My Travels

The first trip I ever took was to Washington State to see my aunt and my cousins. I was an infant, so I don’t count that as my first flight. But I guess you could say my travels started pretty young.

As a child, our family used to go on vacations, mostly beach ones. I’ve been to Galveston more times than I care to count, and I’ve been to Biloxi, Mississippi. I’ve been to Corpus Christi a couple times - once for FFA in high school and another time for a beach wedding. Needless to say I think I’ve had my fair share of dingy ocean and humid beach getaways. The one time I went to Florida, I didn’t even get to see the beach. I wouldn’t know what clear waters and blue skies felt like until I took my first cruise in college. It’s the top ocean vacation I’ve been on so far.

I’ve been to Austin the second most I think, the first time on a $500 tax return budget with Caleb for a few days and a few more times to see Caleb’s sister. If I ever come back to Texas, that’s where you’ll find me, that’s for sure. That’s where I had the best BBQ I’ve ever had, and I’m confident it’s the best I’ll ever have. Don’t believe me? Check out Franklin BBQ on your next visit. A two hour wait in the blazing sun is worth it, I guarantee you. The best part is that while you wait in the dead heat of summer, they provide umbrellas, water and chairs because they believe it’s more than worth the wait too.

I didn’t really start traveling until my cousin moved away. She moved to Galveston first - and like I said, I’ve had my fill of that place - and I visited her multiple times there. Then she moved to Norfolk Virginia, where I went to visit and took my very first official adult flight to see her. From there she moved to New York, where I’ve had the privilege of visiting her twice, once by myself and the other time with Caleb, right before we went to Scotland. I’ve seen a lot just because of where my cousin lives, and after that I really got the bug and started planning my own getaways. Fingers crossed I make it to Germany next!

My dream is to see all the national parks in the U.S., and I haven’t seen a lot of them yet but I’m making a little bit of headway. I’ve been to Hot Springs a few times, once in high school and the other time with my grandma, then from there Caleb and I went to Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains. If it weren’t for COVID we would have seen Carlsbad Caverns during that trip too, but alas. We shall return. 

In between my New York Trips, Caleb and I got to see The Smoky Mountains and stay in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which I still believe is the perfect place on the East coast to live should I ever be inspired to move in that direction. We also began a tradition where we would take a 3-5 day weekend to go to the Piney Woods of LaRue, TX to stay in a tiny cabin, where they have “everything you need and nothing you don’t.” This regular vacation and the mantra that comes with it quickly became a much loved constant in my life, and the one thing I miss the most now that I’m not an hour and a half drive away from it anymore. Each cabin is named after a grandparent of a staff member, and while we were in Texas, Caleb and I got to stay at Nancy, Marie, Margherita, and Wilfredo, and each time we learned something new about ourselves or bonded even more over our love for reading, art, and writing. These trips were the thing I counted on as a chance to recharge and escape from the mundane day to day life we often find ourselves trapped in. There’s something so loud in the silence of nature, something that has always renewed and rejuvenated mine and Caleb’s souls. We took the leap on a whim and immediately fell in love with the tiny living lifestyle after that, and I hope to visit again soon, seeing as there are multiple locations across the country that we could visit. I always enjoyed our last night/date nights in the cabin, where we ate steak and drank wine and talked about what we wanted to do better and what our favorite parts of the trip were. I also loved how everything we did there, even the cooking and the cleaning, always felt like a labor of love, and I try to keep that mindset in our tiny studio space in our day to day lives as well.

I got to go on a two week long trip to North Carolina with my payroll job friend in 2022. We did so much while I was there, going to Asheville and even Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia for the Fourth of July. It’s not worth mentioning now, but my friend and I had since gone our separate ways and reunited again as stronger friends. And I’m so grateful for all of it, because without those experiences we wouldn’t be where we are now. 

My second trip to New York was my favorite, not only because it was Caleb’s first time and we spent the day getting lost in the city on our own, but because it was the precursor to our first international trip together, to London and Scotland. I could go on and on about this trip, seeing as it was the highlight of my life so far, but I’ll try to keep it simple. After we saw the Museum of Natural History, Central and Prospect Park, Times Square and ate lots of unique food like Guatemalan and Yemeni, we took an eight hour flight across the pond for the adventure of a lifetime. 

Our first stop was the rental car company, and after that we drove hours and hours to our first stop in Sheffield. This first stop was specifically for me, as I was meeting my pen pal for the first time in person. Long story short, her mother came to the states on an exchange program in the 80’s and she graduated from my high school, and her daughter is my age. We started emailing back and forth in middle school, and we sent care packages and Christmas gifts to each other for years. Meeting her was so surreal and amazing, and I’ll never forget that. 

From Sheffield we went to Stirling, where we woke up on our first morning to bagpipes in the streets. It was the perfect welcome to the country that I could have asked for. After that, per the requests of me and my cousin who are avid Outlander watchers, we went on a fan girl Outlander film location tour, and saw Midhope Castle - Lallybroch in the show. We went on a beautiful hike down natural stone stairs called The Devil’s Pulpit, and from there we traveled to Loch Lomond National Park, where we stopped for coffee and breakfast toasties and scones with clotted cream in the cutest little jars I’ve ever seen. In the park, we took a ski lift up to see the breathtaking views, and we saw Skyfall Road - the film location where 007’s house is in the Skyfall movie - and The Three Sisters.

Next on the itinerary was Fort William, where I had my first international McDonald’s meal and we stayed in the cutest AirBnb called The Hidden Gem. We went on the Steall Hike and got to see Ben Nevis, and on that particular day there was a small patch of snow on the summit in the shape of a heart, and it felt like yet another sign that we were meant to be there. My cousin and her husband also tried their hand at the wire bridge that I was too afraid to cross, but that I did stand and test my weight on before I decided against it and watched them do it instead. Sometimes you’ve just gotta be content being the photographer. I also got to go on The Jacobite Steam Train - a.k.a. The Harry Potter Train, a.k.a. The Glenfinnan Viaduct Train - where we enjoyed tea, cookies and butter beer, and even some champagne that my cousin and I split. Needless to say we were very giddy on the train ride back. Our one excursion off the Jacobite Steam Train was in Mallaig, where we explored the quaint town and admired the ocean views before we had to head back. On our way to Isle of Skye, we got to stop at Eilean Donan Castle, where the grounds were open and the sun was setting over the horizon. It was the perfect preface to my favorite part of the trip. 

We got to spend two nights in Isle of Skye, and of all places I’m so happy we got to spend the most time here. After our trip, I’m ready to retire on that island when the time comes. I’m convinced that’s where I’m going to end up once Caleb is an artist and I’m a real author. We stayed in the cutest tiny cabin, where the sweetest older man lived right up the hill and brought us eggs and milk the first morning we were there. The morning views from our cabin were indescribable. I can still see it in my mind, the rolling green hills, the grey blue ocean on the horizon. Nothing can compare to this day. 

In Skye, we went dinosaur track hunting along the shore - and I’m pretty sure we found one! - went on a beautiful morning hike and sightseeing adventure via the Rubha Nam Braithrean hike, where we saw sheep, seals, birds, and old house ruins, and where I tried my first IRN BRU donut and we hiked and saw the Fairy Pools and even got to go to the Talisker Distillery and Dunvegan Castle, where there were scary mannequins in trap doors and around unexpected corners. 

But I have to say that the highlight of the Scotland trip, of Isle of Skye, and even of the hikes of my life had to be the Quiraing Hike we took in Skye at night. It was still daylight at 9PM, and I still consider this the best and most beautiful hike ever. Pictures are the only things that come close to capturing the wonder I experienced that night, and to top it off we enjoyed a great night at the cabin having a few drams, talking and listening to music well into the night. It was probably the best Memorial Day I’ve ever had. 

From Skye, we drove through Craignorn National Park, where we saw Urquhart Castle and Culloden Moor, where I got to see the Clan Fraser stone, the famous clan from the Outlander series. We went bothy hunting in the park and got to stay in the most beautiful Hilton I’ve ever stayed in, and inside a national park to boot. That night we drank and watched game shows, and I took the most luxurious bath. 

The next morning we got to see Knock Castle, an old secluded castle that we had to ourselves, just off a beaten path. It was haunting and surreal to walk inside and to learn the history of the people who once dwelled there. Maybe they were still there, watching us as we walked through. I believe in ghosts, just not in provoking them. 

Balmoral Castle was a special treat, especially after watching The Crown and thinking I know everything about the queen now and Great Britain. Edinburgh was also great. We walked The Royal Mile and saw Edinburgh Castle, and I can say that this is a city I could revisit for sure. From there we went bar hopping and had dinner at The Doric, where I got my last chance to try cranachan, Scotland’s national dessert. It was the best custard I’ve ever had, and it was on my bucket list too, on the last night and place we were visiting in Scotland before our trip to London. This was also the leg of the journey where we had to pack washed but damp clothes and I had to pine after the ball pit bar we didn’t have time to visit. But all in all this was a great leg of our journey. 

Our final destination on our trip was to London, where we celebrated my cousin’s 30th birthday, and might I add that we did it in style. We took a train from Scotland, and we stayed in The Distillery, which was literally a gin distillery that also served as an inn that had a couple rooms available upstairs. We got to drink and stay here, which was a definite plus. I got to see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey during our stay in London, and I got to try Nando’s for the first time a South African chain. Aside from the cool monuments I got to see, I also got to go to one of the coolest bars ever. It was called Cahoots, and it was an underground/subway station themed speakeasy bar that played old music and that printed their menu like an old newspaper - which I have a copy of stuck to my fridge as we speak. From the speakeasy we took our first ever double decker bus back to the distillery, where we enjoyed some late night drinks and chicken tenders, and some other things that I don’t think I’ll mention - unless you ask of course. But that was the end of my greatest adventure yet, my Scotland and London journey.

I’m not the kind of girl that has a lot of “girlfriends,” but the best girls trip I’ve ever gotten to take was with my friend from my payroll job, the only person that made that time of my life bearable at all, and the same friend I went to North Carolina with. We rented a yurt in Emory, TX, where we got to pet and feed llamas - my friend’s favorite animal on the planet - ride old bikes and have a ghost photo shoot to herald in Fall and Halloween. We drank and talked in between, and I even got to bend my friend’s ear and read some of my short stories in progress. Top - and maybe only - intentional girls trip I’ve ever taken.  

Since I’ve been in Colorado, I’ve gotten to see a number of cool things, and even rekindle an old high school friendship and meet his wonderful wife. I’ve been to Manitou Springs many times. Once I went with Caleb to wander around the snow covered town and to drink from the naturally carbonated springs there, to see the Manitou Art Center, to have quesabirria tacos for lunch, to shop and to see the Cliff Dwellings. The second time Caleb, our friend and me parked our car there and raced to the shuttle bus that took us to the Pike’s Peak Cog Train, a 3 hour round trip up the summit where we got to stand at above 14,000 feet elevation and see absolutely nothing because of the snow storm that blew through while we were up there. But it was still amazing despite that fact. I’ve never been that high in my life! The third time was for the Cog Train again, with Caleb’s family, and we actually had time to get one of the famous donuts and take a cute picture on the summit before we had to go back down the mountain.

I’ve also been to Colorado Springs twice, more specifically to The Garden of the Gods two separate times, and the views were just as beautiful the second time. I’ve seen Berthoud, where our friends live, Longmont, where the greatest cheese store that ever lived lives, and to Boulder with the same friends, where we enjoyed a rainy day filled with good food and retail therapy. I’m excited to gradually discover all the cute mountain towns in the area while we’re here.  

I’ve been to Pine, Colorado, where me, Caleb and my mom - who drove all the way from Texas in a car with no air conditioning and an excited dog - spent five whole days in a 100 year old cabin where we enjoyed the solitude in nature, game nights and hockey games on Caleb’s iPad. We got to meet some local townsfolk, who were so nice and were celebrating the purchase and future re-opening of their little saloon that’s just a few minute’s walk from the neighborhood. We also got to drive through Staunton State Park, which is right across the road from the residential neighborhood we had the privilege to stay in. I wish we had longer to explore, but the views were still really nice. 

I recently got to go to the Rocky Mountains for the first time since Caleb and I moved here, with our dear friend from Texas who agreed to let us kidnap him for a whole week so we could show him our new city. We hiked and saw some beautiful sights, including my first marmot. We ate bologna sandwiches out of an insulated bag out of the back of our RAV4 and it might be one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. And I’m always a sucker for a good visitor’s center no matter where I go. I’ve actually become the butt of a lot of jokes because of this, but I don’t even care. 

Last but not least, I got to see Fort Collins. While our friend was visiting, we met up with our Berthoud friends and went on the Coyote Ridge Trail hike and explored the town afterwards. After lunch we spent the afternoon shopping in the cute town and we ended the day eating ice cream in the afternoon drizzle before we went our separate ways. I’d love to revisit the town when I have a chance. 

I can’t wait to experience even more as I continue to live my life in Denver, and I can’t wait to share more of my national park adventures in the near future! I’m sure I’ll be making lots of new posts about my travels in blogs to come.