redeemer

On the summit of Mount Corcovado, overlooking the city of Rio, is the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer. Commissioned in 1921 by the Roman Catholic archdiocese and completed in 1931, this statue stands 98 feet tall with an arm span of 92 feet. It is built with reinforced concrete and an outer shell of 6 million soapstone tiles.

It was quite foggy when we visited, which actually made for several impressive and dramatic photos of the statue!

Sugar Loaf

This cone like peak in Rio sits at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean. Its name is said to refer to its resemblance of the traditional shape of refined loaf sugar. I took the cable car to the summit (where the first ever cable car sits on display) and enjoyed lovely views of the city.

Pedra do Telegrafo

I signed up for this tour without realizing what I was getting myself into. The description sounded like a nice drive by Rio’s west side beaches, to a forest area with a hike, ending at a neat look out point. I didn’t realize that the hike was to a super popular instagram spot where a rock on the hill sticks out and with the proper angle, it appears like people are falling off a ledge. 😂

The hike was steep and almost entirely uphill, in the 85 degree heat and humidity! 🥵Then, it was actually almost a 2 hour wait for our group to get to take pictures at the rock because of the crowd of people already there🤦🏻‍♀️😂

It was a beautiful overlook point though, and we were transported to the hike in a pink jeep (which definitely got some pointing and waving from people walking by)! We also ended the trip with fresh coconut milk, so that helped make up for the ridiculousness of the extra long wait for pictures. 😉

Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches!

Of course I wanted to check out Rio’s famous beaches while here too. So with “The Girl From Ipanema”, the Bossa nova and jazz song from the 60’s, running through my head, I took several nice walks along both Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, which were very pretty.

My favorite was walking along the beach in the morning. Copacabana has huge waves and is especially nice with a morning mist hanging over it.

This was a quick stop over before meeting with a friend in Aruba! Thanks for following along with me, I hope everyone is doing well!

For this leg of the journey, I joined another tour, this time with G Adventures. We started in Cusco and then traveled through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, touring Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain, before taking a flight into the Amazon. Though the tour itself was a bit disorganized, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of this area of Peru!

Cusco

Once the capital of the Incan Empire, this city in the Andes is at an elevation of just over 11,000 feet! In order to aid with adjusting to the altitude, it is recommended to drink tea made from coca leaves (the raw material for cocaine)….it was available in our hotel upon arrival and at lots of restaurants and shops in town. I’m not sure how helpful it was for me, but when chewed, apparently it made my tour mates mouths go numb!

Walking around the main square, we saw ladies carrying baby lamas for pictures and petting, and we also learned about eating guinea pig, or cuy, which is a popular dish for special occasions.

In the evening of our first day in Cusco, we also took a Peruvian cooking class! It started by making several versions of Pisco sours at the bar, and then progressed to quinoa salads, local potato fries and an Asian Infusion lama stir fry called Lomo Saltado. This was the first cooking class I’ve taken where we had access to a real restaurant kitchen, it was really fun, and the food was delicious.

Sacred Valley

From Cusco, we traveled to Ollantaytambo, with several neat stops along the way. One was with a local women’s weaving co-op where alpaca and lama wool is dyed and woven into beautiful gloves, scarves and sweaters.

There is a popular Incan beer made from fermented corn, called Chicha. We did some tasting in a kitchen at a local vender…..the most interesting thing about the tasting was the built in guinea pig palace and guinea pigs who lived in the kitchen! The guide told us that sometimes families will keep their guinea pigs in the kitchen so that they can feed them scraps to fatten them up!

The following day, we continued through the Sacred Valley with stops at a local salt mine and Moray Incan agricultural ruins, in addition to having lunch near Lake Piurey. This is definitely one of the most lovely and beautiful places that I have ever been!

Machu Picchu!

Sitting more than 7,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, this Incan citadel was built around 1450, and is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It felt surreal to see it in person, and impressed me with just how intelligent and sophisticated the Incas were. Being the rainy season, we were super lucky to see it with blue skies and sunshine!

Rainbow Mountain

This colorful mountain, Vinicunca, is a recent addition to Peru’s tourist attractions. Due to global warming and climate change, these mountains, once covered year round with snow and ice, were discovered in 2016 without snow cover. They became an instant sensation on social media, and are now the 2nd most popular tourist attraction in Peru, after Machu Picchu. We had a 4 am pick up for our hike to 16,500 feet and it was worth it! Such a unique and stunning area.

The Amazon!

From Cusco, we took a flight to Puerto Maldonado, met our guide, and then hopped on a boat on the Tambopata River for an hour ride to the lodge. While eating a cute packed lunch on the boat, we spotted a capybara and several caiman, or small crocodilians!

The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s richest, largest, and most varied tropical rainforest in the world. It contains several million species of insects, unique animals and birds, and multiple ecosystems. It covers parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname.

Tambopata Lodge

Prior to arriving, we were told that our accommodations were rustic and would be without electricity….however, this place exceeded all expectations and was really cozy and comfortable. Our rooms had candles and hot water, comfy beds with mosquito netting, and there was actually wifi for limited hours in the main lodge.

Jungle Walks

On our first day, we explored a local farm that supplies the lodge. It had so many plants, including coffee, star fruit, oranges, mandarins, grape fruit, lemons, limes, cocoa, pineapples, bananas, plantains and quite a few that I had never heard of like lucuma, cupuacu and noni (which smelled like blue cheese). We picked and tried almost all of them, while also learning about the medicinal properties of several species of trees and herbs.

On the way there, we spotted several howler monkeys and a lots of macaws!

On our second day, we donned rubber boots to do a day hike up the river, complete with a short boat ride across a small lake to see the 2nd largest species of trees (after sequoias). Our guide showed us a green leaf plant, that when mixed with water will create a purple color that indigenous tribes used to use as war paint.

Night hikes

We did a night hike with flashlights and a night boat ride to look for caiman. We found a baby opossum, lots of insects and spiders, and several caiman along the river bank. The sounds of the forest at night are both peaceful and a bit creepy with intermittent loud noises from unknown animals.

The Amazon leg of this journey was one of my favorites. We mostly had the lodge to ourselves as this is still considered the rainy season. Using just candles in my room at night was more convenient than I had expected, and our group had time to play games and sit in the lodge for drinks and conversation. The weather was surprisingly good with mostly sunny days….it only rained on our last morning!

Thanks to everyone who is following along! I am starting to miss home a little but am looking forward to the next stop on the journey, Brazil!

Peru’s capitol of 11 million people sits in the desert region of the country, on the Pacific Ocean. It has 43 districts and its population features a complex mix of racial and ethnic groups. Lima is also one of the major gastronomic capitals of the world!

Historic Downtown

Lima is huge! On a walking tour, I was able to see the famous Plaza de Armas and Presidential Palace for the changing of the guards. We visited the Basilica y Convento de San Fransisco de Lima, a Catholic Church with monastery and catacombs beneath the church. We were also treated to a traditional churro filled with caramel (probably my favorite part of the tour 😉😋).

Barrancos Food/Walking Tour

I knew I wanted to take a food tour here, given Lima’s reputation for great food fusion! I stayed in the Barrancos neighborhood and was excited to find a tour centered around this exact area. We tried cold brew coffee and a Peruvian empanada, fresh ceviche and fish/potato appetizers with prickly pear juice, Inca Kola, a freshly made Pisco sour, and gelato!! My guide also gave me a tour of the area to include beautiful murals, the Jade Rivera museum, and the Bridge of Sighs.

Miraflores Neighborhood

This area of Lima, next to the ocean, is a popular place for tourists with neat bars, restaurants, shopping and the beach. It is also home to Amor Park and a paragliding area just above the water front. I was really impressed with the beautiful murals and bright walkways that I found when exploring here.

Chocolate Workshop

Looking through activities to try in Lima, I came across a fun 2 hour chocolate workshop in a place called The Choco Museo. Set in a very pretty retail store, the class took us through the process of ‘bean to bar’ in how chocolate is made. We roasted, and ground our own beans in a mortar and pestle, and made a chocolate tea and a hot chocolate with cinnamon and cloves. Lastly, we made chocolate truffles to take home!

One thing that stood out here was that every tour guide I interacted with was super friendly and enthusiastic! I stayed in an airbnb with a security guard, who was also really kind and chatty!

The building had a roof top pool, so this leg of the journey was a nice mix of exploring and relaxing. Next up: Cusco and Machu Picchu!

The Galapagos Islands are a volcanic archipelago that sit about 1000 km off of mainland Ecuador. Most people probably know that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was inspired by the Galapagos’ diverse species of birds, animals and plants, but I did not realized how abundant the wild life on these islands is!

I had mostly heard of visits to the islands by either cruise or land tour, but I wondered if I could navigate visiting on my own. It turns out that it’s pretty easy to stay on 3 of the 4 inhabited islands and take water transports between them. Twelve lovely days later, the Galapagos is one of my favorite spots on the trip so far!

I started the visit on the island of San Cristobal 😀

San Cristobal Island

There are sea lions everywhere here! They climb on the rocks and boat docks, in addition to walking paths and beaches and swim next to you in the ocean! 😂 They will also yell at you if you startle them or swim too close (as I accidentally learned when I nearly ran into one on the path to town one morning🦭).
There are also black and red crabs all over the rocks along the shore!

Playa Loberia

On my first full day in San Cristobal, I visited Loberia beach and did a neat hike beyond the beach to a rocky cliff with tons of huge land iguanas! At one point, I counted 11 all together, just sunning themselves.

I was able to snorkel at the beach after the hike and saw several large turtles too! But I was only able to snap one blurry picture 😂🐢

360 Tour

I took a full day tour around the island that included snorkeling at a place called Kicker Rock, near a quiet beach, and a warm water cove. We had a nice fish lunch and some chocolate pastries prepared by the boat captain’s wife 😋

I also met several other travelers on this tour, and we exchanged numbers and continued to meet up throughout our time in the Galapagos 🎉

Playa Punta Carola

On my last day in San Cristobal, I met an Intrepid tour group at my hotel during breakfast (the same company that I toured with in Egypt and Jordan). I happened to bump into several of them again that evening while taking a short hike, and we sat together on the beach to watch the sunset after finishing the hike.

Afterward, we grabbed some super tasty street food, (including grilled corn, painted with a mayo dressing and topped with cheese) and sat together on the hotel deck for drinks 😀

Isla Santa Cruz

I took a speed boat transport that carried about 20 people from San Cristobal to Isla Santa Cruz. For a 2 hour ride, it was surprisingly smooth and most people fell asleep. The staff on board were really friendly and even gave us snacks and juice during the trip 😋

This island has tons of iguanas, pelicans and tortoises! And a really impressive array of bright flowers throughout the little town. 🌺

Charles Darwin Research Station

A guided tour here explains the history of Darwin’s first visit to the islands and subsequent research, the different species that live on the islands, and present day efforts for their protection and preservation.
They breed tortoises here and have them on the grounds in ages from 4 months up to over 100 years old! 😁

Las Grietas

I met up with a friend from the 360 Tour in San Cristobal to check out a unique snorkeling location called Las Grietas, meaning crevasses, in Spanish.

After a water taxi and a hike through a desert area and old salt mine, a split in the rocky cliffs reveals an emerald pool below! Beyond the pool is an overlook of the bay.

Las Grietas has three sections: a large pool, a small shallow area with lava rocks, and then another long pool. After carefully climbing over the slippery and sharp lava rocks in the middle, I was able to snorkel through the 3rd pool by myself with 10-15 large fish and the sunlight streaming through the clear water! 🐟

Highlands

Escaping the mid-day heat near the beach, I took a taxi with some friends to a place called Los Gemelos, or craters, in the highlands of Santa Cruz.
After a short hike there, we visited a tortoise sanctuary and lava cave (where a cute little owl lives)😀

Tortuga Beach

This beautiful, light sand beach, is about a 45 minute walk from the main town on Santa Cruz. Even though it’s called Tortuga (turtle in Spanish), we only saw 1 turtle while in the water, but we saw tons of marine iguanas who swam around near us! They look like baby dragons 😂

Almuerzo!

Santa Cruz has the best selection of inexpensive lunch options! For $5, you can get a large bowl of soup, a glass of fresh juice, and an entree consisting of seafood, rice and salad. My favorite was a shrimp in coconut sauce 😋

Isla Isabela

The 2 hour speed boat transfers between the islands leave twice daily, the first one is usually at 630am, and apparently, it was a little too early for this sleeping sea lion. 😉🦭

This second speed boat trip was less smooth and a family of four all got seasick and were vomiting throughout the ride 😢🤢 Thank goodness for non-drowsy dramamine from the states, it saved my life here!

This island is the biggest and quietest of the 4 inhabited in the Galapagos. It also seemed to have to most varied wildlife, including flamingos, penguins, sharks and sting rays.

Tintoreras Tour

Across the bay from the main docks is a small island with paths between volcanic rock, covered with white lichen. A walk through this quiet space revealed penguins, iguanas, sea lions, white tip sharks, blue footed booby birds and sea turtles! We were able to snorkel for a short time and saw several sea turtles, sting rays and a star fish.

Los Tuneles

My favorite snorkeling by far!! On a tour to this unique maze of caves, crevasses and corridors of volcanic rock, we saw huge sea turtles, eagle rays, star fish, sea lions, a seahorse and white tip sharks!!! Our guide even found an over hanging ledge hiding a cave filled with 10-15 sharks all swimming together! It was such a unique and thrilling experience! 🦭🐢 🦈

Volcano Hike

My last full day in the Galapagos was spent hiking to one of Isla Isabela’s volcanos. It was a 10 mile round trip with beautiful views, a cute packed lunch, and great company 😀

Special thanks to my sweet friend Stefan, who I was lucky enough to meet on this leg of the journey. He was a joy to share tours with, was a huge help with translating, and became my favorite person to explore Ecuadorian cuisine! I already miss you, buddy!

These islands felt really special and unique! The atmosphere is super relaxed and there are animals everywhere. I had such a good time and am feeling extra grateful for this visit 😊

I started my trip in Ecuador in the city of Guayaquil, and was looking forward to it!

Unfortunately when I arrived, I was dropped off in the wrong neighborhood by the Uber driver. When I asked a pharmacist for directions, he told me that it wasn’t safe for me to walk the 13 minutes to my airbnb because the streets are dangerous in Guayaquil (this was at 2pm, in broad daylight)! 😳

When I finally did reach my airbnb, I discovered that it is what’s called a ‘central unit’ meaning it is in between other apartments and has no windows to the outside! It only had one shared window into the neighbor’s bathroom!!! 😳 🛁 😂

The entry way alone, was less than inviting. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Even though I felt safe in the airbnb, it was a little cave-ish and depressing, and after the pharmacist’s warning, I decided to make a quick change of plans, and took a bus to Cuenca.

Cuenca

Cuenca is Ecuador’s 3rd largest city, located in the southern part of the country, and is known for its Tomebamba River waterfront. The center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its many historical buildings.

I took a tour around the city and was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it is! 😀 From a pretty walk along the river front, to bright murals, to Incan ruins, this city has quite a few neat sites.

Flower Market 💐

Ecuador is the world’s biggest producer of roses! Cut flowers are the nation’s 4th largest export and brought in $400 million in sales in 2019. The Cuenca flower market is small, but lovely.

Right next to the market is a small window with a woman selling a drink called Agua De Pitimas. It is a pink, floral drink, with a secret recipe. It’s supposed to help a number of ailments, including anxiety.

I read later that the anxiety reduction may be because it is rumored that nuns add a drop of Valium to the water! I’m not sure this is true, but it did taste good. 😉😂

Piedra De Agua

I read about this neat spa on several blogs, which has thermal pools of volcanic origin, and what sounded like really reasonable prices. It’s just outside of Cuenca in a place called Banos, and I went for a very relaxing afternoon of soaking in mineral baths and a massage that took place in a cave! I also had a chance to try some Ecuadorian empanadas. 😋

Cajas National Park

This beautiful park in the Andes, about 45 minutes from Cuenca, reminded me a little of the Scottish Highlands! It contains over 165 lagoons, with hills and valleys, and over 157 recorded species of birds. I went with a local guide who pointed out flowers, trees and herbs along the hike. It was really lovely to be in nature! 🌿

Though I had a nice visit on mainland Ecuador, I did feel some apprehension about my safety here, mostly because EVERYONE that I interacted with gave me warnings about traveling alone, danger or violence, etc. I appreciated their concern and know that the warnings all came from a place of kindness, but it made me a bit more aware of my solo female traveler status.

Thankfully, I stayed perfectly safe and am grateful that I was able to explore Cuenca! Next stop: the Galapagos! 😁 🦭🦎🐢

I spent a week in Medellin, Colombia and found the city to be incredibly beautiful, super friendly and with tons to do! I took a free walking tour on the afternoon that I arrived, went paragliding, visited a coffee plantation, took a graffiti tour, rode their super nice metro and went on a local food tour….but these were just a few of the neat activities that this great city has to offer.

City Walking Tour

Medellin was once a very dangerous city, being the heart of violent drug cartels in the 1980-1990s. Since then, it has worked very hard to change its image and reinvigorate the city with hope and light. My tour guide shared harrowing stories of growing up at the height of violence in the 90s, seeing his first dead body in the street when he was 7 years old! The city has a dark history but embraces optimism for the future, and is currently a much different place than it was 20 years ago.

An iconic area of Medellin is Plaza Botero, where famous artist Fernando Botero has 23 sculptures that play with space and size.

Paragliding! 🪂

I have wanted to go paragliding for the longest time! My tandem guide and I just sort of walked forward a few steps and the parachute lifted us up. We glided around for about 20 minutes and it was peaceful and invigorating. Since the air was warm, we ended on the same hill where we started!

The company had a go pro and gave us the pictures from the ride for $2. I got a little sick at the end when the guide did some crazy spin moves, almost flipping us upside down! 🤢It was worth it though! 😂🎉

Colombian Coffee Farm

In the mountains about an hour from Medellin is a little community called Angelopolis. I visited a small family coffee farm here called Joneal. (joneal.com.co if you want some authentic and delicious Colombian coffee).

It is owned by a sweet couple, whose son was our tour guide for the day! They welcomed us into their home, explained the whole process of coffee production and prepared coffee 4 ways to sample.

We picked coffee berries, had a delicious lunch and also tried their homemade cold brew coffee lemonade, which is a secret family recipe!

Comuna 13

Once one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Colombia (and maybe the world), this now vibrant neighborhood in Medellin evolved, in part, due to outdoor escalators that were installed in 2011 to allow easy access into the city, giving its residents a new found freedom. The escalators extend 1,260 feet and the neighborhood is now home to a series of colorful murals/graffiti, young people dancing and singing in the streets, and many curious tourists.

We tried a mango and passion fruit ‘ice cream’ which is served with the frozen fruit on top of a lemon and salt liquid mixture that you’re supposed to mix into the fruit to melt and then bite, it was really unique, and tasty!

Laureles Food Tour

I finished my time in Medellin with a food/drink tour in the Laureles neighborhood. It included empanadas (of course!), bunelo (a fried cheese bread), pan de bono (a slightly sweet bread bun), chicharron (fried pork belly), chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage stuffed with rice), ballo de mazorca (a sweet corn mix cooked in corn leaves, similar to a tamale but without a filling) and Aguardiente (a licorice tasting hard alcohol). Yum! 😋

I was really impressed with Medellin, it is such a beautiful city! I stayed in a hotel for this leg and it had lovely views and friendly staff. Breakfast was included with my stay and it was on the 11th floor with huge open window views. I felt really spoiled.

It turns out that Florida has a ton of flights to Central and South America! I found one to Panama and decided to start the second leg of this journey with a focus on Latin America! Panama City was a balmy 80 degrees with what felt like 99% humidity when I arrived at 10pm! 😂

Casco Viejo

I signed up for a free walking tour in the city’s Old Town, and UNESCO World Heritage site, and was the only person on the tour! The guide, originally from Cuba but having lived in Panama for 2 years with his family, was very friendly and informative. He pointed out old buildings and gave a great overview of the country’s history.

Cinta Costera

I wandered around on my own after the tour and found a lovely paved walkway along the water that extends into the city, called the Cinta Costera. There is a neat fish market along the way where you can have a freshly caught fish lunch!

Panama Canal

Of course I had to visit the canal while here! The Panama Canal is a 51 mile artificial waterway that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, dividing North and South America. An amazing feat of engineering, completed in 1913, the Panama Canal looks a bit underwhelming at first. But being able to witness a ship move through one of it’s twelve locks, and learning about the history and the fantastic efforts put forth to complete it, I felt rather thrilled to be seeing it in person!

It is estimated that over 27,000 people died in the attempt at building the canal! 22,000 French citizens who eventually abandoned the project due to high mortality rates (largely due to malaria and yellow fever), and over 5,000 more when the United States took over construction in the early 1900s. The cost to complete the canal came to over 350 million dollars, and the canal was still mostly under United States control until 1999!

The largest toll ever paid to pass through the canal was $226,194 by the Coral Princess in 2003. The lowest was $0.36 by Richard Halliburton, who swam through the canal in 1928. 😂

I visited the Miraflores 2-step locks in Panama City, and was very lucky to catch a cargo ship leaving and a cruise ship just coming in ( I guess ships pass one direction in the morning and then switch directions in the afternoon, but there is often a large stretch of the day where no ships pass and people wrote upset reviews online about being unimpressed during those times 🤦🏻‍♀️).

Here comes a Holland America cruiser!

Water level on the other side has lowered to allow the ship through….

The ship cruises through with the help of locomotives on either side…..YAY!

San Blas Islands

Across the country from Panama City are the San Blas Islands in the Caribbean, 365 of them! Only 51 are inhabited and are largely controlled by the native Kuna people. I took a day trip to see 3 of the islands and a sunken sandbar that they call a natural ‘pool’. We also got to try a traditional fish lunch while there.

Cerro Ancon

I read a few recommendations about making time to hike up a small hill in the middle of the city, called Ancon Hill. With wild animals and views of both the old and new parts of town, it sounded like a fun place to explore. It did not disappoint! I spotted a toucan and several small monkeys, a ton of butterflies and a black frog! It was quiet and peaceful and definitely felt like a mini wilderness within Panama City.

I have loved manatees since I was 9 years old and wrote a report about them in the 4th grade! As a college graduation gift, a friend of mine pledged money to the Save the Manatees Club in my honor, and I sported the t-shirt that came with the pledge for years! I also still own a stuffed animal manatee from my childhood. 🤣

Prior to starting a hard push to pay off my student loans, I had planned a trip to Florida to swim with them. I canceled it in order to focus on clearing my debt, but this weekend, three years after my initial plan to, I was finally able to swim with manatees!! 🎊🎊🎊

Manatees are adorable aquatic mammals and herbivores, sometimes called ‘sea cows’, they move slowly and respond with gentleness. Their large body habits is due to intestines that aid with digesting grass, usually up to 9% of their body weight is eaten each day. They cannot survive in water temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so during the winter months, they often congregate in the gulf areas of Florida. Citrus County is known as the ‘Manatee Capital of the World’, so I ventured to Crystal River, Florida to see them up close with a guide.

We started at 6:30am in order to have the best chance to see the most manatees. We were given full body wet suits and hot chocolate before we headed to the boat. Thankfully, we found about 20 manatees at our first stop just floating around! 😁

I used an underwater camera bag, but was so excited about being surrounded by manatees that I didn’t get many photos, and most are a bit blurry. A mom and her baby swam right by me! At one point, I was surrounded by 3 huge, but mellow, manatees all at once.

Crystal River is quite small and a lot of its economy is based around manatee tourism. As such, there are adorable murals, business doors, statues and even mail boxes dedicated to this cute animal. Needless to say, this was definitely a super fun day for me! ❤️

Not nearly as exciting, but still very pretty, was a lovely hike that I took in the area, in Withlacoochee State Forest. Compared to the 10 degree temps that I experienced when visiting family in the midwest, walking along the trail in 70 degree weather felt downright tropical!

Next up: hopefully Panama!

Happy Holidays!! Thanks to everyone who has been following along with me these last 5 months! It’s been such an adventure and it’s meant so much to me to have friend’s and family’s support and encouragement. ♥️

I decided to come back to the states for the holidays and it has been a lovely and restful visit! I have never been more grateful for being able to unpack and do laundry, as well as sleep in the same place for more than 2 weeks, ha! 😂

With the craziness of Covid in the last 2 years, being with family was an extra special treat this year. I am grateful for lots of hang out time with my sweet nieces, delicious family dinners and marathon movie time. I hope everyone is staying warm, safe and healthy this holiday season and I hope to be able to share more travel adventures in the New Year. Cheers to 2022! 🥂