Days 1–2 · Shinjuku, Harajuku and Golden Gai Japan made quite the first impression. We landed at Narita, breezed through customs and boarded the airport limousine bus to Shinjuku. Even the long ZIPAIR flight hadn't been too terrible, although my experiment with melatonin had mostly succeeded in making me fussier. You can read more about transportation specifics in Seven Days in Japan: What I Planned vs. What Actually Happened. My first mistake was having the wrong hotel addre

Seven days, three cities, two women and a few things we need to discuss. I'd been dreaming about Japan for months. Imagining the beauty, the energy, the mysteries. The quiet of the mountains, the intimacy of the gardens, the electricity of the cities. I had plans, y'all. I wanted to wander unfamiliar streets, get lost in forests, eat everything in sight and dance until the sun came up. I wanted ancient traditions and modern indulgences. Stillness and chaos. A little spiritual

No agenda. No excursions. Just Puerto Viejo, the Caribbean, and whatever felt good next. After the drive into Puerto Viejo, I was ready for a day that required absolutely nothing from me. I grabbed my beach bag, hopped in the car and headed out to see what I could find. I had no plans to conquer Puerto Viejo. I just wanted to enjoy her. First stop? Beach. Obviously. Behold - Playa Cocles. I practically had her to myself. It's all the things I love in a beach: swimmable water,

After five trips to Costa Rica, I thought I knew her. Then I reached the Caribbean coast. The closer I got to Puerto Viejo, the more something felt... different. The road changed. The scenery changed. Then the music changed. And somewhere between wiping the last evidence of my highway therapy session off my face and pulling into town, I started noticing the people. Brown skin. Curly hair. Locs. Caribbean faces. Island music spilling out into the streets. Wait. Where am I? Bec

Day 03 — On Butterflies & Becoming A butterfly farm, four hours on the road, and the kind of crying that apparently requires a Costa Rican highway. I woke up to the rainforest feeling rested. Rain had done its thing. The river had done its thing. The hammock had absolutely done its thing. And after one last moment of pretending Villa Natura was my permanent residence, it was time to pack up and keep moving. Today was the day. Puerto Viejo. But I had a five-ish hour drive ahea

Seven waterfalls, questionable modeling, and a rainy night hidden in the Costa Rican rainforest. I woke up ready to go. Today had one mission: Blue Falls. But first, provisions. Because nothing says international woman of adventure quite like wandering around a Costa Rican grocery store first thing in the morning. And listen... I love a foreign grocery store. There. I said it. I grabbed one of my favorite little travel lunches: fresh French bread and a pack of Spanish chorizo

One rental car, one night in the city, and the official start of my solo Costa Rica birthday adventure. And just like that, I was back. Costa Rica. Trip number five. Only this time, life looked very different from the last time I'd landed here. But we'd already made the decision. We were going anyway. First order of business: wheels. Yes girl, We're Driving I picked up my rental car from Vamos Rent-A-Car, and I have to give them their flowers. Easy. Simple. English speaking.

After years of wandering through the Americas, I’m feeling called somewhere completely different: Japan. I’m craving culture that sweeps me away, quiet streets, and mountain paths where I can listen for something new. As I plan the Golden Trail - with little detours to Lake Biwa and the nearby mountains - I’m also dreaming about energy work, how daily life feels there, and what it means to bring a small offering for the land itself. This season of life finds me in transition

A broken heart. A layoff notice. A birthday. And a ticket to Costa Rica. By the time my birthday rolled around, life had apparently decided subtlety was overrated. Earlier that year, I'd walked away from a relationship that had held ten years of my life. Then came the layoff notice. And just like that, the life I knew—the relationship, the job, the routines, the plans, all those comfortable assumptions about what came next—felt like they'd been wiped clean. Oh, and I already