It's About the Destination

03/10/2025

This picture, taken in October 2020, means so much to me! Mount Rushmore was the reason that this state was the last of my fifty to visit. These leaders once had a dream, achieved their goal, and earned a place in history and memorialized as a carving in the rock.

I achieved my bucket list goal, here, in South Dakota and earned the right to wear this bragging rights tee-shirt! The face mask in my hand reminds me that I made this trip against great odds, in the middle of the pandemic, with a newly diagnosed autoimmune disorder. I was determined to make my dream come true and this is the proof that I am stronger than I think and more resilient than I realize.

Once again, travel became my go-to, to restore my hope and faith in a future unknown. How has travel helped you navigate through a difficult time in your life?

02/10/2025

I have been pretty quiet on social media for a while now. Life sometimes has a way of taking you down a different path than the one you envisioned. Mine took me on an unexpected health journey. Not the most favorite journey I have ever taken, by far. I have taken some time away from focusing on work to take care of me, so now I am working on making my comeback stronger than my setback.

One of the things that has always excited me in my life was the thought of seeing new places. When I was a little girl, my dad would take me to the airport to watch the planes take off and land on the beautifully lit runways. Never being able to afford to take me on a trip in an airplane, he did the next best thing. He instilled a sense of curiosity in me about all of the places you could go and explore that were just a plane ride away. I was intrigued by the thought of visiting other states and countries and escaping the small-town life that was all I knew at that time.

I finally got to live out that dream during my senior year of high school, when I was given a chance to go to Hawaii with my internship company. My first flight took place in snowy January. I was leaving the cold weather to fly to someplace tropical and exotic! I was ecstatic! This journey ignited a burning passion in me that has carried me away from some of the most challenging times of my life and to the most amazing destinations in the world! Throughout my life, I have turned to travel to help me with everything from learning about the world to escaping from stress to healing from grief.

And so in 2020, when I was given the diagnosis of a rare and potentially life-altering autoimmune disorder, I asked my new rheumatologist the most important question I had at that moment. “May I postpone the start of the immunosuppressant medication until next month? I have something very important that I have to do first.” I instinctively knew that taking this next journey would symbolically put closure on my life as I had lived it up to that point and prepare myself for the new chapter of changes and challenges that this diagnosis would inevitably bring. So in the middle of the first year of the pandemic, without vaccines and with the world all but shut down, my partner and I boarded a plane to Denver and traveled through 7 states in 14 days to complete my goal of seeing all fifty states, adding to the 16 countries and 4 continents that I am so grateful to have experienced!

My journey toward improving my overall health and wellbeing since that diagnosis has taught me several life lessons. Here are the 5 most important takeaways so far.

1. Prioritizing taking care of yourself is paramount to paving a path toward a higher quality of life. As the flight attendants tell you during the safety instructions before the plane takes off, put on your own oxygen mask first. You can only truly help others when you have enough left of yourself to give.

2. Having enough time later to do the things you want to do is all relative. Sometimes life has other plans. Sometimes you run out of time too soon. There is no guarantee of tomorrow. Everyone knows that, but not everyone lives that way each day. If your whole life could change tomorrow, what should you be doing differently today to be sure you have lived the life you dreamed of?

3. Stress is the price you pay for not living your life or having a career in alignment with your values. If something is not a good fit, find a way to change it. Once stress negatively impacts your health, it may be too late to make the changes you need to live the life you want.

4. Advocate for yourself and your health and well-being. Period. Ask questions. Seek truth. Research and educate yourself. Follow your intuition. Pursue longevity. Don’t settle and don’t compromise your values. Make yourself the expert on your life.

5. Travel. Anywhere and everywhere. It is one of the greatest ways to seek knowledge, expand your mind, heal your body, and restore your soul.

I will close my travel story by sharing a quote I coined many years ago:

“A world with knowledge is a world without boundaries.”

I would love to hear how travel has helped you!

29/07/2024

The dog days of summer brought out the people and the pups to attend a WienerPawlooza hosted by the Home2 Suites by Hilton Lewes and featuring a Lewes Fire Department fire truck and the star of the day - the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile! Such a fun event!

04/07/2024

Happy 4th of July!

01/07/2024

Congratulations on this milestone celebration Cape May - Lewes Ferry! I have been enjoying my travels on the ferry since I was a small child. You offer a valuable service to those traveling between the and . Keep up the good work!

On July 1, 1964, at 6:47 a.m., The First Ferry departing from Lewes left seven minutes later than scheduled. It carried eight vehicles and 15 passengers. At the same time, the first ferry leaving Cape May carried six passenger cars, a truck, a mobile trailer, and 26 passengers. Andrea Lippi was pictured as the first vehicle and passenger aboard the Cape May-Lewes Ferries on its first public crossing, driving a 1964 black Ford Mustang. By the end of the first month of sailings, 27,250 vehicles and 107,000 passengers crossed the Delaware Bay on the ferry. Little did anyone know what would come over the next 60 years!

Today, July 1, 2024, marks the 60th anniversary of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. Over the past 60 years, the ferry has completed approximately 300,000 crossings, transported more than 17 million vehicles, and served over 50 million passengers.

“While a lot has changed in the past six decades, the Ferry has always provided a break from the ordinary – a fun, relaxing way to add family memories to your vacation experience,” said Heath Gehrke, Director of Ferry Operations.

27/05/2024

Today we remember those who paid the ultimate price in service to our country.

26/05/2024

When in Maryland . . . you can take advantage of this fun Ice Cream Trail! I can’t wait to check it out!

The Office of Outdoor Recreation has partnered with Maryland's Best to churn up a delicious challenge for families this summer – hiking the Maryland Ice Cream Trail!

Now in its 12th year, the state’s official Ice Cream Trail features 12 dairies that produce and serve farm-fresh ice cream. Visitors can win prizes by submitting selfies taken at the various locations, with the chance to win a grand prize if they hit all of them.

To encourage families to extend their trip and get outside, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has identified corresponding hiking trails. If you visit all 11 (Moo Cow Creamery is a bonus location), you will be entered to win an annual Maryland State Parks Passport, valued at $75.

How to Win:
🍦Ice Cream Squishy, weekly drawing, 2 ways to enter
- To be entered to win an ice cream cone squishy, visit one of the 12 creameries and check-in online via Instagram or Facebook by posting a picture and tagging Maryland's Best.
- For an additional entry in the weekly drawing, visit one of the designated trails, take a photo of your hike, and post it tagging Maryland’s Best () and

🍦$50 Creamery Gift Card
Visit every location on the trail, and take a photo at each stop. When you have visited all 11 (Moo Cow Creamery is a bonus location!), email the photos to [email protected] by September 10. You will be entered to win a $50 gift card to a creamery of your choice. The winner will also receive a copy of the children’s book “Tales of the Dairy Godmother: Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish,” and the 2024 Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Champion Trailblazer trophy.

🍦Maryland Park Service Passport
Visit all 11 trails (since Moo Cow Creamery is a bonus, Gambrill State Park is considered a bonus trail as well), and take a photo at each stop. When you have visited them all, email the photos to [email protected] by September 10. You will be entered to win an annual Maryland Park Service Passport, which grants you entry to all state parks.

The hiking trails are listed here: https://marylandsbest.maryland.gov/24239-2/

25/05/2024

This week's feature comes from Bethany Blues of Lewes, Delaware. Being a long-time fan of their pulled-pork BBQ platters, I decided to switch it up a bit and try their Smoked Caprese Chicken. In my opinion, it did not disappoint! My side selections were Cheesy Creamed Corn and Sauteed Green Beans. I definitely did not leave hungry! If you are coming to for the long holiday weekend, consider checking them out!

17/05/2024

Today for , we visited Glick's Rib Shack in the in downtown Center City Philadelphia. Say hello to one of the best roast pulled pork sandwiches you will ever eat! Their combo meal is a great option as it even includes the beverage.

16/05/2024

If you are in the Delaware Valley region, this new transportation partnership may be of interest to you.

DRBA announces shuttle service from Wilm to Phila Airports via American Airlines & Landline Co partnership. For more info: https://ow.ly/xa2K50RIWYW

16/05/2024

One of the best discoveries ever!

01/05/2024

Happy 1st day of May! What signs of spring do you most look forward to seeing in the month of May?