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  • Medal for the Tunnel of Light marathon in front of the Snoqualmie Falls

    Looking for the Light at the End of the Tunnel

    Join us this week as we unpack the incredible journey our kidney donor athlete underwent to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Through a tough path, he went looking for the light at the the end of the tunnel at the Tunnel Light Marathon. The Long and Short of it “Great moments are born from great opportunities.” – Herb Brooks The Short Version: Did the work. Believed. Crushed the goal. The Long Version: Although the short version sums up what happened, I hope you’ll take the time to read this. So many feelings and emotions about the buildup and this race that I’m not sure I have the words to adequately…

  • Lush, green mountain with two waterfalls coming off either side

    Let’s Go Chasing Waterfalls in the Caribbean

    Sometimes it’s good to have a plan and sometimes it’s even better to wander and find a new path. This week we’ll do a little of both. Come with us as we visit the island of Dominica. Let’s go chasing waterfalls in the Caribbean! The Catch Up In case you missed it, we went on our very first cruise with our wonderful friends, Jerry and Shannon, in May. But wait…there’s more. This week we’re visiting Dominica – where we had an excursion booked and we got a little off the beaten path. Surprise – Dominica! The cruise line does a great job of reminding you about your schedule for the…

  • Man in running clothes, standing in front of a pirate statue and the tower of Bluebeard’s castle

    Finding Pirates in the Caribbean

    When you go on cruise, you’re given an itinerary of ports and excursions you can take. What you don’t really know is how beautiful the ports are. You won’t know how fun the excursion will be or what you’ll find when you get off the beaten path. Join us this week as we take the road less traveled where we set about finding pirates in the Caribbean! (Arrrr!) The Quick Catch Up In case you’re new here, welcome! Also, let’s get you up to speed. This May we had the opportunity to go on our very first cruise. We bought all the gear we needed for a frictionless experience. We…

  • Cast of the Love Boat inside a life ring, with the ocean behind it

    Set Sail on the “For Real” Love Boat

    If you’re as old as we are, you may have spent part of your childhood with Captain Stubing, Gopher, and Julie, the Cruise Director. Thought I’m sure we’d find this show mostly cringe-worthy now, why not join us as we set said on the “For Real” Love Boat – the Emerald Princess? Come aboard! We’ll find out together if it is really exciting and new. Quick Catch Up In case you missed it, we had the opportunity to go on our very first cruise with our wonderful friends, Jerry and Shannon. We went on a pre-cruise shopping spree and decided to upgrade our voyage with the balcony room and the…

  • Three people at a bar on a ship

    To Drink or Not to Drink, That is the Question

    Those of you who follow us know we went on our first cruise in May. It was a 10 day eastern Caribbean cruise that our friends Jerry and Shannon invited us to go on since they each won a free cruise. That being said, it was more of a “free” cruise than a free-free cruise, because there were extra costs that can’t be avoided like port fees and taxes. And then there are extras to consider – like excursions and whether or not to get “the drink package”. To drink or not to drink, that is the question we will explore this week. Offer to Upgrade…for a Small Fee With…

  • Group of people fooling around in a pool

    Plan B-eautiful – Setting Sail to the Caribbean

    Did you ever notice how “plan B” often ends up to be the better way to go? Join us this week as we unpack how our trip to Venice and northern Italy was transformed into plan b-eautiful – setting sail to the Caribbean. Plan A This year we marked our 15th wedding anniversary and as travel lovers, we wanted to do something epic. (Or more epic than we’ve done previously). We batted around going to Greece before mapping a trip to northern Italy that would include Venice, Milan and Florence. But before we could book even one hotel, fortune smiled on us instead. On a cool April weekday, I got…

  • Sculpture of a yellow unicorn, which a man peeking behind it

    Boston Marathon 2024 Recap

    Usually after a race, especially a big one, I can’t wait to sit down and write a race recap to share with y’all. I’m not really sure why it took me three months to get around to writing about this year’s Boston Marathon but here ya go. I hope you enjoy reading about it much more than I did running it this year. Good Beginnings The day of the race always requires an early alarm. We were fortunate to stay with some new friends in Cambridge at a great little Air BnB. Although Patrick and I were taking different routes to the start line, it was nice that we got…

  • Bronze statue of Edgar Allen Poe walking down the street, holding a briefcase with a raven flying out of it

    History Nerds and Taphophiles will LOVE This One

    If you’ve been following us from winter to spring, you may have noticed a pattern: So, can you guess where we ended up in April?? That’s right, our legendary kidney donor athlete had to go back to Boston to run the marathon. Have you ever wondered what the spouses of runners do after they kiss their person good bye? Why…we worry for their safety; pray for their success; and suffer anxiety while watching their progress on the course, of course! But this time, I added my own walking tour of the American revolution and some super interesting gravestones. History nerds and Taphophiles will LOVE this one! The Cambridge House Share…

  • Man looking over the top of a giant martini with sugar and chocolate around the rim

    What Happens in Vegas Ends up in a Blog

    Hello again! If you’ve been following our most recent adventures, you may have noticed a pattern: And this week…the pattern continues! This week we will drink giant martinis, watch singing frogs, and stroll past the Grand Canal. As they say, what happens in Vegas…ends up in a blog! Hi-ho, hi-ho to the Palazzo Though the trips above were for fun and family, this time we had to go for work. (Yes, I actually DO work outside of writing here!) Our five hour flight from Boston didn’t depart until 6pm, which meant we didn’t get to the Venetian Hotel until after 11:30pm. We figured we’d be able to quickly get our…

  • Man in a kilt, sweatshirt and Scally cap standing outside a restaurant

    Rockin’ the Kilts on St. Patty’s Day

    As you may remember, we’ve been unpacking our time in South Boston where sang with the band, drank some golden ales, spied on some priceless works of art and smashed some lobster and chowder. All of it, leading up to the reason we were there…to catch the parade and mosh with the locals at the Dropkick Murphys concert at the MGM. Join us this week for an amazing time where we’re acting like locals and rockin’ the kilts, on St. Patty’s Day. The Pre-Game Since our hotel, the Cambria, was right on the parade route, we knew we’d need a strategy to get brunch and a good spot to watch…